Egyptian Americans
| Total population | |
|---|---|
|
251,507 (2015 U.S. Census Bureau) approximately 450,000 (2013 est.) |
|
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Northern New Jersey and the New York City Metropolitan Area; as well as California, Illinois, Michigan,Florida, Texas, and Virginia | |
| Languages | |
| Egyptian Arabic, Sa'idi Arabic, Coptic, American English | |
| Religion | |
| Majority: Christianity (Coptic Orthodoxy, Coptic Catholicism) Minority: Islam (Sunni), and a small Jewish community. |
Egyptian Americans are Americans of Egyptian ancestry. In the 2007 U.S. census, the number of people with Egyptian ancestry was estimated at 195,000.
Egyptians began to migrate to the U.S. in significant numbers in the second half of the twentieth century. The majority of Egyptians left their country for economic or educational reasons. However, many emigrated because they were concerned about the political developments that were occurring in Egypt after the Egyptian Revolution of 1952. Thousands of Egyptians, mainly Copts, left Egypt in 1967 after its defeat in the Six Day War of 1967. From 1967 to 1977, more than 15,000 Egyptians immigrated to the United States alone. Since the 1981 assassination of Anwar Sadat and consequential inauguration of Hosni Mubarak as the President, the Egyptian economy has endured three decades of economic stagnation that has prompted a significant number of Egyptians to emigrate to more prosperous countries, such as the United States. Attracted by the higher standards of living and greater civil liberties, Egyptian expatriates have traditionally favoured permanent residence in countries such as the United States, and Canada, but sizeable numbers are also present in Australia, Italy, the United Kingdom, France, and Arab states of the Persian Gulf. The first wave of Egyptian immigrants to the United States were mostly educated professionals and skilled workers. Egyptian immigration to the United States was further eased by the 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act, which allowed selective entry of certain professionals, especially scientists, from countries such as Egypt, which was up until then subjected to stringent emigration restrictions. As a result, most Egyptian Americans, especially first and second generation Egyptians, have in comparison, become generally very well educated relative to the American population as a whole.
As of 2012, there were 143,085 Egyptian-born residents in the United States. The Arab American Institute indicates that Egyptians are among the larger Arab American populations in the country.
According to US Census Bureau data, around 123,489 people self-reported Egyptian ancestry alone and a further 19,343 people self-reported Egyptian ancestry in combination with another ancestry. Following consultations with MENA organizations, the Census Bureau also announced in 2014 that it would offer a new MENA ethnic option for populations from the Middle East, North Africa and the Arab world.
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