99 Arab American Men {Resource}
April is National Arab American Heritage Month, celebrating the contributions Arabs have made to American culture and history.
The immigrants that spoke Arabic arrived in various times in US history from the 22 Arab countries in the Middle East and North Africa, also called MENA.
US Representative (D-MI) Debbie Dingell introduced the month into the 115th Congress, 1st Session on April 5, 2017 to recognize the vital role that the Arab American community plays in American’s civic life.
From the Congressional Record:
Arab Americans embody the core values of our country through their initiative, work ethic and dedication to faith and family, and their contributions to the United States are worthy of commendation.
A few years ago I compiled a list of 99 Arab American women and thought I would follow it up with a list of Arab American men that have made vital contributions to American heritage.
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Abdisalam Aato, film director, producer, entrepreneur, and media consultant
Joseph Abboud, menswear fashion designer and author
James Abdnor, U.S. Senator (R-South Dakota)
James Abourezk, U.S. Senator (D-South Dakota)
F. Murray Abraham, Academy Award-winning actor
Spencer Abraham, U.S. Secretary of Energy and U.S. Senator (R-Mich.)
Stephen Adly Guirgis, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright
Ron Affif, jazz guitarist and musician
Ahmed Ahmed, actor and comedian
Moustapha Akkad, film producer and director
Ayad Al Adhamy, synthesizer player and multi-instrumentalist musician
Ferras Alqaisi, singer-songwriter
Mohammed Amer, comedian, writer and actor
Tige Andrews, Emmy-nominated actor
Paul Anka, legendary singer, songwriter and actor
Nihad Awad, founding Executive Director of largest Muslim civil rights organization in the U.S., Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR)
Andrew Bazzi, singer-songwriter
Jeff Becerra, death metal musician
William Peter Blatty, Academy Award-winning screenwriter and filmmaker
Charles Boustany, U.S. Representative from Louisiana; cousin of Victoria Reggie Kennedy
Elias J. Corey, organic chemistry professor at Harvard University, winner of the 1990 Nobel Prize
Dick Dale, surf rock guitarist
DJ Khaled, hip-hop DJ, rapper, music producer
Charles Elachi, professor of electrical engineering and planetary science at Caltech and the former director of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Farouk El-Baz, space scientist who worked with NASA to assist in the planning of scientific exploration of the Moon
Sam Esmail, screenwriter, director and producer; creator of the series Mr. Robot
Emilio Estefan, manager and producer of wife Gloria Estefan
Jamie Farr, television, film, comedian and theater actor
Doug Flutie, NFL player
Mo Gallini, actor
Bill George, NFL player and Hall of Famer
Khalil Gibran, writer, poet, and member of the New York Pen League; the third-best-selling poet of all time
Sammy Hagar, songwriter, singer, musician, and guitarist
Raef Haggag, singer
Omar Hassan, pro skateboarder
Essam Heggy, space scientist
Darrell Issa, U.S. Congressman (R-California)
Malek Jandali, composer and pianist
Dan Jbara, television and film producer
Steve Jobs, investor, business magnate; head of Apple
Chris John, U.S. Congressman (D-Louisiana)
Ahmed Kaddour, professional boxer, from NBC show The Contender
Aron Kader, stand-up comedian
Remi Kanazi, performance poet, writer and activist
Casey Kasem, radio personality and voice actor, co-founder of American Top 40 franchise
George Kasem, U.S. Congressman (D-California)
Rami Kashou, fashion designer
Abraham Kazen, U.S. Congressman (D-Texas)
Hocine Khalfi, professional boxer
Khalid Khannouchi, athlete marathon runner
Nadir Khayat, known as RedOne, producer, songwriter, and music executive
Amir Khillah, mixed martial artist and The Ultimate Fighter contestant
Emile Kuri, Academy Award-winning art director
Ray LaHood, U.S. Congressman (R-Illinois), U.S. Secretary of Transportation
Darin LaHood, U.S. Congressman (R-Illinois)
Rami Malek, Emmy Award and Academy Award – winning actor
Sam Maloof, furniture designer and woodworker, the first craftsman to receive a MacArthur fellowship
Edward L. Masry, lawyer
Khaled Mattawa, poet, and a renowned writer, also a leading literary translator, focusing on Arabic poetry; recipient of an Academy of American Poets award
Noureddine Melikechi, Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physicist, member of the Mars Science Laboratory
Omar Metwally, actor
Wentworth Miller, actor and screenwriter
George J. Mitchell, U.S. Senator (D-Maine) United States of America special envoy to the Middle East under the Obama administration, Senate Majority Leader
Najee Mondalek, actor and playwright
French Montana, New York rapper
Sam Moore, founder and president of Thomas Nelson Publishers, the largest worldwide distributor of the Bible
George Nader, American film and television actor
Ralph Nader, politician, consumer advocate, author, lecturer, and attorney, candidate for US Presidency
Jacques Nasser, former president and CEO of Ford Motor Company
Michael Nouri, actor
Dean Obeidallah, stand-up comedian and writer
Paul Orfalea, nicknamed “Kinko”, entrepreneur, founder the copy-chain Kinko’s
Nick Rahall, U.S. Congressman (D-West Virginia)
Saint Raphael of Brooklyn, first Orthodox bishop to be consecrated in North America
Ameen Rihani, “father of Arab American literature,” member of the New York Pen League and author of the first Arab American novel in English; also an ambassador
Brandon Saad, NHL player
Edward Said, literary theorist, thinker, and the founder of the academic field of postcolonial studies
Kareem Salama, country singer-songwriter and musician
Tarick Salmaci, professional boxer
Elie Samaha, film producer
Damien Sandow, WWE wrestler
Anthony Shadid, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and foreign correspondent
Tony Shalhoub, three-time Emmy Award-winning television actor on Monk
Sammy Sheik, actor
Omar Sheika, professional boxer; four-time world title challenger
Haaz Sleiman, television and film actor
Kelly Slater, professional surfer
G.E. Smith, lead guitarist in Hall & Oates; musical director of Saturday Night Live
James Stacy, actor
John E. Sununu, U.S. Senator (R-New Hampshire)
Vic Tayback, two-time Golden Globe-winning actor
Danny Thomas, Emmy Award-winning actor and founder of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
Tiny Tim, (born Herbert Khaury), musician
Vince Vaughn, actor, producer, screenwriter, and comedian
Nasser Weddady, activist; Director of Civil Rights Outreach at American Islamic Congress
David Yazbek, writer, musician, composer, and lyricist
Frank Zappa, musician, composer, activist and filmmaker
Ahmed Zewail, scientist, known as the “father of femtochemistry”, winner of the 1999 Nobel Prize
Waleed Zuaiter, actor
Be sure to check out 99 Arab American books.
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