Pakistani Americans () are citizens of the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
who have full or partial ancestry from
Pakistan
Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...
, or more simply,
Pakistanis
Pakistanis (, ) are the citizens and nationals of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Pakistan is the fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the second-largest Muslim population as of 2023. As much as ...
in America. They can be from different ethnic groups in Pakistan like
Punjabi or
Muhajir. 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
A diaspora ( ) is a population that is scattered across regions which are separate from its geographic place of birth, place of origin. The word is used in reference to people who identify with a specific geographic location, but currently resi ...
compared to the U.S. population at large.
In 2019, there were an estimated 554,202 self-identified Pakistani Americans, representing about 0.187% of the
U.S. population, and about 2.50% of
Asian Americans
Asian Americans are Americans with Asian diaspora, ancestry from the continent of Asia (including naturalized Americans who are Immigration to the United States, immigrants from specific regions in Asia and descendants of those immigrants).
A ...
; more specifically, around 8% of
South Asian Americans
South Asian Americans are Americans of South Asian ancestry. The term refers to those who can trace back their heritage to South Asia, which includes the countries of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, and the Maldives. The ...
.
History in the United States
Immigrants from modern-day Pakistan (formerly
British India
The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance in South Asia. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one form or another ...
) had been immigrating to America as early as the nineteenth century, working in agriculture, logging, and mining in the western states of
California
California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
,
Oregon
Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...
, and
Washington.
[Pakistanis in America](_blank)
March 2, 2012 The passage of the
Luce-Celler Act of 1946 allowed these immigrants to acquire
U.S. citizenship
Citizenship of the United States is a legal status that entails Americans with specific rights, duties, protections, and benefits in the United States. It serves as a foundation of fundamental rights derived from and protected by the Constit ...
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 U.S. 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
Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), also known as LBJ, was the 36th president of the United States, serving from 1963 to 1969. He became president after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, under whom he had served a ...
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 U.S. increased dramatically.
[Pakistanis in U.S.](_blank)
, May 20, 2010. As of the 1990 U.S. Census, the Pakistani-American population was 100,000. By 2005, that figured more than doubled to 210,000.
In 2023,
Monroe Township High School, in
Monroe Township,
Middlesex County,
New Jersey
New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
, launched the first high school
cricket
Cricket is a Bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball game played between two Sports team, teams of eleven players on a cricket field, field, at the centre of which is a cricket pitch, pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two Bail (cr ...
team in New Jersey. In Texas, Zain Haq, launched the first ever official High School Cricket League with the formation of the San Antonio High School Cricket Association (SAHSCA).
Ethnic classification
The classification of Pakistani Americans by the
U.S. Census Bureau has historically been subject to change. For the purposes of the 1970 U.S. Census, all South Asians were categorized as white. For the purposes of the
2020 U.S. Census, Pakistani Americans were categorized as
Asian Americans
Asian Americans are Americans with Asian diaspora, ancestry from the continent of Asia (including naturalized Americans who are Immigration to the United States, immigrants from specific regions in Asia and descendants of those immigrants).
A ...
.
Self-identity
In a study on the ethnic identification of
South Asian
South Asia is the southern Subregion#Asia, subregion of Asia that is defined in both geographical and Ethnicity, ethnic-Culture, cultural terms. South Asia, with a population of 2.04 billion, contains a quarter (25%) of the world's populatio ...
Americans based on the 1990 U.S. Census, a sample of 299 Pakistanis living in the United States showed that, while 6.7% identified as white and 0.3% identified as black, a grand majority identified as Asian.
Demographics

In 2021, the
U.S. Census Bureau estimated that there were 629,946 U.S. residents of
Pakistani
Pakistanis (, ) are the citizens and nationals of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Pakistan is the fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the second-largest Muslim population as of 2023. As much as ...
descent,
an increase from 409,163 at the 2010 Census.
Some studies estimate the Pakistani population to be much higher, and in 2005, the Embassy of Pakistan in the U.S. found that the population exceeded 700,000.
Pakistan is the 12th highest ranked country of origin for immigration to the U.S.
Perhaps 50% of Pakistani Americans speak
Punjabi, 30% speak
Urdu
Urdu (; , , ) is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in South Asia. It is the Languages of Pakistan, national language and ''lingua franca'' of Pakistan. In India, it is an Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of Indi ...
, and the remainder speak languages such as
Sindhi,
Pashto
Pashto ( , ; , ) is an eastern Iranian language in the Indo-European language family, natively spoken in northwestern Pakistan and southern and eastern Afghanistan. It has official status in Afghanistan and the Pakistani province of Khyb ...
,
Baloch,
Memoni, and
Kashmiri.
The most systematic study of the demography of Pakistanis in America lies within Dr.
Adil Najam's boo
''Portrait of a Giving Community'' which estimates a population of 500,000.
[Pakistanis in New England](_blank)
. Retrieved May 19, 2010.
Total population by state

All 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia are ranked below based on the estimated population of residents of Pakistani descent according to the 2018
American Community Survey
The American Community Survey (ACS) is an annual demographics survey program conducted by the United States Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the United States census, decennial census ...
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Share of population by state

All 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia are ranked below based on the estimated percentage of residents of Pakistani descent according to the 2018
American Community Survey
The American Community Survey (ACS) is an annual demographics survey program conducted by the United States Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the United States census, decennial census ...
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New York City Metropolitan Area
The
Greater New York City Combined Statistical Area, consisting of
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
,
Long Island
Long Island is a densely populated continental island in southeastern New York (state), New York state, extending into the Atlantic Ocean. It constitutes a significant share of the New York metropolitan area in both population and land are ...
, and adjacent areas of
New York State
New York, also called New York State, is a state in the northeastern United States. Bordered by New England to the east, Canada to the north, and Pennsylvania and New Jersey to the south, its territory extends into both the Atlantic Ocean and ...
, as well as nearby areas in
New Jersey
New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
(extending to
Trenton),
Connecticut
Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...
(extending to
Bridgeport
Bridgeport is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Connecticut and the fifth-most populous city in New England, with a population of 148,654 in 2020. Located in eastern Fairfield County at the mouth of the Pequonnock River on Long Is ...
), and
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 U.S. Census, primarily in the boroughs of
Queens
Queens is the largest by area of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Located near the western end of Long Island, it is bordered by the ...
and
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
. These numbers made Pakistani Americans the fifth largest Asian American group in New York City. From 2000 to 2006, this figure had increased from 34,310 to 60,000. When including
illegal immigrants
Illegal immigration is the migration of people into a country in violation of that country's immigration laws, or the continuous residence in a country without the legal right to do so. Illegal immigration tends to be financially upward, wi ...
in population figures, the population expands to roughly 70,000.
Pakistan International Airlines
Pakistan International Airlines, commonly known as PIA, is the flag carrier of Pakistan. With its primary hub at Jinnah International Airport in Karachi, the airline also operates from its secondary hubs at Allama Iqbal International Airport ...
served
John F. Kennedy International Airport
John F. Kennedy International Airport is a major international airport serving New York City and its metropolitan area. JFK Airport is located on the southwestern shore of Long Island, in Queens, New York City, bordering Jamaica Bay. It is ...
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
Woodbridge Township is a Township (New Jersey), township in northern Middlesex County, New Jersey, Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The township is a regional hub of transportation and commerce for Central Jersey, central New ...
.
California
It has been estimated that 10,000 Pakistanis work in
Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley is a region in Northern California that is a global center for high technology and innovation. Located in the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area, it corresponds roughly to the geographical area of the Santa Clara Valley ...
, most of whom work in the information technology, software development, and computer science sectors. From 1990 to 2000, the
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a List of regions of California, region of California surrounding and including San Francisco Bay, and anchored by the cities of Oakland, San Francisco, and San Jose, California, S ...
's Pakistani population increased from 3,477 to 6,119, an increase of 76%.
Predating modern-day Pakistan, Muslims from the British Raj immigrated in waves starting in 1902 to the West Coast, most notably in Yuba City, California, in search for mining and logging jobs. Some of the oldest Muslim communities and largest Sikh communities in the U.S. remain in
Yuba City to this day.
Chicago
Devon Avenue has a cross street named for Pakistan's founder
Muhammad Ali Jinnah
Muhammad Ali Jinnah (born Mahomedali Jinnahbhai; 25 December 187611 September 1948) was a barrister, politician, and the founder of Pakistan. Jinnah served as the leader of the All-India Muslim League from 1913 until the inception of Pa ...
as well as
Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (2October 186930January 1948) was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalism, anti-colonial nationalist, and political ethics, political ethicist who employed nonviolent resistance to lead the successful Indian ...
to honor both the Indian and Pakistani businesses there.
Texas
Texas has a large Pakistani population, estimated at 70,000 people as of 2018. They are primarily concentrated in the
Austin
Austin refers to:
Common meanings
* Austin, Texas, United States, a city
* Austin (given name), a list of people and fictional characters
* Austin (surname), a list of people and fictional characters
* Austin Motor Company, a British car manufac ...
,
Dallas-Fort Worth,
Houston
Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...
, and
San Antonio
San Antonio ( ; Spanish for " Saint Anthony") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in Greater San Antonio. San Antonio is the third-largest metropolitan area in Texas and the 24th-largest metropolitan area in the ...
metropolitan areas.
The community consists of professionals involved in medicine, IT, and engineering; textiles, manufacturing, real estate, and management; as well as those working in small businesses such as travel agencies, motels, restaurants, convenience stores and gas stations.
Other cities
Newly arrived Pakistani immigrants mostly settle in cities such as
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
;
Paterson, New Jersey
Paterson ( ) is the largest City (New Jersey), city in and the county seat of Passaic County, New Jersey, Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.[Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...]
;
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...
;
Boston
Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
;
San Diego
San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...
;
San Francisco
San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
;
Chicago
Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
;
Denver
Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...
; and
Detroit
Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
.
As with other South Asians, Pakistanis generally settle in major urban areas. Pakistani Americans are also prevalent in
Arizona
Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...
,
Arkansas
Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...
,
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...
,
Connecticut
Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...
,
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States
Georgia may also refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Georgia (name), a list of pe ...
,
Louisiana
Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...
,
Massachusetts
Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...
,
Michigan
Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...
,
Nevada
Nevada ( ; ) is a landlocked state in the Western United States. It borders Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the seventh-most extensive, th ...
,
New England
New England is a region consisting of six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the ...
,
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States. It is one of the Mountain States of the southern Rocky Mountains, sharing the Four Corners region with Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. It also ...
,
Ohio
Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...
,
Oklahoma
Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...
,
Oregon
Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...
,
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...
,
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...
,
the District of Columbia,
Wisconsin
Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...
and
Utah
Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...
.
[Community Overview - Pakistan Consulate General](_blank)
. Retrieved November 29, 2010. Fremont, California
Fremont () is a city in Alameda County, California, United States. Located in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, Bay Area, Fremont has a population of 230,504 as of 2020, making it the fourth List of cities and towns in the San F ...
, has the largest Pashtun population in the U.S., many of which emigrated from Pakistan.
U.S. localities with the highest percentages of Pakistani ancestry include
Madison Park, New Jersey (5.7%);
[Cities with Pakistani Ancestry](_blank)
. Retrieved May 22, 2010. Herricks, New York
Herricks is a Hamlet (New York), hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in the southern part of the North Hempstead, New York, Town of North Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, Nassau County, on Long Island, in New York (state), New York, Unit ...
(4.1%);
Boonton, New Jersey (4%);
Lincolnia, Virginia (3%);
Stafford, Texas
Stafford is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, in the metropolitan area. The city is mostly in Fort Bend County, Texas, Fort Bend County, with a small part in Harris County, Texas, Harris County. As of the 2020 census, Stafford's population was ...
(2%); and
Avenel, New Jersey
Avenel is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located within Woodbridge Township, in Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. (2%).
Culture

As with the terms "Asian American" or "South Asian American," the term "Pakistani American" is an umbrella term 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 is a co-official language of Pakistan and widely spoken in the country among professional classes), higher 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, Pashtun, Sindhi, Muhajir, Baloch etc)
Pakistani Americans are well represented in the fields of medicine, engineering,
finance
Finance refers to monetary resources and to the study and Academic discipline, discipline of money, currency, assets and Liability (financial accounting), liabilities. As a subject of study, is a field of Business administration, Business Admin ...
and
information technology
Information technology (IT) is a set of related fields within information and communications technology (ICT), that encompass computer systems, software, programming languages, data processing, data and information processing, and storage. Inf ...
. Pakistani Americans have brought
Pakistani cuisine
Pakistani cuisine (, Roman Urdu, romanized: ''pākistānī pakwān'') is a blend of regional cooking styles and flavours from across South Asia, South, Central Asia, Central and West Asia. It is a culmination of Iranic, Indic & Arab culinary ...
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
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
,
Central New Jersey
Central Jersey, or Central New Jersey, is the middle region of the U.S. state of New Jersey. The designation Central Jersey is a distinct administrative division, administrative toponymy, toponym. While New Jersey is often divided into North Je ...
,
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
,
Chicago
Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
,
Dallas
Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...
and
Houston
Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...
.
Languages
Pakistani Americans often retain
their native languages, such as
Urdu
Urdu (; , , ) is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in South Asia. It is the Languages of Pakistan, national language and ''lingua franca'' of Pakistan. In India, it is an Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of Indi ...
or
Punjabi.
As English is an official language in Pakistan and is taught in schools throughout the country, many immigrants coming to the United States generally have an ability to speak the English language.
[Pakistanis in California Pg 2](_blank)
. Retrieved May 21, 2010.
Many Pakistanis in the United States speak some of Pakistan's various regional languages such as
Punjabi,
Saraiki,
Sindhi,
Balochi,
Pashto
Pashto ( , ; , ) is an eastern Iranian language in the Indo-European language family, natively spoken in northwestern Pakistan and southern and eastern Afghanistan. It has official status in Afghanistan and the Pakistani province of Khyb ...
and
Kashmiri.
Religion
Most Pakistani Americans are Muslims. Religion figures prominently in many Pakistani American families.
The majority of Pakistanis are
Sunni Muslims
Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam and the largest religious denomination in the world. It holds that Muhammad did not appoint any successor and that his closest companion Abu Bakr () rightfully succeeded him as the caliph of the Musli ...
, although a significant minority are
Shi'ite
Shia Islam is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that Muhammad designated Ali ibn Abi Talib () as both his political successor (caliph) and as the spiritual leader of the Muslim community (imam). However, his right is understood to ...
or
Ahmadiyya
Ahmadiyya, officially the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at (AMJ), is an Islamic messianic movement originating in British India in the late 19th century. It was founded by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (1835–1908), who said he had been divinely appointed a ...
Muslims. In smaller American towns which do not have mosques within an hour's driving distance, Pakistani Americans make trips to attend the nearest one mainly on major religious holidays and occasions,such as Eid.
Pakistani Americans worship at mosques alongside other Muslims who often trace their ancestry to other parts of the Islamic world;
mosque
A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Salah, Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard.
Originally, mosques were si ...
s in the U.S. are usually not specific to a particular nationality or ethnic group.
Pakistani Americans also participate in and contribute to the larger Islamic community, which includes Americans of
Arab
Arabs (, , ; , , ) are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa. A significant Arab diaspora is present in various parts of the world.
Arabs have been in the Fertile Crescent for thousands of years ...
,
African,
Indian,
Bangladeshi
Bangladeshis ( ) are the citizens and nationals of Bangladesh, a South Asian country centred on the transnational historical region of Bengal along the Bay of Bengal, eponymous bay.
Bangladeshi nationality law, Bangladeshi citizenship was fo ...
,
Iranian
Iranian () may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Iran
** Iranian diaspora, Iranians living outside Iran
** Iranian architecture, architecture of Iran and parts of the rest of West Asia
** Iranian cuisine, cooking traditions and practic ...
,
Turkish,
Azerbaijani,
Indonesian,
Malaysian,
Albanian
Albanian may refer to:
*Pertaining to Albania in Southeast Europe; in particular:
**Albanians, an ethnic group native to the Balkans
**Albanian language
**Albanian culture
**Demographics of Albania, includes other ethnic groups within the country ...
, and
Bosnian descent.
Pakistanis are part of the larger Muslim community's efforts to educate the country about Islam's principles and teachings. Pakistani Americans have played important roles in the
Muslim Students Association
The Muslim Students Association, or Muslim Student Union, of the U.S. and Canada, also known as MSA National, is a religious organization dedicated to establishing and maintaining Islamic societies on college campuses in Canada and the United Sta ...
(MSA), which caters to the needs of Islamic students across the U.S.
Pakistani Americans have also significantly contributed to the
Islamic Society of North America
The Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) is a non-profit Muslim religious organization based in the United States and serving North America. It provides a number of programs and services to North America's Muslim communities and broader societ ...
and
Islamic Circle of North America, which are both considered offshoots of the MSA.
Although most Pakistani Americans are
Muslims
Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...
, some are
Hindus
Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...
,
Christians
A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the world. The words '' Christ'' and ''C ...
, or
Zoroastrians. Pakistani Christians, like Asian Christians, worship at churches all over the country and share in the religious life of the dominant Christian culture in America. Pakistani Hindus mainly originate from Karachi and religiously associate with fellow Hindus from
India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
. In recent times, Pakistani Zoroastrians (called
Parsis
The Parsis or Parsees () are a Zoroastrian ethnic group in the Indian subcontinent. They are descended from Persian refugees who migrated to the Indian subcontinent during and after the Arab-Islamic conquest of Iran in the 7th century, w ...
) mainly emigrated from
Lahore
Lahore ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, second-largest city in Pakistan, after Karachi, and ...
and
Karachi
Karachi is the capital city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Sindh, Pakistan. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, largest city in Pakistan and 12th List of largest cities, largest in the world, with a popul ...
to the U.S. Pakistani Zoroastrians religiously associate with fellow
Zoroastrian
Zoroastrianism ( ), also called Mazdayasnā () or Beh-dīn (), is an Iranian religion centred on the Avesta and the teachings of Zarathushtra Spitama, who is more commonly referred to by the Greek translation, Zoroaster ( ). Among the wo ...
s from
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
.
Music
Notable contributions
Pakistani Americans have made many contributions to the U.S. in
science
Science is a systematic discipline that builds and organises knowledge in the form of testable hypotheses and predictions about the universe. Modern science is typically divided into twoor threemajor branches: the natural sciences, which stu ...
,
politics
Politics () is the set of activities that are associated with decision-making, making decisions in social group, groups, or other forms of power (social and political), power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of Social sta ...
, the
military
A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable by a d ...
,
sports
Sport is a physical activity or game, often competitive and organized, that maintains or improves physical ability and skills. Sport may provide enjoyment to participants and entertainment to spectators. The number of participants in ...
,
philanthropy
Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives for the Public good (economics), public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private goo ...
, and
business
Business is the practice of making one's living or making money by producing or Trade, buying and selling Product (business), products (such as goods and Service (economics), services). It is also "any activity or enterprise entered into for ...
.
Business and finance
Shahid Khan is a Pakistani-American billionaire businessman who is owner of an auto-parts company and the NFL team the
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team ...
. As of 2012, his net worth was estimated to exceed $6 billion, being ranked at #179 on the
Forbes 400
The ''Forbes'' 400 or 400 Richest Americans is a list published by ''Forbes'' magazine of the wealthiest 400 American citizens who own assets in the U.S., ranked by net worth. The 400 was started by Malcolm Forbes in 1982 and the list is ...
list of wealthiest Americans. Forbes also ranked him the 491st wealthiest person in the world.
Education
Amir Hussain is a scholar of Islam and President of the
American Academy of Religion
The American Academy of Religion (AAR) is the world's largest association of scholarly method, scholars in the List of academic disciplines, field of religious studies and related topics. It is a nonprofit member association,
serving as a profess ...
. Scholars, such as Omar Suleiman and Nouman Ali Khan, preach Islam in the country.
Philanthropy
In 2002, the community contributed nearly $1 billion in philanthropic activities (including value of volunteered time.)
Since the Pakistani diaspora has spread internationally over the years, many Pakistanis living abroad choose to donate time, money, and talent to further development in Pakistan.
Pakathon, for example, aims to empower Pakistanis through innovation, technology, and entrepreneurship.
Military

Pakistani-American soldiers compose a sizable proportion of the over 4,000 Muslim service members in the U.S. military.
As of February 2008, 125 Pakistan-born service members were serving on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces, out of the 826 U.S, service members born in South Central Asia. This figure does not include U.S.-born service members of Pakistani ancestry.
Pakistani-American service members have assisted in U.S. intelligence operations, and have worked as interpreters, interrogators, and liaison officers in Afghanistan. Their knowledge of local languages such as
Pashto
Pashto ( , ; , ) is an eastern Iranian language in the Indo-European language family, natively spoken in northwestern Pakistan and southern and eastern Afghanistan. It has official status in Afghanistan and the Pakistani province of Khyb ...
and
Dari
Dari (; endonym: ), Dari Persian (, , or , ), or Eastern Persian is the variety of the Persian language spoken in Afghanistan. Dari is the Afghan government's official term for the Persian language;Lazard, G.Darī – The New Persian ...
helps facilitate coordination activities.
* Cpt.
Humayun Saqib Muazzam Khan was a Pakistani-American soldier who posthumously received a
Bronze Star
The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone.
Wh ...
and
Purple Heart
The Purple Heart (PH) is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the president to those wounded or killed while serving, on or after 5 April 1917, with the U.S. military. With its forerunner, the Badge of Military Merit, ...
. He was killed in Iraq and buried at
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery is the largest cemetery in the United States National Cemetery System, one of two maintained by the United States Army. More than 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington County, Virginia.
...
. Khan's parents,
Khizr and Ghazala Khan, appeared at the
2016 Democratic National Convention
The 2016 Democratic National Convention was a presidential nominating convention, held at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from July 25 to 28, 2016. The convention gathered delegates of the Democratic Party, the maj ...
to challenge
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...
's views on
Muslims
Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...
.
* Another Pakistani American who received both a Bronze Star and Purple Heart was
Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan who died in Iraq.
Others have served in different capacities, such as working as
military commissaries abroad.
*
Naveed Jamali is an intelligence officer in the
U.S. Navy Reserve.
*
Atif Qarni is a former U.S. Marine who served for eight years, including in Iraq; he is a Democratic politician who was appointed as the 19th
Virginia Secretary of Education.
Entertainment
*
Shayan Khan is an actor and film producer.
Sports
*
Gibran Hamdan, a quarterback, is the first player of Pakistani descent to play in the
NFL.
*
Mustafa Ali
Adeel Alam (born March 28, 1986) better known by his ring name Mustafa Ali ( ), is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), where he is a former TNA X Division Champion. He also makes appearances ...
is the first wrestler of Pakistani descent to compete for the
WWE
World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is an American professional wrestling promotion. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority-owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. A global integrated media and entertainment company, ...
.
Socioeconomics
Occupation and income

The Pakistani American community generally lives in a comfortable middle-class, upper-middle-class
and upper-class lifestyles. Many Pakistani Americans follow the residence pattern set by other immigrants to the United States that when they increase their wealth, they are able to own or
franchise small businesses; including restaurants, groceries and convenience stores, clothing and appliance stores, petrol and gas stations, newspaper booths, and travel agencies. It is common to include members of the extended and immediate family in the business.
Members of the Pakistani community believe in the symbolic importance of owning homes; accordingly, Pakistani Americans tend to save money and make other monetary sacrifices earlier on in order to purchase their own homes as soon as possible.
Members of the family and sometimes the closer community tend to take care of each other, and to assist in times of economic need. Hence, it would be more common to turn to a community member for economic assistance rather than to a government agency. This leads to relatively low use of welfare and public assistance by Pakistani-Americans.
According to the
2000 Census, the mean household income in the United States in 2002 was $57,852 annually, whereas for Asian households, which includes Pakistanis this was $70,047.
A separate study conducted by the American Community Survey in 2005, showed the mean and median incomes for Pakistani male full-time workers were US$59,310 and US$42,718 - respectively compared to the average male American full-time workers' mean and median incomes of US$56,724 and US$41,965 - respectively.
A 2011 report based on data from the 2010 US Census reported the median household income of Pakistani-American families at $63,000, which was considerably higher than the American family income average of $51,369.
There is also incidence of poverty in the Pakistani community and in particular around the growing number of new immigrants that migrated from less privileged backgrounds in Pakistan. These migrants tend to take low-paying jobs involving manual or unskilled labor and tend to live in large cities where such jobs are readily available and in particular New York, where as of the 2000 census, poverty rates for Pakistanis in relation to the total New York population were higher overall, with 28% of Pakistanis living in poverty, which is greater than the general New York City poverty rate of 21%. Compared with those immigrants that arrived from 1965 who were either professionals or students and considered to be middle- and upper-class, the newer migrants tended to be worse off economically.
Education
According to American Factfinder, Pakistani Americans are high achievers academically and tend to be better educated as compared to other heritage groups in the United States with 89.1% being at least high school graduates
and about 54% holding a bachelor's degree or higher professional degree.
Additionally it was found that over 30% of Pakistani Americans hold graduate or professional degrees.
Physicians
An increasing number of Pakistani Americans work in the medical field. The
Association of Physicians of Pakistani Descent of North AmericaAPPNA has been meeting in various locations across the United States for the past 30 years. As of 2022, there were more than 20,000 doctors practicing medicine in America who are of Pakistani descent. Pakistan is the fourth highest source of
IMG doctors in the U.S. and they are chiefly concentrated in
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
New York may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* ...
,
California
California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
,
Florida
Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...
,
New Jersey
New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
and
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...
. Pakistan is also the fourth highest source of foreign dentists licensed in the United States. US congressmen and congresswomen have lauded the contributions of Pakistani medical professionals to the country's healthcare system.
Labor
This table shows the areas of work that Pakistanis are employed in and compares people that are born in the U.S., those born in Pakistan and those who are American nationals:
The
New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
estimated that there were 109,300 workers born in Pakistan in all occupations in the US in 2007. With the top 10 occupations in ascending order being; sales-related, managers and administrators, drivers and transportation workers, doctors, accountants and other financial specialists, computer software developers, scientists and quantitative analysts, engineers and architects, clerical and administrative staff, and teachers.
Discrimination and Negative Sentiments
Since the
September 11 attacks
The September 11 attacks, also known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing the first two into ...
in 2001, Pakistani Americans began reporting incidents of discrimination, especially in places such as airports. After the September 11 attacks, several Pakistani Americans started identifying themselves as
Indians to avoid discrimination and for better business and economic opportunities.
As a result of the
November 2008 Mumbai terror attacks perpetrated by the Pakistan based terrorist group
Lashkar-e-Taiba
Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) is a Pakistani Islamism, Islamist militant organization driven by a Salafi jihadism, Salafi jihadist ideology. The organisation's primary stated objective is to merge the whole of Kashmir with Pakistan. It was founded in 19 ...
, which killed 6 American citizens, as well as the
killing of Osama bin Laden
On 2 May 2011, the United States conducted Operation Neptune Spear, in which SEAL Team Six shot and killed Osama bin Laden at his " Waziristan Haveli" in Abbottabad, Pakistan. Bin Laden, who founded al-Qaeda and orchestrated the September ...
near the
Pakistan Military Academy
Pakistan Military Academy (PMA) is a military academy located nearby Kakul village in Abbottabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Established in October 1947, it is the only service academy in Pakistan that trains cadets to serve as army of ...
in Abottabad, there was a massive rise in
anti-Pakistan sentiments.
Politics

Since the second wave of immigration in 1965, the Pakistani American community has not been politically inclined, but this is now changing, with the community starting to contribute funds to their candidates of choice in both parties, and running for elected office in districts with large Pakistani American populations. In recent times, Pakistani American candidates have run for the state senate in districts of such city boroughs as
Brooklyn, New York
Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
. Because the community is geographically dispersed, the formation of influential voting blocs has not generally been possible, making it difficult to for the community to make an impact on politics in this particular way. However, there are increasing efforts on the part of community leaders to ensure voter registration and involvement. In 1989, observing the need for greater political coordination, activism and advocacy, a group of Pakistani Americans founded The Pakistani American Political Action Committee (PAKPAC).
[Tinaz Pavri, "Pakistani Americans." ''Gale Encyclopedia of Multicultural America,'' edited by Thomas Riggs (3rd ed., vol. 3, Gale, 2014), pp. 425–436]
online
Historically, Pakistani Americans have tended to vote
Republican due to the shared ideology of conservatism and the perceived notion that Republican Presidents and leaders are more pro-Pakistani than
Democrats. This was evident during the
2000 Presidential Election, as Pakistani Americans voted in overwhelming numbers for Republican candidate
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...
. That trend reversed itself in 2004, after George W. Bush's first term in office. His policies alienated Muslims at home and abroad, and Pakistanis were no exception. When George W. Bush was up for re-election, Pakistani Americans voted for Democratic candidate
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician, and diplomat who served as the 68th United States secretary of state from 2013 to 2017 in the Presidency of Barack Obama#Administration, administration of Barac ...
. Former Pakistan diplomat
Mohammed Sadiq (diplomat) helped establish the internship program at the Pakistan Embassy in Washington, D.C. Mr. Sadiq also helped the Pakistani American community organize and launch the Pakistan Caucus in Capitol Hill.
In the past, especially during the
Cold War
The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...
and the
War on Terror under the
Bush administration, there was the perceived notion that
Republicans were more pro-Pakistani than
Democrats. However, that trend reversed itself from 2011 onwards. Since then, there has been an increasing anti-Pakistani sentiment among Republican congressman which has alienated some Pakistani-Americans. Some Republican presidential candidates have criticised the Democrats policy toward Pakistan. During the
2012 Republican Party presidential debates, the Republican candidates questioned whether the United States could trust Pakistan. Texas governor
Rick Perry
James Richard Perry (born March 4, 1950) is an American politician who served as the 14th United States secretary of energy from 2017 to 2019 in the first administration of Donald Trump. He previously served as the 47th governor of Texas fr ...
called Pakistan unworthy of US aid because it had not done enough to help fight al-Qaeda. In the same year a bill was introduced by
Dana Rohrabacher
Dana Tyrone Rohrabacher ( ; born June 21, 1947) is an American former politician who served in the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives from 1989 to 2019. Representing for the last three terms of his House tenure ...
in the US House of Representatives proposing a hefty reduction in aid to Pakistan. President Obama has vowed to veto any proposed anti-Pakistan bills. President Obama also courted the Pakistani-American community for votes and money for his
2012 re-election campaign. In March 2012, Obama traveled to
Houston
Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...
,
Texas
Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
for this purpose and at a dinner organised by Pakistani entrepreneurs, the President managed to raise $3.4 million in just a few hours for his re-election campaign. President Obama also pledged to continue sending aid and selling military equipment to Pakistan. According to polls, most Pakistani-Americans have now switched their votes to the
Democratic Party.
In 2013, during the
second inauguration of Barack Obama, the re-elected President praised the members of the Pakistani community in America and said, "I am about to go speak to the crowd in Chicago, but I wanted to thank you first. I want you to know that this was not fate and it was not an accident. You made this happen." Talking to the
Daily Times via telephone, US business leader Muhammad Saeed Sheikh said Obama in his address told that he would spend the rest of his presidency honoring the Pakistani-American support and doing what he can to finish what he started. Obama continued his praise and said, "You organised yourselves block by block. You took ownership of this campaign 5 and 10 dollars at a time. And when it was not easy, you pressed forward."
In the 2016 presidential election, a majority of Pakistani Americans (88%) voted for Hillary Clinton. A exit poll conducted by
AALDEF showed that an overwhelming majority (89%) of Pakistani Americans backed Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election.
In January 2019,
Sadaf Jaffer became the first female
Pakistani-American
Pakistani Americans () are citizens of the United States who have full or partial ancestry from Pakistan, or more simply, Pakistanis in America. They can be from different ethnic groups in Pakistan like Punjabis, Punjabi or Muhajir people, Muhaj ...
mayor, the first female
Muslim American mayor, and the first female
South Asian
South Asia is the southern Subregion#Asia, subregion of Asia that is defined in both geographical and Ethnicity, ethnic-Culture, cultural terms. South Asia, with a population of 2.04 billion, contains a quarter (25%) of the world's populatio ...
mayor in the United States, of
Montgomery in
Somerset County,
New Jersey
New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
.
In January, 2021,
Ali Zaidi (lawyer) became the first deputy
White House National Climate Advisor serving in the
Joe Biden
Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...
administration.
In March, 2021, President Biden nominated
Dilawar Syed to serve as Deputy Administrator of the
Small Business Administration
The United States Small Business Administration (SBA) is an independent agency of the United States government that provides support to entrepreneurs and small businesses. The mission of the Small Business Administration is "to maintain and str ...
.
In June, 2021,
Lina Khan
Lina Maliha Khan (born March 3, 1989) is an American legal scholar who served from 2021 to 2025 as chair of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). She is also a professor at Columbia Law School. While a student at Yale Law School, she became known ...
became the Chair of the
Federal Trade Commission
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is an independent agency of the United States government whose principal mission is the enforcement of civil (non-criminal) United States antitrust law, antitrust law and the promotion of consumer protection. It ...
.
Relations with Pakistan
Several paid TV channels are available for viewing; Pakistani TV serials, reality TV shows and political talk shows are popular among expatriates. These channels can also be viewed on the internet. Pakistani Americans maintain a deep interest in the society and politics of their country of origin. Funds are raised by the community in the US for various political parties and groups in Pakistan. From all the Pakistani diaspora, Pakistani Americans raised the largest number of funds to help Pakistan due to the 2005 Pakistan earthquake, 2005 earthquake. Tensions among ethnic groups like the Sindhis, Punjabis, Pashtuns, and Baluchis in Pakistan are not reflected in interaction between these subgroups in the US.
The Pakistani community in the United States also remittance, remits the largest share of any Pakistani diaspora community since 2002/03, surpassing those from Saudi Arabia which from 2000/01 were $309.9 million and increased to $1.25 billion by 2007/08 and during the same period remittances from the United States increased from $73.3 million to $1.72 billion.
In 2012 the Election Commission of Pakistan granted Pakistani diaspora, Overseas Pakistanis the right to vote in future Pakistani general elections. By allowing the setting up of polling stations in embassies and consulates, this move was welcomed by those Pakistanis living abroad particularly in America who stated "Overseas Pakistanis make enormous contributions to the development of Pakistan".
Travel to Pakistan
Traditionally British Airways has been the main route to Pakistan because London is halfway between Pakistan and the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
. Pan Am was the last full American carrier to pull out of Jinnah International Airport, Karachi airport during the late 1980s, due to financial structuring and the hijacking of Pan Am Flight 73, Flight 73 in September 1986. Since September 11 attacks, September 11, 2001 the hope of American airlines serving Pakistan was no longer possible. In order to avoid stopping somewhere with poor human rights, Pakistani Americans are liaising for a resumption with EU Carriers such as Lufthansa, or Gulf carriers like Etihad Airways, Etihad, Emirates (airline), Emirates, or Qatar Airways.
Non-stop flights have been operated by
Pakistan International Airlines
Pakistan International Airlines, commonly known as PIA, is the flag carrier of Pakistan. With its primary hub at Jinnah International Airport in Karachi, the airline also operates from its secondary hubs at Allama Iqbal International Airport ...
, but in June 2020, the US FAA prohibited flights from PIA due to pilots certification concerns after a major scandal erupted.
In American popular culture
* Nadia Ali (singer), Nadia Ali is a Grammy Award-nominated singer-songwriter, prominent in electronic dance music and the voice of iiO's 2001 single "Rapture (iiO song), Rapture", which dominated dance charts across the world.
* In the comedy television series ''Silicon Valley (TV series), Silicon Valley'', Silicon Valley (TV series)#Main, Dinesh Chugtai is the lead software engineer in the fictional tech company Pied Piper. He is originally from Islamabad and is often seen speaking
Urdu
Urdu (; , , ) is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in South Asia. It is the Languages of Pakistan, national language and ''lingua franca'' of Pakistan. In India, it is an Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of Indi ...
and making remarks about his homeland. Dinesh has a sarcastic personality and is known for his frequent quarrels with co-worker Bertram Gilfoyle. The character is played by Pakistani-American actor Kumail Nanjiani.
* In the sitcom ''Seinfeld'', List of Seinfeld minor characters#babubhatt, Babu Bhatt is a Pakistani immigrant befriended by Jerry Seinfeld (character), Jerry Seinfeld in the episode "The Cafe (Seinfeld), The Cafe". He appears again in "The Visa", in which he moves into Jerry's building, but Babu is deported to Pakistan due to Jerry not giving him his immigration paperwork (which was mistakenly delivered to his mailbox).
*Mr. Capone-E is a rapper from San Gabriel Valley in Los Angeles, California.
* Nadia Yassir, a character on the hit TV show ''24 (TV series), 24'', portrayed a fictional Pakistani American.
* In 2007, The CW aired the comedy series ''Aliens in America''. The show is about a Wisconsin family that hosts a Pakistani exchange student.
* Faran Tahir is a Pakistani-American actor who has appeared in American television shows such as ''24 (TV series), 24'', ''Monk (TV series), Monk'', and ''Justice (2006 TV series), Justice''. He also starred as the captain in the 2009 ''Star Trek (2009 film), Star Trek'' film.
* Iqbal Theba is a Pakistani actor who played Principal Figgins on Glee (TV series), Glee
* The latest character in Marvel Comics to take up the mantle of Ms. Marvel is Kamala Khan, a Pakistani American in the Millennial Generation (Generation Y). Her character and comic (of which she is the title character) have received critical acclaim, along with being a commercial success. A Ms. Marvel (miniseries), ''Ms. Marvel'' TV series was released, with Pakistani-Canadian actress Iman Vellani playing the title character. Vellani reprises the role in the 2023 film ''The Marvels''.
* The Kominas are a Boston-based Pakistani American band, prominent in the punk subculture, punk and taqwacore scenes, appearing in the documentary film ''Taqwacore (film), Taqwacore'' in 2009.
* The Homeland (season 4), fourth season of the American thriller television series ''Homeland (TV series), Homeland'' takes place in Islamabad, Pakistan.
* The American comedy television series ''The Brink (TV series), The Brink'' focuses on a geopolitical crisis in Pakistan.
* The American military drama television series ''Last Resort (TV series), Last Resort'' is set in Pakistan.
* ''Madam Secretary (TV series), Madam Secretary'' first season's episode three is based on a diplomatic crises with Pakistan.
* The 2016 HBO miniseries ''The Night Of'' revolves around a Pakistani-American family based in Queens, New York.
*Dilshad Vadsaria is a Pakistani-American actress who played Rebecca Logan on the ABC Family television program ''Greek (TV series), Greek''
Events
*Pakistan day flag raising events are held throughout the US around March 23 and August 14 every year.
*Independence Day (Pakistan), Pakistan Independence Day Parade: The event is held every year around August 14 (the date Pakistan was established in 1947) in
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
*The First International Urdu Conference was held in the United Nations Headquarters in New York in June 2000. The conference was organized by Urdu Markaz New York.
*APPNA Conference: This event is organized every year by APPNA (Association of Pakistani Physicians in North America). The conference attracts hundreds of Pakistani American physicians and their families from all over North America. APPNA, APPNA's doctors have also volunteered their time and services for a free health care event taking place throughout June 2010.
*Pakistan Independence Day Festival of Battery Park (New York), Battery Park: This is the largest gathering of Pakistani Americans in United States which was founded by a political and social activist, Khalid Ali.
*In April 2010, the United States of America Cricket Association, USA Cricket Association signed a deal with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to host games in America. The PCB said that they had reached an agreement with the USA Cricket Association and anticipated games starting in 2010.
This is also due to the large Pakistani American and Pakistani diaspora, Pakistani expatriate community residing in the United States.
Notable people
See also
* Overseas Pakistani
* Baloch Americans
* Pashtun Americans
* Punjabi Americans
* Punjabi Mexican Americans
* Sindhi Americans
* Americans in Pakistan
* Pakistan–United States relations
* Indian Americans
* Afghan Americans
* Iranian Americans
Notes and references
Further reading
* Malik, Iftikhar Haider. ''Pakistanis in Michigan: A Study of Third Culture and Acculturation'' (AMS Press, 1989).
* Mosbah, Aissa, Ahmed Mukt Abdhamid Abusef, and Salah Belghoul. "Migration and Immigrant Entrepreneurship among Pakistanis: An Assessment of the State of Affairs." ''Journal of Management and science'', 15.2 (2017): 45–53
online* Najam, Adil. ''Portrait of a Giving Community: Philanthropy by the Pakistani American Diaspora'' (Harvard University: Global Equity Initiative, 2007).
* Pavri, Tinaz. "Pakistani Americans." ''Gale Encyclopedia of Multicultural America,'' edited by Thomas Riggs (3rd ed., vol. 3, Gale, 2014), pp. 425–436
online* Taus-Bolstad, Stacy. ''Pakistanis in America'' (Lerner Publications, 2006).
* Williams, Raymond Brady. ''Religions of Immigrants from India and Pakistan: New Threads in the American Tapestry'' (Cambridge University Press, 1988)
online review
External links
Center for Pakistan Studies, Middle East Institute
{{Authority control
American people of Pakistani descent,
Asian diaspora in the United States
Pakistani diaspora in the United States
Pakistani diaspora, America
South Asian diaspora in the United States