Lebanese Americans are American citizens of Lebanese descent. This includes both those who are native to the United States as well as Lebanese immigrants to America. The vast majority of them are Muslims, in particular Shiite Muslims. Lebanese Americans are the largest Arab group in America, comprising 0.16% of the American population as of the American Community Survey estimations for year 2006, and 32.4% of all Arabs.^[2] Over three million Americans are claimed at least partial Lebanese ancestry by Lebanese American activists.^[3] This article is about the U.S. State. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... This article is about the state. ... This article is about the U.S. State of Florida. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... For other uses, see Texas (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see American English (disambiguation). ... Arabic redirects here. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Relation to other religions Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Christianity Portal This box:      Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament. ... For people named Islam, see Islam (name). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Atheist redirects here. ... Of lesser importance than religious belonging, ethnic background is still a factor in Lebanon. ... Syrian Americans are citizens of the United States of Syrian ancestry or nationality. ... A Greek-American is a citizen of the United States who has significant Greek heritage. ... Languages Armenian and American English Religions Armenian Apostolic, Armenian Catholic, Evangelical and Protestant Related ethnic groups Armenian groups An Armenian-American is an American whose ancestry stems, either wholly or partly, from Armenia. ... Assyrians Americans constitute the third-largest population of Assyrians in the world, and the largest in the Assyrian diaspora. ... A Muslim is a believer in or follower of Islam. ... Shiʻa Islam (Arabic شيعى follower; English has traditionally used Shiite) makes up the second largest sect of believers in Islam, constituting about 30%–35% of all Muslim. ... For other uses, see Arab (disambiguation). ...

History

The first known Lebanese immigrant to the United States was Antonios Bishallany, a Maronite Christian, who arrived in Boston Harbor in 1854. He died in Brooklyn, New York in 1856 on his 29th birthday.^[4] Large scale Lebanese immigration began in the late 19th century, when immigrants from what was at the time part of Syria began entering America. They settled mainly in Brooklyn and Boston, Massachusetts. While they were marked as Syrians, the vast majority of them were Christians from Mount Lebanon. Upon entering America, many of the Lebanese and Syrians worked as peddlers. This wave continued through the 1920s. During the first wave, an estimated 100,000 Lebanese had immigrated to America.^[5] Eventually, many of these immigrants set out west, with Detroit, Michigan gaining a large number of all Lebanese immigrants. Others bought farms in states such as Texas, South Dakota and Iowa. For other meanings, see Brooklyn (disambiguation). ... Nickname: City on the Hill, Beantown, The Hub (of the Universe)1, Athens of America, The Cradle of Revolution, Puritan City, Americas Walking City Location in Massachusetts, USA Counties Suffolk County Mayor Thomas M. Menino(D) Area    - City 232. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... Detroit redirects here. ... For other uses, see Texas (disambiguation). ... Official language(s) English Capital Pierre Largest city Sioux Falls Area  Ranked 17th  - Total 77,116[1] sq mi (199,905 km²)  - Width 210 miles (340 km)  - Length 380 miles (610 km)  - % water 1. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ...

The second wave of Lebanese immigration began in the late 1940s and continued through the early 1990s, when Lebanese immigrants had been fleeing the Lebanese Civil War. Between 1948 and 1985, over 60,000 Lebanese entered the United States. Since then, immigration has slowed down to an estimated 5,000 immigrants a year, and those who do settle these days are predominately Muslim, different from the predominately Christian population of immigrants during the first wave. Combatants Lebanese Front Syria LNM PLO Israel Commanders Bachir Gemayel Dany Chamoun Kamal Jumblatt Yasser Arafat Ariel Sharon The Lebanese Civil War (1975–1990) was a multifaceted civil war whose antecedents trace back to the conflicts and political compromises reached after the end of Lebanons administration by the Ottoman...

Religion

Around 90% of all Lebanese Americans are Muslims(although earlier settlers were from the Christian minority), with many of them being followers of Alawite and Druze faith. Most of the Lebanese immigrants during the first and the early part of the second waves were Christians. Muslims followed in large numbers beginning in the late 1960s. Among Muslims, the Shi'ite and Sunni communities are the largest. A number of Jews fled Lebanon for the United States due to fears of persecution, and populations of Druze and Atheists also exist.^[6] For the Alaouite dynasty of Morocco see:Alaouite Dynasty, for the former state now in Yemen see: Alawi (sheikhdom) The Alawi, also known as Alawites, Nusayris or Ansaris, are a Middle Eastern sect of Shia Islam[1][2] prominent in Syria The terms AlawÄ« and Alevi, although they share... Religions Druzism Scriptures Rasail al-hikmah (Epistles of Wisdom), Quran Languages Arabic. ... Shia Islam ( Arabic شيعى follower; English has traditionally used Shiite or Shiite) is the second largest Islamic denomination; some 20-25% of all Muslims are said to follow a Shia tradition. ... Sunni Muslims are the largest denomination of Islam. ... The Lebanese Jews are traditonally a Mizrahi community living in the present-day country of Lebanon, mostly in and around the city of Beirut. ... Religions Druzism Scriptures Rasail al-hikmah (Epistles of Wisdom), Quran Languages Arabic. ... Atheist redirects here. ...

Places with sizeable populations

Dearborn, Michigan has the highest concentration of Arab Americans in the United States, at over 30%. Of these Arab Americans, two thirds are Lebanese Americans.^[7] The vast majority of them belong to the Shi'ite branch of Islam. The rest of Metro Detroit has Lebanese residents as well. Brooklyn, New York has one of the oldest Lebanese populations in America, dating over 125 years; one large center is in the Bay Ridge section. Once predominately Christian, the Lebanese in Bay Ridge are today equally split between Muslims and Christians. South Paterson, New Jersey historically had a large Lebanese Christian population dating back to the 1890s, but only a few remain, and the neighborhood has largely been replaced by new Palestinian immigrants. Location in Michigan Coordinates: , Country United States State Michigan County Wayne County Government  - Mayor John B. O’Reilly, Jr. ... The Detroit metropolitan area, often referred to as Metro Detroit, is the metropolitan area located in southeastern Michigan, centered on the city of Detroit. ... For other meanings, see Brooklyn (disambiguation). ... Bay Ridge is a neighborhood in the southwest corner of the New York City borough of Brooklyn, USA. It is bound by 65th Street on the north, Interstate 278 on the east, and the Belt Parkway-Shore Road on the west. ... South Paterson is an area of the city of Paterson, New Jersey. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... Palestinian Americans are Americans of Palestinian Arab ancestry. ...

Other cities and metropolitan areas, such as San Diego, California, Jacksonville, Florida, Sterling Heights, Michigan, Los Angeles County, Wichita, Kansas, San Fransisco, California, Miami, Florida, Fall River, Massachusetts, Boston, Massachusetts, and Houston, Texas also have sizeable Lebanese communities.^[8] San Diego redirects here. ... Jacksonville redirects here. ... Sterling Heights is a city in Macomb County of the U.S. state of Michigan. ... Map of California showing Los Angeles County. ... For other uses, see Wichita (disambiguation). ... The downtown San Francisco skyline, looking east from the central part of the city. ... Miami redirects here. ... Nickname: Motto: Well Try Location in Bristol County in Massachusetts Coordinates: , Country State County Bristol Settled 1670 Incorporated 1803 Government  - Type Mayor-council city  - Mayor Edward M. Lambert, Jr. ... Boston redirects here. ... Houston redirects here. ...

The Arab American Institute claims that the top five states where Lebanese Americans live are Michigan (11%), California (9%), Ohio (6%), Florida (6%), and Massachusetts (5%).^[9] Founded in 1985, the Arab American Institute is a non-profit, membership organization and advocacy group based in Washington D.C. that focuses on the issues and interests of Arab Americans nationwide. ...

References