This is a list of

Afghan Americans Afghan Americans ( prs, آمریکایی‌های افغان‌تبار ''Amrikāyi-hāye Afghān tabar'', ps, د امريکا افغانان ''Da Amrīka Afghanan'') are Americans of Afghan descent or Americans who originated from Afghanistan. ...

, including both original immigrants from

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...

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.

Academia and science

* Ali Ahmad Jalali (born 1940, Kabul),

Distinguished Professor Distinguished Professor is an academic title given to some top tenured professors in a university, school, or department. Some distinguished professors may have endowed chairs. In the United States Often specific to one institution, titles such ...

at the

National Defense University The National Defense University (NDU) is an institution of higher education funded by the United States Department of Defense, intended to facilitate high-level education, training, and professional development of national security leaders. As ...

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

; former Afghan ambassador to

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

* Mohammad Qayoumi (born 1952, Kabul), former President of

San Jose State University San José State University (San Jose State or SJSU) is a public university in San Jose, California. Established in 1857, SJSU is the oldest public university on the West Coast and the founding campus of the California State University (CSU) sy ...

* Nake M. Kamrany (born 1934, Kabul), professor at the

University of Southern California , mottoeng = "Let whoever earns the palm bear it" , religious_affiliation = Nonsectarian—historically Methodist , established = , accreditation = WSCUC , type = Private research university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $8.1 ...

(USC) and

economist An economist is a professional and practitioner in the social science discipline of economics. The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy. Within this field there are ...

* Adib Farhadi (born 1972,

Kabul Kabul (; ps, , ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. Located in the eastern half of the country, it is also a municipality, forming part of the Kabul Province; it is administratively divided into 22 municipal districts. Acco ...

assistant professor Assistant Professor is an academic rank just below the rank of an associate professor used in universities or colleges, mainly in the United States and Canada. Overview This position is generally taken after earning a doctoral degree A docto ...

University of South Florida The University of South Florida (USF) is a public research university with its main campus located in Tampa, Florida, and other campuses in St. Petersburg and Sarasota. It is one of 12 members of the State University System of Florida. USF i ...

and coordinator of USF's Executive Education Program; the former

Deputy

Minister of Commerce A Commerce minister (sometimes business minister, industry minister, trade minister or international trade minister) is a position in many governments that is responsible for regulating external trade and promoting economic growth (commercial polic ...

* Nazif Shahrani (born

Badakhshan Badakhshan is a historical region comprising parts of modern-day north-eastern Afghanistan, eastern Tajikistan, and Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County in China. Badakhshan Province is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan. Much of historic Ba ...

), professor of

anthropology Anthropology is the scientific study of humanity, concerned with human behavior, human biology, cultures, societies, and linguistics, in both the present and past, including past human species. Social anthropology studies patterns of be ...

Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. Campuses Indiana University has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration of IUPUI. *Indiana Universi ...

* 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 * Sonia Nassery Cole (born 1965, Kabul), human rights activist, filmmaker, and author *

Zohra Daoud Zohra Yousuf Daoud ( prs, زهره يوسف داود); (born 1954 in Kabul) is an American TV celebrity, radio show host and journalist of Afghan descent. In December 1972 Daoud became the only woman to this date ever to be crowned ''Miss Afghanis ...

(born 1954, Kabul), television host and

Miss Afghanistan Miss Afghanistan may refer to: * Zohra Daoud (born 1954), the first official Miss Afghanistan - Miss Afghanistan 1972 * Vida Samadzai (born 1978), candidate in Miss Earth 2003 * Zallascht Sadat (born 1986), Miss Afghanistan 2009 * Bahari Ibaadat ...

1974 *

Josh Gad Joshua Ilan Gad (born February 23, 1981) is an American actor. He is known for voicing Olaf in the '' Frozen'' franchise, playing Elder Arnold Cunningham in the Broadway musical '' The Book of Mormon'', and playing Le Fou in the live-action ada ...

(born 1981), actor, comedian, and singer whose father is an Afghan Jew * Sameer Asad Gardezi, screenwriter and television writer *

Mariam Ghani Mariam Ghani (Pashto/Dari: مریم غنی; born 1978) is an Afghan-American visual artist, photographer, filmmaker and social activist. Biography Mariam Ghani was born in 1978 in Brooklyn, New York, of Afghan and Lebanese descent. Her father, Mo ...

(born 1978), multi-media visual artist, photographer, filmmaker, human rights activist; of Afghan– Lebanese descent *

Azita Ghanizada Azita Ghanizada is an Afghan-born American actress. She is known for her films and television series. She debuted her career with a short film entitled A Kiss on the Nose, A kiss on the nose, in which she played the role of Ciara. Ghanizada is a ...

(born 1979, Kabul), actress and television host *

Bahari Ibaadat Bahari Ibaadat ( prs, ; born 21 March 1993) is an Afghan-American model based in Seattle, Washington who was crowned Miss Afghanistan 2014. Biography Bahari Ibaadat was born in Kabul and raised in Pakistan, and then at the age eight she moved ...

(born 1993, Kabul), model,

2014 * Donnie Keshawarz (born 1969),

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

-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 *

Vida Samadzai Vida Samadzai (born 22 February 1978) is an Afghan-American actress, model and beauty pageant titleholder who was Miss Afghanistan in 2003. As the first Afghan woman to participate in an international beauty pageant since 1974, her appearance in ...

(born 1978, Kabul), actress, model,

2003, and

Beauty for a Cause Beauty for a Cause is the slogan of the Miss Earth beauty pageant adopted since the pageant's inception in 2001. It empowers the contestants to work with an environmental advocacy that is personally significant to them. The first Beauty for a Cause ...

Miss Earth 2003 Miss Earth 2003, the 3rd edition of the Miss Earth pageant, was held on November 9, 2003, at the University of the Philippines Theater in Quezon City, Philippines. Fifty-seven delegates from all over the globe participated in the event. The page ...

Jawed Wassel Jawed Wassel (1959 – October 3, 2001) was an Afghan-American film director who made the film '' FireDancer'', which was the first Afghan film to be submitted for an Academy Award. He was fatally stabbed on October 3, 2001, after getting into ...

(1959–2001, Kabul), filmmaker * Noor Wodjouatt, classical Indian musician and television producer, founder of Zarin TV

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 Khaled Hosseini (;Pashto/Dari ; born March 4, 1965) is an Afghan-American novelist, UNHCR goodwill ambassador, and former physician. His debut novel ''The Kite Runner'' (2003) was a critical and commercial success; the book and his subsequent ...

(born 1965, Kabul), author of three books including the Kite Runner, activist, humanitarian, and

UNHCR The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is a United Nations agency mandated to aid and protect refugees, forcibly displaced communities, and stateless people, and to assist in their voluntary repatriation, local integrat ...

goodwill ambassador

Media and journalism

Nabil Miskinyar Nabil Miskinyar ( fa, نبيل مسكين‌يار, born 26 September 1948) is an Afghan TV host who owns a TV channel in the United States called Ariana Afghanistan TV since 1989. His office is based out of Orange, California and has offices i ...

(born 1948,

), television anchor for Ariana Afghanistan * Fariba Nawa (born 1973,

Herat Herāt (; Persian: ) is an oasis city and the third-largest city of Afghanistan. In 2020, it had an estimated population of 574,276, and serves as the capital of Herat Province, situated south of the Paropamisus Mountains (''Selseleh-ye Safē ...

), journalist and author

Music

Sonita Alizadeh Sonita Alizadeh ( prs, سونیتا علیزاده; born 1996) is an Afghan rapper and activist who has been vocal against forced marriages. Alizadeh first gained attention when she released "Brides for Sale," a video in which she raps about d ...

(born 1996,

), rapper and activist * Ehsan Aman (born 1959,

Lashkargah Lashkargāh ( ps, لښکرګاه; fa, لشکرگاه), historically called Bost or Boost (), is a city in southwestern Afghanistan and the capital of Helmand Province. It is located in Lashkargah District, where the Arghandab River merges int ...

), musician *

Farhad Darya Farhad Darya (Pashto/Dari: ; born 22 September 1962) is an Afghan singer, composer and music producer who has written and composed songs in various languages. Darya sings in various languages including mostly his native language of Persian/D ...

(born 1962,

), musician * Qader Eshpari (born 1967, Kabul), soft rock singer * Qais Essar, a rabab musician, songwriter *

Naim Popal Naim Popal (Pashto/Dari: ) (born 18 June 1954) is an Afghan singer, songwriter, and composer. In 2006, Popal returned to perform for a New Year concert in Afghanistan after 30 years in exile. Biography Naim Popal was born on 18 June 1954, into ...

(born 1954, Kabul), musician * Haidar Salim, musician * Farid Zoland (born 1951, Kabul), musician

Politics and civil service

Ashraf Ghani Mohammad Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai (born 19 May 1949) is an Afghan politician, academic, and economist who served as the president of Afghanistan from September 2014 until August 2021, when his government was overthrown by the Taliban. Born in ...

(born 1949, Logar), 14th President of Afghanistan *

Zalmay Khalilzad Zalmay Mamozy Khalilzad ( ps, ځلمی خلیل زاد, prs, زلمی خلیل‌زاد; born March 22, 1951) is an Afghan-American diplomat and foreign policy expert. Khalilzad was appointed by President Donald J. Trump to serve as U.S. Spec ...

(born 1951,

Mazar-i-Sharif , official_name = , settlement_type = City , image_skyline = , pushpin_map = Afghanistan#Bactria#West Asia , pushpin_label = Mazar-i-Sharif , pushpin ...

), United States Ambassador to the United Nations from 2007 to 2009 * Safiya Wazir (born 1991,

Baghlan Baghlan (Dari: بغلان ''Baġlān'') is a city in northern Afghanistan, in the eponymous province, Baghlan Province. It is located three miles east of the Kunduz River, 35 miles south of Khanabad, and about 500 metres above sea level in the ...

), New Hampshire State Representative 2018-present *

Nadia Hashimi Nadia Hashimi (born December 12, 1977) is a pediatrician, novelist, and a former Democratic congressional candidate for the United States House of Representatives for Maryland's 6th congressional district. Hashimi is the author of three internatio ...

(born 1977), Democratic congressional candidate for the United States House of Representatives for Maryland's 6th congressional district, pediatrician, and novelist * Laili Helms, former

Taliban The Taliban (; ps, طالبان, ṭālibān, lit=students or 'seekers'), which also refers to itself by its state name, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a Deobandi Islamic fundamentalist, militant Islamist, jihadist, and Pasht ...

supporter and public speaker * Ahmed Wali Karzai (born 1961, Karz), politician in Afghanistan until his death in 2011 *

Ahmad Yusuf Nuristani Dr. Ahmad Yusuf Nuristani is a former politician from Afghanistan. He has served as governor of Herat province from January 2009 to August 2010. In September 2018, President Ashraf Ghani appointed Nuristani to the Meshrano Jirga, the upper body of ...

(born 1947,

Nuristan Nuristan, also spelled as Nurestan or Nooristan (Dari: ; Kamkata-vari: ), is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the eastern part of the country. It is divided into seven districts and is Afghanistan's least populous province, wi ...

), politician,

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

Herat Province Herat ( Persian: ) is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan, located in the north-western part of the country. Together with Badghis, Farah, and Ghor provinces, it makes up the north-western region of Afghanistan. Its primary city a ...

in Afghanistan from 2009–2010 *

Stephen J. Townsend Stephen J. Townsend (born 1959) is a United States Army four-star general who served as Commander, United States Africa Command from 26 July 2019 to 8 August 2022. He previously commanded the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command from ...

(born 1959),

West German West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...

-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 Wallace Dodd Fard, also known as Wallace Fard Muhammad or Master Fard Muhammad (; reportedly born February 26, – disappeared ), was the founder of the Nation of Islam. He arrived in Detroit in 1930 with an obscure background and several alia ...

(c.1877–c.1934), founder of the Nation of Islam, mentor of

Elijah Muhammad Elijah Muhammad (born Elijah Robert Poole; October 7, 1897 – February 25, 1975) was an African American religious leader, black separatist, and self-proclaimed Messenger of Allah, who led the Nation of Islam (NOI) from 1934 until his deat ...

Niloofar Rahmani Niloofar Rahmani ( fa, نیلوفر رحمانی, born early 1990s) is the first female fixed-wing Air Force aviator in Afghanistan's history and the first female pilot in the Afghan Air Force since the fall of the Taliban in 2001. Though her fam ...

(born 1992, Logar), former Afghan female pilot *

Shaesta Waiz Shaesta Waiz (born 1987) is an American aviator. She is the first female certified civilian pilot born in Afghanistan, and in 2017, became the youngest woman to fly solo around the world in a single-engine aircraft - a record she held until Zar ...

(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 On September 17–19, 2016, three bombs exploded and several unexploded ones were found in the New York metropolitan area. The bombings left 31 people wounded, but no fatalities or life-threatening injuries were reported. On the morning of Sept ...

(born 1988,

Kandahar Kandahar (; Kandahār, , Qandahār) is a city in Afghanistan, located in the south of the country on the Arghandab River, at an elevation of . It is Afghanistan's second largest city after Kabul, with a population of about 614,118. It is the c ...

), terrorist * Najibullah Zazi (born 1985,

Paktia Paktia (Pashto/Dari: – ''Paktyā'') is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the east of the country. Forming part of the larger Loya Paktia region, Paktia Province is divided into 15 districts and has a population of roughly 6 ...

), a convicted Al-Qaeda member

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Afghan Americans *

Americans Americans are the citizens and nationals of the United States of America.; ; Although direct citizens and nationals make up the majority of Americans, many dual citizens, expatriates, and permanent residents could also legally claim Ame ...

Afghan Afghan may refer to: *Something of or related to Afghanistan, a country in Southern-Central Asia *Afghans, people or citizens of Afghanistan, typically of any ethnicity ** Afghan (ethnonym), the historic term applied strictly to people of the Pas ...