List of Arab Americans
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is a list of famous Arab Americans.
| Lists of famous Americans |
| by U.S. state |
| by ethnicity: |
| African American |
| Albanian | Arab |
| Armenian | Australian |
| Austrian | Bahamian |
| Bangladeshi | Belgian |
| Brazilian | Bulgarian |
| Cajun |
| Cambodian | Chinese |
| Croatian | Cuban |
| Danish | Dutch |
| English | Estonian |
| Filipino | Finnish |
| French |
| German | Greek |
| | Hmong |
| Hungarian |
| Indian | Iranian |
| Irish | Italian |
| Israeli |
| Jamaican | Japanese |
| Jewish | Korean |
| Laotian |
| Louisiana Creole |
| Mexican |
| Muslim |
| Native American |
| Native Hawaiian |
| Norwegian | Polish |
| Portuguese | Romanian |
| Russian | Salvadoran |
| Scots-Irish | Scottish |
| Swedish | Swiss |
| Taiwanese | Ukrainian |
| Vietnamese | Welsh |
Contents |
[edit] Academics
- Dr. Elias Corey, organic chemistry professor at Harvard University and 1990 Nobel Prize winner in Chemistry[1]
- Dr. Michael E. DeBakey, pioneering American-Lebanese cardiovascular surgeon and researcher[2]
- Dr. Farouk El-Baz, Research Professor and Director of the Center for Remote Sensing at Boston University.[3]
- Dr. Charles Elachi, Professor of electrical engineering and planetary science at Caltech and director of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory
- Dr. Taher Elgamal, Egyptian-American cryptographer and doctor in computer science
- Dr. Samih Farsoun Sociology professor at the American University [4]
- Michel T. Halbouty, famous American-Lebanese geologist and geophysicist, pioneer in oil field research[5] [6] [7]
- Dr. Edward Said, Palestinian-American literary theorist and former professor at Columbia University
- Dr. Wafa Sultan, psychiatrist; critic of fundamental Islam
- Dr. Elias Zerhouni, director of the National Institutes of Health, appointed by George W. Bush in May 2002
- Dr. Ahmed H. Zewail, physics professor at Caltech, and 1999 winner of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry
[edit] Business
- Najeeb Halaby [8]
- Steve Jobs, head of Apple, biological father was Syrian[9]
- Mario Kassar, formerly headed Carolco Pictures [10]
- John Mack, CEO of investment bank Morgan Stanley (Lebanese parents)[11]
- Sam Maloof
- Maloof family, majority owners of the Sacramento Kings and the Palms Casino Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada
- Sam Moore, the founder and president of Thomas Nelson Publishers, the largest world-wide distributor of the Bible
- Jacques Nasser, former president and CEO of Ford Motor Company
- Paul Orfalea, founder of Kinko's photocopy stores [12]
[edit] Writers
- Edward Abboud, political writer, author of Invisible Enemy: Israel, Politics, Media, and American Culture [39]
- Diana Abu-Jaber, novelist, author of Arabian Jazz, Crescent, The Language of Baklava
- Elia Abu Madi (Madey), author
- Etel Adnan, poet, essayist, and visual artist
- Catherine Filloux, French-Algerian-American playwright
- Joseph Geha, author of Through and Through
- Kahlil Gibran, author
- Lawrence Joseph, poet
- Mikhail Naimy, Nobel Prize-nominated author
- Ameen Rihani, author, "father of Arab American literature"
- Mona Simpson, author of Anywhere But Here, The Lost Father, A Regular Guy
[edit] Performers
- Paula Abdul, part Syrian
- Moustapha Akkad
- Paul Anka, singer and songwriter (Lebanese)[13]
- Jim Avila (half Lebanese), correspondent for ABC News "20/20"
- Dick Dale, surf rock guitarist (Lebanese father) [14]
- Jenna Dewan (1980 - ), film/TV actress (Step Up)[15]
- Shannon Elizabeth (1973 - ), film actress ("American Pie", "Scary Movie")[16]
- Jamie Farr, character actor[17]
- Hala Gorani, CNN anchor (French Syrian) [18]
- Khrystyne Haje
- Selma Hayek, actress (Lebanese father), born in Mexico-works in US
- Anissa Jones, actress (Lebanese grandparents)
- Casey Kasem, radio personality and voice actor [19]
- Kerri Kasem, TV hostess
- Mike Kasem, actor
- Herbert Khaury, aka Tiny Tim (Lebanese father) [20]
- Wendie Malick (1950 - ), actress and former fashion model[21]
- Kurtis Mantronik (Syrian father), born Kurtis el Khaleel, remixer and producer, founding member of 1980's old school hip hop group Mantronix
- Kristy McNichol, co-star on "Empty Nest" [22]
- Kathy Najimy, actress of Lebanese descent [23]
- George Noory (1950 - ), radio broadcaster, as of 2006, the weekday host of the late-night radio talk show Coast to Coast AM.[24]
- Jehane Noujaim[25]
- Michael Nouri
- Naomi Shihab Nye[26]
- Dean Obeidallah [27]
- Diane Rehm, public radio host (Egyptian mother)
- Tom Shadyac
- Shakira, half Lebanese and half Catalan
- Tony Shalhoub (1953 - ), three-time Emmy Award-winning television and film actor (Monk)[28]
- James Stacy
- Vic Tayback, actor, Syrian
- Danny Thomas, actor, Lebanese [29]
- Marlo Thomas, half Lebanese
- Tony Thomas, half Lebanese
- Amy Yasbeck, half Lebanese
- David Yazbek, half Arabian
- Frank Zappa (part Lebanese father)[30]
[edit] Military
- John Abizaid, Lebanese[31]
- James Jabara
- George Joulwan
- Ahmed Qusai al-Taayie, a Specialist in the United States Army who was kidnapped by insurgents in Baghdad, Iraq, on October 23, 2006
[edit] Politics
- James Abdnor
- James Abourezk [32]
- Spencer Abraham
- Victor G. Atiyeh
- John Baldacci
- Mitchell Daniels, Governor of Indiana
- Pat Danner, former member of Congress
- Brigitte Gabriel, founder of the American Congress For Truth
- Philip Habib, Diplomat of Lebanese descent
- Lisa Halaby, married King Hussein of Jordan and became the only Arab American to be queen of a foreign country, Queen Noor
- Darrell Issa, conservative Californian Congressman
- Chris John
- Abraham Kazen, south Texas Congressman
- Ray LaHood, Illinois Congressman of Lebanese descent
- George J. Mitchell
- Ralph Nader, Lebanese [33]
- James Naifeh, the Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives
- Mary Rose Oakar, former member of the United States House of Representatives
- Nick Rahall, U.S. Congressman
- Donna Shalala
- John E. Sununu, Senator from New Hampshire, son of John H. Sununu
- John H. Sununu, former Governor of New Hampshire
[edit] Sports
- Alaa Abdelnaby, NBA player (Egyptian)
- Mark Copani, half Italian half Jordanian-Arab professional wrestler, known for his controversial yet highly memorable Muhammed Hassan character whilst in the WWE
- Vince Dooley
- Doug Flutie, NFL player (Lebanese)
- Jeff George, NFL quarterback
- Sam Khalifa
- Khalid Khannouchi, athlete marathon runner
- Bobby Rahal
- Rony Seikaly [34]
[edit] Others
- Joseph Abboud (1950 - ), menswear fashion designer and author[35]
- Reem Acra
- William Peter Blatty, author of The Exorcist
- Halim El-Dabh, composer (Egyptian)
- Emilio Estefan, Cuban-born, manager and producer of wife Gloria Estefan
- Ismail al-Faruqi
- Gibran Khalil Gibran, Lebanese poet and artist
- Hussein Ibish
- Hoda Kotb
- Candice Lightner (Lebanese mother), founder of MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving)[36]
- Edward L. Masry, lawyer
- Walid Rabah
- Karim Rashid
- Anthony Shadid [37]
- Helen Thomas, journalist (Lebanese)[37]
- John Zogby, pollster for Zogby International (Lebanese)
- James Zogby
[edit] References
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ [1]
- ^ [2] "The Lebanese American University honored Dr. Michael E. DeBakey..." [3] "His parents were Lebanese immigrants Raheehja DeBakey and Shaker Morris"
- ^ [4]
- ^ [5]
- ^ [6]
- ^ [7]
- ^ [8]
- ^ [9]
- ^ [10]
- ^ [11]
- ^ http://www.horatioalger.org/members/member_info.cfm?memberid=MAC03
- ^ [12]
- ^ [13]
- ^ [14]
- ^ Dewan - [15] "I had a small role as Devi, the daughter of a Sikh-American – I’m half-Lebanese as it is."
- ^ [16] "The half-Syrian, half-Lebanese actress..."
- ^ [17] "The Lebanese son of a Toledo grocer received a "Star" on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1985."
- ^ [18]
- ^ [19]
- ^ [20]
- ^ Malick - [21] "Victoria Reggie Kennedy welcomed Arab American actress and star of the hit series "Just Shoot Me" Wendie Malick" [22] "Wendie Malick whose father is from Egypt"
- ^ [23]
- ^ [24]
- ^ Noory - [25] "One more point of commonality -- both Farah and Noory are Lebanese"
- ^ [26]
- ^ [27]
- ^ [28]
- ^ Shalhoub - [29] "Tony Shalhoub, who is Lebanese..."
- ^ [30]
- ^ Zappa - [31] "My ancestry is Sicilian, Greek, Arab and French. My mother's mother was French and Sicilian, and her Dad was Italian (from Naples). She was first generation. The Greek-Arab side is from my Dad..."
- ^ [32]
- ^ [33]
- ^ [34]
- ^ [35]
- ^ Abboud - [36] "Lebanese Abboud was the first designer to win the CFDA award as Best Menswear Designer two years in a row..."
- ^ Lightner - [37] "The press would never print that I was an Arab-American. So, when I started doing live media, I'd bring it up."
- ^ a b [38]
[edit] Web sites
- "Calling Helen Thomas" about Anthony Shadid, and Hoda Kotb
- "I Want My Son to be Proud" by Casey Kasem
- "Famous Arab Americans"
- "Children of Al-Mahjar: Arab American Literature Spans a Century" -- by Elmaz Abinader
