Bangladeshi American

Top: Fazlur Khan • Reihan Salam • Middle: Mir Masoom Ali Bottom: Saif Ahmad • Jawed Karim •
Total population
72,237[1] - 143,619[2] 0.024% - 0.065% of U.S. Population (2007) (includes Multiracial Bangladeshis)
Regions with significant populations
New York · California · Texas · Florida · Illinois · Michigan
Languages
American English · Bengali
Religion
Islam

Bangladeshi Americans are individuals of Bangladeshi descent who are citizens of the United States. The overwhelming majority of Bangladeshi Americans are ethnically Bengalis. Large influx of Bangladeshi immigrants arrived to the United States during the early 1990s. Many immigrants from Bangladesh come from the districts of Sylhet and Chittagong as people from these two districts have a long history of working as merchant marines. Most Bangladeshis have settled in the major cities like, New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Washington, D.C., Miami, Houston, and Dallas. It is one of the fastest Asian growing communities in the United States, based on the percentage growth from 1990 to 2000.

[edit] History

Immigration to the United States from Bangladesh grew slowly from the 1970s-80s. However during the early 1990s, the number of Bangladeshi immgrants increased during the peak of 1991, with more than a thousand annually. Many of the migrants settled in urban areas such as New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit, etc. - with the largest concentration of Bangladeshis. Some authorities claimed that a number of these people were illegal immigrants, around a 100 were deported under the 1996 immigration act, by the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS). In New York it was estimated that 100,000 Bangladeshis resided in the city. During the late 1990s, some Bangladeshis moved to Detroit from New York, where there are large numbers of Muslims, for better work opportunities and cost of living.^[3] The community formed newspaper organizations. 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.^[4] Many of these Bangladeshis were taxicab drivers, and some had white-collar occupations.^[5]

[edit] Demographics

The 2000 census undertaken by the Census Bureau listed 57,412 people identifying themselves as having Bangladeshi origin.^[6] Almost 50% of Bangladeshis over the age of 25 had at least a Bachelor's degree as compared to less than 25% of the United States population. About 95 percent of Indian restaurants in New York are owned by Bangladeshis, and many are from the Sylhet region who immigrated to New York during the 1970s.^[7]

New York statistics:

• 1990 census:
  • Total population: 4,955 (5,406 in New York State and 11,838 in total in the States).
  • High concentration: Queens—2,567 people, and Brooklyn—1,313.
  • In Manhattan Bangladeshis formed a small enclave in 6th Street. High numbers of people lived in the Astoria area in Queens.^{[8][verification needed]}

• 2000 census:
  • Total population: 28,269
  • High concentration: 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 1990-2000: 471%
  • Foreign-born population: 23,157 (85%)
  • Limited English Proficiency: 14,840 (60%)
  • Median Household Income: $31,537
  • People Living in Poverty: 8,312
  • Percentage of people in poverty: 31%

The majority of Bangladeshi immigrants are between 10–39 years of age; 62% are men. Mainly men immigrated due to employment opportunity differences. Approxiamtely 50% of men and 60% of women are married when arrived to the country, therefore divorce rate is extremely low. Most Bangladeshis tend to vote for the Democratic Party.^{[9][verification needed]}

[edit] See also

• List of Bangladeshi Americans
• British Bangladeshi
• Bangladeshis in Japan
• Bangladeshis in Malaysia
• Demographics of Bangladesh
• Asian American

[edit] References

1. ^ Population Group: Bangladeshi alone
2. ^ Selected Population Profile in the United States (Bangladesh) (2007) United States Census Bureau
3. ^ http://www.nytimes.com/2001/03/08/nyregion/queens-to-detroit-a-bangladeshi-passage.html?pagewanted=1
4. ^ Other Immigrants: The Global Origins of the American People. By David M. Reimers. page 198-200.
5. ^ The North American Muslim Resource Guide : Muslim Community Life in the United States and Canada. By Mohamed Nimer. page 33.
6. ^ Jessica S. Barnes; Claudette E. Bennett (February 2002). "The Asian Population: 2000". U.S. Census Bureau. U.S. Department of Commerce. http://www.census.gov/prod/2002pubs/c2kbr01-16.pdf. Retrieved 30 September 2009. 
7. ^ The Star of Bangladesh; In New York, Don't Take 'Indian' Food Too Literally The New York Times.
8. ^ Salaam America: South Asian Muslims in New York. By Aminah Mohammad-Arif. page 33-35.
9. ^ Harvard encyclopedia of American ethnic groups. By Stephan Thernstrom, Ann Orlov, Oscar Handlin. page 173-174.

[edit] External links

• US Census 2000 foreign born population by country
• Census Profile: New York City’s Bangladeshi American Population

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