LithuanianAmerican

Lithuanian American refers to Americans who trace their ancestry to Lithuania. The term encompasses people born in the United States with Lithuanian roots as well as later generations who identify with Lithuanian heritage through language, religion, culture, or family history.

Large waves of Lithuanian immigration arrived between the 1880s and 1920s, seeking economic opportunity and escaping political unrest under the Russian Empire. Many settled in industrial cities and formed tight-knit communities around Catholic parishes, worker associations, and Lithuanian-language newspapers.

Cultural life often centered on the Catholic Church, traditional music and dance groups, and organizations promoting Lithuanian language schools and folklore. In subsequent decades, civic clubs, newspapers, and cultural festivals helped preserve language and customs while American society affected assimilation.

The post-World War II era brought refugees and new immigrants, including those fleeing Soviet occupation, contributing to a second wave of Lithuanian American communities. Today Lithuanian American communities remain active through churches, cultural centers, and schools that offer Baltic language classes and folk arts, even as most descendants are bilingual or English-speaking.

Geographically, Chicago, Milwaukee, Detroit, Cleveland, New York City, and other urban areas have long hosted sizable Lithuanian American populations.