Egyptian Americans

Demographics

Egyptian immigrants are predominantly male, concentrated in young age groups, with a high educational attainment. In the 20th century, the first wave of Egyptian immigrants to the United States were highly educated, mostly university graduates, some of whom were seeking further graduate studies. They have been working as physicians, engineers, lawyers, professors, teachers, accountants, brokers, and entrepreneurs.

Within the American multicultural context, most Egyptian Americans are bilingual, speaking English and Arabic, often with an Egyptian dialect. While all of the Arab American subgroups show educational levels above that of the total U.S. population, Egyptians in particular have a high degree of educational achievement, with over 63 percent having earned at least a college degree. However, some Egyptian Americans who hold degrees from Egyptian universities are engaged in blue-color occupations, such as car maintenance workers, taxicab or truck drivers, and restaurant waiters.

Growth of U.S. Immigration

Before 1965, migration to the United States was limited from both the Egyptian and American sides. Egypt, under Nasser's regime, did not have good relations with the United States, which had a restricted immigration policy, restraining certain countries from entering its land. However, in 1965 the United States issued the Immigration and Nationality Act allowing selective entry of certain professionals, especially scientists, from other countries including Egypt.

Furthermore, the deterioration of economic conditions, triggered by the political instability in Egypt following the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, pushed thousands of Egyptians to emigrate to the United States. After Nasser's death in 1970 and the improvement of American-Egyptian relations during Anwar Sadat's presidency, emigration to the United States rose dramatically.

By 1990, Egypt, more so than other Arab countries, had participated in the Diversity Visa (lottery) Program, allowing them to immigrate to the United States. Since the 1980s, the Egyptian [Page 758]government has been working to strengthen ties with the United States by encouraging wealthy Egyptian Americans to help its economy through remittances sent to their families, as well as by investing their money in the homeland.

In 1999, Egyptian Americans’ income was among the highest per family at $57,246, per the 2000 U. S. Census. In 2000, 61 percent of the foreign-born population in the United States participated in the labor force, a figure slightly below the national average. Labor force participation among Egyptian immigrants in particular, however, was slightly higher than the average, at 65 percent.

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