Pakistani immigrants
Pakistani immigrants form a diverse community in the United States, with roots tracing back to the 1960s when immigration from Pakistan became more pronounced. Initially, the U.S. was not a primary destination for these immigrants, who often settled in larger metropolitan areas such as New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles. The immigration patterns shifted significantly after the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, which allowed skilled professionals, particularly in fields like medicine and engineering, to enter the country. Over the years, the community grew, particularly during the 1990s, when family reunification policies facilitated the entry of more Pakistani nationals.
However, the events of September 11, 2001, created challenges for Pakistani immigrants, as their Muslim identity became increasingly scrutinized. Despite these issues, the Pakistani community has shown resilience, with a significant portion achieving higher education and professional success. The 2021 U.S. Census reported approximately 555,917 individuals of Pakistani descent in the U.S., with notable concentrations in New York, Houston, and Washington, D.C. This community has made a cultural impact, contributing to interests such as the sport of cricket, especially in areas like Texas. Overall, Pakistani immigrants are characterized by a strong family orientation and a commitment to maintaining their cultural identity while navigating the complexities of life in the U.S.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Pakistani immigrants
SIGNIFICANCE: Pakistani immigration only became a distinctive part of South Asian immigration during the 1960s. The United States had never been a primary destination for Pakistani immigrants, but they formed distinctive subgroups in certain areas of settlement. After the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States, their Muslim identity became problematic.
Pakistan did not exist as a distinct nation until 1947 when both Pakistan and India were formed from British India. The reason for the split was primarily religious. Though it had a secular government, India became a Hindu-majority state, while Pakistan became a primarily Muslim state.
In terms of U.S. government statistics, separate Pakistani immigration statistic were not kept until after 1981efore that, Pakistanis were grouped under “Other South Asians.” Of the South Asians, only Indian immigrants had a separate category. Statistics are further confused by the emergence of Bangladesh as a separate country in 1971previously known as East Pakistanthe eastern wing of the two-part country formed in 1947. Bangladeshis and Pakistanis were grouped together until 1973, though probably very few Bangladeshis immigrated at that timeIn 1973, fewer than two hundred Bangladeshis were counted in the United States.
Before 1947, Pakistani immigration would have been classified as Indian. At the beginning of the twentieth century, there was a small-scale immigration of farmers and farm laborers to Southern California, mainly to work in the newly developed rice farms of the Sacramento Valleybut no other significant influx.
First Growth
After independence, most Pakistani emigrants went to the United Kingdom. British law at that time allowed unfettered access for former colonists into Great Britain. Other Commonwealth countriesespecially Canada and Australiaalso had generous provisions for other Commonwealth immigrants. By contrast, U.S. immigration policy allowed little possibility for Pakistani entry.
This policy began to change after 1965 when the passage of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 allowed entry for professionals and other people with needed skills. A slow trickle of Pakistani professionals began to take advantage of the liberalized immigration policy, aided by tightening restrictions in the United Kingdom and a lack of job opportunities in their native country. The tendency of Pakistan to drift into undemocratic military regimes also alienated a number of professionals and skilled workers.
The main professions of these immigrants were in the medical and engineering fields. In 1971, just over two thousand immigrants joined the five thousand or so Pakistanis already in the United Statesmainly in larger population centers like New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Numbers edged up during the 1970s and 1980s but never reached more than six thousand per year. Some also came as students or tourists and then changed their visa statuses while in the United States.
At first, the trend was two-foldfor single men to come, establish themselves, then sponsor spouses to join them. The second option was to establish themselves first, return to Pakistan, marry, and bring their spouses back with them. Those who failed to qualify as doctors or pharmacists in the United States reinvented themselves as small businessmenoften running convenience stores or gas stations. Taxi driving was a favored occupation among those who came with less education.
Subsequent Development
The turning point in immigration numbers came in 1991 when the annual immigration suddenly jumped to 20,355. The lottery system allowed a number of unskilled Pakistanis to immigrate to the U.S. Meanwhile, provisions for wider family sponsorship allowed a number of brothers, sisters, and parents to enter. Pakistani society was very family-orientedwith extended family being the norm. During the 1990s, 124,500 Pakistanis were admitted, making the Pakistani community the ninth-largest of all Asian communities.
Certain stresses began to manifest themselves as a second generation grew up in the United States. The arranged marriage system was still enforced where possible to maintain cultural identityspouses from Pakistan found it difficult to adjust to new gender roles within American culture. Divisions between religious groups, especially Sunnis and Shias, kept communities divided. Though Pakistanis mixed easily with other South Asian Muslims, they found it difficult to mix with Muslim immigrants from the Middle East or of African originhe desire for fair-skinned spouses was especially troublesome due to the prevalence of Bollywood movie culture.
The September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington, D.C. and subsequent involvement of Pakistan on the American political stage were especially problematic for both the existing community and new immigrants. The number of immigrants declinedwith 51,600 entering between 2001 and 2004 and 14,900 in 2005. Persian Gulf states absorbed a growing number of Pakistani migrant workers, who were much more at home there in a Muslim culture. Also, immigration to the Commonwealth countries continued at quite high levels. Movement among the worldwide Pakistani diaspora was also a significant feature. Immigration from Pakistan remained low in the United States. According to the 2021 U.S. Census Bureau, there were 555,917 people in the United States of Pakistani descenthis number had only slightly increased from 2019 when it sat at 554,000.
In 2024, the largest Pakistani immigrant communities in the United States were in the greater New York metropolitan area with 81,794 people, Houston with 31,470 people, and Washington, D.C. with 30,088 people. Those in the Washington D.C. and Baltimore areas tended to achieve the greatest financial success. This Pakistani community was more educated as 50 percent of immigrants25 years and olderheld bachelor's degrees. Typical occupations were in sales, management, business, science, and transportation. The annual median income for this community was $85,000 and approximately 59 percent owned homes. Across the United States, Pakistani immigrants reportedly had the highest levels of annual income compared with other non-native communities.
A sign of the cultural impact Pakistani and other Asian American communities had in the United States was the growing interest in the sport of cricket. In the state of Texaswhere Dallas was home to approximately 19,000 PakistanisDallas emerged as a cricket hotbed. In 2024 its cricket leagues drew more than 300 players. In June 2024, the United States cricket team scored a notable upset as it defeated the national team of Pakistan in the Cricket World Cup. The venue of the match was held in Grand Prairie, Texas, a suburb of Dallas.
Bibliography
“2021: ACS 1-Year Estimates Selected Population Profiles.” United States Census Bureau, 2021, data.census.gov/table?q=pakstani+ancestry. Accessed 13 Mar. 2023.
Aggarwal, Mithil. "Team USA Beats Cricket Powerhouse Pakistan in Historic World Cup Victory." NBC News, 7 June 2024, www.nbcnews.com/sports/cricket/us-pakistan-cricket-world-cup-historic-upset-rcna155977. Accessed 17 Sept. 2024.
Aswad, Barbara C., and Barbara Bilgé, eds. Family and Gender Among American Muslims: Issues Facing Middle Eastern Immigrants and Their Descendants. Philadelphia, Temple University Press, 1996.
Budiman, Abby. “Pakistanis - Data on Asian Americans.” Pew Research Center, 29 Apr. 2021, www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/fact-sheet/asian-americans-pakistanis-in-the-u-s. Accessed 13 Mar. 2023.
Hernandez, Arelis. "Bats and Balls — but Not Baseball — Win Over Texas Kids." Washington Post, 20 June 2022, www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/06/20/texas-cricket/. Accessed 17 Sept. 2024.
Leonard, Karen. The South Asian Americans: The New Americans. Westport, Greenwood Press, 1997.
McCloud, Aminah Beverly. Transnational Muslims in American Society. Gainesville, University Press of Florida, 2006.
Narayan, Anjana, and Bandana Purkayastha. Living Religions: Hindu and Muslim South Asian-American Women Narrate Their Experiences. Sterling, Kumarian Press, 2009.
"Pakistan: Pakistani Population in the Washington, DC and Baltimore, MD Metropolitan Areas." George Mason University, 2024, iir.gmu.edu/immigrant-stories-dc-baltimore/pakistan/pakistani-population-in-the-washington-dc-and-baltimore-md-metropolitan-areas. Accessed 17 Sept. 2024,
Prashad, Vijay. The Karma of Brown Folk. Minneapolis, University of Minnesota Press, 2000.
Rivera, Penelope. "As Cricket Gains Fans in North Texas, UT Dallas Goes All Out With New Tournament." KERA News, 14 Aug. 2024, www.keranews.org/sports/2024-08-14/university-texas-dallas-national-cricket-league-tournament. Accessed 17 Sept. 2024.
"The Pakistani Diaspora in the United States" Migration Policy Institute, 2015, www.migrationpolicy.org/sites/default/files/publications/RAD-Pakistan.pdf. Acessed 17 Sept. 2024.
U.S. Census Bureau. Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2007. Washington, D.C., 2006.
Waters, Mary C., and Reed Ueda, eds. The New Americans: A Guide to Immigration Since 1965. Cambridge, Harvard University Press, 2007.
Williams, Raymond B. Religions of Immigrants from India and Pakistan: New Threads in the American Tapestry. New York, Cambridge University Press, 1988.