List of Afghan Americans

This is a list of notable Afghan Americans, including both original immigrants who obtained American citizenship and their American descendants. This list generally excludes Ethnic Pashtuns and South Asian Muslims of Pashtun ancestry as they originate outside Afghanistan's borders.

To be included in this list, the person must have a Wikipedia article showing they are Afghan American or must have independent references showing they are Afghan American and are notable. Pashtun ancestry will not count if the person came legally outside Afghanistan's territory at the time of their origin.

This list excludes Ethnic Pashtuns or South Asian Muslims of Pashtun ancestry that happen to be in America but originate outside Afghanistan's official borders. This is because of territorial changes in Afghanistan where substantial Pashtun regions were lost from Afghanistan. The definition Afghan therefore no longer applies to Pashtun people outside Afghanistan, conversely, Pathan is another term used upon Ethnic Pashtuns. For Ethnic Pashtuns, see :Pashtun diaspora. Pathans or Pashtuns outside Afghanistan's then regions are excluded from Afghans with a few exceptions.

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

List of notable Afghan Americans

• Stephen J. Townsend – American four-star general of Afghan and German descent, commanding general of U.S. forces during the War on ISIS / Operation Inherent Resolve
• Merman Rukhshana – Afghan singer, first woman to remove her chador in Afghanistan
• Ehsan Aman – Afghan singer
• Tamim Ansary – author
• Khaled Hosseini – author of three books, including the Kite Runner
• Naim Popal – Afghan singer
• Donnie Keshawarz – Canadian-American stage, film and television actor of Afghan descent
• Zohra Daoud – Miss Afghanistan 1974
• Farhad Darya – Afghan singer
• Qader Eshpari – Afghan singer
• Josh Gad (born 1981) – actor, comedian, and singer whose father is an Afghan Jew
• Azita Ghanizada – actress and TV host
• Abdul W. Haqiqi – economist
• Ali Ahmad Jalali – Distinguished Professor at the National Defense University in Washington, DC
• Zalmay Khalilzad – United States Ambassador to the United Nations from 2007 to 2009
• Khatira Assil – Assessment & Evaluation Analyst at CSU Channel Islands, Renowned author and researcher of Afghan American Women in U.S. Higher Education
• Wallace Fard Muhammad – founder of the Nation of Islam, mentor of Elijah Muhammad
• Ahmad Khan Rahami – Afghan singer
• Haidar Salim – Afghan singer
• Nazif Shahrani – professor of anthropology at Indiana University
• Nabil Miskinyar – television anchor
• Fariba Nawa – journalist
• Vida Samadzai – Beauty for a Cause of Miss Earth 2003
• Jawed Wassel – filmmaker[1]
• Najibullah Zazi – author
• Sonia Nassery Cole – activist, director, writer, and producer
• Qais Essar – afghan musician, songwriter
• Adib Farhadi – Assistant Professor at University of South Florida and Coordinator of USF's Executive Education Program and former Afghanistan Deputy Minister of Commerce
• Mariam Ghani – multi-media artist, photographer, filmmaker, social activist
• Nadia Hashimi – pediatrician, novelist, and a Democratic congressional candidate for the United States House of Representatives for Maryland's 6th congressional district
• Nake M. Kamrany – professor at the University of Southern California and economist
• Mahaley Manning – actress, singer, songwriter
• Aman Mojadidi – artist
• Ahmad Yusuf Nuristani – politician
• Noor Wodjouatt – musician and television producer
• Bahari Ibaadat – model
• Farid Zoland – musician, composer, songwriter, arranger, producer
• Sonita Alizadeh – rapper and activist
• Leena Alam – actress, social activist
• Masuda Sultan – entrepreneur, international human rights advocate
• Zakia Kohzad – TV news anchor
• Hafizullah Emadi – development consultant for Focus Humanitarian Assistance
• Shaesta Waiz – pilot and the first female certified civilian pilot from Afghanistan, and the youngest woman to fly solo around the world in a single-engine aircraft
• Sameer Asad Gardezi – screenwriter and television writer
• Mark S. Humayun – ophthalmologist, engineer, scientist, inventor and academic

See also

• List of Afghans
• Ethnic Afghans

References

1. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2008-11-18. Retrieved 2009-03-13.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)