
The Turkish American community serves as an integral bridge between Turkey and the United States, and Turkish Americans make essential contributions to the U.S. through their talent and hard work. There are an estimated 350,000 to 500,000 Americans of Turkish descent living throughout the country, with the largest concentrations being in the New York/New Jersey area and in California. U.S. authorities have identified the Turkish American community as a "Key Heritage Community" and the U.S. State Department has designated Turkish as a “critical language.”