Sri Lankan American
    |
| Notable Sri Lankan Americans Ananda Coomaraswamy, DeLon, Ruwanga Samath, Patrick Mendis, Thushari Jayasekera |
| Total population |
|---|
| 25,263 (2000)[1] |
| Regions with significant populations |
| New York City Metropolitan Area, Central New Jersey, Los Angeles metropolitan area, and other major American metropolitan areas |
| Languages |
|
American English · Sinhalese · Tamil · Languages of Sri Lanka |
| Religion |
Sri Lankan Americans are Americans of Sri Lankan descent. Sri Lankan Americans are persons of Sri Lankan origin from various Sri Lankan ethnic backgrounds who are born or raised in the United States or are naturalized citizens of the U.S. They incorporate American values into their lives and continue to practice Sri Lankan cultural aspects as well. One issue regarding the term 'Sri Lankan American' is that many Sri Lankans identify separately as Sinhalese, Tamils, Sri Lankan Moors, or Burghers and may continue to do so in the United States.[citation needed] The people are also referred to as South Asian in origin.
Contents |
[edit] History
Sri Lankans started arriving in the USA around mid 1950s.
In 1975, Sri Lankan immigrants were classified for the first time as belonging to a category separate from "other Asian". In that year, 432 Sri Lankans entered the United States.
According to the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization records, in 1996 1,277 Sri Lankans were naturalized. This included 615 who had arrived in 1995 and 254 who had arrived in 1994, compared with only 68 arrivals in 1993 and 17 before 1985.
The number increased to 14,448 in the 1990s due to the Sri Lankan Civil War. Sri Lankan Americans settled largely in cities.[2]
[edit] Demographics
| Population growth of Sri Lankan Americans |
|
|---|---|
| 1980 | 5,576 |
| 1990 | 14,022 |
| 2000 | 25,263 |
| 2010 | |
| Source:U.S. Census Bureau[3] | |
The New York City Metropolitan Area contains the largest Sri Lankan community in the United States, receiving the highest legal permanent resident Sri Lankan immigrant population,[4] followed by Central New Jersey and the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Little Sri Lanka in the Tompkinsville neighborhood of the borough of Staten Island in New York City is one of the largest Sri Lankan communities outside of the country of Sri Lanka itself.[5][6]
[edit] Organizations
- Association of Sri-Lankans in America
- Friends of Sri Lanka in the United States
- Sri Lankan American Cultural Association (SLACA)[7]
- Sri lanka Association of New England (SLANE)[8]
- Sri Lanka Foundation[9]
- Sri Lankan American Association of Houston[10]
[edit] Notable Sri Lankan Americans
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes and references
- ^ Population Division. U.S. Census Bureau. 2006. http://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0081/twps0081.pdf.
- ^ http://www.everyculture.com/multi/Sr-Z/Sri-Lankan-Americans.html
- ^ Population Division. U.S. Census Bureau. 2006. http://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0081/twps0081.pdf.
- ^ "Yearbook of Immigration Statistics: 2010 Supplemental Table 2". U.S. Department of Homeland Security. http://www.dhs.gov/files/statistics/publications/LPR10.shtm. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
- ^ Harrison Peck. "NYC The Official Guide - Must-See Little Sri Lanka: 7 Great Things to See and Do". © 2006–2011 NYC & Company, Inc. All rights reserved. http://www.nycgo.com/slideshows/must-see-little-sri-lanka. Retrieved 2011-11-27.
- ^ Amy Zavatto (August 5, 2010). "Frommer's - New York City: Exploring Staten Island's Little Sri Lanka". © 2000-2011 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved. http://www.frommers.com/community/blogs/between-bites.cfm?plckController=Blog&plckScript=blogScript&plckElementId=blogDest&plckBlogPage=BlogViewPost&plckPostId=Blog%3A130beee0-89b1-4de1-90ee-74de88a6b321Post%3A39c5c777-4c31-4a26-9501-b8f4d3b4e5bb. Retrieved 2011-11-27.
- ^ Slaca.org
- ^ SLANE
- ^ Sri Lanka Foundation - Home
- ^ http://www.slaah.com
[edit] External links
- Sri Lankan Americans
- US Census 2000 foreign born population by country
- Sri Lanka: Background and U.S. Relations
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