# 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.

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