Pakistani Americans


Pakistani Americans are citizens of the United States who have full or partial ancestry from Pakistan, or more simply, Pakistanis in America. They can be from different ethnic groups in Pakistan like Punjabi, Saraiki, Sindhi, Balochi, Pashtun, Kashmiri or Muhajir/Urdu-speaking people. The term may also refer to people who also hold a dual Pakistani and U.S. citizenship. Educational attainment level and household income are much higher in the Pakistani-American diaspora compared to the U.S. population at large. In 2019, there were an estimated 554,202 self-identified Pakistani Americans, representing about 0.187% of the U.S. population, and about 2.50% of Asian Americans; more specifically, around 8% of South Asian Americans.

History in the United States

Immigrants from modern-day Pakistan had been immigrating to America as early as the nineteenth century, working in agriculture, logging, and mining in the western states of California, Oregon, and Washington. The passage of the Luce-Celler Act of 1946 allowed these immigrants to acquire U.S. citizenship through naturalization. Between 1947 and 1965, only 2,500 Pakistani immigrants entered the United States; most of them were students who chose to settle in the U.S. after graduating from American universities, according to reports from the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service. This marked the beginning of a distinct Pakistani community in America. However, after President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the INS Act of 1965 into law, eliminating per-country immigration quotas and introducing immigration on the basis of professional experience and education, the number of Pakistanis immigrating to the U.S. increased dramatically. As of the 1990 U.S. Census, the Pakistani-American population was 100,000. By 2005, that figured more than doubled to 210,000. In 2023, Monroe Township High School, in Monroe Township, Middlesex County, New Jersey, launched the first high school cricket team in New Jersey. In Texas, Zain Haq, launched the first ever official High School Cricket League with the formation of the San Antonio High School Cricket Association.

Self-identity

In a study on the ethnic identification of South Asian Americans based on the 1990 U.S. Census, a sample of 299 Pakistanis living in the United States showed that, while 6.7% identified as white and 0.3% identified as black, a grand majority identified as Asian.

Demographics

In 2021, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated that there were 629,946 U.S. residents of Pakistani descent, an increase from 409,163 at the 2010 Census. Some studies estimate the Pakistani population to be much higher, and in 2005, the Embassy of Pakistan in the U.S. found that the population exceeded 700,000. Pakistan is the 12th highest ranked country of origin for immigration to the U.S.
Perhaps 50% of Pakistani Americans speak Punjabi, 30% speak Urdu, and the remainder speak languages such as Sindhi, Saraiki, Hindko, Pashto, Baloch, Memoni, and Kashmiri.
The most systematic study of the demography of Pakistanis in America lies within Dr. Adil Najam's book , which estimates a population of 500,000.

Total population by state

All 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia are ranked below based on the estimated population of residents of Pakistani descent according to the 2018 American Community Survey:
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    Share of population by state

All 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia are ranked below based on the estimated percentage of residents of Pakistani descent according to the 2018 American Community Survey:
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    New York City Metropolitan Area

The Greater New York City Combined Statistical Area, consisting of New York City, Long Island, and adjacent areas of New York State, as well as nearby areas in New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pike County, Pennsylvania, comprises by far the largest Pakistani-American population of any metropolitan area in the United States, receiving the highest legal permanent resident Pakistani immigrant population. Within the greater metropolitan area, New York City itself hosts the largest concentration of Pakistani Americans of any U.S. city proper, with a population of approximately 34,310 as of the 2000 U.S. census, primarily in the boroughs of Queens and Brooklyn. These numbers made Pakistani Americans the fifth largest Asian American group in New York City. From 2000 to 2006, this figure had increased from 34,310 to 60,000. When including illegal immigrants in population figures, the population expands to roughly 70,000. Pakistan International Airlines served John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens until 2017. While New York City has celebrated North America's largest Pakistan Day parade for decades, New Jersey's first annual Pakistan Day parade was held on August 16, 2015, in Edison and Woodbridge, New Jersey.

California

It has been estimated that 10,000 Pakistanis work in Silicon Valley, most of whom work in the information technology, software development, and computer science sectors. From 1990 to 2000, the San Francisco Bay Area's Pakistani population increased from 3,477 to 6,119, an increase of 76%.
Predating modern-day Pakistan, Muslims from the British Raj immigrated in waves starting in 1902 to the West Coast, most notably in Yuba City, California, in search for mining and logging jobs. Some of the oldest Muslim communities and largest Sikh communities in the U.S. remain in Yuba City to this day.

Chicago

has a cross street named for Pakistan's founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah as well as Mahatma Gandhi to honor both the Indian and Pakistani businesses there.

Texas

Texas has a large Pakistani population, estimated at 70,000 people as of 2018. They are primarily concentrated in the Austin, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio metropolitan areas.
The community consists of professionals involved in medicine, IT, and engineering; textiles, manufacturing, real estate, and management; as well as those working in small businesses such as travel agencies, motels, restaurants, convenience stores and gas stations.

Other cities

Newly arrived Pakistani immigrants mostly settle in cities such as New York City; Paterson, New Jersey; Los Angeles; Atlanta; Boston; San Diego; San Francisco; Chicago; Denver; and Detroit. As with other South Asians, Pakistanis generally settle in major urban areas. Pakistani Americans are also prevalent in Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New England, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Seattle, Virginia, the District of Columbia, Wisconsin and Utah. Fremont, California, has the largest Pashtun population in the U.S., many of which emigrated from Pakistan.
U.S. localities with the highest percentages of Pakistani ancestry include Madison Park, New Jersey ; Herricks, New York ; Boonton, New Jersey ; Lincolnia, Virginia ; Stafford, Texas ; and Avenel, New Jersey.

Culture

As with the terms "Asian American" or "South Asian American," the term "Pakistani American" is an umbrella term applying to a variety of views, values, lifestyles, and appearances. Although Pakistani Americans retain a strong ethnic identity, they are known to assimilate into American culture while at the same time keeping the culture of their ancestors. Pakistani Americans are known to assimilate more easily than many other immigrant groups because they have fewer language barriers, higher educational credentials, and come from a similarly diverse, relatively tolerant, and multi-ethnic society. In addition to national identity, many Pakistani Americans also identify with their ethnic group
Pakistani Americans are well represented in the fields of medicine, engineering, finance and information technology. Pakistani Americans have brought Pakistani cuisine to the United States, and Pakistani cuisine has been established as one of the most popular cuisines in the country with hundreds of Pakistani restaurants in each major city and several similar eateries in smaller cities and towns. There are many Pakistani markets and stores in the United States. Many of such establishments cater to a broader South Asian audience due to similarities in cuisine. Some of the largest Pakistani markets are in New York City, Central New Jersey, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Dallas and Houston.

Languages

Pakistani Americans often retain their native languages, such as Punjabi, Saraiki, Sindhi, Balochi, Pashto and Kashmiri. As English is an official language in Pakistan and is taught in schools throughout the country, many immigrants coming to the United States generally have an ability to speak the English language.
Many Pakistanis in the United States also speak Pakistan's national language Urdu, although it is not native to the country.

Religion

Most Pakistani Americans are Muslims. Religion figures prominently in many Pakistani American families.
The majority of Pakistanis are Sunni Muslims, although a significant minority are Shi'ite or Ahmadiyya Muslims. In smaller American towns which do not have mosques within an hour's driving distance, Pakistani Americans make trips to attend the nearest one mainly on major religious holidays and occasions,such as Eid. Pakistani Americans worship at mosques alongside other Muslims who often trace their ancestry to other parts of the Islamic world; mosques in the U.S. are usually not specific to a particular nationality or ethnic group.
Pakistani Americans also participate in and contribute to the larger Islamic community, which includes Americans of Arab, African, Indian, Bangladeshi, Iranian, Turkish, Azerbaijani, Indonesian, Malaysian, Albanian, and Bosnian descent. Pakistanis are part of the larger Muslim community's efforts to educate the country about Islam's principles and teachings. Pakistani Americans have played important roles in the Muslim Students Association, which caters to the needs of Islamic students across the U.S. Pakistani Americans have also significantly contributed to the Islamic Society of North America and Islamic Circle of North America, which are both considered offshoots of the MSA.
Although most Pakistani Americans are Muslims, some are Hindus, Christians, or Zoroastrians. Pakistani Christians, like Asian Christians, worship at churches all over the country and share in the religious life of the dominant Christian culture in America. Pakistani Hindus mainly originate from Karachi and religiously associate with fellow Hindus from India. In recent times, Pakistani Zoroastrians mainly emigrated from Lahore and Karachi to the U.S. Pakistani Zoroastrians religiously associate with fellow Zoroastrians from Iran.