The first identifiable wave of immigration from Jordan to the United States occurred after the Second World War (1945). They first settled in Chicago, (especially in the Near West and Southwest Sides sections),^[3] New York City, and the Southwest and West Coast states (i.e. California). Over 5,000 Jordanians arrived to the United States in the 1950s.

These early migrants were businessmen and doctors, many returning with their families to Jordan after several years working or studying.^[3] In those early years, people in the Jordanian East Bank and West Bank Palestinians could travel to the United States with Jordanian passports, creating the undefined category "Palestinian – Jordanian."^[3]

In the mid 1960s, due to a change in U.S. immigration laws and the Six-Day War, the number of Jordanians who emigrated to the United States exceeded 11,000. At this time, the majority chose to settle in Western cities and in the southwest of the country, apart from wealthy Jordanians who felt more comfortable in the suburbs of large cities. Then in the 1970s, a civil war broke out in Jordan, prompting 27,535 Jordanians to emigrate to the USA. In the 1980s, the annual number totalled 2,500. The total number of Jordanian immigrants from 1820 to 1984 was 56,720. This wave was due to internal strife in Jordan as well as economic issues. Salaries in the United States were higher than in Jordan, which incentivized workers to immigrate.^[4]

Currently, the New York City Metropolitan Area, notably including Paterson, New Jersey, attracts the highest number of legal Jordanian immigrants admitted to the United States.^[5] The Little Ramallah community of South Paterson in New Jersey is home to a rapidly growing Jordanian immigrant population. Yonkers, New York has a sizeable Jordanian population.^[6] The Jordanian American community in Washington, DC held a candlelight vigil after the death of King Hussein. Chicago also maintains, even today, a large Jordanian population.^[3]

In the time period between World War II and the 1980s, most Jordanians who emigrated to the USA were married men aged 20- 39. Many were university graduates (30%), and worked in professional positions (40%).

One difference from other Middle Eastern immigrants is that they brought their families to the US. The cohesion of these communities has hindered their Americanization. Jordanians who are fluent in English have greater interaction with the majority population. Also, immigrants from urban areas of Jordan have adapted more quickly than those from rural areas. As with other immigrant groups, children raised in the United States integrate into American society more quickly than migrant adults. Jordanians generally speak Arabic, but many also speak English.^[4]