U.S.-Peruvian Business Relations and Their Effects on the Pioneer Migration of Peruvians to Paterson, New Jersey 1920–1950

Abstract:This article provides the first historical account of the initiation of Peruvian migration to Paterson, New Jersey, and elucidates previous scholarly explanations about the pioneer presence of Peruvians in the area. This essay demonstrates that the origins of this migration resulted as a consequence of the process of capitalist expansion and the development of trading routes between the United States and Peru that prompted working-class Peruvian citizens to individually settle in Paterson by mid-1920s. It reveals first-hand information about the life and adaptation of this pioneer group of Peruvians, which will be of interest of scholars investigating the migration patterns of unexplored groups of Latin Americans in the United States.