List of Arab Americans

There are many influential Arab Americans. This Influence is evident in sectors such as Business, engineering, entertainment, sports, and fine arts.

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

To be included in this list, the person must have a Wikipedia article showing they are Arab American or must have references showing they are Arab American and are notable.

List

Academics

• Zaha Hadid A Pritzker Architecture Prize laureate, famous for many iconic buildings around the world. (Iraqi)
• Imad-ad-Dean Ahmad teaches religion, science and freedom at the University of Maryland, College Park and directs the Minaret of Freedom Institute.
• Ismail al-Faruqi, philosopher, professor
• Fouad Ajami, Professor of International Relations
• Saddeka Arebi, professor of anthropology at UC Berkeley
• Mostafa El-Sayed, is a chemical physicist, a leading nanoscience researcher, a member of the National Academy of Sciences and a US National Medal of Science laureate. He is also known for the spectroscopy rule named after him, the El-Sayed rule.
• Farouk El-Baz, an Egyptian American scientist who worked with NASA to assist in the planning of scientific exploration of the Moon, including the selection of landing sites for the Apollo missions and the training of astronauts in lunar observations and photography.
• Elias Corey, organic chemistry professor at Harvard University and 1990 Nobel Prize winner in Chemistry (Lebanese parents)
• Nawal M. Nour, an obstetrician and gynecologist and 2003 Genius Award winner (Sudanese).
• Michael E. DeBakey, pioneering American-Lebanese cardiovascular surgeon and researcher
• Nassim Nicholas Taleb, Professor of Mathematics at the Polytechnic Institute of New York University
• Charles Elachi, Professor of electrical engineering and planetary science at Caltech and director of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (Lebanese)
• Taher ElGamal, Inventor of the ElGamal discrete log cryptosystem and the ElGamal signature scheme.
• Samih Farsoun Sociology professor at the American University
• Fawaz Gerges, ABC analyst, professor, regular guest on Oprah's Anti-war series (Lebanese parents)
• Michel T. Halbouty, famous Lebanese-American geologist and geophysicist, pioneer in oil field research
• Philip S. Khoury, Ford International Professor of History and Associate Provost at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Lebanese)
• Edward Said, Palestinian-American literary theorist and former professor at Columbia University
• Mohammed Adam El-Sheikh, executive director of the Fiqh Council of North America. (Sudanese)
• Donna Shalala, President of the University of Miami (Lebanese)
• Fawwaz Ulaby, (Ulaby was born in Damascus, Syria and grew up in Lebanon. He attended the American University of Beirut, from which he received a B.S. degree in physics in 1964). Former Vice President for Research of the University of Michigan and first Arab-American winner of the IEEE Edison Medal
• Ahmed Zewail, Egyptian-American professor at Caltech and winner of the 1999 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
• Elias Zerhouni, Algerian-American director of the National Institutes of Health, appointed by George W. Bush in May 2002,
• Nada Shabout, Professor of Art History at University of North Texas.

Business

• Moose Scheib, founder and CEO of Loanmod.com and inventor of the modern day loan modification
• Najeeb Halaby, former head of Federal Aviation Administration and CEO of Pan-American Airlines (Syrian father)
• Steve Jobs, head of Apple, biological father was Syrian
• Mario Kassar, formerly headed Carolco Pictures (Lebanese)
• John J. Mack, CEO of investment bank Morgan Stanley (Lebanese parents)
• Joe Sitt Real Estate developer and founder of Thor Equities (Syrian grandparents)
• Sam Maloof (Lebanese parents)
• Maloof family, (The Maloof family is a Lebanese family which owns numerous business properties in the Western United States, majority owners of the Sacramento Kings and the Palms Casino Hotel in Paradise, Nevada, Nevada
• Sam Moore, the founder and president of Thomas Nelson Publishers, the largest worldwide distributor of the Bible
• Paul Orfalea, Nicknamed "Kinko" because of his curly red hair, born in Los Angeles, California, to parents of Lebanese descent, founded the copy-chain Kinko's.
• Farouk Shami, founder of Farouk systems, a Houston based company that manufactures hair care and spa products like CHI hair Irons (Palestinian)
• Joseph Jacobs, founder of Jacobs Engineering, one of the leading engineering firms in the US (Lebanese)
• Alec Gores, founder of Gores Group. On the Forbes list of billionaires. (Palestinian)
• Tom Gores, founder and CEO of Platinum Equity. On the Forbes list of billionaires. (Palestinian)
• Sam Gores, founder of talent agency Paridigm Agency. On the Forbes list of billionaires. (Palestinian)
• Tamer M. Obied, Management Consultant, Booz & Company (Egyptian descent)
• Ramsey Khadder, Computer Programmer and CEO of RSKWare (Palestinian)

Media

• Jim Avila, correspondent for ABC News "20/20", half Lebanese
• Jamal Dajani, television producer and Middle East analyst, Palestinian
• Hala Gorani, CNN anchor, Syrian
• Hoda Kotb, TV host and journalist, Egyptian descent
• Anthony Shadid, journalist, Lebanese descent
• Helen Thomas, journalist, Lebanese
• RedOne,Music producer,Moroccan

Military

• John Abizaid, Lebanese
• James Jabara, Lebanese
• George Joulwan, Lebanese
• Ahmed Qusai al-Taayie, a Specialist in the United States Army who was kidnapped by insurgents in Baghdad, Iraq, on October 23, 2006

Performers

• F. Murray Abraham, Academy Award winner for role in Amadeus, father is from Syria
• Moustapha Akkad, film producer, Syrian-American
• Malek Jandali, composer & pianist, Syrian-American
• Ferras Alqaisi, singer-songwriter, Jordanian-American
• Tige Andrews, actor, Syrian-American
• Paul Anka, singer and songwriter, Lebanese parents Andy and Camelia Anka
• Jim Backus, actor/comedian, Lebanese
• Jeff Becerra, Death metal musician, Arab Mexican origin
• Yasmine Bleeth, Actress ("Baywatch") Mother is of Algerian Descent.
• Dick Dale, surf rock guitarist, father was of Lebanese descent
• Jenna Dewan, film/TV actress (Step Up), half-Lebanese
• Mohammed El-Bakkar, singer and band-leader, Lebanese immigrant to Brooklyn
• Shannon Elizabeth, film actress ("American Pie", "Scary Movie"), Lebanese and Syrian ancestry
• Emilio Estefan, Cuban-born, manager and producer of wife Gloria Estefan, Lebanese ancestry
• Amy Fadhli, fitness model, actress and winner of the Fitness America National Champion 1996, Iraqi father
• Rima Fakih, Miss USA 2010, Lebanese immigrant
• Jamie Farr, character actor, Lebanese
• Khrystyne Haje, actress on Head of the Class, Lebanese descent
• Sammy Hagar^{[citation needed]}, Rock musician
• Teri Hatcher, actress, mother of Syrian ancestry
• Salma Hayek, actress, (Mexican father of Lebanese-Assyrian ancestry), naturalized US citizen
• Paul Jabara, actor, singer, songwriter, Lebanese ancestry
• Anissa Jones, actress, Lebanese grandparents
• Aron Kader, comedian, Palestinian ancestry
• Remi Kanazi, performance poet, Palestinian descent
• Casey Kasem, radio personality and voice actor, Lebanese Druze descent
• Kerri Kasem, TV hostess, Lebanese descent; daughter of Casey
• Catherine Keener, Lebanese ancestry on mother's side
• Khaled Khaled, a.k.a. DJ Khaled popular Hip-Hop DJ for Fat Joe's Terror Squad group, Palestinian ancestry
• Ronnie Khalil, comedian and writer, Egyptian ancestry
• Herbert Khaury, aka Tiny Tim, musician, Lebanese father
• Kurtis Mantronik, born Kurtis el Khaleel, remixer and producer, founding member of 1980s old school hip hop group Mantronix, Syrian father
• Kristy McNichol, co-star on "Family" and "Empty Nest", Lebanese descent
• Wentworth Miller, actor on Prison Break, Lebanese-Syrian from mother's side
• Najee Mondalek, actor/playwright, Lebanese descent
• Alissa Musto, singer/pianist, of partial Arab descent. She has sold records in Germany and New Zealand and has received radio time in Australia.
• Kathy Najimy, actress, Lebanese descent
• George Noory radio broadcaster of late-night paranormal-themed radio talk show Coast to Coast AM, Lebanese
• Jehane Noujaim, film director, Egyptian-American
• Dean Obeidallah, comedian, Palestinian father
• Naomi Shihab Nye, poet/songwriter, Palestinian father
• Heather Raffo, actress/playwright, Iraqi father
• Tom Shadyac, comedian, Lebanese
• Tony Shalhoub, three-time Emmy Award-winning television actor on Monk, Lebanese
• Alia Shawkat, actress on Arrested Development, Iraqi father
• Soraya, singer/songwriter, mother is part-Lebanese
• James Stacy, actor, father is of Lebanese descent
• Vic Tayback, actor, Syrian parents
• Paola Turbay, actress, father is of Lebanese descent
• Danny Thomas, actor, Lebanese parents
• Marlo Thomas, actress, Lebanese descent
• Tony Thomas, producer, Lebanese descent
• Tiffany (singer), born Tiffany Renee Darwish, singer, father is of Lebanese descent
• Vince Vaughn, actor, Lebanese ancestry
• Karl Wolf, Lebanese-born Canadian musician
• Amy Yasbeck, actress, half Lebanese
• David Yazbek, songwriter and musician, half Lebanese
• Frank Zappa, musician, part Lebanese father
• Jerry Seinfeld, actor and comedian, Syrian Jewish mother
• Wendie Malick, actress, Egyptian father

Politics

• James Abdnor, U.S. Senator (D-S.D.) (1981–1987)
• James Abourezk, U.S. Senator (D-S.D.) (1973–1979) (Lebanese ancestry)
• Spencer Abraham, U.S. Secretary of Energy (2001–2005) and U.S. Senator (R-Mich.) (1995–2001) (Lebanese ancestry)
• Justin Amash, U.S. Representative, (R-Mich.)2009–) Palestinian and Syrian descent
• Victor G. Atiyeh, Governor of Oregon (R) (1979–1987)
• John Baldacci, Governor of Maine (D) (2003– ) (Lebanese mother)
• Mitchell Daniels, Governor of Indiana (R) (2005– ) (father is of Syrian descent)
• Pat Danner, U.S. Congresswoman (D-Mo.) (1993–2001)
• Brigitte Gabriel, pro-Israel activist and founder of the American Congress For Truth (immigrated from Lebanon)
• Philip Charles Habib, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs and Special Envoy to Ronald Reagan (Lebanese)
• Lisa Halaby (a.k.a. Queen Noor), Queen-consort of Jordan and wife of King Hussein of Jordan (father is of Syrian descent)
• Darrell Issa, U.S. Congressman (R-Cal.) (2001– ) (Lebanese father)
• Chris John, U.S. Congressman (D-La.) (1997–2005) (Lebanese ancestry)
• Abraham Kazen, U.S. Congressman (D-Texas) (1967–1985) (Lebanese ancestry)
• Ray LaHood, U.S. Congressman (R-Ill.) (1995–2009), U.S. Secretary of Transportation (2009– ) (Lebanese and Jordanian ancestry)
• George J. Mitchell, U.S. Senator (D-Maine) (1980–1995) (Lebanese mother)
• Ralph Nader, consumer advocate and frequent presidential candidate (Lebanese parents)
• Jimmy Naifeh, the Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives (D) (Lebanese ancestry)
• Mary Rose Oakar, U.S. Congresswoman (D-Ohio) (1977–1993)
• Jeanine Pirro, former Westchester County District Attorney and New York Republican attorney general candidate (Lebanese parents)
• Nick Rahall, U.S. Congressman (D-W.Va.) (1977– ) (Lebanese ancestry)
• Donna Shalala, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (1993–2001) (Lebanese parents)
• John E. Sununu, U.S. Senator (R-N.H.) (2003–2009) (father is of Lebanese and Palestinian ancestry)
• John H. Sununu, Governor of New Hampshire (R) (1983–1989) and Chief of Staff to George H.W. Bush (Lebanese and Palestinian ancestry)

Sports

• Hocine Khalfi, Algerian-American Pro Boxer
• Justin Abdelkader, an American ice hockey forward playing for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League (NHL).
• Omar Hassan, pro Skateboarder
• Dina Al-Sabah, She is of Kuwaiti descent.
• Doug Flutie, NFL player (Lebanese)
• Jeff George, NFL quarterback (Lebanese descent)
• Sam Khalifa
• Khalid Khannouchi, athlete marathon runner
• Bobby Rahal (Lebanese ancestry)
• Rony Seikaly (Lebanese descent)
• Kelly Slater
• Joe Lahoud, MLB player for Boston & California (Lebanese desecnt)
• Faryd Mondragón, MLS player for Philadelphia Union (Lebanese Parents)
• Alaa Abdelnaby, Played for Duke and 5 years in the NBA (Note: Abdelnaby is from Egypt's Coptic Christian community, whose members may not necessarily self-identify as Arab)
• Gibran Hamdan, NFL QB (Palestinian and Pakistani descent)
• Tarek Saleh, Former NFL LB/FB for the Carolina Panthers and Cleveland Browns.

Writers

• Gibran Khalil Gibran, author and member of the New York Pen League, well known for his best-selling book The Prophet Lebanese immigrant.
• Diana Abu-Jaber, novelist, author of Arabian Jazz and Crescent
• Elia Abu Madi, poet, publisher and member of the New York Pen League
• Etel Adnan, poet, essayist, and visual artist
• Lorraine Ali, (Iraqi) reporter, editor, culture writer and music critic for Newsweek.
• William Peter Blatty, author of The Exorcist
• Catherine Filloux, French-Algerian-American playwright
• Suheir Hammad, poet, playwright, artist, Tony Award winner, 2003 (Russel Simmons Presents Def Poetry Jam on Broadway)
• Samuel John Hazo, State Poet of Pennsylvania
• Lawrence Joseph, poet
• Daoud Kuttab, award winning Palestinian journalist. Ferris professor of journalism at Princeton University
• Lisa Suhair Majaj, poet and literary scholar
• Jack Marshall (author), poet and author (Iraqi father/Syrian mother)
• Khaled Mattawa, poet and recipient of an Academy of American Poets award
• Claire Messud, author, Algerian
• Mikhail Naimy, Nobel Prize-nominated author and member of the New York Pen League; well-known works include The Book of Mirdad and a biography of Khalil Gibran
• Naomi Shihab Nye, poet
• Ameen Rihani, "father of Arab American literature," member of the New York Pen League and author of The Book of Khalid, the first Arab American novel in English; also an ambassador
• Abraham Rihbany, writer on politics and religion
• Anthony Shadid
• Mona Simpson, author of Anywhere but Here

Others

• Anwar al-Awlaki believed by US officials to be a senior talent recruiter and motivator who was involved in planning terrorist operations for the Islamist militant group al-Qaeda.
• Saint Raphael of Brooklyn, The first Orthodox bishop to be consecrated in North America, born as Raphael Hawaweeny in Beirut of Damascene Syrian parents.
• Joseph Abboud (1950 – ), menswear fashion designer and author (Lebanese descent)
• Reem Acra – Is an internationally known Lebanese fashion designer.
• Nihad Awad, Palestinian & founding Executive Director of largest Muslim civil rights organization in the U.S., Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR)
• Wahbi Al-Hariri, artist and architect (Syrian) Knight of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (fr.)
• Rosemary Barkett, federal judge and first woman Justice and Chief Justice on the Florida Supreme Court (Syrian)
• Zaida Ben-Yusuf (1869–1933) portrait photographer. Ben-Yusuf was born in London to an Algerian Muslim father and a German mother of Algerian descent. She immigrated to New York in 1897.
• Charles Bishop suicide by plane crash in Tampa Florida, father was son of Syrian immigrant
• Hussein Ibish (Lebanese)
• Nabil Kanso, artist (Lebanese descent)
• Nidal Malik Hasan suspect in Fort Hood shootings
• Candice Lightner, founder of (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) MADD (Lebanese mother)
• Edward L. Masry, lawyer (Lebanese descent)
• Walid Rabah
• Karim Rashid (Lebanese descent)
• Zainab Salbi co-founder and president for Women for Women International (Iraqi)
• Nadya Suleman, "Octomom", father is Iraqi
• John Zogby, pollster for Zogby International (Lebanese descent)
• James Zogby, Arab-American civil rights activist (Arab-American Institute); brother of John (Lebanese descent)

See also

• List of Iraqi Americans
• List of Palestinian Americans
• Yemeni-American

External links

• 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