Coptic Americans

Coptic Americans
Total population
c. 450,000 (2013 est.)[1]
Regions with significant populations
Northern New Jersey and the New York City Metropolitan Area;[2][3][4] as well as California, Illinois, Florida, Texas and Tennessee.
Languages
American English
Mainly older people: Arabic language
Liturgical: Coptic language
Religion
Coptic Orthodoxy[5]

Coptic Americans are American citizens of Coptic descent or persons of Coptic descent residing in the United States of America. According to the American Coptic Association, there are approximately 450,000 Copts in the United States since many ethnic Copts listed themselves in the 2011 U.S. Census mistakenly as either Egyptians, Sudanese, Libyans or Americans and by this way reducing the ethnic Coptic population in the United States to not be even included within the 2011 U.S. Census. Estimates for the number of ethnic Copts in the US range from 700,000 to more than 1 million.[6]

Immigration history

St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church of Bellaire, TX.

The immigration of the Copts to the United States of America started as early as the late 1940s. After 1952, the rate of Coptic immigration from Egypt to the United States increased. The first Coptic church in the United States is St. Mark's Coptic Orthodox Church, which was established in the late 1960s in Jersey City.

There are many Coptic Orthodox churches and Congregations in the United States. Estimated numbers of adherents, based on church membership, was between 350,000 and 420,000.[7] Based on the estimates of certain Coptic organizations, the number was between 700,000 and one million [7] in the year 2002. Currently, there are over 200 parishes in the United States that serve the expanding Coptic Orthodox population.[8][9] The Church does have a large population when compared to other smaller Christian bodies, yet is among one of the least known Christian Churches and the least known large Orthodox bodies.

Notable Coptic Americans

Further information: List of Coptic Americans

See also

References

  1. ↑ Wallace, Bruce (January 4, 2013). "Amid Instability In Egypt, Coptic Christians Flee To U.S.". Retrieved 18 April 2013.
  2. ↑ "Yearbook of Immigration Statistics: 2012 Supplemental Table 2". U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Retrieved 2013-04-01.
  3. ↑ "Yearbook of Immigration Statistics: 2011 Supplemental Table 2". U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Retrieved 2013-04-01.
  4. ↑ "Yearbook of Immigration Statistics: 2010 Supplemental Table 2". U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Retrieved 2013-04-01.
  5. ↑ Estimates for the number of Copts in the US range from 700,000 to more than 1 million in the United States of America NY Times
  6. ↑ NY Times
  7. 1 2 "Why CCU?". Coptic Credit Union. Retrieved June 21, 2009.
  8. ↑ "Coptic Church Urges Thorough Investigation In Murder of Jersey City Family". Coptic Church Network, January 20, 2005. Accessed August 11, 2008.
  9. ↑ CNEWA: The Coptic Orthodox Church

External links

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