Total population | |
---|---|
3286 | |
Regions with significant populations | |
New York metropolitan area (including Northern New Jersey) and other major U.S. metro areas such as Greater Los Angeles | |
Languages | |
Lezgin, American English, Russian | |
Religion | |
Sunni Islam |
Lezgin Americans or American Lezgins (Lezgian : Amerikadin Lezgiyar) refers to people born in or residing in the United States of Lezgin origin or those considered to be ethnic Lezgin.
The majority of Lezgin Americans are recent migrants from Dagestan and Azerbaijan. Most have roots in northern Azerbaijan or southern Dagestan. The Azerbaijani Lezgin people comprise the largest proportion of ethnic Lezgins living in the US.
Lists of Americans |
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By US state |
By ethnicity |
The first major wave of Lezgins came to the U.S. in 1940s and 1950s, as many Lezgin émigrés and POWs left the Soviet Union during and after World War II.[ citation needed ]
The Lezgin population in the United States was 3286, according to the 2000 census.[ citation needed ]
Lezgin Americans have settled in various parts of the United States, with some communities establishing themselves in metropolitan areas with larger immigrant populations.[ citation needed ]
According to the 2005 Census, the Lezgi language is spoken in approximately 500 households within the entire U.S. population, and in 100 households in NYC alone by highly bilingual families with Lezgi ancestry. These data show that many speakers with Lezgi origins continue speaking the language at home despite the fact that they are highly bilingual. The number of English-proficient households using Lezgi as a home-language outweighs that of families who have switched completely to English. In this sense, the Lezgi American community efforts and the schools that serve the Lezgi community in the U.S. are responsible for the retention of the Lezgi language and the slowing of assimilation. A detailed study has documented the efforts of language and culture-disseminating schools of the Lezgi American community and is available as a doctoral dissertation, a book, book chapters, and journal articles. Lezgi language is classified as "vulnerable" by UNESCO's Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger . [1]
After relocating to the US, religion has taken on greater significance as an identity marker for Lezgin people.
Lezgins are a Northeast Caucasian ethnic group native predominantly to southern Dagestan, a republic of Russia, and northeastern Azerbaijan, and speak the Lezgin language. Their social structure is firmly based on equality and deference to individuality. Lezgin society is structured around djamaat and has traditionally been egalitarian and organised around many autonomous local clans, called syhils (сихилар).
The Avars, also known as Maharuls', are a Northeast Caucasian ethnic group. The Avars are the largest of several ethnic groups living in the Russian republic of Dagestan. The Avars reside in the North Caucasus between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea. Alongside other ethnic groups in the North Caucasus region, the Avars live in ancient villages located approximately 2,000 meters above sea level. The Avar language spoken by the Caucasian Avars belongs to the family of Northeast Caucasian languages. Sunni Islam has been the prevailing religion of the Avars since the 14th century.
Lezgian, also called Lezgi or Lezgin, is a Northeast Caucasian language. It is spoken by the Lezgins, who live in southern Dagestan (Russia); northern Azerbaijan; and to a much lesser degree Turkmenistan; Uzbekistan; Kazakhstan; Turkey, and other countries. It is a much-written literary language and an official language of Dagestan. It is classified as "vulnerable" by UNESCO's Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger.
Dagestan, officially the Republic of Dagestan, is a republic of Russia situated in the North Caucasus of Eastern Europe, along the Caspian Sea. It is located north of the Greater Caucasus, and is a part of the North Caucasian Federal District. The republic is the southernmost tip of Russia, sharing land borders with the countries of Azerbaijan and Georgia to the south and southwest, the Russian republics of Chechnya and Kalmykia to the west and north, and with Stavropol Krai to the northwest. Makhachkala is the republic's capital and largest city; other major cities are Derbent, Kizlyar, Izberbash, Kaspiysk, and Buynaksk.
Forced assimilation is the involuntary cultural assimilation of religious or ethnic minority groups, during which they are forced by a government to adopt the language, national identity, norms, mores, customs, traditions, values, mentality, perceptions, way of life, and often the religion and ideology of an established and generally larger community belonging to a dominant culture.
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Tat, also known as Caucasian Persian, Tat/Tati Persian, or Caucasian Tat, is a Southwestern Iranian language closely related to, but not fully mutually intelligible with Persian and spoken by the Tats in Azerbaijan and Russia.
Judeo-Tat or Juhuri is a Judeo-Persian dialect and the traditional language spoken by the Mountain Jews in the eastern Caucasus Mountains, especially Azerbaijan, parts of Russia and today in Israel. It belongs to the southwestern group of the Iranian division of the Indo-European languages, albeit with heavy influence from Hebrew. The words Juvuri and Juvuro translate as "Jewish" and "Jews".
Ron Tripp is an American chiropractor, sports executive, coach, and former competitor in judo and sambo.
The peoples of the Caucasus, or Caucasians, are a diverse group comprising more than 50 ethnic groups throughout the Caucasus.
The L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science International Awards, created in 1998, aim to improve the position of women in science by recognizing outstanding women researchers who have contributed to scientific progress. The awards are a result of a partnership between the Foundation of the French company L'Oréal and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and carry a grant of $100,000 USD for each laureate. This award is also known as the L'Oréal-UNESCO Women in Science Awards.
The Tsakhur or Saxur people are a Lezgin sub-ethnic group of northern Azerbaijan and southern Dagestan (Russia). The group numbers around 30,000 people and are called yiqy, but are generally known by the name Tsakhur, which derives from the name of a Dagestani village, where they make up the majority.
Azerbaijanis in Russia or Russian Azerbaijanis are people of Azeri descent in Russia. These may be either ethnic Azeris residents in the country or recent immigrants who profess Azeri ancestry.
Tsakhur is a Lezgic language spoken by the Tsakhurs in northern Azerbaijan and southwestern Dagestan (Russia). It is spoken by about 11,700 people in Azerbaijan and by about 10,600 people in Russia. The word Tsakhur derives from the name of a Dagestani village where speakers of this language make up the majority.
Rutul or Rutulian is a language spoken by the Rutuls, an ethnic group living in Dagestan (Russia) and some parts of Azerbaijan. It is spoken by 30,000 people in Dagestan and 17,000 in Azerbaijan. The word Rutul derives from the name of a Dagestani village where speakers of this language make up the majority.
This article focuses on ethnic minorities in the Republic of Azerbaijan.
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The Rutul Federation or The Rutul Free Society is a Rutul state located in Southern Dagestan and was formed in the 7th century.
Dagestani Azerbaijanis are a segment of Azerbaijani Turks or Azerbaijanis who have settled in Dagestan. According to the 2021 census, the Azerbaijani population in the Republic of Dagestan numbers 116,907 people, making them the seventh largest ethnic group in the region.