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Romanian Americans

Romanian Americans are the immigrants and their descendants from Romania, a country of 21.6 million, by 2007 estimates. According to the 2000 census, there were 135,965 people born in Romania residing in the United States, of whom 58.6% were citizens. This entry will look at the background of immigration from Romania to the United States and the contemporary picture of Romanian Americans.

Immigration Patterns

Little documentation of Romanian immigrants existed before 1870, although there is a record of some taking part in the California Gold Rush and fighting in the Civil War. The first significant wave of Romanian immigration occurred between 1895 and 1920, bringing an estimated 145,000 Romanians to the United States. However, early census figures were misleading and inaccurate because people from adjacent countries were included in those figures. The diverse ethnic and religious groups of Romania thus included those from Austria, Hungary, Russia, and Turkey, as well as Jews, the Roma (Gypsies), Ukrainians, Serbs, and Croats.

The first immigrant wave included skilled and educated men and their families, as well as many single men (and married men who left without their families) with little or no skills and education. Many did not plan to make the United States their new home. Their main goal was to make money and return home, or “mia si drumul”—the Romanian expression meant “$1,000 and return home.” About 20% of the Romanian population remigrated between 1906 and 1920.

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While some immigrants returned home, many were still arriving. About 67,000 Romanians came to the United States between 1921 and 1930. Most arrived early in the decade, because a national quota system put in place in 1924 allowed only 603 immigrants from Romania each year. The Depression halted most, if not all, immigration during that time. World War II also stalled immigration; however, many immigrants arrived in the years following the war under the Displaced Persons Act of 1948.

Because of the Romanian government's tight restrictions and steep penalties (monetary fines, job loss, prison time), many Romanians were discouraged from migrating during the 1970s. The overthrow of the Ceaucescu regime in 1989 gave birth to a new wave of immigration. Many were reuniting with family and friends, and immigrants included professionals, political prisoners, and those who were dissatisfied with the new leadership. In 1990, there were approximately 365,500 Romanians living in the United States.

Contemporary Community

In recent years, people from Romania have sought permanent residency, refugee status, and completed the naturalization process to become citizens. From 1997 through 2002, about 5,700 Romanians immigrated to the United States annually. About 37,000 Romanian Americans have become naturalized citizens since 1997. According to the 2000 census, 40.6% speak English less than “very well.” Their median family income was $51,628 compared with $50,890 for the nation as a whole.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, there were 332,034 of Romanian national origin in the United States in 2005. In geographic distribution, the top five states were California, New York, Illinois, Florida, and Washington.

Among famous Romanian Americans (including both native-born U.S. residents of Romanian heritage and Romanian immigrants) are Lauren Bacall, actor; Franz Kneisel, violinist; Fred Lebow, founder of the New York City marathon; Alexandra Nechita, painter; Jean Negulesco, film director; and Saviana Stanescu, poet and playwright.

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