Bangladeshi Americans
An estimated 400,000 people leave Bangladesh annually with the sole goal of finding employment in other countries
বাংলাদেশী মার্কিনী | |
---|---|
Total population | |
213,372 (official estimate, 2022)[1] | |
Regions with significant populations | |
[5] | |
Languages | |
Religion | |
Predominantly Islam, minorities include Hinduism, Buddhism, and Christianity | |
Related ethnic groups | |
Bangladeshi Americans (Template:Lang-bn) are American citizens with Bangladeshi origin or descent. Bangladeshi Americans are predominantly Bengali Americans and are usually Bengali speaking Muslims with roots in Bangladesh. Since the early 1970s, Bangladeshi immigrants have arrived in significant numbers to become one of the fastest growing ethnic groups in the U.S. New York City is home to two-thirds of the Bangladeshi American population. Meanwhile, Paterson, New Jersey; Atlantic City, New Jersey;[6] and Monroe Township, Middlesex County, New Jersey are also home to notable Bangladeshi communities.[7]
History
Immigrants from present-day Bangladesh have been in the United States since at least the First World War, originating from East Bengal of British India.[8]
Since the independence of Bangladesh in 1971, immigration to the United States grew slowly but steadily through the 1970s and 1980s. Over 10,000 Bangladeshis have immigrated to the United States annually.[2] Many of the migrants settled in urban areas. New York City is home to two-thirds of the Bangladeshi population in the United States. Other cities including Paterson, Atlantic City, and Monroe Township, New Jersey; Buffalo, New York; Washington, D.C.; Los Angeles; Boston; Chicago; and Detroit.
In New York, it was estimated that 15,000 Bangladeshis resided in the city in the early 1980s. During the late 1970s, some Bangladeshis moved from New York City to Detroit, and Atlantic City for jobs. Homes to prominent communities of other Muslim Americans, in search of better work opportunities and an affordable cost of living,[9] but most have since returned from Detroit to New York and to New Jersey, in hope of starting a new community and a peaceful life. In Atlantic City, Bangladeshis established an association, and two smaller Melas are held in June/July and in August.
The Los Angeles Bangladesh Association was created in 1971, and there were 500 members of the Texas Bangladesh Association in 1997. The Bangladeshi population in Dallas was 5,000 people in 1997, which was large enough to hold the Baishakhi Mela event.
Baishakhi Mela events have been held in major American cities such as New York City; Paterson, New Jersey; Atlantic City; Washington, D.C.; and Los Angeles; as the Bangladeshi population continues to increase in these cities.[10] The third and largest wave of arrivals came in the 1990s and 2000s. Because of the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program, professional and educational criteria were not used. Most Bangladeshi immigrants took blue-collar work such as taxi driving and restaurant help.[11]
Demography
States, Cities, and Metro Areas by Population
Bangladeshi Americans are largely concentrated in metropolitan areas in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Great Lakes regions of the country, especially working-class neighborhoods and suburbs. There are smaller concentrations in states such as Texas, California, and Nevada.[15]
The states with the highest percentages of Bangladeshi Americans are:[citation needed]
State | Bangladeshi
Percentage |
Bangladeshi
Population |
---|---|---|
New York | 1.5% | 300,000 |
Michigan | 1.2% | 100,000 |
New Jersey | 0.66% | 61,000 |
Virginia | 0.37% | 33,452 |
Maryland | 0.1% | 7,000 |
Connecticut | 0.1% | 9,000 |
Some communities with the highest percentages of Bangladeshi Americans are:[citation needed]
Community | Bangladeshi
Percentage |
---|---|
Hamtramck, Michigan | 57% |
Warren, Michigan | 15% |
Atlantic City, New Jersey | 10% |
Center Line, Michigan | 10% |
Detroit, Michigan | 4.4% |
Hyattsville, Maryland | 2.9% |
Seven Corners, Virginia | 2.7% |
New York, New York | 2.1% |
Paterson, New Jersey | 1.7% |
Manchester, Connecticut | 1.6% |
Lincolnia, Virginia | 1.37% |
Bailey's Crossroads, Virginia | 1.2% |
Greenbelt, Maryland | 1.05% |
Elmont, New York | 1% |
Waterbury, Connecticut | 0.8% |
South Laurel, Maryland | 0.69% |
Arlington, Virginia | 0.6% |
Fayetteville, Arkansas | 0.6% |
Irving, Texas | 0.5% |
Reno, Nevada | 0.32% |
The metropolitan areas with the highest percentages of Bangladeshi Americans are:[citation needed]
Metropolitan area | Bangladeshi
Percentage |
Notable Communities |
---|---|---|
New York, NY/NJ/CT/PA | 2% | Queens, NY; Paterson, NJ; Monroe Township, Middlesex County, NJ |
Detroit, MI | 0.92% | Hamtramck, MI; Warren, MI; Center Line, MI |
Washington, DC/VA/MD/WV | 0.55% | Fairfax Co., VA; Arlington, VA; Prince George's Co., MD |
Dallas-Fort Worth, TX | 0.35% | Irving, TX |
Buffalo, NY | 0.27% | Broadway-Fillmore, Buffalo, NY |
Atlanta, GA | 0.18% | DeKalb Co., GA |
Hartford, CT | 0.17% | Manchester, CT |
Philadelphia, PA | 0.15% | Northeast Philadelphia, PA |
Major communities
New York City
New York City is home to the largest Bangladeshi community in the United States, receiving by far the highest legal permanent resident Bangladeshi immigrant population.[2] The Bangladeshi-born immigrant population has become one of the fastest growing in New York City, counting over 93,000 by 2011 alone.[16][17] The city's Bangladeshi community is prominent in Jackson Heights, Queens. 74th Street has most of the Bangladeshi grocery stores and clothing stores in Jackson Heights. The Bangladesh Plaza hosts numerous Bangladeshi businesses and cultural events. Recently, one part of Jackson Heights has become an open platform for all sorts of protests and activism. The adjacent neighborhoods of Woodside and Elmhurst in Queens have also drawn Bangladeshi Americans.
In the 1960s, Bangladeshi Americans developed the Manhattan restaurant area called Curry Row.[18] Since the 1970s, thousands of Bangladeshis were able to legally migrate to the U.S. through the Diversity Visa Program lottery. Centered on 169th Street and Hillside Avenue, Jamaica, Queens, has become a popular draw due to the large number of Bengladeshi restaurants and grocery stores. Sagar Restaurant, Gharoa, Deshi Shaad, Kabir's Bakery, and other stores in Queens are attractions for the Bangladeshi community from throughout New York City. The largest numbers of Bangladeshi Americans now live in the Queens neighborhoods of Jamaica, Jackson Heights, Hollis, and Briarwood. Bangladeshi enclaves have also emerged in Parkchester, Bronx; Ozone Park, Queens; City Line, Brooklyn.[19] More affluent Bangladeshis have relocated to Long Island, largely due to many Bengladeshi-owned pharmaceutical companies that also employ many Bengladeshis there. However, a relatively small number of Bangladeshis have moved from New York City to cities such as Buffalo, New York, and Hamtramck, Michigan, mainly due to low costs of living there.
New York statistics
- 1990 census:
- 2000 census:
- Total population: 28,269
- Highest concentrations: Queens—18,310 people (65%), Brooklyn—6,243 (22%), Bronx—2,442 (9%), Manhattan—1,204 (4%), Staten Island—70 (0.2%)
- Population growth rate from 1970 to 2000: 471%
- Foreign-born population: 83,967 (100%)
- Limited English proficiency: 14,840 (60%)
- Median Household Income: $45,537
- People Living in Poverty: 10,500
- Percentage of people in poverty: 40%
- 2010 census:
- Total population: 100,000
- Highest concentrations: Queens (60%), Brooklyn (19%), Bronx (17%), Manhattan (4%), Staten Island (0.4%)
- Population growth rate from 2000 to 2010:
- Foreign-born population: 80%
- Limited English proficiency: 78%
- Median Household Income: $36,741
- Percentage of people in poverty: 32%[23]
Bangladeshi neighborhoods in New York City include Jamaica, Jamaica Hills, Briarwood, Jackson Heights, Woodside, Elmhurst, Hollis, Queens Village, Hunters Point, Long Island City, East Harlem, Bayside, Hillcrest, West Maspeth and Astoria in Queens; Kensington and City Line in Brooklyn;[19] and Parkchester and Castle Hill in The Bronx.[23][24] Smaller Little Bangladesh communities can be found in Philadelphia; Washington, D.C.; Detroit; and Los Angeles.
Paterson, New Jersey
Paterson, New Jersey, in the New York City metropolitan area, is home to a significant and growing Bangladeshi American community. Many Bangladeshi grocery stores and clothing stores operate in the emerging Little Bangladesh on Union Avenue and on nearby streets in Paterson, as well as a branch of a subsidiary of Sonali Bank, the largest state-owned financial institution in Bangladesh. The Masjid Al-Ferdous mosque is also located on Union Avenue. Mohammed Akhtaruzzaman was ultimately certified as the winner of the 2012 City Council election in the Second Ward, making him northern New Jersey's first Bangladeshi-American elected official. The current Second Ward Councilman is Bangladeshi Shahin Khalique, who defeated Akhtaruzzaman in 2016 as well as in 2020. Khalique has largely stimulated growth and advancement of the Bengali community in Paterson.[25]
On October 11, 2014, a groundbreaking ceremony was conducted for the Shohid Minar Monument in West Side Park in Paterson. The monument pays tribute to those killed in Pakistan in 1952 while protesting the country's ban on the use of Bangladeshis' native language Bangla (বাংলা). The monument is modeled after similar monuments in Bangladesh, according to the World Glam Organization, the Bangladeshi cultural group working on the Paterson project. The Shohid Minar Monument was completed and unveiled in 2015.[26] This project reflected the increasing influence of Paterson's growing Bangladeshi community as reported in The Record.[27]
Community and economic issues
Per capita income
In 2014, identified by factfinder census, when Americans per capita income was divided by ethnic groups Bangladeshi Americans were revealed to have a per capita income of only $18,027, below the American average of $25,825.[28]
Median household income
In 2015, Bangladeshi Americans had an estimated median household income of $49,800, lower than the overall American median of $53,600.[29]
In 2019, Bangladeshi Americans had a median household income of $59,500.[30]
Poverty
In a 2013, NPR discussion with a member of the Economic Policy Institute and co-author of the book The Myth of the Model Minority Rosalind Chou who is also a professor of sociology. One of them stated that "When you break it down by specific ethnic groups, the Hmong, the Bangladeshi, they have poverty rates that rival the African-American poverty rate."[31]
Education
In the 2000 U.S. Census, 57,412 people reporting having Bangladeshi origin.[32] In 2015, it was reported that 16% of the Bangladeshi population in the US had at least a bachelor's degree.[33] Almost 22% of Bangladeshis over the age of 25 earned at least a bachelor's degree, compared to less than 25% of the U.S. population.
Politics
Bangladeshi Americans strongly favor the Democratic Party. Republican President Richard Nixon's support of Pakistan during Bangladesh's struggle for independence partly swayed Bangladeshis to the Democratic Party.[34] In the 2012 U.S. presidential election, 96% of Bangladeshi Americans voted to reelect Barack Obama.[35] In the 2016 U.S. presidential election, 90% of Bangladeshi Americans voted for Hillary Clinton.[36] In the 2020 U.S. presidential election, 91% of Bangladeshi Americans voted for Joe Biden.[37]
In recent decades, the Bangladeshi-American community has become more active in local and national politics, with many Bangladeshi Americans seeking office or forming political organizations to better represent those within or outside the community who share similar goals.[38][39][40]
Culture
Bangladeshi Americans are highly visible in medicine, engineering, business, finance and information technology. Bangladeshi Americans have introduced Bengali cuisine through several Bangladeshi markets and stores in the U.S. Some of the largest are in New York City; Paterson, New Jersey; Central New Jersey; Washington, D.C.; Atlantic City, New Jersey; and Los Angeles, California.
Languages
Bangladeshi Americans often retain their native language Bengali and run many programs to nourish their mother tongue. Many also speak regional dialects of Bengali, such as Noakhailla (prevalent in Bangladesh's Noakhali District), Sylheti (prevalent in Bangladesh's Sylhet Division)as well as Chittagonian (prevalent in Bangladesh's Chittagong and Cox's Bazar Districts) among many other dialects from various regions.
Religion
Before the colonization of South Asia by Great Britain, folk religion in villages in the Bengal region incorporated elements of Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism to varying degrees. Leading up to the modern era, Bengali families increasingly began identifying with a single religious community. In North America, Bangladeshis residing in rural areas often practice their faith at home and make special trips during community holidays like Ramadan and Durga Puja. In cities such as Detroit and New York, Bangladeshi Muslims attend religious activities at mosques in their own ethnic enclaves. Bangladeshi Americans have taken on leadership roles at major Hindu temples in the U.S.
Notable people
Here is a list of notable individuals in alphabetical order:
- Abul Hussam – chemist, inventor of the Sono arsenic filter
- Abdus Suttar Khan – chemist and jet fuels inventor
- Anik Khan – rapper
- Anika Rahman – CEO of Ms. Foundation for Women
- Arianna Afsar – former Miss California; placed in the Top 10 of the 2011 Miss America pageant
- Asif Azam Siddiqi – space historian, assistant professor of history at Fordham University
- Badal Roy – tabla player, percussionist, and recording artist
- Badrul Khan – founder of modern e-learning
- Fazle Hussain – professor of mechanical engineering, and earth science at the University of Houston
- Fazlur Rahman Khan – pioneer of modern structural engineering
- Firoz Mahmud – interdisciplinary media artist
- Hansen Clarke – member of U.S. House of Representatives (2011–2013) from Michigan's 13th District
- Hasan M. Elahi – interdisciplinary media artist
- Imran Khan – tech investor and entrepreneur. Chief Strategy Officer of Snap Inc, Leading Alibaba Group IPO, leading Snap IPO
- Iqbal Quadir – founder of Grameenphone, Bangladesh's largest mobile phone company; headed the MIT Legatum Center
- Jai Wolf – electronic music producer
- Jawed Karim – co-founder of YouTube, designed key parts of PayPal
- Kamal Quadir – entrepreneur; founded two of Bangladesh's key technology companies, CellBazaar and bKash
- Maqsudul Alam (d. 2014) – scientist and professor at University of Hawaii
- Marjana Chowdhury – model, philanthropist and beauty queen Miss Bangladesh USA
- M. Osman Siddique – former U.S. ambassador
- M. Zahid Hasan – scientist and professor of quantum physics at Princeton University- known for seminal discoveries in quantum physics. Fellow of American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
- Mir Masoom Ali – George and Frances Ball Distinguished Professor of Statistics, Ball State University
- Mohammad Ataul Karim – electrical engineer
- Monica Yunus – Bangladeshi-Russian-American operatic soprano
- Naeem Mohaiemen – academic, filmmaker, writer, visual artist
- Omar Ishrak - business executive, chairman of Intel and Medtronic
- Palbasha Siddique – singer
- Rahat Hossain – YouTuber listed as MagicofRahat
- Rais Bhuiyan – shooting survivor and activist
- Reihan Salam – conservative American political commentator; blogger at The American Scene; associate editor of The Atlantic Monthly
- Salman Khan – founder of Khan Academy, a nonprofit educational organisation
- Sanjoy – musician, electronic music producer and DJ
- Saif Ahmad – World Series of Poker winner
- Sezan Mahmud – award-winning novelist
- Shikhee – singer, auteur of industrial band Android Lust
- Shomi Patwary – designer and music video director
- Shuvo Roy – co-inventor of artificial kidney, medical MEMS, scientist, and engineer.
- Sumaya Kazi – founder of Sumazi, recognized by BusinessWeek as one of America's Best Young Entrepreneurs.
See also
- Asian Americans in New York City
- Chinese people in New York City
- Demographics of New York City
- Filipinos in the New York metropolitan area
- Fuzhounese in New York City
- Indians in the New York City metropolitan region
- Japanese in New York City
- Koreans in New York City
- Russians in New York City
- Taiwanese people in New York City
- Bengali diaspora
- Bengali Americans
- Little Bangladesh, Los Angeles
- Bangladesh–United States relations
References
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- ^ "Yearbook of Immigration Statistics: 2010 Supplemental Table 2". U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Archived from the original on July 12, 2012. Retrieved April 3, 2013.
- ^ "Top 10 U.S. Metropolitan areas by Bangladeshi population, 2019".
- ^ "The Demographic Statistical Atlas of the United States - Statistical Atlas". statisticalatlas.com. Archived from the original on December 5, 2020. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
- ^ "Labour migration in Bangladesh (ILO in Bangladesh)". www.ilo.org. Archived from the original on December 7, 2023. Retrieved December 7, 2023.
- ^ Bald, Vivek (2013). Bengali Harlem and the Lost Histories of South Asian America. Harvard University Press. p. 6. ISBN 978-0-674-50385-4.
- ^ Kershaw, Sarah (March 8, 2001). "Queens to Detroit: A Bangladeshi Passage". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 16, 2013. Retrieved April 26, 2010.
- ^ Other Immigrants: The Global Origins of the American People. By David M. Reimers. page 198-200.
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- ^ a b "Yearbook of Immigration Statistics: 2011 Supplemental Table 2". U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Archived from the original on August 8, 2012. Retrieved April 14, 2013.
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- ^ Goldstein, Joseph (November 28, 2013). "Bangladeshis Build Careers in New York Traffic". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 16, 2017. Retrieved April 16, 2017.
- ^ Feretti, Fred (March 4, 1981). "A CULINARY 'LITTLE INDIA' ON EAST 6TH STREET". The New York Times. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
- ^ a b "The City Line neighborhood on the Brooklyn-Queens border has become a booming Bangladeshi enclave". NY Daily News. Archived from the original on November 22, 2014. Retrieved September 26, 2014.
- ^ Moharnrnad-Arif, Aminah (2002). Salaam America: South Asian Muslims in New York. Translated by Patey, Sarah. Anthem Press. p. 33. ISBN 1-84331-009-0.
- ^ Moharnrnad-Arif, Aminah (2002). Salaam America: South Asian Muslims in New York. Translated by Patey, Sarah. Anthem Press. p. 34. ISBN 1-84331-009-0.
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- ^ a b "Asian American Federation NY" (PDF). www.aafny.org. Asian American Federation. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 25, 2014. Retrieved September 26, 2014.
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- ^ Clunn, Nick. "Officials certify election of Akhtaruzzaman to Paterson's 2nd Ward" Archived March 21, 2015, at the Wayback Machine, The Record, November 27, 2012. Accessed February 18, 2015. "Election officials Tuesday certified Mohammed Akhtaruzzaman as the winner of a special City Council race, settling a prolonged political contest that ended with his reclaiming the seat he lost in a court challenge.... It was unclear when Akhtaruzzaman would take office as the representative for the 2nd Ward and reclaim his mantle as the first Bangladeshi-American elected to municipal office in North Jersey."
- ^ Rahman, Jayed (February 16, 2015). "Bangladeshi-Americans unveil Shohid Minar, martyrs' monument, in Westside Park". The Paterson Times. Archived from the original on April 24, 2017. Retrieved April 24, 2017.
- ^ Ed Rumley (October 12, 2014). "Paterson's Bangladeshi community celebrates start of Martyrs' Monument". Archived from the original on October 13, 2014. Retrieved October 13, 2014.
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- ^ Budiman, Abby (April 29, 2021). "Bangladeshis in the U.S. Fact Sheet". Pew Research Center's Social & Demographic Trends Project. Retrieved April 29, 2022.
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- ^ Jessica S. Barnes; Claudette E. Bennett (February 2002). "The Asian Population: 2000" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. U.S. Department of Commerce. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved September 30, 2009.
- ^ NW, 1615 L. St; Suite 800Washington; Inquiries, DC 20036USA202-419-4300 | Main202-857-8562 | Fax202-419-4372 | Media. "Educational attainment of Bangladeshi population in the U.S., 2015". Pew Research Center's Social & Demographic Trends Project. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Rahim, Enayetur [in Bengali] (1980). "Bangladeshi". In Thernstrom, Stephan; Orlov, Ann; Handlin, Oscar (eds.). Harvard Encyclopedia of American Ethnic Groups. Harvard University Press. pp. 173–174. ISBN 0674375122. OCLC 1038430174.
- ^ "New Findings: Asian American Vote in 2012 Varied by Ethnic Group and Geographic Location". AALDEF. January 17, 2013. Archived from the original on March 28, 2019. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
- ^ "2016 Post-Election National Asian American Survey" (PDF). National Asian American Survey. May 16, 2017. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 6, 2017. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
- ^ "AALDEF Exit Poll: Asian Americans Favor Biden Over Trump 68% to 29%; Played Role in Close Races in Georgia and Other Battleground States". AALDEF. November 13, 2020. Archived from the original on November 14, 2020. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
- ^ Rashed, Raisa (June 11, 2020). "Bangladeshi American Women Making History in Politics". Dhaka Tribune. Archived from the original on June 15, 2020. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
- ^ Reyes, Juliana Feliciano (October 6, 2020). "Bangladeshi immigrants are winning a seat at the table in the 'club' of Philly politics". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
- ^ Venugopal, Arun (June 10, 2020). "A Wave Of Leftist Bangladeshis Lands In New York". Gothamist. Archived from the original on June 21, 2020. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
Further reading
- Bald, Vivak. Bengali Harlem and the Lost Histories of South Asian America (Harvard University Press, 2013).
- Baluja, Kagri Glagstad. Gender Roles at Home and Abroad: The Adaptation of Bangladeshi Immigrants (LFB Scholarly Publications, 2003).
- Harris, Michael S. "Bangladeshis," in American Immigrant Cultures: Builders of a Nation, edited by David Levinson and Melvin Ember. (Macmillan Reference, 1997).
- Jones, J. Sydney. "Bangladeshi Americans." in Gale Encyclopedia of Multicultural America, edited by Thomas Riggs, (3rd ed., vol. 1, Gale, 2014), pp. 221–235. online