The Arrival of Muslims in America

 The Arrival of Muslims in America

Long before the founding of the United States, Muslims were already setting foot in the Americas as navigators and explorers during the 16th-century Spanish expeditions. Among them was Estevanico (Esteban the Moor), a Moroccan-born explorer who arrived with the Spanish Narváez expedition in 1527. Mastering local Native American languages, he became a key guide and interpreter, becoming one of the first non-native explorers to traverse the American Southwest. Additionally, many Moriscos—Muslims from southern Spain skilled in seafaring—served as sailors on early transatlantic voyages.

Later, during the expansion of the plantation economy in the Americas, an estimated 10 to 30 percent of the Africans forcibly brought over through the transatlantic slave trade were Muslim. Educated Muslim scholars such as Omar ibn Said, Bilali Muhammad, and Abdul Rahman Ibrahima Sori endured the harsh brutality of slavery while steadfastly preserving their faith, literacy, and knowledge through Arabic manuscripts that survive to this day.

In modern American history, many Muslims from the Middle East and Islamic nations served as interpreters, local guides, and technical advisers alongside U.S. military and diplomatic forces during conflicts like those in Afghanistan (2001) and Iraq (2003). In recognition of their life-risking assistance, programs such as the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) initiative and operations like Operation Allies Refuge allowed them and their families to resettle in the United States.

Beyond these historic waves, countless Muslims have arrived by choice as voluntary immigrants, asylum seekers fleeing war and persecution, Diversity Visa (DV) lottery winners, merchants, entrepreneurs, and skilled professionals.

Thus, the story of Muslims coming to America cannot be reduced to just three distinct waves. From early navigators and enslaved Africans to wartime allies, immigrants, refugees, business owners, and scholars, the history of American Muslims has been built across centuries through a rich tapestry of journeys and experiences.

https://youtu.be/EBQelGvwkhE?si=eLVfb8nfbIaGcvHb

https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/arts-culture/bilali-mohammed/

https://www.loc.gov/collections/omar-ibn-said-collection/about-this-collection/

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Esteban-de-Dorantes

https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/estevanico

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