Ethnic groups in Omaha, Nebraska facts for kids

Omaha, Nebraska, has been home to many different groups of people since it was founded in 1854. Before that, Native American tribes lived here for hundreds of years. When Omaha was first settled, many white Americans came from nearby Council Bluffs, Iowa.

Over time, people from all over Europe moved to Omaha. African Americans also moved here from the southern United States. More recently, people from Mexico and various parts of Africa have made Omaha their home. All these different groups have helped shape Omaha's jobs, culture, religions, and social life.

In 1899, writer Rudyard Kipling visited Omaha and noted that the city seemed full of people from Germany, Poland, Hungary, and other Eastern European countries. By the 1920s, Omaha was very diverse. More than half of the city's population were new immigrants or their children.

Why People Came to Omaha

The first count of people in Nebraska was in 1854. It showed 2,732 residents in the whole territory, not counting Native Americans. After Nebraska became a state in 1867, the 1870 census counted 122,993 people.

After Omaha was founded in 1854, many European immigrants came looking for work. They found jobs in the growing railroad, stockyard, and meatpacking industries. Some people had tried farming in Nebraska but then moved to Omaha for work. Others were just passing through on their way to other western states but ended up staying in Omaha.

Omaha's Population in the 1900s

In 1900, Omaha had 102,555 people. About 23% of them (23,255 people) were immigrants. By 1910, the city's population grew to 124,096, with 27,179 immigrants. The number of African Americans in Omaha doubled between 1910 and 1920.

After 1910, the different ethnic groups in the city became more stable. By 1920, only 19% of the population was born outside the U.S. By 1930, when Omaha had 214,066 people, the U.S. government had limited immigration from Europe. In that year's census, immigrants made up 14% of the city's total population.

The U.S. Census didn't always show everyone. For example, there were about 10,000 people with Danish backgrounds and 7,000 with Czech backgrounds. Many Russian Jews came to the U.S. to escape unfair treatment and found jobs in Omaha. Most Italian people came directly to Omaha from southern Italy and Sicily after arriving in port cities, also looking for work.

In 1907, a U.S. Senate group called the Dillingham Commission looked into the meatpacking industry in Omaha. They found that a very high number of workers were immigrants. Only 17.4% of all workers were born in the U.S. to U.S.-born fathers. This showed how important foreign-born workers were to Omaha's industries. The report also mentioned that there was strong prejudice against Greeks, which led to a riot that drove them out of the community.

Omaha had a much higher percentage of foreign-born residents than the rest of Nebraska or the U.S. from 1900 to 1930. This made Omaha an "immigrant city," much like Chicago, Detroit, and New York City.

Native Americans in Omaha

Omaha was originally the land of several Native American tribes, including the Pawnee, Otoe, Sioux, and Ioway. The Omaha nation was very powerful along the Missouri River in the late 1700s and early 1800s.

In the 1870s, the U.S. government forced the Pawnee people to move to Oklahoma. However, their chief, Sitting Bear, brought some of his people back to Omaha to fight for their lands. Native Americans have continued to live in Omaha since the city was founded.

African Americans in Omaha

The first recorded Black person in the Omaha area was York, who came with the Lewis and Clark Expedition in 1804. In 1819, other Black people, likely enslaved, lived near Fort Lisa. The first free Black person in Nebraska was Sally Bayne, who moved to Omaha in 1854.

In the 1860s, the U.S. Census showed 81 "Negroes" in Nebraska, with most living in Omaha. By the early 1880s, Omaha had about 500 Black residents. A neighborhood grew in North Omaha, with Black-owned businesses, churches, and homes.

By 1910, Omaha's African-American population was 4,426, one of the largest in the Western U.S. The growing meatpacking industry attracted many African American workers. From the 1920s to the 1950s, North Omaha was a popular destination for African Americans moving from the South during the Great Migration.

During this time, the African-American community in Omaha thrived. There were many Black-owned businesses, doctors, dentists, and lawyers. Over twenty clubs and organizations were active, and churches were very important.

Asians in Omaha

The first Asians in Omaha were Chinese immigrants. They worked as laborers building the First Transcontinental Railroad. Later, in the 1900s, Japanese people came to Omaha to work in the stockyards.

Czechs in Omaha

In the 1860s, many Czechs from Bohemia and Moravia came to Nebraska. Newspaper editors from Bohemia, like Edward Rosewater, encouraged their countrymen to come to Omaha, promising free land. By 1880, Czechs were a large group in the city. Their main neighborhood was called Little Bohemia, and some historic businesses from that time are still there today. Czechs had a strong voice in Omaha's politics and culture. They owned banks, stores, and funeral homes. The Notre Dame Academy and Convent and Czechoslovak Museum show their early influence on the city.

Danes in Omaha

The first Danes in Nebraska arrived in Florence with the Mormons in the 1840s. In the 1920s, Danes were a very important ethnic group in Omaha, more so than in many other U.S. cities.

Germans in Omaha

The first German in the Omaha area arrived in 1832, more than 20 years before the city was founded. Starting in the 1860s, many Germans came to Omaha. They built their own churches and often spoke German in their daily lives and businesses. Many young German immigrants from Omaha fought in the Civil War. The German community also helped start Omaha's beer brewing industry, with famous breweries like Metz, Krug, and Storz.

Germans built many churches throughout Omaha. They also had several German-language newspapers. The Omaha Bee newspaper used a slogan that showed how many Germans felt loyal to both Germany and America. Later, more Germans came to Omaha for work and to escape problems in Germany.

The German community in Omaha quickly mixed with other groups throughout the city. They lived in neighborhoods like the Near North Side, Florence, and South Omaha. Germans were well-respected, and their education system influenced others. In the early 1900s, Germans in Omaha successfully added German culture, history, and language lessons to local public schools.

However, during World War I, strong anti-German feelings spread across the country. By 1919, Germans in Omaha faced discrimination. Many German-language newspapers had to switch to English or close. By World War II, many unique German institutions in Omaha, like stores and German-language churches, had either disappeared or welcomed people from all backgrounds.

Greeks in Omaha

The Greek community in Omaha started in the 1880s. They came to the city for railroad jobs and quickly grew, forming a large neighborhood in South Omaha called "Greek Town." After a major riot in 1909, the community struggled to fully recover. However, today Omaha has two Greek Orthodox churches, and Greek identity remains strong.

Irish in Omaha

Irish immigrants in Omaha first lived in an area in North Omaha called "Gophertown," where they lived in simple dugouts. Later, they joined Polish immigrants in the Sheelytown neighborhood.

Italians in Omaha

Omaha's first Italian neighborhood grew south of downtown. Many Italian immigrants came to work in the Union Pacific railroad shops. South 10th Street and South 6th Street were important centers for this community.

Jews in Omaha

Most Jews in Omaha came from Russia and other Eastern European countries. They helped build the strong business area on North 24th Street, which is now a center for Omaha's African American community. Jewish people kept their strong religious and educational traditions. Some were involved in labor organizing and other social movements in the city.

Mexicans in Omaha

Mexicans first moved to Omaha to work in the rail yards. Today, they make up most of the Hispanic population in South Omaha.

Poles in Omaha

Polish immigrants mainly lived in the Sheelytown neighborhood. Many of them worked in the Omaha Stockyards.

Russians in Omaha

In the early 1890s, many Russian Jews moved to Omaha. They were escaping attacks and unfair rules in places like Kiev, Ukraine. They started as street vendors and shop owners along North 24th Street in the Near North Side neighborhood. They kept their strong religious and educational traditions. Some became involved in workers' rights movements and other efforts to improve the city.

Swedes in Omaha

Swedes first came to Omaha as Mormon settlers in the Florence neighborhood. They built many important places throughout the city, including hospitals, churches, and schools. Swedes also started several social clubs, like the Noon Day Scandinavian Club.

Other Groups in Omaha

During the 1900s, several hundred Welsh, English, and Canadian immigrants lived in Omaha. There were also enough Chinese, Japanese, and Syrian people to be noted in special booklets. Smaller groups of Lithuanians, Serbs, Croats, and Belgians also lived in the city.

Omaha in the 21st Century

In 2000, U.S. census numbers showed 2,010 American Indians in Omaha, making up 0.5% of the city's population. Creighton University in Omaha hosts an annual American Indian Leadership Conference for college students. They also have a Native American Retreat that brings high school students from across the U.S. to the city, ending with the University’s All-Nations Pow Wow. Creighton was the first college in Nebraska to offer a Native American Studies major, and the program has grown a lot since 1995.

People continue to move to Omaha, though at a slower rate. Recently, more Latino people from Central and South America have immigrated. Today, 9.3% of Omaha's residents are Hispanic, making them the fastest-growing minority group. This population grew from 10,729 in 1990 to 29,434 in 2000, a huge increase. It was expected to grow even more by 2010.

A growing number of African immigrants have also made Omaha their home. About 8,500 Sudanese people live in Omaha, making it the largest group of Sudanese refugees in the U.S. Many Sudanese have moved to Omaha since 1995 because of war in their home country. They come from ten different tribes, including the Nuer and Dinka. Most Sudanese people in Omaha speak the Nuer language. Other Africans also live in Omaha, with many from Nigeria, Kenya, Togo, Cameroon, and Ghana.

Omaha Metro Area Diversity

The larger Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area is also becoming more diverse. Here's how the ethnic groups in the metro area compared to the entire United States in 2005:

Times of Tension

Sometimes, the many changes in Omaha's population have led to social tensions. Since the 1880s, there have been times of racial tension in Omaha.

In 1905, over 800 students in South Omaha protested Japanese students at their school. This was mainly because the Japanese students were children of workers who had been brought in by the stockyards the year before during a strike.

In 1909, a Greek immigrant was arrested. During the arrest, an Irish police officer was shot. A large crowd of 3,000 men and boys gathered outside the jail. When they found out the prisoner had been moved, the crowd attacked Greektown, a local Greek neighborhood. They forced Greek residents to leave, destroyed businesses, and tore down 30 buildings.

The worst racial tension in Omaha happened during the Omaha Race Riot of 1919. This was part of a difficult time called "Red Summer," when other industrial cities also had serious riots. In Omaha, an African-American worker named Will Brown was killed by a mob. The city's mayor was also almost harmed. The U.S. Army arrived to help, but many believed heavy rains helped calm things down.

Local efforts for civil rights began in the 1940s, along with organizing workers in the meatpacking industry. African Americans made some progress. However, changes in the railroad and meatpacking industries caused Omaha to lose many jobs, slowing the economy. Poverty became more common in North Omaha. In the mid-to-late 1960s, riots happened in the African-American community.

On July 4, 1966, a crowd of African Americans gathered and reacted against the police. Three days of unrest followed, causing a lot of damage to the North 24th Street area. A month later, on August 1, 1966, more unrest happened after a young man was shot.

Two years later, on March 4, 1968, high school and university students protested a political campaign. When others attacked the young activists, police actions led to many injuries. An African-American youth was shot and killed. Students then damaged property. The next day, a local barber named Ernie Chambers helped calm a disturbance at a junior high school. Chambers later became a community leader and served many years in the Nebraska State Legislature.

The last major unrest happened on June 24, 1969. Young African Americans in North Omaha protested after a teenager named Vivian Strong was shot by police. Businesses along North 24th Street were damaged. These events continued for several days.