Find Your Ancestors

Arabs Who Lived in New York City, 1880-1900

Linda K. Jacobs

Below is a series of spreadsheets listing the first Arab immigrants to emigrate to New York City in the late 19th Century. Linda K. Jacobs created these databases as part of the research for her book, Strangers in the West, which tells the story of the Syrian colony on the Lower West Side of Manhattan, where America’s first Arab immigrants settled between 1880 and 1900. This is an invaluable resource for Americans of Arab descent who want to trace their roots.

These sheets are being continuously updated, so check back frequently.

If you use data from these spreadsheets, please cite as: “Linda K. Jacobs, Strangers in the West: The Syrian Colony of New York City, 1880-1900. Accessed at www.KalimahPress.com.” Send comments and corrections to info@kalimahpress.com.

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Sheet 1: Arabs Living in NYC, 1880-1900

This spreadsheet lists all of the Arabs who lived in NYC sometime between 1880 and 1900. Scroll through this database organized by surname for detailed demographic information, including the names of family members, immigration date, birth date, place of birth, religion, if known, and death date. Go to Sheet 4 on this page to find source material for this sheet.

Sheet 2: Syrians in the 1890 NYC Police Census

This spreadsheet lists all of the Arabs who were identified in the fragmentary 1890 NYC Police Census. It’s organized by surname and includes age, gender, and address for each person.

Sheet 3: Arabs in New York in the 1900 Federal Census

This spreadsheet lists all of the Arabs who were identified in the 1900 Federal census. It’s organized by surname and includes detailed demographic information, including the names of family members, home address, immigration date, occupation, and other useful data.