Kurdish Americans

The Kurds are a nomadic, distinct, and global group without an autonomous or politically recognized homeland. Estimates of the Kurdish population range from 5 to 26 million. The Kurds are an ethnic group without a nation. In this respect, they have a similar status to that of Jews, the Roma (Gypsies), and Assyrians. Kurds are typically Sunni Muslims but are not Arabs and are culturally closer to Persians (Iranians). This entry clarifies who the Kurds are and discusses their settlement patterns in the United States. Kurds typically speak Kurmanji and the language of their home country (such as Arabic among Iraqi [Page 818]Kurds). Kurds have distinct gender roles, with men serving as the heads of families. Although Islamic, Kurdish women are less restricted than many Muslims; they do not wear veils, feel free to associate with men who are not family members, and may occupy political office, for example.

“Kurdistan,” is the name commonly given to the territory between the mountain areas of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey, which the Kurds claim as their homeland. Because their region is subdivided among four countries, the Kurds who live in each region have varying types of relationships with the governments. For instance, Kurds in Iraq refer to the region as “Iraqi Kurdistan,” which is administered by the Kurdistan Regional Government; it is, in other words, a state within a state. Most recently, Iraqi Kurdistan has been strengthening bonds with the United States and promoting business and travel to their region. On the other hand, the region of “Turkish Kurdistan” has no unified administrative identity, and the Turkish state even rejects the use of the term Kurdistan to describe it.

Kurdish history is filled with struggle, conflict, destruction, and displacement. War and persecution often fuel constant movement and migration of their people. Although major concentrations of Kurds live in Iran, Iraq, Turkey, and Syria, a large diaspora community exists outside the Middle East.

Prior to 1970, very few Kurds were documented as living in the United States. During the 2-year period between 1975 and 1977, however, the number of Kurdish immigrants, mostly refugees, rose to about 350 per year. Across the world at this time, thousands more fled from Iraq to Iran after a failed Kurdish revolution. In addition, during the Iran/Iraq War (1980–1988), 60,000 Kurds fled from Iraq to Turkey. Their plight captured global attention during this time. While many stayed in refugee camps or were forced to return to Iraq, a “safe haven” for Kurds was created in Iraq in 1991. As of 2007, Kurds make up 20% of Iraq's population.

Some of the estimated 1.5 million Kurdish refugees worldwide have resettled in North America as a result of an international humanitarian relief effort; about 40,000 Kurds live in the United States. Kurdish communities can be found in Nashville, Tennessee; San Diego, California; and Washington, D.C. Changes in immigration practices after the attacks on September 11, 2001, have posed challenges for those seeking citizenship, as well as those wanting to return home.

Given the recency of their arrival and instability in the Middle East, the small Kurdish American community is vigilant about the treatment of Kurds worldwide, especially in Middle East, and many look toward a future with a truly independent Kurdistan.

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