An estimated 8,000 to 15,000 Circassians live in the United States, mostly in New Jersey, New York and California. The largest community is in northern New Jersey, where the Circassian Benevolent Association has been based since 1952.
Where they live
The largest Circassian community in the US lives in New Jersey, in Passaic and Bergen counties. The Greater Paterson area, which includes Clifton, Wayne, Haledon, Prospect Park, North Haledon, Totowa, Woodland Park and Little Falls, has the largest North Caucasian population in the country, mostly Circassians and Karachays. There are also communities in New York and California, and in Canada.
How they came
Circassian Americans came in several waves and from several countries: Turkey, Jordan, Syria and Russia. Individual immigrants from the Ottoman Empire appeared early in the 20th century; the first from the Middle East, Omar Kashoga and his family from Jordan, arrived in 1917. A few families who had left the Caucasus after the Russian Revolution reached America from Istanbul on 1 August 1923.
After the Second World War, Circassian displaced persons in Europe began to resettle in the US; the first couple came from Germany in 1950. In the summer of 1967 hundreds of Circassians from Syria arrived in Paterson, and families from Jordan, Syria and Turkey kept coming in the decades that followed.
Community life
The Circassian Benevolent Association, founded on 19 June 1952, is the umbrella organisation of Circassians in the US. Based in New Jersey, it has a community centre, a mosque, a Sunday school for language and history, and a banquet hall. Other groups followed: the Circassian Cultural Institute in Totowa, New Jersey, and the Circassian Education Foundation, which gives scholarships to young Circassians (both 2005), the Circassian Association in California (2006), the Kavkaz Cultural Center in California and the Nassip Foundation for language and history (2010).
Culture and language
Habze, the Circassian code of conduct, remains the core of Circassian identity in America. Dances such as the Qafa, Wij and Islamey are performed at weddings and cultural events, and the community has its own Narts Dance Ensemble. The pshina, the Circassian accordion, is still played, dishes like haliva are still made, and alongside Eid, Thanksgiving and the Fourth of July the community celebrates Adyghe Day in September.
The language is under pressure. English dominates at work and with friends, and Adyghe is kept mostly at home, especially with grandparents. Yet in one study 81.5% of New Jersey Circassians agreed that learning the language is essential to their identity, and volunteers teach it at the Benevolent Association’s Sunday school.
Kantemir Balagov’s film Butterfly Jam (2026) follows the Circassian diaspora in New Jersey. It opened the Directors’ Fortnight section of the Cannes Film Festival on 13 May 2026.
Meet Circassians from the US and everywhere else
The Circassian App brings Circassians from many countries together: community chats (a general chat, Turkish and Arabic chats, a Circassian-only room and a chat for women), voice rooms, private messages and a people search for finding other Circassians. It also teaches Kabardian and Adyghe in short lessons with audio, so you can pick up the language on the way. It is free on iPhone and Android.
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Circassians around the world
Turkey · Jordan · Israel · Syria · Germany. Overview: the Circassian diaspora today.
Circassian Americans: questions
How many Circassians live in the United States?
An estimated 8,000 to 15,000, mostly in New Jersey, New York and California.
Where is the largest Circassian community in the US?
In northern New Jersey, in Passaic and Bergen counties, around Paterson, Wayne, Clifton and Totowa.
What is the Circassian Benevolent Association?
The umbrella organisation of Circassians in the US, founded in 1952 and based in New Jersey, with a community centre, a mosque, a Sunday school and a banquet hall.
Where did Circassian Americans come from?
From Turkey, Jordan, Syria and Russia, in several waves from the early 20th century on.
Is there a film about Circassians in New Jersey?
Yes: Butterfly Jam (2026) by Kantemir Balagov follows the Circassian diaspora in New Jersey. It opened the Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes in May 2026.
Sources
- Wikipedia (English), “Circassian Americans”. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circassian_Americans
- Wikipedia (English), “Paterson, New Jersey”. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paterson,_New_Jersey
- Wikipedia (English), “Butterfly Jam”. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butterfly_Jam
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