Mongolian American
Encyclopedia
Mongolian Americans are immigrants from Mongolia
to the United States
and their descendants. The term Mongol American is also used to include ethnic Mongol
immigrants from groups outside of Mongolia as well, such as Kalmyks, Buryats
, and people from the Inner Mongolia
autonomous region of China
. Some immigrants came from Mongolia to the United States as early as 1949, spurred by religious persecution in their homeland. However, Mongolian American communities today are composed largely of migrants who arrived in the 1990s and 2000s, as communism in Mongolia
came to an end and restrictions on emigration lifted.
, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C.
. They were followed by four further students the following year; in 1991, Burchinow also began to urge the Economics Institute at the University of Colorado
to admit Mongolian international student
s as well. By 1996, the University of Colorado's Denver campus had set up a program specifically aimed at bringing Mongolian students to Colorado. The growth in the number of students coincided with an economic boom and a labor shortage in the Denver area; as a result, many Mongolian students in Colorado chose to stay in the state after their graduation. However, a significant number went back to Mongolia as well, to the extent that in 2003 they formed an association of students returned from Colorado. Their influence is seen in other ways as well; there were said to be plans to change the name of the Ulan Bator street on which the United States embassy sits to "Denver Place". , Colorado
's Mongolian American population was believed to be roughly 2,000 people, according to the director of a community-run Mongolian language
school set up by local parents worried about the increasing Americanization of their children.
's East Bay
cities of Oakland and San Leandro; they began settling in the area only after 2002, and as a result their presence was not reflected at all in the 2000 Census
. Many live in predominantly Chinese American
and Vietnamese American
neighborhoods; tensions arose between the newcomers and the established immigrant communities, and some fights among Mongolian American and other Asian American youths have broken out as a result. In one major incident, a Mongolian immigrant girl was shot dead in a confrontation between Southeast Asian and Mongolian youths in an Alameda
park on Halloween night in 2007. Four members of the former group were convicted of first-degree murder: three of the boys were tried in juvenile court and sentenced to seven years in prison in 2008, while the shooter was tried as an adult
and sentenced to 50 years to life in state prison in 2010.
There is also a Mongolian immigrant population in Los Angeles
, estimated at about 2,000 people , according to local community leader Batbold Galsansanjaa. They have close ties to the city's Korean American
community: most community members live and work in Koreatown. A Korean who had previously worked in Mongolia
as a Christian missionary established Los Angeles' only Mongolian-speaking church in Koreatown, while a Mongolian Buddhist congregation gathers for worship at the nearby Korean Buddhist Kwan-Um Temple.
and Spanish
; 219 students of Mongolian background are enrolled in the local school system, making up 1.2% of all students, but often forming a majority in ESL
classes. Members of the first generation largely come from university-educated backgrounds in Mongolia, but work at jobs far beneath their qualifications after moving to the United States. Community institutions include an annual children's festival and a weekly newspaper.
. The Mongolian Embassy estimates that, up to 2007, only 300 babies have been born to Mongolian parents in the United States. Interest in migration to the United States remains high due to unemployment and low income levels in Mongolia; every day, fifty to seventy Mongolians attend visa interviews at the United States embassy in Ulan Bator. Since 1986, only 1,646 Mongolians have become legal permanent residents of the United States, although 1,338 of those were just in the years 2002–2006, and the numbers are growing rapidly.
in the United States
. MACA understands the term Mongol to be inclusive of the people and cultures of all regions where Mongol groups have traditionally lived; in addition to Mongolia, it includes the people and cultures of Kalmykia
, Buryatia, Tuva
and the Mongol regions of China
. MACA was founded in 1987 by the late Professor Gombojab Hangin, Indiana University
, and Tsorj Lama, former Abbot of the Qorgho Monastery in Western Sunid, Southern Mongolia. Since the death of Professor Hangin in 1989, and of Tsorj Lama in 1991, their students have carried on the work they started, as board members Tsagaan Baatar, Chinggeltu Borjiged, Enghe Chimood, Thomas Yang, Tony Ettinger, Palgi Gyamcho and Sanj Altan. MACA was formally incorporated as a 501C3 non-profit organization in 1992.
MACA also pursues a humanitarian program. In 1994, MACA sent $10,000 worth of insulin to Mongolia. MACA was an early supporter of the Peace Corps
programs in Mongolia with their English language
instructional materials needs. In 1995, MACA established the Mongolian-Children's Aid and Development Fund (MCADF) which functioned as the fund raising and executive arm of the various humanitarian initiatives aimed at providing aid to Mongolian children. Former Secretary of State
James A. Baker III serves as honorary chairman of the advisory board to the MCADF. The MCADF has provided nutritional aid and clothing to orphanages and provided small stipends to selected orphans. Since 2004, the MCADF has entered into a sponsorship of the Night Clinic operated by the Christina Noble Foundation, which provides medical services to the street children
of Ulaanbaatar
. MACA is a primary sponsor of the Injannashi Fund, which provides small educational grants to students in Southern Mongolia. MACA also provides small grants from time to time to cultural and educational institutions to support cultural events related to the Mongolias.
MACA holds a Chinggis Qan
ceremony annually, a continuation of the cult of Chinggis Qan, held in the Ezen Qoroo region of Ordos
. This ritual was started in the United States by teachers Gombojab Hangin and C'orj'i Lama in 1988, and is held annually in late fall. In 1999, to mark the 10th anniversary of the death of Professor Gombojab Hangin, a Chinggis Qan Symposium was held in his memory, which resulted in the publication of the proceedings with articles from scholars from Mongolia, Southern Mongolia, Buryatia and Kalmykia.
MACA is open to all individuals who share a common belief in the importance of preserving Mongol culture in the United States.
Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...
to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and their descendants. The term Mongol American is also used to include ethnic Mongol
Mongols
Mongols ) are a Central-East Asian ethnic group that lives mainly in the countries of Mongolia, China, and Russia. In China, ethnic Mongols can be found mainly in the central north region of China such as Inner Mongolia...
immigrants from groups outside of Mongolia as well, such as Kalmyks, Buryats
Buryats
The Buryats or Buriyads , numbering approximately 436,000, are the largest ethnic minority group in Siberia and are mainly concentrated in their homeland, the Buryat Republic, a federal subject of Russia...
, and people from the Inner Mongolia
Inner Mongolia
Inner Mongolia is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China, located in the northern region of the country. Inner Mongolia shares an international border with the countries of Mongolia and the Russian Federation...
autonomous region of China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. Some immigrants came from Mongolia to the United States as early as 1949, spurred by religious persecution in their homeland. However, Mongolian American communities today are composed largely of migrants who arrived in the 1990s and 2000s, as communism in Mongolia
Politics of Mongolia
Politics of Mongolia takes place in a framework of a semi-presidential representative democratic republic, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government...
came to an end and restrictions on emigration lifted.
Migration history and distribution
The Denver metropolitan area was one of the early focal points for the new wave of Mongolian immigrants. Other communities formed by recent Mongolian immigrants include those in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
Colorado
The Mongolian community in Denver traces its roots back to 1989, when Djab Burchinow, a Kalmyk American engineer, arranged for three junior engineers from Mongolia to study at the Colorado School of MinesColorado School of Mines
The Colorado School of Mines is a small public teaching and research university devoted to engineering and applied science, with special expertise in the development and stewardship of the Earth's natural resources. Located in Golden, Colorado, CSM was ranked 29th, in America among national...
. They were followed by four further students the following year; in 1991, Burchinow also began to urge the Economics Institute at the University of Colorado
University of Colorado at Boulder
The University of Colorado Boulder is a public research university located in Boulder, Colorado...
to admit Mongolian international student
International student
According to Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development , international students are those who travel to a country different from their own for the purpose of tertiary study. Despite that, the definition of international students varies in each country in accordance to their own national...
s as well. By 1996, the University of Colorado's Denver campus had set up a program specifically aimed at bringing Mongolian students to Colorado. The growth in the number of students coincided with an economic boom and a labor shortage in the Denver area; as a result, many Mongolian students in Colorado chose to stay in the state after their graduation. However, a significant number went back to Mongolia as well, to the extent that in 2003 they formed an association of students returned from Colorado. Their influence is seen in other ways as well; there were said to be plans to change the name of the Ulan Bator street on which the United States embassy sits to "Denver Place". , Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
's Mongolian American population was believed to be roughly 2,000 people, according to the director of a community-run Mongolian language
Mongolian language
The Mongolian language is the official language of Mongolia and the best-known member of the Mongolic language family. The number of speakers across all its dialects may be 5.2 million, including the vast majority of the residents of Mongolia and many of the Mongolian residents of the Inner...
school set up by local parents worried about the increasing Americanization of their children.
California
As many as 3,000 Mongolian immigrants are estimated to live in the San Francisco Bay AreaSan Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
's East Bay
East Bay (San Francisco Bay Area)
The East Bay is a commonly used, informal term for the lands on the eastern side of the San Francisco Bay, in the San Francisco Bay Area, in California, United States...
cities of Oakland and San Leandro; they began settling in the area only after 2002, and as a result their presence was not reflected at all in the 2000 Census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
. Many live in predominantly Chinese American
Chinese American
Chinese Americans represent Americans of Chinese descent. Chinese Americans constitute one group of overseas Chinese and also a subgroup of East Asian Americans, which is further a subgroup of Asian Americans...
and Vietnamese American
Vietnamese American
A Vietnamese American is an American of Vietnamese descent. They make up about half of all overseas Vietnamese and are the fourth-largest Asian American group....
neighborhoods; tensions arose between the newcomers and the established immigrant communities, and some fights among Mongolian American and other Asian American youths have broken out as a result. In one major incident, a Mongolian immigrant girl was shot dead in a confrontation between Southeast Asian and Mongolian youths in an Alameda
Alameda, California
Alameda is a city in Alameda County, California, United States. It is located on Alameda Island and Bay Farm Island, and is adjacent to Oakland in the San Francisco Bay. The Bay Farm Island portion of the city is adjacent to the Oakland International Airport. At the 2010 census, the city had a...
park on Halloween night in 2007. Four members of the former group were convicted of first-degree murder: three of the boys were tried in juvenile court and sentenced to seven years in prison in 2008, while the shooter was tried as an adult
Trial as an adult
Trial as an adult is a term used to describe a situation when a juvenile offender is tried as if they were an adult.Where specific protections exist for juvenile offenders , these protections may be waived.Sanctions handed down are often harsher than those imposed on...
and sentenced to 50 years to life in state prison in 2010.
There is also a Mongolian immigrant population in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, estimated at about 2,000 people , according to local community leader Batbold Galsansanjaa. They have close ties to the city's Korean American
Korean American
Korean Americans are Americans of Korean descent, mostly from South Korea, with a small minority from North Korea...
community: most community members live and work in Koreatown. A Korean who had previously worked in Mongolia
Koreans in Mongolia
Koreans in Mongolia form one of the smaller Korean diaspora communities in Asia. They consist of both North and South Koreans.-Population and business activities:In 1994, there were estimated to be around 100 South Korean expatriates in Mongolia...
as a Christian missionary established Los Angeles' only Mongolian-speaking church in Koreatown, while a Mongolian Buddhist congregation gathers for worship at the nearby Korean Buddhist Kwan-Um Temple.
Virginia
The Mongolian embassy to the United States estimated Arlington, Virginia's Mongolian population at 2,600 ; they were reportedly attracted to the area by the high quality of education. As a result of their presence, Mongolian has become the local school system's third-most widely-spoken language, after EnglishEnglish language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
; 219 students of Mongolian background are enrolled in the local school system, making up 1.2% of all students, but often forming a majority in ESL
English language learning and teaching
English as a second language , English for speakers of other languages and English as a foreign language all refer to the use or study of English by speakers with different native languages. The precise usage, including the different use of the terms ESL and ESOL in different countries, is...
classes. Members of the first generation largely come from university-educated backgrounds in Mongolia, but work at jobs far beneath their qualifications after moving to the United States. Community institutions include an annual children's festival and a weekly newspaper.
Illinois
Chicago's Mongolian American community is estimated at between 3000 and 4000 people by local leaders; they are geographically dispersed but possess well-organized mutual support networks. Some have established small businesses, while others work in trades and services, including construction, cleaning, housekeeping and food service. In 2004, Lama Tsedendamba Chilkhaasuren, an expatriate from Mongolia, came to the Chicago area for a planned stay of one year in an effort to build a temple for the area's Mongolian Buddhist community.Demographics
60% of Mongolians residing in the United States entered the country on student visas, 34% on tourist visas, and only 3% on working visas. 47% live with their family members. The majority are believed to be staying in the country illegallyIllegal immigration
Illegal immigration is the migration into a nation in violation of the immigration laws of that jurisdiction. Illegal immigration raises many political, economical and social issues and has become a source of major controversy in developed countries and the more successful developing countries.In...
. The Mongolian Embassy estimates that, up to 2007, only 300 babies have been born to Mongolian parents in the United States. Interest in migration to the United States remains high due to unemployment and low income levels in Mongolia; every day, fifty to seventy Mongolians attend visa interviews at the United States embassy in Ulan Bator. Since 1986, only 1,646 Mongolians have become legal permanent residents of the United States, although 1,338 of those were just in the years 2002–2006, and the numbers are growing rapidly.
Mongol-American Cultural Association
The Mongol-American Cultural Association (MACA) was created to preserve and promote Mongol cultureCulture of Mongolia
Mongolian culture has been heavily influenced by the Mongol nomadic way of life. Other important influences are from Tibet and Tibetan Buddhism, and from China. Since the 20th century, Russian and, via Russia, European culture have had a strong effect on Mongolia...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. MACA understands the term Mongol to be inclusive of the people and cultures of all regions where Mongol groups have traditionally lived; in addition to Mongolia, it includes the people and cultures of Kalmykia
Kalmykia
The Republic of Kalmykia is a federal subject of Russia . Population: It is the only Buddhist region in Europe. It has also become well-known as an international chess mecca because its former President, Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, is the head of the International Chess Federation .-Geography:*Area:...
, Buryatia, Tuva
Tuva
The Tyva Republic , or Tuva , is a federal subject of Russia . It lies in the geographical center of Asia, in southern Siberia. The republic borders with the Altai Republic, the Republic of Khakassia, Krasnoyarsk Krai, Irkutsk Oblast, and the Republic of Buryatia in Russia and with Mongolia to the...
and the Mongol regions of China
Inner Mongolia
Inner Mongolia is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China, located in the northern region of the country. Inner Mongolia shares an international border with the countries of Mongolia and the Russian Federation...
. MACA was founded in 1987 by the late Professor Gombojab Hangin, Indiana University
Indiana University
Indiana University is a multi-campus public university system in the state of Indiana, United States. Indiana University has a combined student body of more than 100,000 students, including approximately 42,000 students enrolled at the Indiana University Bloomington campus and approximately 37,000...
, and Tsorj Lama, former Abbot of the Qorgho Monastery in Western Sunid, Southern Mongolia. Since the death of Professor Hangin in 1989, and of Tsorj Lama in 1991, their students have carried on the work they started, as board members Tsagaan Baatar, Chinggeltu Borjiged, Enghe Chimood, Thomas Yang, Tony Ettinger, Palgi Gyamcho and Sanj Altan. MACA was formally incorporated as a 501C3 non-profit organization in 1992.
MACA also pursues a humanitarian program. In 1994, MACA sent $10,000 worth of insulin to Mongolia. MACA was an early supporter of the Peace Corps
Peace Corps
The Peace Corps is an American volunteer program run by the United States Government, as well as a government agency of the same name. The mission of the Peace Corps includes three goals: providing technical assistance, helping people outside the United States to understand US culture, and helping...
programs in Mongolia with their English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
instructional materials needs. In 1995, MACA established the Mongolian-Children's Aid and Development Fund (MCADF) which functioned as the fund raising and executive arm of the various humanitarian initiatives aimed at providing aid to Mongolian children. Former Secretary of State
Secretary of State
Secretary of State or State Secretary is a commonly used title for a senior or mid-level post in governments around the world. The role varies between countries, and in some cases there are multiple Secretaries of State in the Government....
James A. Baker III serves as honorary chairman of the advisory board to the MCADF. The MCADF has provided nutritional aid and clothing to orphanages and provided small stipends to selected orphans. Since 2004, the MCADF has entered into a sponsorship of the Night Clinic operated by the Christina Noble Foundation, which provides medical services to the street children
Street children
A street child is a child who lives on the streets of a city, deprived of family care and protection. Most children on the streets are between the ages of about 5 and 17 years old.Street children live in junk boxes, parks or on the street itself...
of Ulaanbaatar
Ulaanbaatar
Ulan Bator or Ulaanbaatar is the capital and largest city of Mongolia. An independent municipality, the city is not part of any province, and its population as of 2008 is over one million....
. MACA is a primary sponsor of the Injannashi Fund, which provides small educational grants to students in Southern Mongolia. MACA also provides small grants from time to time to cultural and educational institutions to support cultural events related to the Mongolias.
MACA holds a Chinggis Qan
Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan , born Temujin and occasionally known by his temple name Taizu , was the founder and Great Khan of the Mongol Empire, which became the largest contiguous empire in history after his death....
ceremony annually, a continuation of the cult of Chinggis Qan, held in the Ezen Qoroo region of Ordos
Ordos
-Places:*Ordos Loop of the Yellow River, a region of China*Ordos Desert, in Inner Mongolia*Ordos City, city and district in Inner Mongolia*Ordos International Circuit, a race track in Ordos City.-People:...
. This ritual was started in the United States by teachers Gombojab Hangin and C'orj'i Lama in 1988, and is held annually in late fall. In 1999, to mark the 10th anniversary of the death of Professor Gombojab Hangin, a Chinggis Qan Symposium was held in his memory, which resulted in the publication of the proceedings with articles from scholars from Mongolia, Southern Mongolia, Buryatia and Kalmykia.
MACA is open to all individuals who share a common belief in the importance of preserving Mongol culture in the United States.
External links
- Mongol American Cultural Association
- Mongolian Immigrant Tries to Find New Life, 1991 article in The New York Times about a homeless Mongolian immigrant in New York