Pakistani Americans

Pakistani Americans ( ur, ) are Americans who originate from Pakistan. 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 in comparison to the general U.S. population. In 2019, there were an estimated 954,202 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 areas that are now part of Pakistan (formerly northwestern British India) and the Mughal Empire had been migrating to America as early as the eighteenth century, working in agriculture, logging, and mining in the western states of California, Oregon, and Washington.Pakistanis in America
March 2, 2012 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 United States 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 United States increased dramatically.Pakistanis in U.S.
, May 20, 2010. By 1990, the United States Census Bureau indicated that there were about 100,000 Pakistani Americans in the United States and by 2005 their population had grown to 210,000.

Ethnic classification

The classification of Pakistani Americans by the United States Census Bureau has historically been subject to change. For the purposes of the 1970 U.S. Census, all South Asians were originally considered white. For the purposes of the 2020 U.S. Census, Pakistani Americans were classified under Asian Americans by the U.S. Census Bureau.

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 6.7% identifying as white, where as 0.3% identified themselves as black, while the majority ascribed themselves to the Asian category. Pakistan is also home to several transnational ethnic groups which can classified as white if originating within the confides of neighbouring countries. Such examples are Pashtuns and Baloch, who are also indigenous to Afghanistan and Iran, respectively.

Demographics

The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that there were 629,946 U.S. residents of Pakistani descent living in the United States in 2021. This is up from the number of people who reported as such in the 2010 United States Census, which was 409,163. Some studies estimate the size of the Pakistani community to be much higher and in 2005 research by the Pakistani embassy in the US found that the population numbered more than 700,000 people. Pakistan is the 12th highest ranked source country for immigration into the United States.

About half of Pakistani Americans are Punjabis, about 30% are Muhajirs, and the rest are made up of other ethnic groups from Pakistan, including Pashtuns, Balochis, Sindhis, Memons, and Kashmiris.
The most systematic study of the demography of Pakistanis in America is found in Prof. Adil Najam's book
'Portrait of a Giving Community'
which estimates a total of around 500,000.Pakistanis in New England
. Retrieved May 19, 2010.

By state totals

This is a list of all 50 states in the U.S. and the District of Columbia ordered by the total estimated population claiming origin from Pakistan according to the 2018 American Community Survey.

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By state concentration

This is a list of all 50 states in the U.S. and the District of Columbia ordered by the estimated concentration of the population claiming origin from Pakistan according to the 2018 American Community Survey rounded to the nearest thousandth of a percent.

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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 within New York State, as well as nearby areas within the states of New Jersey (extending to Trenton), Connecticut (extending to Bridgeport), and including 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 United States Census, primarily in the boroughs of Queens and Brooklyn. These numbers made Pakistani Americans the fifth largest Asian American group in New York City. As of 2006, this number had increased to 60,000 people of Pakistani descent said to be living in New York City. This figure additionally rises to a number between 70,000 when illegal immigrants are also included. 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

Silicon Valley counts highly educated and skilled workers from Pakistan most of whom work in the Information Technology, software development, and computer science sectors, and it has been estimated that some 10,000 Pakistanis work in the Silicon Valley. From 1990 - 2000 the Pakistani population in the San Francisco Bay Area increased to 6,119 which is an increase of 76%.

Historically pre-dating the modern state of Pakistan, Muslims from the British Raj immigrated in waves starting in 1902 to the west coast, most notably in Yuba City, California, in search of jobs in mining and logging. Some of the oldest American Muslim communities, and largest Sikh ones in America, exist in Yuba City today.

Chicago

Devon Avenue has a street named after the founder of Pakistan Muhammad Ali Jinnah as well as Mahatma Gandhi to accommodate both the Indian and Pakistani business there.

Texas

There is a large Pakistani population in Texas, estimated at around 70,000 people in 2018. They are primarily concentrated around the metropolitan areas of Austin, Dallas and Houston (in the three County areas of Harris, Montgomery and Fort Bend).

The community is made up of professionals involved in medicine, IT, engineering, large businesses involved in textiles, manufacturing, real estate, management and also smaller ones such as travel agencies, motels, restaurants, convenience stores and gas stations.

Other cities

Newly arrived Pakistani immigrants mostly settle in cities like New York City, Paterson, New Jersey, Atlanta, Boston, San Diego, San Francisco, Chicago, Denver and Detroit; like other South Asians, Pakistanis settle in major urban areas. The Pakistani American community are also prevalent in Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New England, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Seattle, Virginia, Washington, D.C., Wisconsin and Utah.Community Overview - Pakistan Consulate General
. Retrieved November 29, 2010. Fremont, California has the most Pashtuns in the United States, with many of them emigrating from Pakistan.

Towns and cities in America with the highest percentage of Pakistani ancestry include Madison Park, New Jersey (5.7%),Cities with Pakistani Ancestry
. Retrieved May 22, 2010. Herricks, New York (4.1% ), Boonton, New Jersey (4%), Lincolnia, Virginia (3%), Stafford, Texas (2%) and Avenel, New Jersey (2%).

Culture

Like the terms "Asian American" or "South Asian American", the term "Pakistani American" is also an umbrella label 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 (English was an official language of Pakistan and widely spoken in the country among professional classes), more educational credentials (immigrants are disproportionately well educated among Pakistanis), 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 (i.e. Punjabi Americans, Pashtun Americans, Balochi Americans, Sindhi Americans, etc).

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 Urdu

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