Estimates put the Kurdish American population somewhere between 50,000 and 100,000, spread across cities as different as Nashville, San Diego, Houston, and Washington D.C. Kurds began arriving in meaningful numbers in the 1970s and 1980s, with larger waves following the 1991 Gulf War and the conflicts of the 1990s. Each wave brought people with different regional backgrounds, dialects, and experiences, and the community that has taken shape reflects all of that complexity.

Today Kurdish Americans work in medicine, engineering, education, small business, and public service. The first generation built mosques, cultural centers, and grocery stores. The second generation is now running for local office, founding nonprofits, and raising children who speak Kurdish at home. The community is not a monolith — Kurmanji speakers and Sorani speakers, those from Turkey and those from Iraq, secular and observant families all share the same zip codes and the same aspirations.

KASA exists within this context. Our work is not just about preserving the past but about making sure the next generation has something real to inherit — a language, a set of traditions, and a sense of belonging that does not require them to choose between their heritage and their future.