The descendants of Hokkien Chinese originated mainly from Fujian (also called Min Nan) Province in China. Many due to China's cultural revolution migrated to other Asian countries. As a result, the Hokkien Chinese in North America predominantly originate from Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Indonesia.

In Taiwan, the common Chinese dialect, especially in southern Taiwan, is Hokkien. However, s everal variances of the Hokkien dialect are spoken in the United States depending upon the speaker's country of origin. The Hokkien language, also known as Fukienese or Taiwanese, is part of subgroup of the Min Nan language, as is Teochew Chinese.

The majority of Hokkien Chinese grow up in an environment of idol worship, ancestral worship, and strong teachings of filial piety. Their religion, no different than many other Chinese people groups, has a multitude of stories, performances, rituals, customs, beliefs, sacred objects and places, deities, festivals, and folk practices.

The main deity in a Hokkien temple is Fazhugong or Zhanggong shengju. This deity, with long hair and carrying a sword, originally came from the Yongchun district (of Fujian province, China). A notable sight in Hokkien households is the display of three or more generations of ancestral tablets at the family altar, besides other deities. For the typical Hokkien family, a distinct ritual follows when a death occurs—holes are made to the deceased’s pockets to prevent him or her from taking away the family’s wealth.

There are several noteworthy temples. The Xi Lai Temple, a Buddhist temple near Monterey Park, California is the largest overseas temple of Foguanshan center in Taiwan, a Zen Buddhist center. Also worth mentioning are the Jade Buddha Temple in Houston and the Zhuangyen Monastery in Carmel, New York.

California has the largest number of Hokkien Chinese, followed by New York, Texas, and New Jersey.