Notable public figures you didn’t know were Arab Americans
The late co-founder of Apple, Steve Job’s biological father, Abdulfattah John Jandali, was originally from Syria.
The Mexican-American actress is also of Lebanese descent. Her Lebanese heritage comes from her father’s side.
The American actress and dancer has Lebanese ancestry from her father’s side of the family. Dewan is best known for her role in the 2006 movie ‘Step Up,’ and for having worked as a backup dancer for artists such as Janet Jackson, Christina Aguilera, Pink, and Missy Elliott.
The famous model is of Palestinian descent. Gigi Hadid was the first cover model on Vogue Arabia in 2017.
Gigi’s sister, Bella Hadid, who is also a successful model, is also a famous Arab American. The Hadid sister’s Palestinian heritage comes from their father, Mohamed Hadid.
Her father, Harry Abdul, was of Syrian Jewish heritage. Paula Abdul is know as a singer, choreographer, and TV personality in shows such as ‘American Idol,’ ‘The X Factor,’ and ‘So You Think You Can Dance.’
The late teacher and astronaut was of Lebanese descent. Christa McAuliffe tragically lost her life in the Challenger Space Shuttle disaster in 1986.
The Egypt-born geologist helped plan the Apollo moon landings. He’s also a space photographer pioneer, having managed to find ground water in numerous deserts across the planet using such images.
Doug Flutie had an outstanding career in football, in both the NFL and the Canadian Football League. The former quarterback’s paternal great-grandparents immigrated to the US from Lebanon.
Maysoon Zayid not only is one of America’s first Muslim comedians, she also has one of the most-watched Ted Talks of all time. Of Palestinian descent, Zayid is know to spend three months per year helping children in refugee camps in the territories.
The Arab-American scientist, radiologist, and biomedical engineer was born in Algeria. In 2002, Zerhouni became the first immigrant to head the National Institutes of Health (NIH)
The academic and politician served in both the Carter and the Clinton administrations and was in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2019 to 2021. Shalala’s mother was among the first Lebanese-Americans to graduate from Ohio State University.
The businessman and politician, who serves as the US representative for California’s 48th congressional district, has Lebanese grandparents.
Sources: (Woman’s Day) (U.S. Embassy in Georgia) (ShareAmerica) (Learning for Justice)
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