Lipka Tatar Heritage Series | Episode One | Origins of the Lipka Tatars

This video is a layman’s account of the heritage of Lipka Tatar families who immigrated to New York City in the late 19th and early 20th centuries from Belarus, Lithuania, and Poland and formed a Lipka Tatar community centered in the Williamsburg area of Brooklyn, NY. This video, the Origins of the Lipka Tatars, describes the history of the Lipka Tatars from the beginnings of the Mongol Empire that formed an ethnic culture still observed by many Lipka Tatar descendents today. The series was inspired by a 2018 “Heritage“ trip made by 16 American Lipka Tatars to visit the land of their ancestors. These 16 Americans were descendants of 500 original Lipka Tatars who immigrated to America and settle in the New York City area. The trip was documented by journalist Ryan Schuessler. His article, written for the public radio program, The World, can be found through this link: