Iraqi Americans

The Iraqi Diaspora

The large waves of emigration from Iraq that began with the Saddam Hussein regime have continued. This is referred to as the Iraqi Diaspora, and destinations include many other countries besides the United States. Between 1989 and 2001, a little more than 49,000 Iraqis immigrated to the United States. Many entered as refugees or were granted refugee status after entering. According to the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (formerly a part of the Immigration and Naturalization Service), 25,710 Iraqi-born immigrants were naturalized between 1991 and 2001.

Many assume that the immigration of Arabs decreased immediately after September 11, 2001. However, the number of immigrants who entered or became legal permanent residents stayed level, though the number of non-immigrants who were issued visas and admitted to the United States as tourists, students, or temporary workers did decrease. There was about a 70% decrease in the number of tourist and business visas issued to individuals from Gulf countries.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, there were 37,728 people of Iraqi national origin in the United States in 2005. In geographic distribution, the top five states were Michigan, California, Illinois, New York, and Pennsylvania. The largest population of Iraqi Americans can be found in Detroit. According to the 2000 census, 50.1% speak English less than “very well.” Their median family income was $41,179 compared with $50,890 for the nation as a whole.

Among famous Iraqi Americans are Heather Raffo, playwright and actress; TIMZ (Tommy Hanna), rapper; Eliott Yamin, singer; Chris Kattan, actor; Stephan Smith, singer, songwriter, and musician; and Zainab Salbi, cofounder and president of Women for Women International.

Iraqi Refugees

The number of Iraqis granted refugee status averaged 2,000 to 3,000 annually in the years leading up to the Iraq War, and then less than 500 in 2002 and less than 300 annually beginning in 2003 during the subsequent occupation. Numbers granted asylum status similarly declined.

With U.S. presence in Iraq continuing, many Iraqis who have aided the U.S.-led mission have increasingly sought refuge in the West. Advocates on their behalf have sought policies similar to those in the aftermath of the Vietnam War when President Gerald Ford authorized the admission to the United States of more than 131,000 South Vietnamese refugees. Observers wonder whether, even if a level of stability is achieved in Iraq, some of the individuals most closely associated with the United States might be put at risk with the departure of U.S. troops.

...