[3] The first immigrants from Malta to the United States arrived during the mid-eighteenth century to the city of New Orleans, Louisiana.
Detroit, Michigan, with jobs in the expanding automobile industry, drew the largest share of immigrants.
A significant percentage of early Maltese immigrants intended to stay only temporarily for work, but many settled in the US permanently.
This program led to increased emigration by the people of the island and made up approximately 8,000 Maltese who arrived to the United States between the years 1947 and 1977.
[7] As in their country of origin, Maltese Americans predominantly practice Roman Catholicism as their religion.