Maltese Americans

Immigration and Assimilation

The earliest Maltese immigrants came to Louisiana before the Louisiana Purchase of 1803; some of their tombstones still survive today. Maltese immigration was exceptionally sparse until the 20th century, however, usually less than a dozen arrivals per year. This changed after World War I. Malta was under British control at the time, and the European economy was ravaged by the war, while the American economy was about to enter one of its greatest periods of prosperity.

Thousands of Maltese immigrants came to the United States in 1920, taking factory jobs in industrial cities like Detroit, New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. In Detroit, Maltese immigrants were a significant part of the expanding automobile manufacturing industry. As with many immigrants, many of the arriving Maltese intended to return to Malta after they had earned enough money, but most of them wound up setting down roots instead.

Today, most Maltese Americans live in Detroit; there is a large community in Astoria, Queens, New York, and communities in San Francisco, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Most are active Catholics. Prominent Maltese Americans include Joseph Borg, the securities commissioner of Alabama, a son of Maltese immigrants; musician Ray Buttigieg; Kid Rock's hype man, rapper Joe C., from the Detroit area; fringe political personality Andy Martin, one of the formulators of the birther conspiracy theory; Faster Pussycat and L.A. Guns guitarist Brent Muscat; comics artist Joe Sacco, author of the Safe Area Gorazde graphic novel; pop star and reality television judge Britney Spears (who, despite being from [Page 1399]Louisiana, actually comes by her Maltese heritage through her Maltese British grandmother); and cult researcher John A. Saliba. When the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia cracked during testing, it was recast by Maltese American John Pass, who made it less brittle by the addition of copper.

The Malta Messenger, based in New York City, is a periodical for Maltese Americans. A number of Maltese American cultural and social organizations exist, including the Institute of Maltese American Affairs, the Friends of Malta Society, the Committee for Maltese Unity, the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, the Maltese American Association of Long Island, the Maltese American Benevolent Society, the Maltese American Club, the Maltese American Community Club, the Maltese American Foundation, the Maltese American League, the Maltese American Friendship Society, the Maltese American Social Club of San Francisco, Maltese International, the Maltese Social Club, the Maltese Union Club, and Sons of Malta Social Club. Because church attendance among Maltese Americans is high, their communities often have their own parishes, despite the small size of the overall population.

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