Palestinian American
Encyclopedia
Palestinian Americans are Americans
of Palestinian
ancestry. It is difficult to say when the first Palestinian immigrants arrived at the United States
; however, many of the first immigrants to arrive were Christian
s escaping persecution from the Ottoman Empire
in the late 19th century. Others came as a result of the tension during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War
; the Six Day War and Yom Kippur War
.
Many Palestinians settled down in cities like New York
, Los Angeles
and San Diego, California
; Chicago
and the Chicagoland
suburbs of Illinois
and Detroit
alongside other Mediterranean
communities such as the Lebanese, Syrians
, Greeks
, Italians
, and Egyptians
.
A Palestinian community of about 600 people can be found in Gallup, New Mexico
. The relatively small community actually goes back to the 1920s by a small movement of Palestinians involved in the agricultural and mineral industries. The local Southwest Indian Jewelry stores are primarily under ownership of Palestinian Americans.
According to the 2000 U.S. Census, there were 72,112 people of Palestinian ancestry living in the United States. However, The Arab American Institute Foundation estimates the figure at 252,000 while the Palestinian American Council puts it at 179,000 (1999). The definition of how a person identifies him/herself a "Palestinian" is one of political controversy.
It is clearly understood that Palestinians, most of them practicing Christians of the Eastern Orthodox variety established large communities in the Americas
, among them Chile
in South America
. The diplomatic relationship between the U.S. government and Palestinians are often positive, but can be strained over the U.S.' alliance with Israel
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
of Palestinian
Palestinian people
The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
ancestry. It is difficult to say when the first Palestinian immigrants arrived at the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
; however, many of the first immigrants to arrive were Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
s escaping persecution from the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
in the late 19th century. Others came as a result of the tension during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War
1948 Arab-Israeli War
The 1948 Arab–Israeli War, known to Israelis as the War of Independence or War of Liberation The war commenced after the termination of the British Mandate for Palestine and the creation of an independent Israel at midnight on 14 May 1948 when, following a period of civil war, Arab armies invaded...
; the Six Day War and Yom Kippur War
Yom Kippur War
The Yom Kippur War, Ramadan War or October War , also known as the 1973 Arab-Israeli War and the Fourth Arab-Israeli War, was fought from October 6 to 25, 1973, between Israel and a coalition of Arab states led by Egypt and Syria...
.
Many Palestinians settled down in cities like New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, 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...
and San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
; Chicago
Chicago
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...
and the Chicagoland
Chicagoland
The Chicago metropolitan area, or Chicagoland as it is commonly called within the area, is the metropolitan area associated with the city of Chicago, Illinois and its suburbs. It is the area that is closely linked to the city through social, economic, and cultural ties...
suburbs of Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
and Detroit
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
alongside other Mediterranean
Mediterranean race
The Mediterranean race was one of the three sub-categories into which the Caucasian race and the people of Europe were divided by anthropologists in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, following the publication of William Z. Ripley's book The Races of Europe...
communities such as the Lebanese, Syrians
Syrian American
Syrian Americans are residents of the United States of Syrian ancestry or nationality. This group includes Americans of Syrian ancestry, Syrian first generation immigrants, or descendants of Syrians who emigrated to the United States. Syrian Americans may be members of a number of differing...
, Greeks
Greek American
Greek Americans are Americans of Greek descent also described as Hellenic descent. According to the 2007 U.S. Census Bureau estimation, there were 1,380,088 people of Greek ancestry in the United States, while the State Department mentions that around 3,000,000 Americans claim to be of Greek descent...
, Italians
Italian American
An Italian American , is an American of Italian ancestry. The designation may also refer to someone possessing Italian and American dual citizenship...
, and Egyptians
Egyptian American
Egyptian Americans are Americans of Egyptian ancestry, first-generation Egyptian immigrants, or descendants of Egyptians who immigrated to the United States. In the 2007 U.S. census, the number of people with Egyptian ancestry was estimated at 195,000, although some estimates range from several...
.
A Palestinian community of about 600 people can be found in Gallup, New Mexico
Gallup, New Mexico
- Demographics :As of the census of 2000, there were 20,209 people, 6,810 households, and 4,869 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,513.7 people per square mile...
. The relatively small community actually goes back to the 1920s by a small movement of Palestinians involved in the agricultural and mineral industries. The local Southwest Indian Jewelry stores are primarily under ownership of Palestinian Americans.
According to the 2000 U.S. Census, there were 72,112 people of Palestinian ancestry living in the United States. However, The Arab American Institute Foundation estimates the figure at 252,000 while the Palestinian American Council puts it at 179,000 (1999). The definition of how a person identifies him/herself a "Palestinian" is one of political controversy.
It is clearly understood that Palestinians, most of them practicing Christians of the Eastern Orthodox variety established large communities in the Americas
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
, among them Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
in South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
. The diplomatic relationship between the U.S. government and Palestinians are often positive, but can be strained over the U.S.' alliance with Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
.