Peruvian Culture in New York City

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Peruvian New York City

Metro New York’s main Peruvian community is centered on “Little Lima” is on Market St in Paterson, New Jersey. It’s the biggest Peruvian community in the United States.

There is a Peruvian community along Roosevelt Avenue in Jackson Heights, Queens.

Peruvian Art in NYC

You can find Peruvian culture at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Brooklyn Museum, and Queens Museum.

The Crown of the Andes in the Metropolitan Museum of Art is Colombian, but the big emerald in the crown is said to be the legendary Atahualpa Emerald which belonged to the last Inca ruler. The crown is human sized. The emerald is enormous.

Revolver Galeria is a Peruvian art gallery in the Lower East Side. revolvergaleria.com

William Cordova is a major Peruvian artist. He is represented by Sikkema Jenkins.

Peruvian Books in NYC

Nobel Prize-winning author Mario Vargas Llosa is often in New York.

Peruvian Dance in NYC

Latin Mondays at Taj, New York’s most popular salsa dance parties is led by Talia Castro-Pozo, a Peruvian actress, classical ballerina, and salsera.

Peruvian Festivals in NYC

The Peru to the World Expo is a Peruvian food festival. It’s moved to the Hamptons. @perutotheworldexpo

The Peruvian Parade and Festival in Paterson, New Jersey is America’s largest Peruvian festival. 🇵🇪

Peruvian Food in NYC

Ceviche, fresh fish “cooked” in lime juice blends Indigenous and Japanese traditions. Pisco, a brandy distilled from muscat grape wine, goes well with ceviche.

The Peru to the World Expo is a Peruvian food festival. It’s moved to the Hamptons. @perutotheworldexpo

• Flor de Mayo (Chinese-Peruvian) flordemayo.com
• Llama Inn (Michelin)
• Mission Ceviche (Michelin)
• Panca
• Pio Pio
• Pollo d’Oro
• Riko Peruvian Cuisine
• Sen Sakama
• Suya Gastrofusion (Michelin)
• Urubamba (NYC’s oldest)

Peruvian Government in NYC

New York’s Peruvian Consulate is in Midtown East, Manhattan. consulado.pe

Peruvian Music in NYC

There is Peruvian jazz at Terraza 7 in Elmhurst, Queens; Barbès in Park Slope, Brooklyn; and SOB’s in Hudson Square, Manhattan.

Araceli Poma plays an Indigenous jazz fusion.

Chicha Libre isn’t very active now, and they are not Peruvian, but they play cumbia based on Peruvian Chica which is pretty cool. It’s sort of cumbia-surf-rock based out of Barbès, Brooklyn.

Efraín Rozas, the Peruvian musician and technologist, fronts psychedelic salsa rockers La Mecánica Popular.

Gabriel Alegría is one of New York City’s leading Peruvian jazz musicians.

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Peruvian Culture

Peru has a strong Indigenous culture with Afro-Peruvian culture along the coast.

Peruvian Architecture

Inca architecture includes incredible stone ruins and the famous Inca roads that travel the length of the Andes.

We still don’t know how the Inca built with large stones without machines. The stones fit together perfectly like puzzle pieces. That design provides protection against earthquakes.

Peruvian Carnival

Peruvian Carnival is more Indigenous, but the dances include memories of African Diasporic culture from the Colonial Era.

We don’t know why, but there are similar Carnival characters in Peru and the Dominican Republic.

Peruvian Dance

The marinera is Peru’s national dance. This courting dance is a blend of Indigenous couple dances, the Spanish contradanza, and African zamacueca. Every region has its own style.

Interesting thing about Zamacueca is that it uses the hips in what’s called Cuban motion, although that is most fully expressed in Dominican merengue and bachata in the barrios. Dancing with the hips is a signature of Mother Africa. It originates in women’s coming of age dances that are still performed in many communities in Africa.

Festejo is an Afro-Peruvian drum, song, and dance tradition. It is basically Peruvian salsa. It’s danced with the pollera, the Andalusian peasant dress that was forced on the Americas by the Spanish colonizers. Festejo comes from the old plantations that used to line the coastal plain. It celebrates freedom (abolition).

Peruvian Music

Traditional Peruvian culture includes the Andean flutes you hear on New York subways.

The caja box drum used in Spanish flamenco and many Afro-Caribbean traditions, was brought into Spanish culture from Peru.

“Toro Mata” is an old Peruvian folk song that was made famous when Celia Cruz sang it as a salsa.

Susana Baca is a famous advocate of Afro-Peruvian culture. @susana_baca_oficial

Tony Succar is a Miami Peruvian timbalero who won 2019 Latin Grammy Awards for Salsa Album and Producer of the Year.

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Peru

Peru is defined by the Andes mountains with a dry coastal plain on one side and Amazonian jungle on the other.

Cusco was the capital of the Inca, one of the great civilizations of South America. The descendants of the Inca remain in the Andes along with different Indigenous peoples in the Amazonian highlands. Inca roads still run up and down the west coast of South America and the Andes mountains.

Spanish colonizers (1534-1821) first controlled South America from Lima. It was once considered an African city.

Peruvians

Peruvian Culture in New York City is a mestizo mix of Indigenous Inca descendants with a Spanish colonial overlay. The African Diaspora has mostly blended in, but remains culturally significant.

Abolition brought Chinese and Japanese workers who have contributed to Peruvian culture. Peruvian ceviche blends Indigenous and Japanese traditions.

Peruvian UNESCO World Heritage Sites

The ancient Inca sanctuary city of Machu Picchu is an icon of Peru, but we have many World Heritage Sites. These include:

• Arequipa, a colonial city with Indigenous influences
• Caral-Supe, an ancient sacred city of the Norte Chico civilization
• Chan Chan, the ancient capital of the Chimú culture
• Chavín de Huantar, an ancient Andean city
• Cusco, the ancient Inca capital
• Huascarán National Park, high Andean mountains around Peru’s tallest peak
• Lima City Center, the colonial city center founded in 1535
• Manú National Park, a biosphere preserve
• Nazca Lines, the famous earth drawings (400-650) that can only be seen from the air
• Qhapaq Ñan Andean Road System, these ancient Inca roads run from Colombia to Chile/Argentina.
• Río Abiseo National Park, a rainforest park with many pre-Columbian sites