Калмыцкие американцы (Russian) | |
|---|---|
| Total population | |
| 3,000 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| New Jersey,Pennsylvania, andCalifornia | |
| Languages | |
| American English,Kalmyk Oirat,Russian,Kyrgyz | |
| Religion | |
| Tibetan Buddhism,Tengrism,Russian Orthodox Christianity,Islam |
Kalmyk Americans areAmericans ofKalmykMongolic ancestry.
American Kalmyks initially established communities in theUnited States following a mass immigration afterWorld War II. The largest groups of Kalmyks originally settled primarily in the states ofPennsylvania andNew Jersey.[1] The majority of today's Kalmyk American population are descended from those Kalmyk refugees who had fled Russia in late 1920 to places such asFrance,Yugoslavia,Bulgaria, and, later,Germany.[citation needed]
As a consequence of their decades-long migration through Europe, many original immigrant Kalmyk Americans could speakGerman,French, andSerbo-Croatian, in addition toRussian and their nativeKalmyk language.[citation needed]
Many Kalmyks were stranded in Germandisplaced persons camps for a number of years following the end of World War II. They were originally classified asAsian under U.S. immigration law, and thereforedenied entry, but in 1951 they were reclassified asCaucasian.[2] In 1955 many immigrated to theUnited States after theTolstoy Foundation sponsored their passage.
There are several Kalmyk Buddhist temples inMonmouth County, New Jersey, (notablyFreewood Acres, New Jersey) where the vast majority of American Kalmyks reside,Philadelphia Pennsylvania, as well as a Tibetan BuddhistLearning Center and monastery inWashington Township, New Jersey.