Berber Americans, American Berbers, or Amazigh Americans are Americans of Berber (or Amazigh) descent. Although a part of the population of the Maghreb (in North Africa) is of Berber descent, only 1,327 people declared Berber ancestry in the 2000 US census. Berber Americans are part of the wider North African and Middle Eastern diaspora in the United States. In the USA, the Berber people have created several associations with the goal of maintaining and strengthening their language and culture, such as the Amazigh Cultural Association in America (ACAA),[1] the United Amazigh Algerian (UAAA),[2] the Amazigh American Association of Washington, D.C., and the Boston Amazigh Community. In New York city particularly, the community has grown steadily over the decades, comprising of a larger proportion of North Africans living in the metropolitan NYC than in most areas in the United States[3].
Berber Americans, primarily from Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia are part of the broader North African and Middle Eastern Migration population in the United States. Some of the North Africans first arrived in the United States as enslaved individuals in the 16th century, though little is documented about their number and communities. [3]
The Amazigh people (Berbers) from northern Morocco were documented to have appeared in New York City in the early 1900s, primarily as performers part of the entertainment troupes organized by Moroccan-American Hassen Ben Ali. Between 1911 and 1913, Riffians (a Berber ethnic group) performed in productions such as The Garden of Allah and Fire and Sword, appearing at venues like Broadway theaters. They stayed temporarily in the city before returning to Morocco. Contemporary reports and ship manifests show that the performers retained elements of the Amazigh culture during their time in New York City. [4]
Later in the 19th century and earlier 20th century, larger waves of North African immigration began with many of North Africans seeking economic and professional opportunities and religious escape. Immigration increased after World War II and especially following the 1965 Immigration and National Act, which removed national origin quotas and allowed more North African immigrants to enter the United States.[3]
In the 1990s, families from Algeria, including Amazigh (Berbers), began settling in New York City, particularly in the neighborhood of Astoria in Queens.[5]
In the period between 2018 and 2022, New York city hosted a significant share of the North Africans (many of Berber descent) and Middle Eastern Immigrants with about 12 percent living in the metropolitan area. [3]
North African immigrants in NYC established small businesses, mosques, and cultural spaces that mirrored their heritage. Community members often faced pressures of cultural assimilation, with younger generations having difficulties with maintaining the Tamazight language and other cultural traditions while integrating into American society.[5]
Notable people
Zehlia Babaci-Wilhite, Algerian-descent researcher and linguistics scholar, University of California, Berkeley[6][7][8]
Elias Zerhouni, Algerian-born radiologist and medical researcher
Helene Hagan, American anthropologist and Amazigh activist
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