AfghanAmerican

Afghan American refers to a United States resident or citizen of Afghan origin or heritage. The term encompasses people born in Afghanistan who later naturalized or obtained US citizenship, as well as descendants of Afghan immigrants and refugees who settled in the United States. The Afghan American population is dispersed across the country but is most concentrated in metropolitan areas with immigrant networks and refugee resettlement programs.

Historical waves began in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as Afghan students and professionals moved to the US. Larger waves followed during the Soviet-Afghan War in the 1980s, and again after the fall of Kabul in 2021, when many Afghans were evacuated and resettled as refugees or asylees. Estimates of the Afghan American population vary; credible demographic sources place the community in the hundreds of thousands, with sizable populations in California, the Washington metropolitan area, New York-New Jersey, and parts of Texas and the Midwest. Common settlement centers include Northern Virginia, the San Francisco Bay Area, and the greater Los Angeles area.

Cultural life blends Afghan traditions with American civic participation. Dari and Pashto are spoken in households alongside English, and Islam is the predominant faith, with Sunni Muslims forming the majority and minority Shia communities. Community organizations, mosques, cultural centers, and volunteer groups support language classes, youth programs, charitable work, and cultural events.

In public life, Afghan Americans have contributed across professions, including medicine, academia, technology, business, and public service. The community often emphasizes education, entrepreneurship, and community resilience, and it has been involved in advocacy on US-Afghanistan policy and refugee issues. Like other immigrant groups, Afghan Americans have faced integration challenges and discrimination at times, and they use community networks and educational resources to address these issues.