Romanian American Food

Romanian immigration to the United States began in 1880. During the first wave, a total of 146,000 Romanians from Transylvania, Bucovina, and Moldavia left their homes in hopes of providing a better life for their families. They settled in cities such as New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, and Los Angeles. In 1901, during this initial wave, the first Romanian restaurant opened in New York City as a place for Romanians to gather and feel a sense of community.

World War II marked the beginning of a second wave of immigration. In 1947, approximately thirty thousand refugees fled to avoid communist persecution. Small numbers of immigrants continued to follow their lead up until the late 1980s. After the fall of Communism in 1989, the desire to start a new life in America remained strong, and a third wave of immigration began. As of the year 2000, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated that there are over 360,000 Romanians living in the United States.