Wikipedia

Telugu Americans

(Redirected from Telugu language in the United States)

Telugu Americans (Telugu: అమెరికా తెలుగువారు, romanized: Amerikā Teluguvāru) are citizens of the United States of America who belong to the Telugu linguistic group. The majority of Telugu Americans can trace their roots back to the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, but also from other neighboring states including Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Maharashtra, among others.

Telugu Americans
అమెరికా తెలుగువారు
Amerikā Teluguvāru
The spread of the Telugu language in the United States according to the 2000 U.S. Census.
Total population
1,239,000 [1][2]
Regions with significant populations
Languages
Predominantly:
Religion
Predominantly:
Hinduism
Minority:
Christianity, Islam
Related ethnic groups

Immigration to United States

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Historically, many Telugu immigrants to the United States during the 20th century hailed from the Krishna and Godavari delta regions of the former Madras Presidency, and later, from Andhra Pradesh.

The Telugu American population in the United States numbered around 87,543 in the year 2000. In 2010, the population surged to 222,977, then to 415,414 in 2017, 644,700 in 2020, and finally nearly doubling to around 1,239,000 in 2024. The immense growth in the 2020s was the result of an influx of students and corporate employees from Telugu states post COVID-19. It is also estimated that by 2030, the Telugu population may cross two million, potentially making Telugu the most spoken Indian language in the nation.

The rise in the Telugu American population is attributed to the increasing representation of South Indian diaspora in the technological field, especially following the Y2K incident.[3] In fact, the Brookings Institution Report revealed that the Telugu states sent over 26,000 students between 2008 and 2012, with most pursuing degrees in STEM fields.

Dispersion

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Telugu people constitute one of the largest groups of Indian Americans.[4] The majority of Telugu Americans live in metropolitan areas with significant economic importance in STEM fields. These areas include the Bay Area, the Texas Triangle, Delaware Valley, Chicagoland, Central Jersey, Northern Virginia, as well as the Seattle and Baltimore metropolitan areas. Smaller, but significant populations of Telugu Americans exist throughout the country in other metropolitan and micropolitan areas of almost every state.[5] These include Greater Boston, Kansas City, Metro Detroit, Greater Cleveland, and Minneapolis–Saint Paul.

Religion

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The predominant faith among Telugu Americans is Hinduism, with a significant number also identifying as Christians, and a smaller portion as Muslims.

Language

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A recent study by the American Center for Immigration Studies showed Telugu as the fastest growing language in United States, which has grown by 86% in the last seven years.[6]

During the 2020 United States elections, the Telugu language was first listed on voter registration and ballot boxes in select locales.[7][8]

Serial No The states with the highest percentages of Telugu speakers
State Percentage (%)
1 New Jersey 0.35
2 Delaware 0.25
3 Virginia 0.25
4 Connecticut 0.18
5 Illinois 0.17
6 Texas 0.16
7 California 0.15
8 Maryland 0.15
9 Georgia 0.14
10 New Hampshire 0.13
11 Washington 0.13
12 Massachusetts 0.13
13 Kansas 0.13
14 Michigan 0.12
15 Minnesota 0.11
16 North Carolina 0.10
17 Arizona 0.10
18 Pennsylvania 0.09
19 Ohio 0.07

The states with the highest percentages of Telugu speakers are:

Notable Telugu Americans

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Government, politics, and philanthropy

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Medicine, science, and technology

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Activism, arts, literature, and media

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Sports

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Social issues

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Telugu Americans have suffered from hate crimes in America. The most notable of these incidents was the 2017 Olathe, Kansas shooting, in which a white supremacist, Adam Purinton, harassed two Telugu immigrants, Srinivas Kuchibhotla and Alok Madasani, under the pretense that they were Iranians and or illegal immigrants. Purinton proceeded to shoot them, killing Kuchibhotla and wounding Madasani, as well as Ian Grillot, a White American who had come to their defense.

Aishwarya Thatikonda, a Telugu immigrant from Hyderabad, and Dallas resident, was a victim of the 2023 Allen, Texas outlet mall shooting.

References

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  1. ^ "Telugu". Ethnologue. March 2023.
  2. ^ "Hindi most spoken Indian language in US, Telugu speakers up 86% in 8 years | India News". Times of India. Retrieved 2019-09-14.
  3. ^ Bhattacharya, Ananya (24 September 2018). "America's fastest growing foreign language is from south India". Quartz India. Retrieved 2020-08-17.
  4. ^ Telugu, Reality Check team and BBC (2018-10-21). "Do you speak Telugu? Welcome to America". BBC News. Retrieved 2020-09-18.
  5. ^ Avadhuta, Mahesh (2017-12-14). "Telugu language scores big in the US". Deccan Chronicle. Retrieved 2020-09-18.
  6. ^ Bhattacharya, Ananya. "America's fastest growing foreign language is from south India". Quartz. Retrieved 2020-09-18.
  7. ^ "US Presidential Election 2020: Telugu Appears On Ballot Boxes In California". Moneycontrol. Retrieved 2020-12-08.
  8. ^ "Voter ballot papers in the U.S elections offered in Telugu and Urdu". The Siasat Daily. 2020-10-21. Retrieved 2020-12-08.

Further reading

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