It takes a rich tapestry of people to make a nation the best it can be. During Arab American Heritage Month, the contributions of the roughly 3.7 million individuals of Middle Eastern descent residing in the U.S. are recognized. Arab Americans’ positive impact on the United States overall can’t be understated, but a few famous Arab Americans stand out in their ranks. These notable Arab-Americans have shaped our country in so many ways, including in the areas of government, business, fashion, entertainment, medicine, and so much more.
Here are some notable highlights related to Arab American Heritage Month. Read their stories and get inspired to make a difference in your own way:
Paula Abdul, Singer and Dancer
Paula Abdul best known as a former host on American Idol, The X Factor, and So You Think You Can Dance, also had two number-one albums, six number-one singles, a Grammy award, and worldwide album sales exceeding 30 million records.
Rosemary Barkett, Jurist
Rosemary Barkett was the first woman on the Florida Supreme Court and its first female Chief Justice. Since 2013, she has worked as a judge on the Iran-United States Claims Tribunal. Barkett has received seven honorary degrees, especially for her work as judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit under Bill Clinton. She was born in Mexico to Syrian parents and began her career as a teacher.
Dr. Farouk el-Baz, Geologist, Pioneer Space photographer
American geologist Dr. Farouk el-Baz was born in Egypt and helped plan all the Apollo moon landings. He later pioneered the use of space photography to study the Earth. If you have ever gazed in awe at photographs from beyond our atmosphere, you can thank el-Baz for that privilege.
Michael DeBakey, Surgeon
Dr. Michael DeBakey was the first to successfully repair an abdominal aortic aneurysm, do a coronary bypass operation, and first multiple-organ transplant. He was dubbed “The Texas Tornado.” He also worked for the army from 1942 to 1946 within the surgical consultants’ division and helped establish a medical agency for veterans returning from war. DeBakey earned an undergraduate degree from Tulane University and his medical degree from the Tulane School of Medicine. He was born in Louisiana to Lebanese immigrants as parents.
Charlene Mekled Elder, Jurist
Charlene Elder was the first female, Arab American, and Muslim judge to serve in the U.S. She was also the first Arab American judge to speak Arabic fluently. She is a Lebanese American. Elder currently is a judge on the 3rd Circuit Court in Michigan. One of her most influential accolades is for helping to initiate the Domestic Violence Prevention Court. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Psychology from the University of Michigan-Dearborn and a law degree from Detroit College of Law.
Frederic Fekkai, Celebrity Hairstylist
Hairstylist to Claudia Schiffer, Kim Basinger, and Renee Zellweger, Frederic Fekkai has risen to the top of the hair styling world, and even has a line of products you can buy to try and replicate his iconic looks.
Doug Flutie, Football Star
Former San Diego Chargers quarterback Doug Flutie, who threw the “miracle touchdown” pass for Boston College, won the Heisman Trophy in 1984. In 1986 he signed with the NFL’s Chicago Bears and in 1994, he threw a record 48 touchdown passes while playing for the Canadian Football League Stampeders. Flutie returned to the NFL in 1998 with the Buffalo Bills, where he won the Pro Bowl and NFL Comeback Player of the Year. He also played for the San Diego Chargers from 2001 to 2004 and finished his career as a member of the New England Patriots in 2005.
Dina Habib Powell, Political Leader
Dina Habib Powell has an impressive resume in business and politics. She served as the Assistant to the President and Senior Counselor for Economic Initiatives for President Trump. Previously, she worked in the George W. Bush administration for two years before becoming president of the Goldman Sach’s Foundation. As a corporate leader, she built the 10,000 Women and 10,000 Small Businesses plan to help provide loans for female entrepreneurs to start their own businesses. In 2023 she left Goldman Sachs for an investment bank.
Gigi Hadid, Model
In an industry that’s often criticized for its lack of diversity, Gigi Hadid has put an Arab American face on modeling as one of the highest paid models around. As a proud Palestinian, Hadid has spoken out about Trump’s Muslim Ban and Israel’s 2014 assault on Gaza. She also made history in March of 2017 by becoming the first cover model on Vogue Arabia.
Zaha Hadid, Architect and Artist
Zaha Hadid was the first woman to design a major American art museum. She also was the first woman to be awarded the Pritzer Architecture Prize, which is a celebration of a career of achievement in art and architecture, and the London Design Museum’s Design of the Year, which judges design in architecture, furniture, fashion, graphics, production, and transportation. She was born in Iraq and got a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the American University in Beirut.
Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, Pediatrician and Professor
Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, a pediatrician at Hurley Medical Center and professor at Michigan State University, skyrocketed to star status when she blew the whistle on the Flint Water Crisis environmental disaster. The Flint Water Crisis exposed its residents to dangerous levels of lead, and still has not been completely resolved. Today, Hanna-Attisha advocates for children, immigrants, and women in STEM.
Salma Hayek, Actress
Salma Hayek, who is of Lebanese and Mexican descent has appeared in many movies or TV shows, over the years. Since 1989, Hayek has starred in numerous award-winning films, including Frida, Wild Wild West, and Fools Rush In. She is also an advocate for victims of domestic abuse, immigrant rights, and refugees.
Dr. Najat Khelil, Physicist
Dr. Najat Khelil was the first woman in Texas to earn a Ph.D. in nuclear physics in 1974. She was one of the founders of the Union of Palestinian American Women and later served as its president. She served on the board of directors for United Palestinian Appeal and is a chairperson of the National Arab American Women’s Association as well. Khelil was born in Nablus of the West Bank.
Hoda Kotb, Today Show Host
Hoda Kotb is a part of the first all-female co-anchor team, with Savannah Guthrie, on the Emmy-award winning Today Show on NBC. As a personality on the hugely popular morning program, she has helped the country stay informed by chatting with American leaders, artists, and new correspondents. Previously, she worked as a morning talk show co-host with Kathie Lee Gifford. Kotb received a Bachelor of Arts degree in broadcast journalism from Virginia Tech University. She was born in Oklahoma to Egyptian parents. She is also a breast cancer survivor and a vocal advocate for women’s health issues.
Colonel James Jabara, Fighter Pilot WWII, Jet Ace Korea & Vietnam
Colonel James Jabara, born in Oklahoma was the son of Lebanese immigrants He was the first American jet ace in history. He enlisted in the Air Force after high school in 1942. During World War II, Jabara flew two tours of combat duty in Europe. He took down his first jet on April 3, 1951, followed by more on April 10, April 12, April 22, and May 20. Those qualified him as a “jet ace,” meaning he took down five or more jets as a fighter pilot.
For his heroism during World War II, Jabara was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with one Oak Leaf Cluster and the Air Medal with 18 Oak Leaf Clusters. While in Korea, he received the Distinguished Service Cross with one Oak Leaf Cluster and an Oak leaf Cluster to the Distinguished Flying Cross.
Jabari was planning on fighting in Vietnam as well but was killed in a car crash in the United States at age 43.
Candy Lightner, Mothers Against Drunk Driving Founder
Candy Lightner founded Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) after her 13-year-old daughter Cari was struck and killed by a drunk driver on May 3, 1980. The sentence given to the repeat offender of driving while intoxicated outraged Lightner, who had to do something. Today, MADD is the largest crime victims’ assistance organization in the world, with more than 3 million members and supporters. She also was the president of ADC (Arab American Anti-Discrimination Committee) between 1994 and1995. The family of Ms. Lightner’s mother came to the U.S. from Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley early in the 20th century.
Christa McAuliffe, First American Arab Astronaut and Teacher
Concord, New Hampshire teacher Christa McAuliffe was chosen from more than 11,000 applicants to participate in the NASA Teacher in Space Project. She died tragically along with the rest of the crew when the Challenger Space Shuttle broke apart after just 73 seconds in flight. While she did not make it as the first teacher in space, she continues to inspire others to follow their dreams and reach for great heights.
Octavia E Nasr, CNN Senior Editor
Octavia E Nasr was CNN’s first senior editor for Arab affairs. She also co-created the network’s strategy for digital international newsgathering. She is currently the founder and CEO of Bridges Media Consulting, which helps organizations synchronize their traditional strategies with digital ones. Nasr earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications. She was born in Lebanon to a Palestinian family.
Saint Raphael of Brooklyn
Saint Raphael was the first Orthodox bishop to be consecrated in North America in 1904. He was born in Syria in 1860 and was a graduate student at the Theological Academy of Kiev in Russia. The Syrian Orthodox Church in New York invited him to be a pastor in 1895 and he soon toured multiple states in the country to spread his message. Raphael is still studied as one of the most influential saints for the Orthodox Church within the Arab American community.
Lucie Salhany, TV Executive
Lucie Salhany was the first woman to head a television network as chairman for Fox News from 1993-1994. She was also the first female recipient of the Human Relations Award from the American Jewish Committee and was named the Executive of the Year in 1995. Salhany co-founded Echo Bridge Entertainment in 2003 and is its managing partner of sales and marketing. She was born in Cleveland and has a Jordanian father and Lebanese Syrian mother.
Linda Sarsour, Political Activist
Linda Sarsour has earned accolades as one of the most prominent progressive activists in the country. She also served as the former executive director of the Arab American Association of New York, and co-chair of the Women’s March. She advocates for rights of all people: immigrants, Muslims, women, black victims of police violence, Standing Rock Native Americans, and many more.
Helen Thomas, Journalist
Helen Thomas was the first female officer of the National Press Club and the first female member and president of the White House Correspondents Association. She is known for her coverage of U.S. presidents, breaking down barriers for women reporters in the process. Thomas was also the only print journalist to go with Nixon on his historic visit to China. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Wayne State University in Detroit. She was born in Kentucky to Lebanese parents.
Marlo Thomas, Actress, Producer& Activist
Marlo Thomas was the first actress to play a single and independent woman on TV. She was born in Michigan to a father of Lebanese descent. She began her appearances on television in the 1950s. Barack Obama gave her the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2014. She was also awarded the Women in Film Lucy Award in 1996 for her advancement of women in television. She continues to be involved in the Thanks + Giving Campaign supporting St. Jude Children’s Hospital founded in 1962 by her father, actor Danny Thomas (born Amos Muzyad Yaqoob Kairouz).
Rashida Tlaib, First Muslim Congresswoman
On election night 2018, Democrat Rashida Tlaib won a historic race in Michigan’s 13th Congressional District, making her the first female Muslim to be elected to the House of Representatives. She also earns the distinction of becoming the first Palestinian-American woman in Congress.
As a Democrat, her agenda includes No tax breaks for billionaires, combatting anti-Arab and Muslim sentiment in the U.S., protecting the environment, and ending a fee for drivers’ licenses. She was an undergraduate at Wayne State University, earning a degree in political science. Tlaib then also earned another degree from Thomas M. Cooley Law School. She was born in Detroit from a Palestinian family.
Maysoon Zayid, Comedian
Maysoon Zayid was the first person to ever perform stand-up comedy in Jordan and Palestine and is one of the first Muslim comedians in the United States. She also is the co-founder of the New York Arab American Comedy Festival.
She became famous for her TEDTalk, one of the most-watched Ted Talks of all time. She uses her considerable platform to discuss her cerebral palsy, raise awareness and inspire others to be activists in their communities. Zayid received a bachelor’s degree in acting at Arizona State University. She was born in New Jersey to a Palestinian family.
Zayid has also helped other Arab American female comics find their voice in the industry and spends three months each year helping disabled and orphaned Palestinian children use art to deal with trauma at a camp she founded in Palestine.
The next time you are participating in a trivia contest, you will know these important people and their lasting impact on the United States. This Arab American community truly is making a difference in the country.