Malayali Americans


Malayali Americans, also known by the term American Malayalees, are citizens of the United States of America who belong to the Malayali ethnolinguistic group. Their ancestry originates wholly or partly from the Indian state of Kerala.

History

Malayali nurses were first recruited in Metro New York in the 1960s. They began bringing their families in the 1970s. Later waves in the 1990s into the early 2000s added a contingent of computer and business professionals to the population. Many of these later immigrants were Christians and Hindus, with few Muslims.
Malayali nurses, who were sponsored for jobs, were among the first Indians to settle in the Philadelphia area. Most of them lived in Millbourne.
In recent years, the migration trends of Malayali people shifted to the United States as they seek opportunities.

Demographics

As of 2009–2013, there were approximately 146,000 people with Malayali heritage in the United States, with an estimated 40,000 living in the New York tri-state area. The majority of Malayali Americans live in areas like Bergen County, New Jersey, Rockland County, New York, [Indians in the Indians in the New York City metropolitan region|New York City metropolitan region|New York City], Chicago metro area, Philadelphia, Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, Los Angeles.

Religions

Hinduism

The Malayali Hindu community in the United States forms a significant portion of the Malayali Americans, with sizeable Christian and Muslim minorities. Community organizations such as the Hindu Malayalee Mandalam – formed in North Carolina in 2016 after informal gatherings since 1999 – actively promote Kerala Hindu cultural traditions, festivals like Vishu, and community cohesion in the Research Triangle area. Similarly, the Association of Tampa Hindu Malayali celebrates Onam annually with traditional performances, youth programs, and community gatherings that reinforce Malayali identity.

Islam

The Malayali Muslim community in the United States also participates actively in preserving its cultural and religious heritage. Organizations like Malayali Muslims of USA facilitate community bonding through cultural, matrimonial, and charity-focused programs. The Muslim Cultural Centre provides broader social welfare services including financial aid, career counseling, and relocation support. In March 2023, North American Malayali Muslims organized the first interfaith Iftaar meet in New Jersey, bringing together over 400 Muslim families and leaders from various faiths to promote interfaith harmony.

Christianity

Christian sects from Kerala have established multiple worship communities in United States The Syro-Malabar Church, an Eastern Catholic Church, native to India since the 1st-century, established St. Thomas Syro-Malabar diocese of Chicago was established in 2001. St. Thomas Day is celebrated in this church on July 3rd every year. Syro-Malankara Catholic Eparchy of the United States of America and Canada is home to 23 parishes and missions in different cities. Its cathedral is the St. Vincent de Paul Syro Malankara Catholic Cathedral in Elmont, New York. Its church includes the St. Jude Syro-Malankara Catholic Church in Bensalem, Pennsylvania. The St. Thomas Syro Malabar Church is a congregation in Framingham, Massachusetts under the jurisdiction of the St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic Diocese of Chicago.
Mar Thoma Syrian Church
The Mar Thoma Syrian Church established its presence in the United States in the early 1970s, following increased migration of Malayali Christians after the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965. Early worship gatherings were held in private homes and rented church facilities, with regular services beginning in Queens, New York, in 1972. The first official congregation, Mar Thoma Congregation of Greater New York, was organized in 1976. The Diocese of North America and Europe was formed in 1993, with its headquarters at the Sinai Mar Thoma Centre in Merrick, New York. As of 2020, the diocese consisted of over 70 parishes and congregations across the United States.
Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church
The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church began organized worship in the United States during the late 1960s among immigrant families from Kerala, India. The first parish was established in New York in 1970, and in 1979 the American Diocese was formally created under the leadership of Thomas Mar Makarios. His enthronement was held at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in Manhattan. In 2009, the American Diocese was divided into the Northeast American Diocese, headquartered in Muttontown, New York, and the Southwest American Diocese. Today, the church has numerous parishes, Sunday schools, and charitable activities across the country, maintaining the West Syriac Rite liturgical tradition.
Malankara Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church
The Malankara Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church, under the Holy Apostolic See of Antioch, began its organized presence in the United States in the 1980s with the arrival of clergy and faithful from Kerala. The first parish was formed in 1987, and the church has since established congregations in major cities including New York, Chicago, Dallas, and Los Angeles. Worship is conducted in the West Syriac Rite, and the church functions under the guidance of the Patriarch of Antioch and the Catholicos of India. The community is engaged in pastoral care, Sunday school education, and cultural activities that preserve its heritage.
Knanaya Community
The Knanaya community, an endogamous ethnic group within the Saint Thomas Christian tradition of Kerala, has established a notable presence in the United States since the late 20th century. Members belong to both the Syro-Malabar Catholic Archeparchy of Kottayam and the Knanaya Jacobite Syrian Orthodox community. The first organized Knanaya Catholic parish in the United States was founded in Chicago in 1983, later becoming the seat of the St. Mary’s Knanaya Catholic Church in Chicago. Today, the Knanaya faithful are served by the St. Mary's Knanaya Catholic Parish, Chicago, and several mission churches, while the Knanaya Jacobite community operates parishes under the Syriac Orthodox Church hierarchy. The community maintains its unique cultural practices, liturgical traditions, and emphasis on preserving endogamy.

Language

In 1983, the first Kerala Convention was held in New York City, which led to the founding of the Federation of Kerala Associations in North America. FOKANA is a major organization in the United States that promotes the Malayalam language and Malayali culture.

Culture

Film and television

List of Malayali Americans

Literature

Academics

Mathematicians

Deans and presidents

Economists

Professors

Business

Arts and Entertainment

Actors and actresses

Comedians

Media

Musicians

Sports

Politics and government

  • Stanley George, political strategist, known for his advisory role in the U.S. Republican Party and close association with President Donald Trump's political campaigns; also biographer
  • Shanthi Kalathil, foreign policy analyst, human rights advocate, former journalist

Elected officials

Federal elected officials

Civil servants

Federal judges

Activism and philanthropy

Science and technology

Medicine

Religion and spirituality

Crime