Sri Lankan Americans

Immigration Patterns

Beginning in the 1950s, there was a rising Sri Lankan population in the United States; however, immigration records classified Sri Lankans as “other Asians,” so accurate numbers are not available. A separate category for Sri Lankans was established in 1975, and records indicate that about 430 Sri Lankans immigrated to the United States that year. These immigrants were highly educated professionals who either were recruited for various professions or attended U.S. universities. Civil conflict fueled migration for the Tamils in the 1980s, bringing about 400 Sri Lankans each year. Ethnic violence in 1991 and 1993 brought about a hundred refugees to the United States.

Contemporary Community

In recent years, people from Sri Lanka have sought permanent residency and completed the naturalization process to become citizens. From 1997 through 2007, about 1,400 Sri Lankans immigrated to the United States annually. At least 8,400 Sri Lankan Americans have become naturalized citizens since 1997.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau 2005 American Community Survey, 39,810 people of Sri Lankan national origin lived in the United States. Many Sri Lankans have settled in urban areas that already have Sri Lankan and Indian communities established, such as in Los Angeles, New York, Newark, and Chicago. In geographic distribution, the top five states were California, Maryland, Texas, New York, and New Jersey. Of those Sri Lankan-born people in the United States in 2000, only 2.9% had entered the country before 1980. Their median family income was $62,490 compared with $50,890 for the nation as a whole.