New York City includes a sizeable Belarusian American population. The New York metropolitan area has one of the largest concentrations of Belarusians in the United States. Many Belarusians live in Brighton Beach and elsewhere in South Brooklyn, along with other ex-Soviet immigrants including Russians and Ukrainians. Around 55,000 people of Belarusian descent live in the New York City metropolitan area, with estimates ranging from 50,000 to 75,000.
History
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, a large wave of immigrants from what is now Belarus came to the United States, with many settled in New York City. This wave of immigrants was predominantly Jewish, with a sizable minority being Christian and a small minority being Muslim. Commons reasons for Belarusian emigration included poor economic conditions, restrictions placed on the Belarusian language including the closure of Belarusian schools in Poland and the banning of Belarusian-language newspapers, lack of educational opportunities, high taxation, and antisemitic or anti-religious discrimination against Belarusian Orthodox Jews. Due to the shifting cultural and political geography of Eastern Europe, Jews from what is now Belarus may identify simply as Jewish, as Belarusian Jews, Litvaks (Lithuanian Jews), Russian Jews, Polish Jews, some combination of these identities, or some other form of ethnic/national identifying. Because Belarusian territory was once part of the Russian Empire and later a federal unit of the Soviet Union, Belarusian emigrants (both Jewish and non-Jewish) may or may not be registered as Belarusians on US Census documents.
In the 1970s, Brighton Beach in Brooklyn became a leading destination for ex-Soviet emigrants to the United States. Many Belarusians settled here, along with Russians, Ukrainians, peoples of the Caucasus such as Georgians, and Central Asians (particularly Uzbeks). The neighborhood is predominantly middle-class, Jewish, and Russian-speaking.
During the 2020–2021 Belarusian protests, multiple protests were held in New York City in solidarity with the Belarusian democracy movement and with Belarusian women.
Demographics
Of the approximately 55,000 people of Belarusian descent living in the New York metropolitan area, 11,000 are non-Jewish and 44,000 are Belarusian Jews. Non-Jewish Belarusians tend to identify more closely with Belarusian culture, as many Belarusian Jews identify more with Jewish and/or Russian culture. Most Belarusian Jews are irreligious, while a minority are religious. Most non-Jewish Belarusians are Christian and are largely affiliated with the Russian Orthodox Church (around 90% have some affiliation), with a minority of 10% being Roman Catholics. Less than 2% are Evangelical Christians, so there are no Evangelical churches catering to Belarusians. The majority languages of Belarusians are Belarusian and Russian. Accurately estimating the population of people of Belarusian descent can be difficult, as some people whose ancestors come from Belarus may identify as Polish or Russian instead. A small minority of Belarusians are Lipka Tatars, a Turkic ethnic group from Belarus, Poland, and Lithuania who practice Sunni Islam.
Compared to some other Slavic and Eastern European groups such as Ukrainians, the Belarusian community in New York City and the United States is more scattered and less cohesive. Community engagement of young people is a concern with Belarusian community advocates. Belarusian church-goers tend to be older and Belarusian youths are less engaged in community institutions. Belarusians who are active in Belarusian circles arrange meetings at a building in downtown Brooklyn, as well as in various bars. However, plans exist to create a Belarusian community center, cafe, and boutique, but the high cost of rent has delayed implementation of the plan.
Cuisine
Belarusian cuisine can be found at restaurants and groceries in New York City, including the Belarussian Xata restaurant in Sheepshead Bay and the Belarus Supermarket in West Brighton. Due to being landlocked, seafood is not a common staple of the Belarusian diet. Staples of Belarusian cuisine include beef, pork, mushrooms, grains, and potatoes. Belarusian cuisine varies according to religion; pork is a common dish for Belarusian Christians, but does not feature in the cuisine of Belarusian Jews who keep kosher or Belarusian Muslims who keep halal. Many Lipka Tatar Muslims drink alcohol, while still refraining from pork. Bagels, (latkes), babka, cabbage rolls, borscht, and kholodets (meat jelly) remain staples in many Belarusian-American homes.