Moroccan Americans


Moroccan Americans are Americans citizens who are of Moroccan descent, either fully or partially. It is also applied to Americans who hold dual citizenship in the United States and Morocco.

History of immigration

Moroccan presence in the United States was rare until the mid-twentieth century. The first North African who came to the current United States was probably Estebanico Al Azemmouri, a Muslim Moroccan of Gnawa descent, who participated in Pánfilo de Narváez's ill-fated expedition to colonize Florida and the Gulf Coast in 1527. Only Azemmouri and three of his comrades survived during the eleven year, 5,000 mile journey from Florida to Texas. In 1534, Azemmouri crossed the southern United States to Arizona, accompanying Marcos de Niza as a guide in his search of the fabled Seven Cities of Cibola ahead of Coronado. Azemmouri was the first explorer to enter a Native American village.
The first American Jew to serve in the Senate was David Levy Yulee, who was of Moroccan descent and served as Florida's first Senator from 1845 to 1851 and again 1855–1861.
It is also possible that some South American descendants of Moroccan Jews emigrated to the U.S. in the early twentieth century, after the decline of the rubber industry in South America in 1910, to which their families had been dedicated for generations. After World War II, some groups of Jews from Morocco emigrated to the United States, fleeing poverty in North Africa. Most of them settled in previously established Sephardic Jewish communities from Spain, Turkey, or the Balkans. After Moroccan independence in 1956, many of their best young researchers left to study at American universities, joining scientific faculties. Muslim Moroccans, however, did not arrive to the United States in significant numbers until the late 1970s.
During the 1980s and 1990s, many Moroccans entered the United States to attend colleges, universities, graduate schools, and medical schools. Some Moroccans emigrated to United States seeking work, opening small retail stores and restaurants.
In 1990 there were about 15,000 Moroccan Americans, with most of them being in New York City.

Statistics

As of the 2000 U.S. census 38,923 Americans stated they were of Moroccan descent. About half of Moroccan immigrants arrived during or after 2000, a higher proportion than is found among U.S. immigrants overall, and the majority are U.S. citizens. As of 2009, 27,000 Moroccans had immigrated between 1992 and 2002, with most of the Moroccan Americans living in large urban areas. By 2015, there were approximately 84,000 Moroccan immigrants and their children living in the United States. These numbers, however, are very approximate: surveys and censuses regularly leave out representatives of ethnic and/religious minorities who, for various reasons, prefer not to be identified with the country of their origin.
By state, most Moroccan immigrants reside in New York, Florida, and Massachusetts. Each of these states have between 5,000 and 10,000 Moroccan immigrant residents. The New York City metro area has the largest population of Moroccan immigrants, with approximately 11,000. Other metro areas with large Moroccan immigrant populations are Boston, Washington DC, Los Angeles, Miami, Orlando, Chicago, Philadelphia, Houston, and Tampa.

Religion

The vast majority of Moroccan Americans practice Islam. Most Moroccans are Sunni Muslims of the Maliki madh'hab.
Moroccans in New York City established the Islamic Mission of America for the Propagation of Islam and Defense of the Faith and the Faithful, the second mosque in New York.
A large minority of Moroccans identify with Judaism, specifically Sephardic Judaism.

Media of Moroccan Americans

Tingis is a Moroccan American magazine which highlights cultural concerns, ideas, and issues of Moroccan Americans. It works against prejudice and cultural divisions, building and expanding bridges between the U.S. and Morocco.

Organizations

There are some important organizations created mainly by Moroccans Americans in Chicago, whose function is to help newly arrived immigrants to the United States. These arose in the 1990s. Of these organizations must be emphasized the Assembly of the Maghreb. This assembly has tried to help new immigrants from North Africa to adapt to American life and maintain, in turn, the principles of Sunni Islam. Because most North African immigrants in Chicago have not been associated closely with the Muslim Middle East, the North Africans come together as a common community. Often, in relation to the area of the mosque, the organization has taught job skills, English language, the importance of Sirat al-Mustaqim and moderation, among other things. Have been trained women to balance paid work with traditional household chores. Religious activities, such as collective prayer and the feasts of Ramadan, have been important in unifying Moroccans and other North African Muslim groups in Chicago.
Other Moroccan American associations are: the Moroccan American Community Organization, The Moroccan American House Association, Association of Moroccan Professionals in America, Moroccan American Association of Northern California, Washington Moroccan Association and Moroccan Society of Houston.

Notable people