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
 * 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