Immigration Information

The largest wave of immigration from Belarus to the United States occurred between the end of the 1800's and World War I. The second wave of Belarusian immigration occurred from 1948 to the early 1950's, with an estimated 50,000 Belarusians entering the United States, the majority of whom had left Europe for political reasons. After the second wave, immigration slowed and the majority of Belarusians that came to the United States were immigrants that migrated from Poland and Western Europe.

Due to the inability of the US government to provide complete records about the population, it has been difficult to accurately calculate the number of Americans of Belarusian decent currently residing in the US. A number of claims as to the size of the population have been made, some estimate the population to be as many as 1.5 million, while others claim the population is between 600,000 and 650,000. According to the 1990 US Census, only 4,277 respondents claimed Belarusian ancestry, there are no reports as to the estimated population from the 2000 census. Despite the declining number of immigrants, Belarusian-Americans have founded and maintained a number of organizations and communities throughout the United States. The greatest concentrations remain in mining regions and industrial cities such as Akron, Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Gary, Jersey City, New York City, Newark, and Pittsburgh.

Major Religions and beliefs

The majority of Belarusians are Orthodox, roughly 60 percent, while other popular denominations include Roman Catholic, Apostolic Christian, Baptist, Muslim, New Apostolic, Old Believer, Pentecostal, and Seventh - day Adventist. In the United States, the majority of Belarusian immigrants is of the Eastern Orthodox faith, and has created a number of distinct parishes and religious communities, under the Belarusian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (BAOC).

History, traditions and culture

Many Belarusian-Americans retain practices and customs that are deeply rooted in Slavic culture, in particular that of Belarus. Traditionally, these customs integrate pagan and Christian components, weaving nature and agriculture into ceremonial events and rituals. The Belarusian-American Association has worked with a number of other organizations and communities in order to create secondary schools that will ensure the survival of the Belarusian traditions, language and culture, while educating new generations about their history and origins.

Academic Organizations

Belarusian Institute of Arts and Sciences

230 Springfield Avenue