Los Angeles honorary consul Juris Bunkis: Latvian identity lives in values, not birthplace
Plastic surgeon Dr. Juris Bunkis, Latvia's honorary consul in Los Angeles since 2011, shares his journey from a refugee family to a California career and his work promoting Latvia in Hollywood.
Dr. Juris Bunkis, a plastic surgeon and Latvia's honorary consul in Los Angeles, believes that Latvian identity is defined not by where a person is born but by the values they carry. Bunkis himself was born to a Latvian refugee family in Lübeck, Germany, and grew up in a small mining town in northern Canada.
He studied medicine at the University of Toronto, general surgery at Columbia University, and plastic surgery at Harvard University. He later worked at the University of California, San Francisco, where he headed the hospital's plastic surgery department before opening his own private practice. He credits his parents, rather than his travels, with shaping his outlook, recalling their emphasis on education over material wealth.
An unplanned path to becoming honorary consul
Growing up far from larger Latvian communities, Bunkis's connection to his heritage was largely kept alive through Latvian songs his mother sang at home. He became honorary consul unexpectedly, receiving a call from Washington in 2011 inviting him to take on the role. He later learned the suggestion came from a young man he had once helped bring along to a motorcycle rally in South Dakota.
One of his first tasks as consul was preparing, within six weeks, for a visit by a delegation led by then-Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis and around 40 business representatives.
Promoting Latvia in Hollywood
As honorary consul, Bunkis maintains contacts with Hollywood film studios, including Disney and Warner Bros., informing them about Latvia and potential cooperation opportunities. He notes that despite the success of the animated film "Flow," which won an Oscar in 2025, general awareness of Latvia itself remains limited. He regularly shares information about the country on social media and has occasionally helped American companies seeking qualified specialists, such as software developers from Latvia.
Bunkis emphasizes that freedom is valued equally in the United States and in Latvia, but requires constant effort to maintain. He encourages Latvians living abroad to participate in Latvia's elections, follow the news, and vote by mail.
