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Pakistani Americans

Pakistani Americans (Urdu: پاکستانی امریکی) are citizens of the United States who have full or partial ancestry from Pakistan, or more simply, Pakistanis in America. 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 compared to the U.S. population at large.[2] 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; more specifically, around 8% of South Asian Americans.[1]

History in the United States[edit]

Immigrants from modern-day Pakistan (formerly northwestern British India) and the Mughal Empire had been immigrating to America as early as the eighteenth century, working in agriculture, logging, and mining in the western states of California, Oregon, and Washington.[3] The passage of the Luce-Celler Act of 1946 allowed these immigrants to acquire U.S. citizenship through naturalization. Between 1947 and 1965, only 2,500 Pakistani immigrants entered the United States; most of them were students who chose to settle in the 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 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.[4] As of the 1990 U.S. Census, the Pakistani-American population was 100,000. By 2005, that figured more than doubled to 210,000.[5] In 2023, Monroe Township High School, in Monroe Township, Middlesex County, New Jersey, launched the first high school cricket team in New Jersey.[6][7] 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).[8]

Cpt. was a Pakistani-American soldier who posthumously received a Bronze Star and Purple Heart. He was killed in Iraq and buried at Arlington National Cemetery.[47] Khan's parents, Khizr and Ghazala Khan, appeared at the 2016 Democratic National Convention to challenge Donald Trump's views on Muslims.[48]

Humayun Saqib Muazzam Khan

Another Pakistani American who received both a Bronze Star and Purple Heart was who died in Iraq.[49] Others have served in different capacities, such as working as military commissaries abroad.[50]

Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan

is an intelligence officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve.[51]

Naveed Jamali

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.[52]

Atif Qarni

Discrimination[edit]

Since the September 11 attacks in 2001, Pakistani Americans began reporting incidents of discrimination, especially in places such as airports.[66][67][68] After the September 11 attacks, some Pakistani Americans started identifying themselves as Indians (Pakistan was created through the partition of India in 1947).[69][70]

is a Grammy Award-nominated singer-songwriter, prominent in electronic dance music and the voice of iiO's 2001 single "Rapture", which dominated dance charts across the world.

Nadia Ali

In the comedy television series , 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 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.

Silicon Valley

In the sitcom , Babu Bhatt is a Pakistani immigrant befriended by Jerry Seinfeld in the episode "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).

Seinfeld

is a rapper from San Gabriel Valley in Los Angeles, California.

Mr. Capone-E

a character on the hit TV show 24, portrayed a fictional Pakistani American.[86]

Nadia Yassir

In 2007, aired the comedy series Aliens in America. The show is about a Wisconsin family that hosts a Pakistani exchange student.[87]

The CW

is a Pakistani-American actor who has appeared in American television shows such as 24, Monk, and Justice. He also starred as the captain in the 2009 Star Trek film.

Faran Tahir

is a Pakistani-American actor who played Principal Figgins on Glee

Iqbal Theba

The latest character in 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.[88] A 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.

Marvel Comics

are a Boston-based Pakistani American band, prominent in the punk and taqwacore scenes, appearing in the documentary film Taqwacore in 2009.

The Kominas

The of the American thriller television series Homeland takes place in Islamabad, Pakistan.[89]

fourth season

The American comedy television series focuses on a geopolitical crisis in Pakistan.

The Brink

The American military drama television series is set in Pakistan.

Last Resort

's first season's episode three is based on a diplomatic crises with Pakistan.

Madam Secretary

The 2016 miniseries The Night Of revolves around a Pakistani-American family based in Queens, New York.

HBO

is a Pakistani-American actress who played Rebecca Logan on the ABC Family television program Greek

Dilshad Vadsaria

Pakistan day flag raising events are held throughout the US around March 23 and August 14 every year.

[90]

Parade: The event is held every year around August 14 (the date Pakistan was established in 1947) in New York City

Pakistan Independence Day

The First International Urdu Conference was held in the Headquarters in New York in June 2000. The conference was organized by Urdu Markaz New York.

United Nations

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's doctors have also volunteered their time and services for a free health care event taking place throughout June 2010.[91]

APPNA

Pakistan Independence Day Festival of : This is the largest gathering of Pakistani Americans in United States which was founded by a political and social activist, Khalid Ali.

Battery Park

In April 2010, the 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.[92] This is also due to the large Pakistani American and Pakistani expatriate community residing in the United States.

USA Cricket Association

Overseas Pakistani

Baloch Americans

Pashtun Americans

Punjabi Americans

Punjabi Mexican Americans

Sindhi Americans

Americans in Pakistan

Pakistan–United States relations

Indian Americans

Bangladeshi Americans

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

Center for Pakistan Studies, Middle East Institute