Ethnicity, Immigration, and Religion: Kurds in America

• In Event: 20862 - Section on International Migration Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 17: Immigration Integration (2)

Abstract

The migration of Kurdish immigrants to the United States between 2010 and 2025 represents an important yet underexplored phenomenon in contemporary immigration studies. The Kurdish people’s long history of both voluntary and forced displacement has been studied with regards to Europe but not the U.S. Prior to 2010, the Kurdish immigrants were largely professional, white-collar workers. However, more recently, the Kurdish immigrants arriving in the U.S. have been a mix of blue and white-collar workers. In 2020-2025 a new wave of Kurdish undocumented immigrants has come to the U.S. across the border with Mexico.

This study focuses on first-generation Kurdish immigrants in the US. By investigating immigrants’ pre- and post-immigration experience, this research explores the intersection of ethnic identification, immigration experience, and religious sentiment. The study is situated in Chicago, home to a growing Kurdish population, and aims to understand how these immigrants navigate the challenges of cultural preservation, assimilation, and religious practices in U.S. society.

Through qualitative methods, including interviews and ethnographic observations, this study examines how Kurdish immigrants negotiate their Kurdishness, adapt their religious beliefs, and engage with U.S. society in ways that reflect both their ethnic heritage and the demands of their new environment.

This research will provide valuable insights into the broader dynamics of migration, identity, and community integration, offering contributions to immigration studies, ethnic studies, and religious adaptation in diaspora contexts. By focusing on a relatively new immigrant group, this study also addresses the larger global issues surrounding border politics, unemployment, political oppression, and the shifting demographic landscape of migration studies.

Keywords: Ethnic Identification, Immigrant Experience, Religious Sentiment, Kurds in America,

Author

• Ahmet Ciftcioglu, Loyola University-Chicago