Malayali Americans

What links here Related changes Page information
Created by Pranav
Last edited February 28, 2026

Template:Infobox ethnic group Template:Americans Malayali Americans (Template:Langx), also known by the term American Malayalees (Template:Langx), are citizens of the United States of America who belong to the Malayali ethnolinguistic group. Their ancestry originates wholly or partly from the Indian state of Kerala.

History

Malayali nurses were first recruited in Metro New York in the 1960s. They began bringing their families in the 1970s. Later waves in the 1990s into the early 2000s added a contingent of computer and business professionals to the population. Many of these later immigrants were Christians and Hindus, with few Muslims.[1]Template:Unreliable source?

Malayali nurses, who were sponsored for jobs, were among the first Indians to settle in the Philadelphia area. Most of them lived in Millbourne.[2]

In recent years, the migration trends of Malayali people shifted to the United States as they seek opportunities.Template:Citation needed

Demographics

As of 2009–2013, there were approximately 146,000 people with Malayali heritage in the United States,[3] with an estimated 40,000 living in the New York tri-state area.[1] The majority of Malayali Americans live in areas like Bergen County, New Jersey, Rockland County, New York, New York City, Chicago metro area, Philadelphia, Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, Los Angeles.

Religions

Hinduism

The Malayali Hindu community in the United States forms a significant portion of the Malayali Americans, with sizeable Christian and Muslim minorities.[4] Community organizations such as the Hindu Malayalee Mandalam (HIMAM) – formed in North Carolina in 2016 after informal gatherings since 1999 – actively promote Kerala Hindu cultural traditions, festivals like Vishu, and community cohesion in the Research Triangle area.[5] Similarly, the Association of Tampa Hindu Malayali celebrates Onam annually with traditional performances, youth programs, and community gatherings that reinforce Malayali identity.[6]

Islam

The Malayali Muslim community in the United States also participates actively in preserving its cultural and religious heritage. Organizations like Malayali Muslims of USA (MMUSA) facilitate community bonding through cultural, matrimonial, and charity-focused programs.[7] The Kerala Muslim Cultural Centre (KMCC USA & Canada) provides broader social welfare services including financial aid, career counseling, and relocation support.[8] In March 2023, North American Malayali Muslims organized the first interfaith Iftaar meet in New Jersey, bringing together over 400 Muslim families and leaders from various faiths to promote interfaith harmony.[9]

Christianity

Christian sects from Kerala have established multiple worship communities in United States[10][11][12][13] The Syro-Malabar Church, an Eastern Catholic Church, native to India since the 1st-century, established St. Thomas Syro-Malabar diocese of Chicago was established in 2001.[14] St. Thomas Day is celebrated in this church on July 3rd every year.[15][16] Syro-Malankara Catholic Eparchy of the United States of America and Canada is home to 23 parishes and missions in different cities. Its cathedral is the St. Vincent de Paul Syro Malankara Catholic Cathedral in Elmont, New York. Its church includes the St. Jude Syro-Malankara Catholic Church in Bensalem, Pennsylvania. The St. Thomas Syro Malabar Church is a congregation in Framingham, Massachusetts under the jurisdiction of the St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic Diocese of Chicago.

Mar Thoma Syrian Church

The Mar Thoma Syrian Church established its presence in the United States in the early 1970s, following increased migration of Malayali Christians after the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965.[17] Early worship gatherings were held in private homes and rented church facilities, with regular services beginning in Queens, New York, in 1972.[18] The first official congregation, Mar Thoma Congregation of Greater New York, was organized in 1976.[19] The Diocese of North America and Europe was formed in 1993, with its headquarters at the Sinai Mar Thoma Centre in Merrick, New York.[20] As of 2020, the diocese consisted of over 70 parishes and congregations across the United States.[21]

Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church

The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church began organized worship in the United States during the late 1960s among immigrant families from Kerala, India.[22] The first parish was established in New York in 1970, and in 1979 the American Diocese was formally created under the leadership of Thomas Mar Makarios.[23] His enthronement was held at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in Manhattan.[24] In 2009, the American Diocese was divided into the Northeast American Diocese, headquartered in Muttontown, New York, and the Southwest American Diocese.[25] Today, the church has numerous parishes, Sunday schools, and charitable activities across the country, maintaining the West Syriac Rite liturgical tradition.[26]

Malankara Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church

The Malankara Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church, under the Holy Apostolic See of Antioch, began its organized presence in the United States in the 1980s with the arrival of clergy and faithful from Kerala.[27] The first parish was formed in 1987, and the church has since established congregations in major cities including New York, Chicago, Dallas, and Los Angeles.[28] Worship is conducted in the West Syriac Rite, and the church functions under the guidance of the Patriarch of Antioch and the Catholicos of India. The community is engaged in pastoral care, Sunday school education, and cultural activities that preserve its heritage.[29]

Knanaya Community

The Knanaya community, an endogamous ethnic group within the Saint Thomas Christian tradition of Kerala, has established a notable presence in the United States since the late 20th century.[30] Members belong to both the Syro-Malabar Catholic Archeparchy of Kottayam and the Knanaya Jacobite Syrian Orthodox community. The first organized Knanaya Catholic parish in the United States was founded in Chicago in 1983, later becoming the seat of the St. Mary’s Knanaya Catholic Church in Chicago.[31] Today, the Knanaya faithful are served by the St. Mary's Knanaya Catholic Parish, Chicago, and several mission churches, while the Knanaya Jacobite community operates parishes under the Syriac Orthodox Church hierarchy.[32] The community maintains its unique cultural practices, liturgical traditions, and emphasis on preserving endogamy.[33]

Language

In 1983, the first Kerala Convention was held in New York City, which led to the founding of the Federation of Kerala Associations in North America (FOKANA). FOKANA is a major organization in the United States that promotes the Malayalam language and Malayali culture.[34]

Culture

Film and television

Notable people

Literature

File:Dr Abraham Verghese in 2023 06.jpg
Abraham Verghese, physician and author known for My Own Country, The Tennis Partner, Cutting for Stone and The Covenant of Water

Academics

Mathematicians

Deans and presidents

Economists

File:Gita Gopinath, 2012 (cropped).jpg
Gita Gopinath, served as the first deputy managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
  • Gita Gopinath, economist; served as the first deputy managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), former chief economist at the IMF and Economic Adviser to the Chief Minister of Kerala

Professors

Business

Arts and entertainment

File:M. Night Shyamalan 2008 - still 40580 crop.jpg
M. Night Shyamalan, Hollywood director

Actors and actresses

Comedians

Media

Musicians

File:Kim Thayil - Fabrik Hamburg 2018 04.jpg
Kim Thayil, musician, has won two Grammy Awards as a member of Soundgarden.

Sports

Politics and government

  • Stanley George, political strategist, known for his advisory role in the U.S. Republican Party and close association with President Donald Trump's political campaigns; also biographer
  • Shanthi Kalathil, foreign policy analyst, human rights advocate, former journalist

Elected officials

Federal elected officials

File:Pramila Jayapal, official portrait, 116th Congress.jpg
Pramila Jayapal, politician serving as the U.S. representative since 2017.

Civil servants

Federal judges

Activism and philanthropy

Science and technology

Medicine

Religion and spirituality

Crime

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Keralite Indians in the New York Metro Area.
  2. ↑ Immigration, A. I. (2010). Demographic Background: Philadelphia and the United States. Global Philadelphia: Immigrant Communities Old and New, 253.
  3. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named 2009-2013
  4. ↑ Malayali Americans. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  5. ↑ HIMAM. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  6. ↑ Association of Tampa Hindu Malayali celebrates Onam. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  7. ↑ Malayali Muslims of USA. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  8. ↑ KMCC USA. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  9. ↑ Malayali Muslims hold inter-faith Iftaar meet in New Jersey. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  10. ↑ Our History - St. Thomas Evangelical Church of India.
  11. ↑ Pilgrims at the Crossroads: Asian Indian Christians at the North American Frontier{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. Institute for the Study of Asian American Christianity(30 November 2009). ISBN 978-0-9819878-2-8
  12. ↑ The Syrian Christians of Kerala{{#if:George.|, George.}. Asia Publishing House(1963)
  13. ↑ Traditional Indian Churches in the US at a Glance Template:Webarchive, usindian.org Template:Webarchive
  14. ↑ India prepares to mark Indian Christian Day on July 3. Crux(July 2, 2022). Retrieved 2022-11-08.
  15. ↑ Eastern Catholics share their culture, experiences at Chicago gathering. Chicago Catholic. Retrieved 2022-11-08.
  16. ↑ St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Diocese. www.stthomasdiocese.org. Retrieved 2022-11-08.
  17. ↑ Mar Thoma Church in North America. Mar Thoma Church Silver Jubilee. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  18. ↑ Parish History. St. Thomas Mar Thoma Church, NY. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  19. ↑ Mar Thoma Church in North America. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  20. ↑ Mar Thoma Syrian Church Diocese of North America & Europe. Wikipedia. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  21. ↑ Mar Thoma Church in North America. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  22. ↑ About Our Diocese. Northeast American Diocese, Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  23. ↑ Northeast American Diocese. Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  24. ↑ Yearbook of American & Canadian Churches. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  25. ↑ Malankara Orthodox Diocese of Northeast America. Wikipedia. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  26. ↑ About Our Diocese. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  27. ↑ Jacobite Syrian Christian Church. Wikipedia. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  28. ↑ St. Mary's Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church, Dallas. St. Mary's JSO Church Dallas. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  29. ↑ Jacobite Syrian Christian Church in North America. Jacobite Syrian Christian Church. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  30. ↑ Knanaya. Wikipedia. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  31. ↑ St. Mary's Knanaya Catholic Church Chicago. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  32. ↑ Knanaya Catholic Region in USA. Knanaya Region USA. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  33. ↑ Knanaya. Wikipedia. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  34. ↑ FOKANA, About Us. Retrieved 18 April 2023.

Further reading

Template:Indian diaspora Template:Asian Americans Template:Demographics of the United States

Retrieved from "https://indianpedia.org/index.php?title=Malayali_Americans&oldid=515380"
Discover more