Yemeni diaspora
Yemeni diaspora refers to Yemeni migrants and their descendants who, whether by choice or coercion, emigrated from Yemen and now reside in other countries.
In the United Kingdom there are between 70,000 and 80,000 Yemenis. An estimated 10,000 Yemenis in Birmingham, making about 1% of the city's population. Other Yemenis also reside in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Bahrain, as well as Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, and the former USSR. Over 20,000 Yemenis reside in the United States, and around 3,000 live in Italy.
A smaller number of modern-day Pakistanis are of Yemeni descent, their original ancestors having left Yemen for the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia over four centuries ago.[1]
In 2015, due to the conflict in Yemen, many have migrated to the northern coasts of Djibouti and Somalia.
Yemenite Jews in Israel
Almost 350,000 Yemenite Jews live in Israel. Yemenite Jews have a unique religious tradition that marks them out as separate from Ashkenazi, Sephardi and other Jewish groups. Yemenite Jews are generally described as belonging to "Mizrahi Jews", though they differ from the general trend of Mizrahi groups in Israel, which have undergone a process of total or partial assimilation to Sephardic culture and Sephardic liturgy.
Avigdor Kahalani originating from Yemen was a former Israeli soldier and politician and Israeli Minister of Internal Security and member of the Knesset, the Israeli Parliament. Ofra Haza was a famous Israeli singer most known for "Im Nin'alu" and for representing Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest 2007 with "Hi". Dana International of mixed Yemeni and Romanian origin won Eurovision Song Contest 1998 representing Israel with "Diva". Both Haza and Dana International have also sung in Arabic and in Yemeni dialects. Bo'az Ma'uda also of Yemeni descent represented Israel in Eurovision Song Contest 2008 with "The Fire in Your Eyes".
Very active names of Yemeni (or partial Yemeni) origin particularly in Israeli Mizrahi music include Zohar Argov, Daklon, Eyal Golan, Zion Golan, Yishai Levi, Avihu Medina, Haim Moshe, Shimi Tavori, Margalit Tzan'ani amongst others.
Notable Yemenis of the diaspora
- Sadam Ali, American boxer
- Hakim Almasmari, Yemeni American journalist, editor of Yemen Post
- Sharifa Alkhateeb, American writer, researcher and teacher on cultural communication and community building for Islam and Muslims in the United States, of mixed yemeni Czech origin
- Naseem Hamed, British boxer
- Norman Hassan, British musician, member of UB40
- Ilhan Omar, Somali American politician and legislator from Minnesota of Yemeni descent
- Adam Saleh, American entrepreneur, vlogger, musician of Yemeni descent
- Jade Thirlwall, member of English band Little Mix
- Khalid Yafai, British boxer
- Gamal Yafai, British boxer