Nine Famous Arab Americans

Tiny Tim

Over the last three years, it's become common for ordinary dumb Americans to, basically, hate Arabs. Not unlike Germans in the US during World War I (when anti-German fervor was so great that sauerkraut was rechristened "liberty cabbage") or US-born Japanese during World War II (who were placed in internment camps, with all their worldly possessions taken away), today just about anybody with apparent Middle Eastern origins is looked on with a bit more mistrust than they were in times past. Even though, as this list shows, we already seem to love quite a lot of them. I am just writing this list as food for thought, as you've probably never searched for "famous Arab Americans" on Google. By the way, I'm not including the Arab-blooded latinas Salma Hayek or Shakira, because they weren't born in the US like these others.

  1. Casey Kasem. "America's Top 40" radio host.
  2. Jamie Farr. Klinger on M*A*S*H. Born Jameel Farah.
  3. Kathy Najimy. Actress, voice of the all-American Peggy Hill in King of the Hill.
  4. Tiny Tim. Late kooky singer, born Herbert Khaury.
  5. Paula Abdul. '80s pop singer, American Idol judge.
  6. Shannon Elizabeth. Sexpot from American Pie movies. Real surname: Fadal.
  7. F. Murray Abraham. Oscar-winning star of Amadeus.
  8. Tony Shalhoub. Emmy-winning star of Monk and a trillion movies.
  9. Frank Zappa. Late cult musician, father of Dweezil, Moon Unit, etc.