Urdu in United States

Introduction / History

Aryan tribes entered India about 1500 BC mixing with mongoloids, Greeks and Huns. Through the generations this caused the Indian features of the people to gradually become more Caucasian and their languages to become more diverse. In later centuries Muslim influence promoted the linguistic change out of which the Urdu language eventually developed. Hindi and Urdu are similar languages, but they are divided by religious affiliation; Hindi is spoken by the Hindu peoples while Urdu is spoken by Muslims. Urdu is heavily laden with Persian and Arabic words and is written in the Persian script. Today when one thinks of South Asian Muslim languages, Urdu is the first one that comes to mind. Urdu is seldom a heart language, but it is the trade language of Pakistan.

Urdu speakers come from all walks of life, but they usually originate in either Pakistan or northern India. The Urdu possess a sense of group identity based on cultural and historical factors: the Islamic religion, a Persian cultural tradition, the Urdu language, and the tradition of Muslim supremacy in northern India.

In recent years many Urdu-speaking Muslims have emigrated to Bahrain, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, searching for economic opportunities. Skilled laborers and highly educated professionals among them have also emigrated to Western Europe, North America, and British Commonwealth countries all over the world. There are a higher number of Urdu speakers in New York, Texas and California than the other US states.

The first Urdu people who came to the US came to work in agriculture and logging. The Luce-Celler Act of 1946 allowed them to obtain US citizenship. The INS Act of 1965 allowed Pakistanis with professional skills to work in the US, and their numbers increased dramatically. There was an influx of well-educated Pakistanis coming to the US during that time. Among them were doctors and engineers.

What Are Their Lives Like?

More recently, there have been others who have entered the US as refugees, and they tend to take low paying jobs in places like New York City.

The Urdu community is usually prosperous since so many are from a well-educated background. They are noted for their generosity and philanthropy. It is common for those with a medical background to practice medicine in the US. Often a Pakistani family will own a small business and employ extended family members to join them in the work. All Pakistanis try their best to become homeowners both for symbolic and economic reasons. Pakistani Americans have a good percentage of people who have served in the US military.

What Are Their Beliefs?

Islam is a central part of Urdu identity. Those who attend Sunni mosques have regular contact with Muslims from other ethnic communities. Most Urdu in the US are Sunni Muslim, but there are also some Shia and Ahmadiyyas among them. The latter are likely to be people who were looking for a safer place since they are persecuted by other Muslim communities in Pakistan.

What Are Their Needs?

Though they are fairly large in number and economically prosperous, they remain in the Islamic religious system, and few Christians in America will tell them about the savior who alone has the power to break the power of sin.

Prayer Points

Pray for a massive movement to Christ among Urdu speakers this decade leading to spiritual and physical blessings in Christ.
Pray for the Lord to thrust out workers to the Urdu speakers in the USA.
Pray for persons of peace among the Urdu people who will accept Christ's ambassadors.
Pray for resources like the JESUS Film and Urdu language broadcasts to become widely available.

Text Source:   Joshua Project