Lezgin Americans

Lezgin Americans
Lezgiyar Amerikayra
Лезгияр Америкайра

Total population
3286
Regions with significant populations
New York metropolitan area (including Northern New Jersey) and other major U.S. metro areas such as Greater Los Angeles
Languages
Lezgin, American English, Russian
Religion
Sunni Islam

Lezgin Americans or American Lezgins (Lezgian: Amerikadin Lezgiyar) refers to people born in or residing in the United States of Lezgin origin or those considered to be ethnic Lezgin.

The majority of Lezgin Americans are recent migrants from Dagestan and Azerbaijan. Most have roots in northern Azerbaijan or southern Dagestan. The Azerbaijani Lezgin people comprise the largest proportion of ethnic Lezgins living in the US.

History

The first major wave of Lezgins came to the U.S. in 1940s and 1950s, as many Lezgin émigrés and POWs left the Soviet Union during and after World War II.

Demographics

The Lezgin population in the United States was 3286, according to the 2000 census.

Lezgin Americans have settled in various parts of the United States, with some communities establishing themselves in metropolitan areas with larger immigrant populations.

Culture

Language

See also: Lezgi language and Languages in the United States

According to the 2005 Census, the Lezgi language is spoken in approximately 500 households within the entire U.S. population, and in 100 households in NYC alone by highly bilingual families with Lezgi ancestry. These data show that many speakers with Lezgi origins continue speaking the language at home despite the fact that they are highly bilingual. The number of English-proficient households using Lezgi as a home-language outweighs that of families who have switched completely to English. In this sense, the Lezgi American community efforts and the schools that serve the Lezgi community in the U.S. are responsible for the retention of the Lezgi language and the slowing of assimilation. A detailed study has documented the efforts of language and culture-disseminating schools of the Lezgi American community and is available as a doctoral dissertation, a book, book chapters, and journal articles. Lezgi language is classified as "vulnerable" by UNESCO's Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger.

Religion

See also: Islam in the United States

After relocating to the US, religion has taken on greater significance as an identity marker for Lezgin people.

Notable people

• Rahim Babayev Leader of the Caucasian Diaspora (New Jersey, USA).
• Ikram Sabirovich Aliskerov, professional mixed martial artist and former combat sambo competitor who competes in the middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
• Vidadi Yusibov Executive Director, Fraunhofer USA Center for Molecular Biotechnology.
• Tamara Kerimova is president of TransAtlantic Partners, LLC, founder of Intertorg Inc. in 1972, and founder and CEO of Club Solvero for Business.
• Eldar Makhsimov Doctor of Economics, professor at Boston University.
• Mahir Bagirov Doctor of Medical Sciences. Mahir works in the leading medical institution of the USA “EMORU”. He is a practicing scientist - histologist.
• Tazhib Akhmedkhanovich Mirzabekov Chief Executive Officer and Lead Scientist MSM Protein Technologies Inc., Vice President of Research and Development at Multispan Inc.
• Taufiq Khanmagomedov (Khanmamedov) is an American scientist and chemist. For the first time in the world practice they were offered new schemes of formation cyclic sulfur in the form of S6 and S8 on the surface of the catalyst in reactors of plants Claus and Hydrogen Oxidation.
• Islam Magomedov (Mamedov) is a professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Lightweight division of Bellator MMA.