Syria Diaspora

Syria Wiki Topics

Syria Beginning Research

Getting Started Online Learning Record Finder Research Strategies Finding Town of Origin

Record Types

Cemeteries Census Church Records Civil Registration Colonial Records Compiled Genealogies Emigration & Immigration Medical Records Newspapers Online Genealogy Records Religious Records Tribes and Clans Vital Records

Syria Background

Biographies Diaspora Gazetteers History Languages Maps Naming Customs Social Life & Customs

Syria Genealogical Word Lists

Arabic Turkish

Local Research Resources

Archives & Libraries Societies Local FamilySearch Center

In other languages: العربية

Middle East

Diaspora

Map of the Syrian diaspora around the world

Major Destination Countries

The following countries experienced the highest quantity of Syrian immigrants (this list is not intended to be comprehensive; many Syrians also migrated to other countries). Major migration wave time periods are included in parentheses.

Argentina (mid 1800s-early 1900s) Australia (late 1800s) Brazil (mid 1800s-early 1900s) Canada (mid 1800s-early 1900s) Colombia (mid 1800s-early 1900s) France (late 1900s) Germany (late 1900s) Mexico (mid 1800s-early 1900s) Saudi Arabia (early 2000s) Turkey (early 2000s) United States (mid 1800s-early 1900s) Venezuela (mid 1800s-early 1900s)

Resources

Offices to Contact

Arab American Museum
13624 Michigan Ave
Dearborn, MI 48126
Email: mstiffler@accesscommunity.org
Telephone: 313-429-2535
Website

Background

The first major wave of Syrian immigrants in the late 19th century were primarily Christian and emigrated to North and South America due to economic opportunities and political instability in the Ottoman Empire. This wave continued until the 1920s, when restrictive immigration laws in the U.S. slowed the influx. A second wave occurred after the Immigration Act of 1965, which abolished quotas and allowed more Syrians, including Muslims, to immigrate. More recently, the Syrian Civil War, starting in 2011, has led to a significant increase in Syrian refugees seeking asylum worldwide.