Romanian-American Community in Michigan

Romanians and Romanian-Americans, an ethnic group forming a distinct segment of American Society, are approaching a century of existence in Michigan.
The earliest Romanian immigrants at the end of the last century arrived in America on an individual basis. They were mostly tradesmen and apprentices who had previously left their native towns of their country.

Once hey were on their own, they became more independent, adventurous and desirous to better themselves. These isolated Romanians started to write to relatives and friends in their native villages to join them.

Painting a rosy picture of the many advantages to be gained here, a veritable flood of Romanians started to find their way to America. They brought up families, built homes, and became naturalized citizens and a part of the American scene in many cities. To them we owe the founding, organizing, building and maintenance of the Romanian churches, halls and other institutions, which they bequeathed to the Romanian generations born in this country, and more recently to the Romanian new comers who arrived after World War II.

Historically, Detroit was considered to comprise the largest concentration of Romanians, but no longer holds the position due to the increase in immigration to the New York City and Southern California areas in the past decade. We can approximate that the number of Romanian-American in Michigan is somewhere between 40,000-60,000.

Currently, the community supports nineteen ethnic churches in Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb Counties, with their corresponding religious, education and parish auxiliaries, five Union & League fraternal lodges affiliated in a central association, an AMVETS Veteran Post, athletic teams, and a number of folklore and folk dance assembles.

Michigan is the headquarters of both Romanian Orthodox dioceses of North America, and is the location of a Romanian Orthodox Monastery for women in Rives Junction. The Romanian-American Heritage Center, the unique repository of documentation related to Romanian immigration to North America, was founded in 1975, and is located in Grass-Lake. The "Solia", "Credinta", and "Information Bulletin" of the Heritage Center, and also "Lumea Romaneasca", periodicals with national and international circulation, are published in the state, and Romanian Radio Language program "Romanian Hour" are well known in the Romanian Community.

The Romanian-American fraternal and religious institutions are the most visible evidence of the existence of the ethnic group, for both Romanians and for American society.

Romanian Churches in Michigan
Romanian-American Heritage Center
MIROL(Organization of Romanian Students from University of Michigan)                                                                                          
ARMS (Association of Romanians at Michigan State University)

See some of the Romanian sculptures made by  Vasile Achim Romanian artist from Michigan.

For more information about the Romanian-American Community, check the Romanian Embassy in Washington D.C. home page.