Maltese American

Maltese American

Total population
Maltese 46,466 Americans [1] 0.01% of the U.S population (2008)
Languages
English, Maltese, Italian
Religion
Roman Catholicism
Related ethnic groups
Maltese in the United Kingdom, Maltese Australian, Sicilian American, Gibraltarian

Maltese American is a citizen or resident of the United States with ethnic origins in the southern European nation of Malta.

History

The first immigrants from Malta in the United States arrived in New Orleans, Louisiana. Many Americans assumed Malta was part of Italy. In some cases "Born Malta, Italy" was put on tombstones of Maltese because of the confusion. After World War I, Maltese immigration to the US increased. Detroit, Michigan, with jobs in the expanding automobile industry, drew the largest share of immigrants.^[2]

A significant percentage of early Maltese immigrants intended to stay only temporarily for work, but many settled in the US permanently. In addition to Detroit, other industrial cities such as New York City, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, California, attracted Maltese immigrants. A Maltese community thrives in San Pedro and Long Beach. As in their country of origin, the Maltese predominately practice Roman Catholicism as their religion.^[2]

Number of Maltese Americans

In the 2008 American Community Survey there were an estimated 46,466 Maltese Americans.^[1] This includes Maltese born immigrants to the United States, their American born descendants as well as numerous immigrants from other nations of Maltese origin.

Notable individuals

See Category:American people of Maltese descent

See also

• European American
• Hyphenated American

References

1. ^ ^{a b} [1] 2005-2009 American Community Survey 5-year estimates
2. ^ ^{a b} Every Culture Page