Arabic language in the United States

This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these messages)

This article is written like a personal reflection, personal essay, or argumentative essay that states a Wikipedia editor's personal feelings or presents an original argument about a topic. Please help improve it by rewriting it in an encyclopedic style. (February 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

|

This article possibly contains original research. Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding inline citations. Statements consisting only of original research should be removed. (February 2025) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

|

(Learn how and when to remove this message)

United States Arabic

Region| United States

Native speakers

| 1.39 million (2020)[1]

Language family

Afro-Asiatic

* Semitic
* West Semitic
* Central Semitic
* Arabic
* United States Arabic

Early forms

Proto-Afroasiatic

* Proto-Semitic
* Proto-Arabic
* Old Arabic
* Pre-classical Arabic

Standard forms

* Modern Standard Arabic

Writing system

| Arabic abjad
Language codes
ISO 639-1| `ar`
ISO 639-2| `ara`
ISO 639-3| `ara`
An Arabic warning sign at the Detroit People Mover Grand Circus Park station

The Arabic language is a minority language in the United States. In the 2020 American Community Survey, 1.39 million people reported speaking the language at home.[1] This makes Arabic the sixth most spoken language in the United States as of 2020. Arabic-speaking people in the United States include people of many backgrounds, such as Lebanese, Syrian, Egyptian, Moroccan, Iraqi, Palestinian, Algerian, and so on.[2]

As a second language, Arabic (across all varieties of Arabic) saw declining enrollment among colleges and universities between 2016 and 2021.[3] Since the September 11 attacks, Arabic has faced significant discrimination and stereotyping within the United States.

## History

[edit]

For a description of the immigration of Arab people to the United States, see Arab immigration to the United States.

### Atlantic slave trade

[edit]

The Atlantic slave trade brought significant numbers of Arabic speakers to America. Many African Muslim slaves were fluent in Arabic and thus contributed to the language's presence in the United States.[4]

### 17th - 19th centuries

[edit]

Arabic language education in the United States dates back to the 17th century. Initially, the study of Arabic was introduced to complement the study of Hebrew and the Old Testament. Harvard was the first American college to offer Semitic languages, including Hebrew, Chaldaic, and Syriac in 1640. Later on, Arabic was available sometime between 1654 and 1672 during the presidency of Charles Chauncy.[5] Eventually Arabic began to be taught in other institutions such as the University of Pennsylvania in 1788,[6] Dartmouth and Andover in 1807[citation needed], and the Theological Seminary in Princeton sometime before the 1880s.[7]

In the 19th century, more American universities began developing departments and courses for the learning of Arabic. In 1841, Edward E. Salisbury was appointed as a professor of Arabic and Sanskrit by Yale, the first person in the Americas to be given such a position.[8] In 1880, Harvard's Department of Semitic Languages was founded,[9] formalizing the university's teaching of Arabic under Professor Crawford H. Toy.[5] In 1883, Paul Haupt, an Assyriologist, established a comprehensive Semitic philology program at Johns Hopkins University, which later influenced the development of similar programs across the nation. By the end of the 19th century, there were sixteen major departments of Semitics in the United States, with Arabic being offered in various colleges and seminaries.[10]

### 20th century

[edit]

During the first wave of Arab immigration, Christianity was the dominant faith and most were tradesmen. However, since the late 1960s an increasing proportion of Arab immigrants are Muslim.[11] English was used as the language of worship in Arab churches due to the lack of priests who speak Arabic or Syriac. Most of these Arab tradesmen were willing to learn English as well. In the 20th century, Arabs taught and spoke to their children English in order to create an American identity, leaving no time and use for Arabic. Arabic only started to be picked up again after the 1960s when it was used in church and media.[4]

#### United States government

[edit]

Leaders of the Army, Navy, and Defense Department celebrate the Defense Language Institute's first anniversary in July 1964.

While the Department of Defense did provide some foreign language courses shortly before American involvement in Second World War,[12] systematic education of foreign languages by the United States government, such as Arabic, did not occur until well into the Cold War, with the creation of the Defense Foreign Language Program. The Army Language School (now the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center) began teaching Arabic sometime before 1950.[13] Arabic was the second-most taught language at DLI from 1963 to 2018, with a total enrollment over the period of 27,049.[14]

Furthermore, various universities and institutions received support to develop instructional materials and programs for different Arabic dialects under the support of the national standard.[10]

### Post-9/11

[edit]

Following the September 11 attacks in 2001, Arabs and Muslims were targeted due to their identity, and labeled as enemies.[15] The stereotypes surrounding Arab and Muslim Americans have led to stigma surrounding Arabic itself. Arab-Americans have reported being threatened with violence or being targeted by police simply for speaking Arabic.[16][17]

This stigma has also impacted Arabic education. Many Arabic teachers believe that Arabic is not a language to be used on streets because of possible implications and potential threat perceived by non-Arabs.[15] This impacts their teaching strategies, and affects the motivation for students to learn Arabic knowing that they have to be careful when speaking it in public.[citation needed]

## Historical demographics

[edit]

See also: Arab Americans and Arabs in the United States

Arabic speakers in the US  Year  | Speakers  | Note

|
|

1980  | 215,000  | [a][18]
1990  | 355,000  | [a][19]
2000  | 614,582  | [20]
2010  | 864,961  | [19][21]
2014  | 1,117,304  | [22]
2019  | 1,260,437  | [19]
2021  | 1,450,000  | [a][18]
Arabic speakers age 5 years and older in the United States by state as of 2023[23] State  | Estimated Arabic speakers[b]

|

Alabama | 5,380
Alaska | 1,345
Arizona | 26,164
Arkansas | 1,336
California | 208,243
Colorado | 15,655
Connecticut | 12,399
Delaware | 4,765
Florida | 83,739
Georgia | 23,017
Hawaii | 348
Idaho | 1,816
Illinois | 74,919
Indiana | 14,314
Iowa | 6,761
Kansas | 4,747
Kentucky | 11,222
Louisiana | 14,421
Maine | 3,502
Maryland | 26,370
Massachusetts | 43,386
Michigan | 171,731
Minnesota | 13,629
Mississippi | 4,600
Missouri | 9,552
Montana | 329
Nebraska | 6,730
Nevada | 4,842
New Hampshire | 4,397
New Jersey | 80,048
New Mexico | 5,272
New York | 130,314
North Carolina | 30,232
North Dakota | 604
Ohio | 50,780
Oklahoma | 7,448
Oregon | 8,463
Pennsylvania | 49,548
Rhode Island | 1,064
South Carolina | 4,886
South Dakota | 455
Tennessee | 30,510
Texas | 116,644
Utah | 6,288
Vermont | 329
Virginia | 64,746
Washington | 25,298
West Virginia | 1,495
Wisconsin | 6,977
Wyoming | 367

Arabic's increasing significance in the United States is showcased by the continuing growth of its speaker base. Arabic has more than 1.35 million speakers in the United States, making it the sixth most common language spoken in the country and catering to almost 0.5% of the U.S. population.[24] This marks a substantial increase from the 860,000 speakers recorded in 2010 by the United States Census Bureau.[25]

Migration from the Arab-speaking population to the United States dates back to the 18th century in the Atlantic slave trade. African Muslim slaves used Arabic as their means of communication.[4] More sustained immigration started in the late 19th century onward, following trends such as education and have continued to the present.[4] The 2017 American Census Bureau recorded 2 million Arab Americans, while the Arab American Institute suggested numbers may reach 3.7 million.[26][27]

## Current status

[edit]

The 2000 U.S. census reported 1.2 million Arab Americans, with significant population concentrations in metropolitan areas such as Los Angeles, Detroit, New York, Chicago, and Washington, DC. The largest proportion of Arab Americans traced their heritage to Lebanon, Syria, and Egypt. Regarding socio-economic characteristics, Arab Americans have largely maintained an economic advantage compared to the overall U.S. population. They are engaged in management-level and professional work at a larger proportion compared to the general population.[4]

The study of Arabic language maintenance found two contrasting results. One study found that English continues to be the dominant language spoken by Arab Americans. However, another research found varying degrees of multilingual proficiency in the Detroit area and deduced that Arabic continues to play a vital role for all in the community. Their standard or classical Arabic language functions as a symbol of unification among all language speakers, as it is an expression of identity. Moreover, Arab Americans share more affinity to the Arabic language and culture as it could be either tied to their ethnic identity or their common religion.[4]

### Education

[edit]

Growing philological interest in the Arab and Middle Eastern world has factored in the development of the increase in Arabic speakers. Universities have increased the number of offered courses related to the Arab and Middle East regions, including Middle Eastern studies, religious studies courses, and, more significantly, language courses for Arabic. From a study involving many notable universities, motivation for learning the language was diverse and ranged from "literature and culture", "wanting to travel/live in the Middle East," "to talk with Arabs," to "research of original sources".[28] According to the Modern Language Association, Arabic was the 8th most studied language in secondary education, with 31,554 enrollments in Fall 2016 and 22,918 enrollments in 2021.[3] Classes were offered in multiple vartieties of Arabic, including MSA, Classical/Qur’anic, Egyptian, Gulf, Iraqi, Levantine, Moroccan, Sudanese, and Syrian.[3]

#### Challenges

[edit]

Arabic exists in many forms, with a standard version, Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), and a myriad of dialects from different regions of the Middle East and North Africa. The debate over which version of Arabic is to be taught at American schools has long existed.[4] Before the September 11 attacks, it was common for higher education institutes in the US to teach solely Modern Standard Arabic, and as of the 2020s, it is still prevalent in universities to teach Modern Standard Arabic first to new learners of the language. After students have gained some degree of proficiency, they then switch to be taught Arabic dialects. Focus on dialects has increased since 2001. Some difficulties come from this: the use of Modern Standard Arabic is limited, while materials used in Arabic language teaching, such as films and reports produced by media based in the Middle East, come in various dialects that may not be fully comprehensible to speakers of MSA.[29]

Other challenges remain despite the increasing investment in Arabic language programs. There is a lack of formal training to prepare and support the teachers for teaching Arabic.[15] This affects the quality of the learning and hinders further development and maturity of the programs.[4] This creates an issue as students of Arabic language programs can be composed of different backgrounds and speak different variations of the language. Deciding which form of the language to use for instructions and how to improve teaching techniques to be inclusive of all the students becomes important. Besides students from the different regions of the Arabic Muslim world, Arabic is also a language of Islam to non-Arab followers of Islam. The language could be used for communication for some while only being used during the practice of religion for others.[4]

### Heritage speakers

[edit]

Heritage speakers of Arabic are undoubtedly a crucial constituent of the Arabic-speaking community of the USA. Arab Americans, almost 3.7 million strong as of 2023 according to census data provided by the Arab American Institute,[30] do not all speak Arabic, and less than half are Muslim.[4] Some scholars reported observing a swift transition from using Arabic to using English among Arab immigrant families in the US. Nevertheless, the Arabic language is still spoken by a great number of heritage speakers and is regarded as a symbol of ethnic or religious identity by many.[4] The phenomenon of "code-switching", namely the mixed usage of English and Arabic words in a sentence while speaking, has been observed in an increasing number of Arab Americans.[4][29] In the early years of the 2020s, an increase in heritage speakers enrolled in Arabic language lessons at universities has been observed.[29]

Similar to other cultural minority groups in the U.S., by the third generation, it is predicted that English will become the primary language as the newer generation becomes more Americanized and assimilated into the western culture.[4]

## See also

[edit]

* Arab Americans
* History of the Middle Eastern people in Metro Detroit

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ a b c Data rounded by source to the thousands.
2. ^ Much of these data, especially smaller values, have a significant margin of error and should not be treated as exact values.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "ACS B16001". ACS B16001. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
2. ^ Stephan, Dr. Rita (30 April 2021). "The Story of Arab Americans' Beginning in America – And the Quest for Fair Representation". U.S. Department of State. Archived from the original on 1 July 2025. Retrieved 1 July 2025.
3. ^ a b c Modern Language Association, "Enrollments in Languages Other Than English in US Institutions of Higher Education, Fall 2021," MLA, 2023, https://www.mla.org/content/download/191324/file/Enrollments-in-Languages-Other-Than-English-in-US-Institutions-of-Higher-Education-Fall-2021.pdf, 49. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Bale, Jeffrey (2010-08-13). "Arabic as a Heritage Language in the United States". International Multilingual Research Journal. 4 (2): 125–151\. doi:10.1080/19313152.2010.499041. ISSN 1931-3152. S2CID 144182703.
5. ^ a b Kazmi, Meryum; Bastermajian, Harry, eds. (13 December 2021). "History of Islamic Studies at Harvard Timeline" (PDF). Harvard Web Publishing. Retrieved 1 July 2025.
6. ^ "Center History". University of Pennsylvania School of Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 1 July 2025.
7. ^ Selden, William K. (1992). Princeton Theological Seminary : a narrative history, 1812-1992. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press. p. 68\. ISBN 0963444409.
8. ^ "Edward Elbridge Salisbury (1814-1901), America's First Professor of Arabic & Sanskrit". Retrieved 1 July 2025.
9. ^ "Department of Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations". Retrieved 1 July 2025.
10. ^ a b E.N.McCarus. "The study of Arabic in the United States: A history of its development." al-'Arabiyya (1987):14-26
11. ^ Orfalea, Gregory (2006). The Arab Americans: A History. Northampton, Mass.: Olive Branch Press. ISBN 1566565979. OCLC 57594047.
12. ^ Nakamura, Kelli Y. "Military Intelligence Service". Densho Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2014-09-16.
13. ^ Supplimentary to spoken Iraqi Arabic. Army Language School (U.S.). 1950. LCCN 52044952.
14. ^ Shalev, Asaf (16 January 2020). "Exclusive data from the Pentagon's language school offers insight into America's shifting foreign priorities". Monterey County Now. Retrieved 10 July 2025.
15. ^ a b c Deiri, Youmna (2023-08-09). "Teaching Arabic to children and youth in the United States: between love and indictment". International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism. 26 (7): 817–829\. doi:10.1080/13670050.2021.1989372. ISSN 1367-0050. S2CID 244503001.
16. ^ Yakas, Ben (October 24, 2015). "Teens Allegedly Stab Brooklyn Man "Because You're Arabic & Deserve It".
17. ^ "Chicago community groups say 'suspicious activity reports' lead to racial profiling by police". Chicago Sun-Times. 2022-07-01. Retrieved 2023-12-15.
18. ^ a b Moslimani, Mohamad (2023). "5 facts about Arabic speakers in the U.S." Pew Research Center. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
19. ^ a b c Dietrich, Sandy; Hernandez, Erik (2022). "Language Use in the United States: 2019" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
20. ^ "Language Spoken at Home: 2000". United States Bureau of the Census. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved August 8, 2012.
21. ^ "American FactFinder - Results". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 2020-02-12.
22. ^ "American FactFinder - Results". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 2020-02-12. Retrieved 2016-04-29.
23. ^ "Language Spoken at Home for the Population 5 Years and Over". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
24. ^ U.S. Census Bureau, "LANGUAGE SPOKEN AT HOME BY ABILITY TO SPEAK ENGLISH FOR THE POPULATION 5 YEARS AND OVER," 2021, American Community Survey, ACS 1-Year Estimates Detailed Tables, Table B16001, 2021, accessed December 14, 2023, https://data.census.gov/table/ACSDT1Y2021.B16001?q=B16001: LANGUAGE SPOKEN AT HOME BY ABILITY TO SPEAK ENGLISH FOR THE POPULATION 5 YEARS AND OVER&g=010XX00US.[dead link]
25. ^ U.S. Census Bureau, "LANGUAGE SPOKEN AT HOME BY ABILITY TO SPEAK ENGLISH FOR THE POPULATION 5 YEARS AND OVER," 201,. American Community Survey, ACS 1-Year Estimates Detailed Tables, Table B16001, 2010, accessed December 14, 2023, https://data.census.gov/table/ACSDT1Y2010.B16001?q=B16001: LANGUAGE SPOKEN AT HOME BY ABILITY TO SPEAK ENGLISH FOR THE POPULATION 5 YEARS AND OVER&g=010XX00US&y=2010.[dead link]
26. ^ U.S. Census Bureau, "PEOPLE REPORTING ANCESTRY Universe: Total population more information 2017 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates," 2017, American Community Survey, ACS 1-Year Estimates Detailed Tables, 2017, accessed December 14, 2023, https://ia801007.us.archive.org/34/items/2017ancestrybystate/2017 ancestry by state.pdf
27. ^ American-Arab Institute Foundation, "Demographics," Web Archive, https://web.archive.org/web/20161023235625/http://www.aaiusa.org/demographics, archived October 23, 2016, accessed December 13, 2023.
28. ^ R. Kirk Belnap, "WHO'S TAKING ARABIC AND WHAT ON EARTH FOR? A Survey Of Students in Arabic Language Programs," Al-’Arabiyya 20, no. 1/2 (1987): 29–42, http://www.jstor.org/stable/43191686.
29. ^ a b c Oral history interview with Arabic Language Professor Amani S. Hassan at New York University Department of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies on Dec 10 2023. This is part of New York University Shanghai's Student Oral History Projects. https://shanghai.nyu.edu/news/documenting-ordinary-through-oral-history. To request more details, please email: sw141nyu.edu.
30. ^ "Demographics". Arab American Institute. Retrieved 2023-12-15.

* v
* t
* e

Languages of the United States

Languages in italics are extinct.

English|

Dialects of American English

* African-American English
* Vernacular
* American Indian English
* Appalachian English
* Baltimore English
* Boston English
* Cajun English
* California English
* Chicano English
* General American English
* Good American Speech
* High Tider English
* Inland Northern American English
* Miami English
* Maine English
* Midland American English
* New England Englishes
* Eastern
* Western
* New Mexican Englishes
* New Orleans English
* New York City English
* New York Latino English
* Northeastern elite accent
* Northern American English
* North-Central American / Upper Midwestern English
* Pacific Northwest English
* Pennsylvania Dutch
* Philadelphia English
* Puerto Rican Englishes
* Southern American English
* Older
* Texan English
* Upper Michigan English
* Utah Mormon English
* Western American English
* Western Pennsylvania English
* Yeshiva English

Oral Indigenous
languages|

| Families|

| Algic|

* Abenaki
* Arapaho
* Blackfoot
* Cheyenne
* Cree
* Fox
* Malecite-Passamaquoddy
* Massachusett
* Menominee
* Mi'kmaq
* Munsee
* Ojibwe
* Potawatomi
* Shawnee

* Etchemin
* Gros Ventre
* Loup
* Nawathinehena
* Mahican
* Miami-Illinois
* Mohegan-Pequot
* Nanticoke
* Narragansett
* Pamlico
* Powhatan
* Quiripi
* Unami
* Wiyot
* Yurok

|

Austronesian|

* Chamorro
* Hawaiian
* Refaluwasch
* Samoan
* Tokelauan

Caddoan|

* Arikara
* Pawnee

* Caddo
* Kitsai
* Wichita

Chinookan|

* Kathlamet
* Tsinúk
* Upper Chinook

Comecrudan|

* Comecrudo
* Garza
* Mamulique

Chumashan|

* Barbareño
* Cruzeño
* Obispeño
* Purisimeño
* Ventureño

Dené(–
Yeniseian?)|

* Ahtna
* Deg Xinag
* Dena'ina
* Gwich’in
* Hän
* Hupa
* Jicarilla
* Koyukon
* Lower Tanana
* Mescalero-Chiricahua
* Navajo
* Tanacross
* Upper Kuskokwim
* Upper Tanana
* Western Apache

* Cahto
* Eyak
* Holikachuk
* Kwalhioqua-Clatskanie
* Lipan
* Mattole
* Plains Apache
* Tolowa
* Tsetsaut
* Tututni
* Upper Umpqua
* Wailaki

Eskaleut|

* Inuit
* Inupiat
* Aleut
* Alutiiq
* Central Alaskan Yup'ik
* Central Siberian Yupik
* Chevak Cup’ik

Iroquoian|

* Cayuga
* Cherokee
* Mohawk
* Oneida
* Onondaga
* Seneca

* Erie
* Neutral Huron
* Nottoway
* Susquehannock
* Tuscarora
* Wyandot
* Wenrohronon

Kalapuyan|

* Central Kalapuya
* Northern Kalapuya
* Yoncalla

Keresan|

* Cochiti Pueblo
* San Felipe–Santo Domingo
* Zia–Santa Ana Pueblos
* Western Keres
* Acoma Pueblo
* Laguna Pueblo

Maiduan|

* Konkow
* Chico
* Maidu
* Nisenan

Muskogean|

* Alabama
* Chickasaw
* Choctaw
* Koasati
* Mikasuki
* Muscogee

* Apalachee
* Houma

Palaihnihan|

* Achumawi
* Atsugewi

Plateau Penutian|

* Nez Perce
* Sahaptin

* Klamath
* Molala

Pomoan|

* Kashaya
* Southeastern Pomo

* Central Pomo
* Eastern Pomo
* Northeastern Pomo
* Northern Pomo
* Southern Pomo

Salishan|

* Coeur d'Alene
* Halkomelem
* North Straits Salish
* Okanagan
* Salish
* Thompson

* Columbia-Moses
* Cowlitz
* Klallam
* Lower Chehalis
* Lushootseed
* Nooksack
* Quinault
* Tillamook
* Twana
* Upper Chehalis

Siouan|

* Assiniboine
* Crow
* Dakota
* Hidatsa
* Lakota
* Omaha–Ponca
* Quapaw
* Stoney
* Winnebago

* Biloxi
* Catawba
* Chiwere
* Kansa
* Mandan
* Mitchigamea
* Moneton
* Ofo
* Osage
* Tutelo-Saponi
* Woccon

Tanoan|

* Jemez
* Kiowa
* Picuris
* Southern Tiwa
* Taos
* Tewa

* Piro Pueblo

Tsimshianic|

* Coast Tsimshian

Utian|

* Central Sierra Miwok
* Southern Sierra Miwok

* Bay Miwok
* Coast Miwok
* Lake Miwok
* Northern Sierra Miwok
* Plains Miwok
* Awaswas
* Chalon
* Chochenyo
* Karkin
* Mutsun
* Ramaytush
* Rumsen
* Tamyen

Uto-Aztecan|

* Comanche
* Hopi
* Kawaiisu
* Mono
* Northern Paiute
* O'odham
* Shoshoni
* Timbisha
* Ute-Chemehuevi
* Yaqui

* Ivilyuat
* Cupeño
* Kitanemuk
* Luiseño
* Serrano
* Tongva
* Tübatulabal

Wakashan|

* Makah

Wintuan|

* Patwin
* Nomlaki
* Wintu

Yokuts|

* Valley Yokuts

* Buena Vista Yokuts
* Gashowu Yokuts
* Kings River Yokuts
* Palewyami
* Tule-Kaweah Yokuts

Yuman–
Cochimí|

* Cocopah
* Havasupai–Hualapai
* Ipai
* Kumeyaay
* Maricopa
* Mojave
* Quechan
* Tiipai
* Yavapai

* Halchidhoma

Others|

| Isolates|

* Haida
* Karuk
* Kutenai
* Washo
* Zuni

* Alsea
* Atakapa
* Chimariko
* Chitimacha
* Coahuilteco
* Cotoname
* Esselen
* Natchez
* Salinan
* Siuslaw
* Taensa
* Takelma
* Tawasa
* Timucua
* Tonkawa
* Tunica
* Yana
* Yuchi

|

Mixed or trade
Languages|

* Afro-Seminole Creole
* Chinook Jargon
* Michif

* Mohawk Dutch

Manual Indigenous
languages|

| Hand Talk|

* Anishinaabe Sign Language
* Blackfoot Sign Language
* Cheyenne Sign Language
* Cree Sign Language
* Navajo Sign Language

* Plateau Sign Language
* Ktunaxa Sign Language

|

Isolates|

* Hawai'i Sign Language
* Creole Hawai'i Sign Language
* Inuit Sign Language
* Keresan Pueblo
* Navajo Family Sign Language
* Orocovis Sign Language

Oral settler
languages|

| French|

* Louisiana
* Métis
* Missouri
* Muskrat
* New England

|

German|

* Pennsylvania Dutch
* Hutterite
* Plautdietsch
* Bernese
* Alsatian
* Texas

Spanish|

* Caló (Chicano)
* Isleño
* New Mexican
* Puerto Rican
* Sabine River

Creole and mixed languages|

* Gullah
* Louisiana Creole
* Spanglish
* Angloromani

Manual settler
languages|

| Francosign|

* American Sign Language
* Black American Sign Language
* Protactile
* Puerto Rican Sign Language

|

BANZSL|

* Samoan Sign Language

Kentish|

* Martha's Vineyard Sign Language

Isolates|

* Sandy River Valley Sign Language
* Henniker Sign Language

Immigrant languages
(number of speakers
in 2021 in millions)|

* Spanish (41.3)
* Chinese (3.4)
* Tagalog (1.7)
* Vietnamese (1.5)
* Arabic (1.4)
* French (1.2)
* Korean (1.1)
* Russian (1.0)
* Portuguese (0.9)
* Haitian (0.9)
* Hindi (0.9)
* German (0.9)
* Polish (0.5)
* Italian (0.5)
* Urdu (0.5)
* Persian (0.5)
* Telugu (0.5)
* Japanese (0.5)
* Gujarati (0.4)
* Bengali (0.4)
* Tamil (0.3)
* Punjabi (0.3)
* Serbo-Croatian (0.3)
* Armenian (0.3)
* Greek (0.3)
* Hmong (0.2)
* Hebrew (0.2)
* Khmer (0.2)

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template