 Distribution of Romanian Americans according to the2000 census | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 425,738 (0.15% of U.S. population); (2023 Official U.S. Census count)[1] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Languages | |
| American English andRomanian | |
| Religion | |
| PredominantlyRomanian Orthodoxy, Romanian Greek Catholicism, Roman Catholicism,Judaism and smallerProtestantism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Romanian Canadians,European Americans,Moldovan Americans,Italian Americans,French Americans |
| Part ofa series of articles on |
| Romanians |
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Native communities |
Romanian Americans (Romanian:români americani) areAmericans who haveRomanian ancestry. According to the 2023American Community Survey, 425,738 Americans indicated Romanian as their first or second ancestry,[5] however other sources provide higher estimates, which are most likely more accurate, for the numbers of Romanian Americans in the contemporary United States; for example, the Romanian-American Network supplies a rough estimate of 1.2 million who are fully or partially of Romanian ethnicity.[6] There is also a significant number of people of Romanian Jewish ancestry, estimated at 225,000.[7]
The first Romanian known to have been to what is now the United States wasSamuel Damian (also spelled Domien), a former priest.[8] Samuel Damian's name appears as far back as 1748, when he placed an advertisement in theSouth Carolina Gazette announcing theelectrical demonstrations he planned to give and inviting the public to attend. Letters written in 1753 and 1755 byBenjamin Franklin attest to the fact that the two had met and had carried on discussions concerning electricity.[8] Damian remained in the States some years living inSouth Carolina, then traveled on to Jamaica.[9][10]
There were several Romanians who became officers in theUnion Army during theAmerican Civil War, includingBrevet Brigadier GeneralGeorge Pomutz, commander of the15th Iowa Infantry Regiment, CaptainNicolae Dunca, who fought and died in theBattle of Cross Keys, and CaptainEugen Ghica-Comănești, of the5th New York Volunteer Infantry. There were also several Romanian-American soldiers who fought in theSpanish–American War in 1898.[9]
The first major wave of Romanian immigration to the United States took place between 1895 and 1920, in which 145,000 Romanians entered the country. They came from various regions such asMoldavia,Bukovina, andTransylvania, and neighboring countries such asUkraine andSerbia with significant ethnic Romanian populations.[11] The majority of these immigrants, particularly those from Transylvania andBanat that were underAustro-Hungarian rule, left their native regions because of economic depression and forced assimilation, a policy practiced by Hungarian rulers.[12]
They settled mostly in industrial centers inPennsylvania andDelaware, as well as in areas around theGreat Lakes such asCleveland,Chicago, andDetroit. The migrants from theRomanian Old Kingdom were mostlyJews, most of whom settled in New York. One of their prominent organizations was the United Rumanian Jews of America. 75,000 Romanian Jews emigrated in the period 1881–1914, mostly to the United States.[13]
During theinterwar period, the number of ethnic Romanians who migrated to the U.S. decreased as a consequence of economic development in Romania, but the number of Jews who migrated to the U.S. increased, mostly after the rise offascism.
After World War II, the number of Romanians who migrated to the United States increased again. This time, they settled mostly in California, Florida and New York, coming from throughout Romania. After theFall of Communism in 1989, increased numbers of Romanians moved to the United States, taking advantage of the new relaxation of Romania's emigration policies. During communist rule, the borders had been officially closed, although some people managed to migrate, including to the United States. In the 1990s, New York and Los Angeles were favorite destinations for Romanian emigrants.[14]
Romanian Americans are distributed throughout the U.S., with concentrations found in the Midwest, such as in the states ofMichigan,Ohio, andIllinois; the Northeast, inNew York,Pennsylvania andDelaware, as well asCalifornia (Los Angeles andSacramento). In theSoutheast, communities are found inGeorgia (Metro Atlanta),Florida (South Florida) andAlabama (Montgomery). There are also significant communities in theSouthwest U.S., such as inArizona. The largest Romanian American community is in the state of New York.[15]
The states with the largest estimated Romanian American populations are:[16]
According to estimates from theAmerican Community Survey for 2017-2021, there were 166,700 Romanian immigrants nationally,[7] the top counties of which were:
Romanian-born population in the U.S. since 2010:[17]
| Year | Number |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 151,767 |
| 2011 |  164,606 |
| 2012 | 165,819 |
| 2013 |  157,302 |
| 2014 | 157,315 |
| 2015 | 159,546 |
| 2016 | 161,629 |
| 2017 | 165,199 |
| 2018 | 162,443 |
| 2019 | 167,751 |
| 2020 | 163,817 |
| 2021 | 166,674 |
| 2022 | 164,406 |
| 2023 | 160,205 |
The United States established diplomatic relations with Romania in 1880, following Romania's independence.[18] The two countries severed diplomatic ties after Romania declared war on the United States in 1941; and re-established them in 1947. Relations remained strained during the Cold War era while Romania was under communist leadership. Cold and strained during the early post-war period, U.S. bilateral relations with Romania began to improve in the early 1960s with the signing of an agreement providing for partial settlement of American property claims. Cultural, scientific, and educational exchanges were initiated, and in 1964 the legations of both nations were promoted to full embassies.[19] In March 2005, PresidentTraian Băsescu made his first official visit to Washington to meet withPresident Bush, Secretary of StateCondoleezza Rice, Secretary of DefenseDonald Rumsfeld, and other senior U.S. officials. In December 2005, Secretary Rice visitedBucharest to meet with President Băsescu and to sign a bilateral defense cooperation agreement that would allow for the joint use of Romanian military facilities by U.S. troops. The first proof of principle exercise took place atMihail Kogălniceanu Air Base from August to October 2007.
Romanian culture has merged with American culture, characterized by Romanian-born Americans adopting American culture or American-born people having strong Romanian heritage.
The Romanian culture can be seen in many different kinds, like Romanian music, newspapers, churches, cultural organizations and groups, such as the Romanian-American Congress or theRound Table Society NFP. Religion, predominantly within theRomanian Orthodox Church and theRomanian Greek Catholic Church, is an important trace of the Romanian presence in the United States, with churches in almost all bigger cities throughout the country.[20]
In certain areas of the U.S., Romanian communities were first established several generations ago (in the late 19th century and early 20th century) such as in theGreat Lakes region;[21] while in others, such as California and Florida, Romanian communities are formed especially by Romanians who emigrated more recently, into the late 20th century and early 21st century. After 1989, large numbers of Romanians emigrated to New York and Los Angeles.[14]
One of the best known foods of Romanian origin isPastrama. Ingredients used by Romanian Americans are cabbage, eggplant, potatoes, rice, and corn meal used to makemămăligă. Romanian Americans also use proteins such as chicken, beef, pork as well as eggs, cheeses and dairy products. Romanian Americans are also fond of cured meats. Romanian Americans servecabbage rolls for the holidays.[22]
TheRomanian-American Chamber of Commerce is a bilateral trade and investment organization that promotes commerce and investment between Romania and United States, and is headquartered inWashington D.C. The Chamber is composed of both Romanian and American businesses and has active chapters in New York, Washington, D.C., Florida, California and the Mid-West. It was founded in February 1990 and is celebrating its 20th year of activity in 2010. The RACC conducts a broad range of events, activities, and services and is a member organization of the Bi-National European Chambers of Commerce of the United States, which includes most of the bilateral chambers of the major EU member states.
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