Algerian Americans
Algerian Americans are Americans who are of Algerian descent or Algerians who have American citizenship. According to the 2000 United States Census, there are over 8,000 Americans of Algerian descent. After Algeria's war of independence, which ended in 1962, many Algerian students immigrated to the US to enroll in universities. Other Algerians, including scientists and doctors, also emigrated to the US to live there permanently. In the 1990s many Algerians were persecuted in their homeland for their political views which, together with the lack of jobs there, forced many of them to emigrate. However, the European Union  limited the number of North Africans who could emigrate to its member countries, which diverted most of Algerian emigration to the US, which had increased the number of work visas for people from North Africa. Algerian communities are established in major cities such as New York, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and Chicago. Algerians in Chicago commemorate the anniversary of the start of the war between Algeria and France that led to their country's independence every November 1.