Bolivia Emigration and Immigration

Online Sources

 * 1946-1971 Free Access: Africa, Asia and Europe, Passenger Lists of Displaced Persons, 1946-1971 Ancestry, free. Index and images. Passenger lists of immigrants leaving Germany and other European ports and airports between 1946-1971. The majority of the immigrants listed in this collection are displaced persons - Holocaust survivors, former concentration camp inmates and Nazi forced laborers, as well as refugees from Central and Eastern European countries and some non-European countries.

Offices and Archives to Contact
Archivo y Biblioteca Nacionales de Bolivia Calle Dalence, 4. 793 Sucre. Bolivia Tel.: (00 591 ) 46460207 E-mail: abnb@entelnet.bo Website
 * Ministerio del Interior: In 1888, this ministry took charge of the Colonisation section, thus becoming responsible for fostering foreign immigration and promoting the establishment of colonies in Bolivia.
 * Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores: Holds the census of foreign nationals from 1942 to 1953.

La Dirección General de Migración Avenida Camacho entre Bueno y Loayza La Paz, Bolivia Phone: (591-2) 2110960 Fax: (591-2) 2110955 Email: comunicacion@migracion.gob.bo
 * It has several relevant series for this topic such as the census of foreign nationals, family ties, passports, etc.

Background

 * Bolivia comparatively has experienced far less immigration than its South American neighbors. Nevertheless, small groups of Germans, Spaniards, Italians, a small Yugoslavian community, and others live in the country.
 * The Basques were a large source of Spanish and European immigration from the late 16th to early 20th centuries. Most came as shepherds and ranchers to Bolivia's vast livestock industry.
 * Similar to other Latin American nations, Bolivia has experienced a small Japanese migration. Beginning in 1899, a small migration of Japanese began that continued until the 1970s. Small Japanese communities were formed in the Bolivian department of Santa Cruz.
 * Other East Asians (Taiwanese and Chinese) and West Asians (Lebanese and Syrians) developed their own communities in Bolivia in the late 20th century. *During the 20th century Bolivia received a small number of Jews, mainly Ashkenazi.