Belgian American
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| (361,667 (2010 census)) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Wisconsin · Michigan · Illinois · California · Minnesota | |
| Languages | |
| American English · Dutch · Belgian French · Walloon | |
| Religion | |
| Predominantly Roman Catholicism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| French Americans · Dutch Americans · German Americans |
Belgian Americans are Americans who can trace their ancestry to immigrants of Belgium who emigrated to the United States. While the first natives of the then-Southern Netherlands arrived in America in the 17th century, the majority of Belgian immigrants arrived during the 19th and 20th centuries.
According to the 2010 US census, there are 361,667 Americans who identify themselves as partially or fully of Belgian ancestry.
During the 17th century, colonists from the Southern Netherlands (the area of modern-day Belgium) lived in several of the Thirteen Colonies of North America. Settlements already existed in New York — in Wallabout (Brooklyn), on Long Island and Staten Island—and New Jersey (Hoboken, Jersey City, Pavonia, Communipaw, and Wallkill). Later, other settlers moved into the Middle States. Many names are derived from the Walloon reformed immigrants who settled there and the Dutch versions of Walloon words used to describe a locale. There were also Southern Netherlands colonies in Connecticut, Delaware, and Pennsylvania established primarily by Walloons, many of whom arrived with the Dutch West India Company (founded by Willem Usselincx, a Fleming).
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