List of Afghan Americans

This is a list of Afghan Americans, including both original immigrants from Afghanistan who obtained American nationality and their American descendants. To be included in this list, the person must have a Wikipedia article showing that they are Afghan American or must have independent references showing that they are Afghan American and are notable.

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

Academia and science

• Ali Ahmad Jalali (born 1940, Kabul), Distinguished Professor at the National Defense University in Washington, D.C.; former Afghan ambassador to Germany
• Mohammad Qayoumi (born 1952, Kabul), former President of San Jose State University
• Nake M. Kamrany (born 1934, Kabul), professor at the University of Southern California (USC) and economist
• Adib Farhadi (born 1972, Kabul), assistant professor at University of South Florida and coordinator of USF's Executive Education Program; the former Afghanistan Deputy Minister of Commerce
• Nazif Shahrani (born Badakhshan), professor of anthropology at Indiana University
• Ishaq Shahryar (born 1936, Kabul), Afghan Ambassador to the United States from 2002 to 2003

Arts and entertainment

• Leena Alam (born 1978, Kabul), actress in television, film, and theater, human rights activist^[1]
• Sonia Nassery Cole (born 1965, Kabul), human rights activist, filmmaker, and author^[2]
• Zohra Daoud (born 1954, Kabul), television host and Miss Afghanistan 1974
• Josh Gad (born 1981), actor, comedian, and singer whose father is an Afghan Jew
• Sameer Asad Gardezi, screenwriter and television writer
• Mariam Ghani (born 1978), multi-media visual artist, photographer, filmmaker, human rights activist; of Afghan–Lebanese descent
• Azita Ghanizada (born 1979, Kabul), actress and television host
• Donnie Keshawarz (born 1969), Canadian-born American stage, film and television actor; of Afghani–Canadian descent
• Mahaley Patel (born 1987), actress, singer, songwriter; her father is from Afghanistan
• Aman Mojadidi (born 1971), visual artist
• Annet Mahendru (born 1985), actress of Indian-Russian descent
• Vida Samadzai (born 1978, Kabul), actress, model, Miss Afghanistan 2003, and Beauty for a Cause of Miss Earth 2003
• Jawed Wassel (1959–2001, Kabul), filmmaker^[3]
• Noor Wodjouatt, classical Indian musician and television producer, founder of Zarin TV
• Abeal Siddiq, American born actor to parents from Kabul, Afghanistan

Business

• Hafizullah Emadi (born Shibar), independent scholar and development consultant for Focus Humanitarian Assistance
• Masuda Sultan (born 1978), entrepreneur, international human rights advocate, and memoirist

Literature

• Tamim Ansary (born 1948, Kabul), author
• Khaled Hosseini (born 1965, Kabul), author of three books including the Kite Runner, activist, humanitarian, and UNHCR goodwill ambassador

Media and journalism

• Nabil Miskinyar (born 1948, Kabul), television anchor for Ariana Afghanistan
• Fariba Nawa (born 1973, Herat), journalist and author

Music

• Sonita Alizadeh (born 1996, Herat), rapper and activist
• Ehsan Aman (born 1959, Lashkargah), musician
• Farhad Darya (born 1962, Kabul), musician
• Qader Eshpari (born 1967, Kabul), soft rock singer
• Qais Essar, rabab musician, songwriter
• Naim Popal (born 1954, Kabul), musician
• Haidar Salim, musician
• Farid Zoland (born 1951, Kabul), musician

Politics and civil service

• Ashraf Ghani (born 1949, Logar), 14th President of Afghanistan
• Zalmay Khalilzad (born 1951, Mazar-i-Sharif), United States Ambassador to the United Nations from 2007 to 2009
• Safiya Wazir (born 1991, Baghlan), New Hampshire State Representative 2018-present
• Nadia Hashimi (born 1977), Democratic congressional candidate for the United States House of Representatives for Maryland's 6th congressional district, pediatrician, and novelist
• Safi Rauf (born 1994), Navy reservist and aid worker held captive by the Taliban
• Laili Helms, former Taliban supporter and public speaker
• Ahmed Wali Karzai (born 1961, Karz), politician in Afghanistan until his death in 2011
• Ahmad Yusuf Nuristani (born 1947, Nuristan), politician, Governor of Herat Province in Afghanistan from 2009 to 2010
• Mariam Solaimankhil (born 1984), member of House of the People from 2019 to 2021
• Stephen J. Townsend (born 1959), West German-born American four-star general of Afghan–German descent, commanding general of U.S. forces during the War on ISIS / Operation Inherent Resolve

Other

• Wallace Fard Muhammad (c.1877–c.1934), founder of the Nation of Islam, mentor of Elijah Muhammad
• Niloofar Rahmani (born 1992, Logar), former Afghan female pilot
• Shaesta Waiz (born 1987), Afghan-born pilot and the first female certified civilian pilot, and the youngest woman to fly solo around the world in a single-engine aircraft
• Ahmad Khan Rahami (born 1988, Kandahar), terrorist
• Najibullah Zazi (born 1985, Paktia), convicted Al-Qaeda member

See also

• List of Afghans
• Pashtuns
• Pashtun diaspora

References

1. "Afghan Actress Chosen as Judge for Indian Film Festival in Spain". TOLOnews. August 1, 2020. Retrieved 2021-05-12.
2. Barnes, Brooks (2010-09-21). "A Director's Many Battles to Make Her Movie". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-05-12.
3. Weaver, Carolyn (July 9, 2003). "Friends of Slain Afghan-American Film Director Realize His Vision in FireDancer". VOA News. Archived from the original on 2008-11-18. Retrieved 2009-03-13. Jawed Wassel, the writer and director of FireDancer, fell in love with movies as a boy growing up in Kabul.