Immigrant of the Day: Isabelle Allende

World renowned author Isabel Allende was born in 1942 in Lima, Peru to diplomat Tomás Allende, who was the Chilean ambassador there. Tomás Allende was the brother of Salvador Allende, the President of Chile from 1970 to 1973. In 1945, Allende's parents separated, and her mother relocated with their three children to Chile, where they lived until 1953, when they moved to Bolivia, then Lebanon. They returned to Chile in 1958 so that Allende could complete her secondary education. During a visit to California in 1988, Allende met her second husband, attorney Willie Gordon; they currently live in San Rafael. In 1994 she was awarded the Gabriela Mistral Order of Merit- the first woman to receive this honor. In 2003, Allende obtained United States citizenship. In 2006, she was one of the eight flag bearers at the Opening Ceremony of the Winter Olympics.

Allende is a world renowned author and has taught literature at the University of Virginia, Montclair College, and UC Berkeley.  Click here for Allende's website.

KJ