The second wave of immigration from the Muslim world to the United States began in the mid-19th century. These immigrants mostly consisted of unskilled and uneducated Arabs from Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Palestine. While the majority of these immigrants were Arab Christians, many were also reported to have been Muslim. Some of these immigrants were sojourners or Arab refugees, fleeing war and the political strife of their native countries. This second wave of immigration came to a standstill when the Immigration Act of 1924 was passed. During the next 40 years, Muslim immigration to America was extremely low due to the act, which nearly shut immigration doors to non-European immigrants. Very few Soviet Muslims did make their way to America during that period as refugees. The third wave of Muslim immigration began in the mid 1960s, following the passage of the Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1965. The act opened the doors to millions of immigrants around the world, focusing more on skilled immigrants and family reunions. The United States witnessed a large wave of immigration from Muslim-majority countries. New York City and the surrounding area reportedly had the largest population of Muslims and represented every nationality and subgroup of Muslims.
