Sudanese Americans (Arabic:أمريكيون سودانيون) areAmericans ofSudaneseancestry or Sudanese who haveAmerican citizenship. Sudanese Americans may also include children born in the United States to an American (or to another nationality) parent and a Sudanese parent. Many Sudanese immigrated to the United States in the 1990s as war refugees, escaping from thesecond civil war.In the 2012 American Community Survey, 48,763 people identified as Sudanese or Sudanese Americans who—or whose ancestors—have emigrated from their native land to the U.S. in the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s.^[4]

With theCivil War in Sudan, in 1983, many Sudanese and South Sudanese were settled in refugee camps in other neighboring African countries (Egypt,Ethiopia,Kenya,Uganda.) Since 1990, Sudanese refugees in these camps have been accepted to the United States. As such, most Sudanese refugees came to the United States after 1991,^[5] although most them hailed from South Sudan (who arrived in this country, basically, from 2001, although also were established there some Sudanese refugee communities from northern Sudan).^[6] So, many northern Sudanese settled in places such asMaine (where Darfurian people first arrived in 1993 in cities such asPortland; also,Lewiston)^[7] orOmaha, Nebraska (which had built a Sudanese community by 1997.)^[8]

According to the 2000 Census, the largest Sudanese communities (the 2000 U.S. census did not distinguish between Northern and Southern Sudanese as South Sudan was not yet an independent nation) wereNew York City;Detroit;Des Moines,Iowa;^[9]Alexandria, Virginia;Los Angeles; andSan Diego. Sudanese and South Sudanese American communities are also found in other cities such asGreensboro, North Carolina;Dallas;Flint, MI; theWashington Metropolitan Area and many other cities.Virginia,Washington,Maryland,California,Idaho,Minnesota, andNorth Carolina have the largest Sudanese populations in the United States.^[7]

Since at least 1997, many Sudanese and South Sudanese have lived inOmaha, Nebraska.^[10] There are ten Sudanese and South Sudanese tribes,^[10] among which are the Northern SudaneseMaban people.^[11] According to the UNO School of Social Work, Sudanese from theNuba Mountains andDarfur among other places have settled in Omaha.^[11] Seventeen tribes (with around 2,000 Sudanese and South Sudanese [esp. the South SudaneseAcholi tribe]) have also settled inMaine.^[7] Maine is, indeed, the state with the largest group of resettled Darfurians in the United States.^[12]

Several Sudanese ethnic groups live in the United States, including the Maban andFur people.^[12]

Political dissidents in Northern Sudan emigrated, fleeing from the oppressive Muslim fundamentalist regime inKhartoum. Many of them migrated to refugee camps in neighboring countries, particularly Ethiopia, to escape forced conscription or, to a lesser extent, religious persecution directed specifically against followers of theBaháʼí Faith. From these camps, many were accepted to the United States.^[6] Sudanese or South Sudanese immigrated to the U.S. from different regions of Sudan due to political disagreements, educational and vocational opportunities or for family reunification, as well.

According to estimates for 2015 to 2019 from The Migration Policy Institute, 46,700 Sudanese immigrants lived in the U.S. The top six counties of settlement were as follows:^[13]

In 2023, the Top 10 cities with the most residents reporting Sudanese ancestry or origin were as follows:

Most Sudanese that have established themselves in the U.S. face numerous difficulties in accessing health care, although in varying degrees depending on factors such as educational level and having obtained medical care in Sudan. Among the linguistic and educational differences are added factors such as the discrepancy of name and date of birth, and a general lack of prior medical documentation, causing confusion in the American health system.

With no prior care or checkups in Sudan, immigrants from this country are found with medical conditions previously unknown to them. Many Sudanese have diabetes, hypertension, food allergies, severe cases of depression, loss of vision and hearing, parasitism, and dental problems, although it's feeding change in the U.S.

In addition, Sudanese Americans often stop taking their medication when symptoms resolve, which often contradicts doctors' recommendations.^[6]

Sudanese Americans (whether from North or South Sudan) created several associations. In 1999, due to linguistic or educational barriers, a Sudanese group from Rochester, Minnesota, founded the New Sudan-American Hope (NSAH) to help Sudanese refugees in the resettlement process. Almost a decade later and with members from diverse backgrounds, NSAH still helps refugees in Rochester and has also informed others of the effects of civil war in Sudan.^[14]

• Amrou Fudl, co-host of theFresh and Fit Podcast
• Nawal M. Nour, gynecologist
• Abdullahi Ahmed An-Na'im, professor
• Elfatih Eltahir, Professor of Hydrology and Climate at theMassachusetts Institute of Technology MIT
• Mohammed Adam El-Sheikh, imam
• Oddisee, musician
• Safia Elhillo, poet
• Bas, born in Paris to Sudanese parents
• Dua Saleh, singer
• Girmay Zahilay, American politician born in Sudan to Ethiopian parents
• Aya Osman, assistant professor at theIcahn School of Medicine inNew York City

• Sudanese Australians
• Sudanese British
• Sudan–United States relations

• American people of Sudanese descent
• Sudanese diaspora
• Sudanese diaspora in the United States
• Refugees in the United States

• Webarchive template wayback links
• Use dmy dates from September 2023
• Articles with short description
• Short description matches Wikidata
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Articles containing Arabic-language text