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Israeli Americans

Israelis have immigrated to the United States since Israel gained independent statehood in 1948. Israeli Americans have, in this relatively short time period, become a culturally and politically powerful force in the United States with unique social and cultural trends that demarcate a much different immigrant experience from what is typical for newcomers to America.

Historical Development

Israel gained its independence in 1948, and soon thereafter Israelis started to immigrate to the United States in two waves. The first wave of Israeli immigration saw more than 300,000 Israeli citizens relocate to the United States in the 1950s and 1960s. The second wave of Israeli immigration started in the mid-1970s and remains in force today. Interestingly, estimates of how many Israelis arrived during that period vary wildly, and U.S. Census data are unreliable on this point; the official 2010 count says that there are approximately 140,000 Israeli Americans, but other sources think that number is much higher in reality. The Israeli consulate in New York states that there are more than 600,000 Israeli Americans today. One reason for this discrepancy could be that many Israelis are originally from other countries and might have listed their countries of origin when they arrived in the United States. The size of the largest urban populations of Israeli Americans seem to belie the census numbers.

The second (and continuing) wave of Israeli migration to the United States is connected in large part to ongoing political upheaval and violence in the Middle East that results in feelings of insecurity in the region. Israelis are also motivated to relocate to America because the close connections between Israel and the United States render American culture familiar to Israelis. In the 1990s, Sephardic Israelis found ethnic discrimination another factor that made immigrating attractive. Finally, because such a high number of Israelis are well educated and skilled, they have a distinct advantage in the American job market in contrast to the Israeli market, which is more saturated with skilled, educated workers.

Large populations of Israeli Americans are located in New York, California, and Florida, although Israeli Americans can be found all over the United States. Because of chain migration—by which immigrants from certain areas follow others from their home city or neighborhood to a particular city or neighborhood in their new country—New York City and Los Angeles are home to almost half of the Israeli Americans living in the United States.

Israeli American Culture

Israeli Americans have achieved what has probably been an easier transition to American life than has been experienced by most immigrant groups. A very high percentage of Israeli immigrants are highly educated and have discrete occupational skills; this fact sets them apart from most other immigrant groups, which experience the difficulties of ghettoization in low-paying, unskilled occupations. Israeli Americans tend to achieve material independence and the security that comes with it relatively quickly.

Most Israeli immigrants also have both familial and community support networks in place in the United States. These networks aid transitioning into American culture and also insulate Israeli Americans from feeling alienated by those aspects of the U.S. culture that are more at odds with their past experience. Israeli Americans have formed widespread, active communities within their areas of resettlement and in this way have remained connected to Israel. Hebrew language media as well as hobbyist and professional groups bring Israeli Americans together.

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