List of Iranian Americans
Encyclopedia
This is a list of notable Iranian-American
s of all Iranian ethnic backgrounds, including both original immigrants who obtained American citizenship and their American descendants.
To be included in this list, the person must have a Wikipedia article showing they are Iranian American or must have references showing they are Iranian American and are notable.
Iranian-American
Iranian-Americans are Americans of Iranian ancestry or people possessing Iranian and American dual citizenship.Iranian-Americans are amongst the most highly educated groups in the United States...
s of all Iranian ethnic backgrounds, including both original immigrants who obtained American citizenship and their American descendants.
To be included in this list, the person must have a Wikipedia article showing they are Iranian American or must have references showing they are Iranian American and are notable.
Academia/Science
Below is the list of few of prominent Iranian-Americans in various scientific and other disciplines:- Shahriar AfsharShahriar AfsharShahriar S. Afshar is an Iranian-American physicist and a multiple inventor. He is known for devising and carrying out the Afshar experiment at Harvard University in 2004. As of July 2004, Afshar is a Visiting Research Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Rowan University...
, physicistPhysicistA physicist is a scientist who studies or practices physics. Physicists study a wide range of physical phenomena in many branches of physics spanning all length scales: from sub-atomic particles of which all ordinary matter is made to the behavior of the material Universe as a whole...
, namesake of Afshar experimentAfshar experimentThe Afshar experiment is an optical experiment, devised and carried out by Shahriar Afshar in 2001, which investigates the principle of complementarity in quantum mechanics... - Siavash AlamoutiSiavash AlamoutiSiavash Alamouti is an Iranian-American engineer who is best known for the invention of the so-called Alamouti space–time block code, filed in 1997 and patented jointly with Vahid Tarokh. Alamouti's code is a 2 transmit antenna space-time block code and has been adopted in various global standards...
, CTO Broad Band and INTEL fellow, inventor of Alamouti Code, code-communication engineer - Abass AlaviAbass AlaviAbass Alavi is Professor of Radiology and Neurology. He is currently the Director of Research Education in the Division of Nuclear Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania....
, Professor of Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and neurology; University of PennsylvaniaUniversity of PennsylvaniaThe University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
. - Nima Arkani-HamedNima Arkani-HamedNima Arkani-Hamed is a leading Canadian American theoretical physicist with interests in high-energy physics, string theory and cosmology....
, physicistPhysicistA physicist is a scientist who studies or practices physics. Physicists study a wide range of physical phenomena in many branches of physics spanning all length scales: from sub-atomic particles of which all ordinary matter is made to the behavior of the material Universe as a whole...
from Harvard - Mina BissellMina BissellMina J. Bissell, Ph.D., is an Iranian American biologist and a world-recognized leader in the area of the role of extracellular matrix and microenvironment in regulation of tissue-specific function, with special emphasis on breast cancer....
, scientist and biologist, LBLLawrence Berkeley National LaboratoryThe Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory , is a U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory conducting unclassified scientific research. It is located on the grounds of the University of California, Berkeley, in the Berkeley Hills above the central campus...
. - Hamid DabashiHamid DabashiHamid Dabashi born 1951 in Ahvaz is an Iranian-American Professor of Iranian Studies and Comparative Literature at Columbia University in New York City.He is the author of over twenty books...
, Hagop Kevorkian Professor of Iranian Studies, Columbia UniversityColumbia UniversityColumbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
in New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. - Touraj DaryaeeTouraj DaryaeeTouraj Daryaee is a contemporary Persian Iranologist and historian.His elementary and secondary schooling was in Tehran, Iran and Athens, Greece. Daryaee took his Ph.D. in History at the University of California, Los Angeles in 1999...
, Iranologist - Richard DanielpourRichard DanielpourRichard Danielpour is an American composer.-Biography:Danielpour is born of Persian/Jewish descent. He studied at Oberlin College and the New England Conservatory of Music, and later at the Juilliard School of Music, where he received a DMA in composition in 1986...
, Professor of Composition, Manhattan School of Music - Nader EnghetaNader EnghetaNader Engheta is an Iranian scientist and engineer. He has significantly contributed to novel artificial materials, photonics, nano-structured materials, novel graphene materials, and plasmonics....
, Professor of Electrical and Systems Engineering at the University of PennsylvaniaUniversity of PennsylvaniaThe University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
. - Haleh EsfandiariHaleh EsfandiariHaleh Esfandiari is an Iranian American academic and the Director of the Middle East Program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, D.C. Her areas of expertise include Middle Eastern women's issues, contemporary Iranian intellectual currents and politics, and...
, Middle East Scholar - Nariman FarvardinNariman FarvardinNariman Farvardin is President at Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, New Jersey. Formerly Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost at the University of Maryland, College Park, he took office at Stevens on 1 July, 2011....
, Provost of University of MarylandUniversity of Maryland, College ParkThe University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C... - Vartan GregorianVartan GregorianVartan Gregorian is an Armenian-American academic, serving as the president of Carnegie Corporation of New York. He is an ethnic Armenian, born in Iran....
, President of the Carnegie Corporation of New YorkCarnegie Corporation of New YorkCarnegie Corporation of New York, which was established by Andrew Carnegie in 1911 "to promote the advancement and diffusion of knowledge and understanding," is one of the oldest, largest and most influential of American foundations... - Ali JavanAli JavanAli Mortimer Javan , born December 26, 1926 in Tehran, Iran is an Iranian American inventor and physicist at MIT. He co-invented the gas laser in 1960, with William R. Bennett...
, physicist, inventor of gas laserGas laserA gas laser is a laser in which an electric current is discharged through a gas to produce coherent light. The gas laser was the first continuous-light laser and the first laser to operate "on the principle of converting electrical energy to a laser light output...
, Professor Emeritus of Physics at MIT. - Sepandar KamvarSepandar KamvarSepandar David Kamvar, also known as Sep Kamvar, is a Persian American computer scientist, artist, and entrepreneur based in San Francisco, CA...
, computer scientist, Stanford UniversityStanford UniversityThe Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
. - Mehran KardarMehran KardarMehran Kardar is a prominent Iranian born physicist, full Professor of Physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and co-faculty at the New England Complex Systems Institute. He received his B.A...
, physicist, MIT. - Ahmad Karimi-HakkakAhmad Karimi-HakkakAhmad Karimi-Hakkak is a Persian literary figure and Iranist.Ahmad Karimi Hakkak was Professor of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations at the University of Washington for nineteen years. He is currently a professor and founding director of the Roshan Center for Persian Studies in the School of...
, Founding Director of Center for Persian Studies, University of MarylandUniversity of Maryland, College ParkThe University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
. - Homayoon KazerooniHomayoon KazerooniHomayoon Kazerooni is a roboticist and professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley.Dr. Kazerooni is the director of the Berkeley Robotics and Human Engineering Laboratory and also the Co-founder and Chief Scientist of Berkeley Bionics . The Berkeley Robotics and...
,professor of Mechanical EngineeringMechanical engineeringMechanical engineering is a discipline of engineering that applies the principles of physics and materials science for analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems. It is the branch of engineering that involves the production and usage of heat and mechanical power for the...
at the University of California, BerkeleyUniversity of California, BerkeleyThe University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
, Co-founder and Chief Scientist of Berkeley Bionics , inventor of the HULCHulcHuman Universal Load Carrier, or HULC, is an un-tethered, hydraulic-powered anthropomorphic exoskeleton developed by Professor H. Kazerooni and his team at . It is intended to help soldiers in combat carry a load of up to 200 pounds at a top speed of 10 miles per hour for extended periods of time...
. - Bahram MashhoonBahram MashhoonBahram Mashhoon is a US-based Iranian-American physicist known for his research in General Relativity.Mashhoon is a professor at the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri, where he deals with some foundational aspects of gravitational physics...
, General Relativity physicist - Abbas MilaniAbbas MilaniAbbas Malekzadeh Milani is an Iranian-American historian and author. Milani is a visiting professor of Political Science and the director of the Iranian Studies program at Stanford University. He is also a research fellow and co-director of the Iran Democracy Project at Stanford University's...
, Director of Iranian Studies Program, Stanford UniversityStanford UniversityThe Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
. - Maryam MirzakhaniMaryam MirzakhaniMaryam Mirzakhani is an Iranian mathematician, Professor of Mathematics at Stanford University...
, Stanford University Professor. - Mohsen MostafaviMohsen MostafaviMohsen Mostafavi is an Iranian-American architect and educator. He currently the Dean and Alexander and Victoria Wiley Professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. He was formerly the Gale and Ira Drukier Dean of the College of Architecture, Art and Planning at Cornell University...
, Dean of the Harvard Graduate School of Design - Hamid MowlanaHamid MowlanaHamid Mowlana is an Iranian-American advisor to the Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad whom he has warned against a "soft war" against Iran launched by the United States.-Education and academic career:...
, Director of the Division of International Communication at American UniversityAmerican UniversityAmerican University is a private, Methodist, liberal arts, and research university in Washington, D.C. The university was chartered by an Act of Congress on December 5, 1892 as "The American University", which was approved by President Benjamin Harrison on February 24, 1893... - Firouz NaderiFirouz NaderiFirouz Naderi is an Iranian-American scientist and currently the Director for Solar System Exploration at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory...
, NASANASAThe National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
director of MarsMarsMars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
project. - Majid M. Naini, computer scientist, former Professor at University of PennsylvaniaUniversity of PennsylvaniaThe University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
, Rumi expert. - Kayvan NajarianKayvan NajarianKayvan Najarian is an Iranian- American scientist, Associate Professor of Computer Science at School of Engineering of Virginia Commonwealth University, Affiliated faculty of Emergency Medicine at School of Medicine of Virginia Commonwealth University, and Associate Director of Virginia...
, Associate Professor of Computer Science, Virginia Commonwealth UniversityVirginia Commonwealth UniversityVirginia Commonwealth University is a public university located in Richmond, Virginia. It comprises two campuses in the Downtown Richmond area, the product of a merger between the Richmond Professional Institute and the Medical College of Virginia in 1968...
. - Camran NezhatCamran NezhatCamran Nezhat, M.D., M.D., FACOG, FACS is an Iranian-born American laparoscopic surgeon. A reproductive endocrinology and infertility sub-specialist, he is Deputy Chief of the Department of OB/GYN at Stanford University Medical Center in Palo Alto, California, and is a Clinical Professor of OB/GYN...
, Director, Stanford Endoscopy Center for Training & Technology. - Kaveh PahlavanKaveh PahlavanKaveh Pahlavan , is a Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, a Professor of Computer Science, and Director of the Center for Wireless Information Network Studies, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, Massachusetts....
, Professor of Computer and Electrical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic InstituteWorcester Polytechnic InstituteWorcester Polytechnic Institute is a private university located in Worcester, Massachusetts, in the United States.Founded in 1865 in Worcester, WPI was one of the United States' first engineering and technology universities...
. - Behzad RazaviBehzad RazaviBehzad Razavi is an Iranian-American professor and researcher of electrical and electronic engineering. Noted for his research in communications circuitry, Razavi is the director of the Communication Circuits Laboratory at the University of California Los Angeles. He is a Fellow and a...
, Professor of Electrical Engineering, University of California, Los AngelesUniversity of California, Los AngelesThe University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses... - Nouriel RoubiniNouriel RoubiniNouriel Roubini is an American economist. He claims to have predicted both the collapse of the United States housing market and the worldwide recession which started in 2008. He teaches at New York University's Stern School of Business and is the chairman of Roubini Global Economics, an economic...
, one of the leading economists of our age, professor of economics at the Stern School of Business, New York University and chairman of RGE Monitor - David B. SamadiDavid B. SamadiDr. David B. Samadi is the Vice Chairman of the Department of Urology and Chief of Robotics and Minimally Invasive Surgery at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City...
, vice Chairman of the Department of Urology and Chief of Robotics and Minimally Invasive Surgery at the Mount Sinai School of MedicineMount Sinai School of MedicineMount Sinai School of Medicine is an American medical school in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, currently ranked among the top 20 medical schools in the United States. It was chartered by Mount Sinai Hospital in 1963.... - Homayoun SerajiHomayoun SerajiHomayoun Seraji was an Iranian scientist, engineer, a JPL senior researcher and former professor of Sharif University of Technology who published extensively in the field of multivariable control systems, focusing on optimal control, pole placement, multivariable PID controllers, and output...
, Senior Research Scientist, Jet Propulsion Laboratory - Ghavam ShahidiGhavam ShahidiGhavam Shahidi is an Iranian-American electrical engineer and IBM Fellow.He studied electrical engineering at MIT, where he wrote a PhD thesis on "velocity overshoot in deeply scaled MOSFETs", under supervision of Professor Dimitri Antoniadis...
, IBM Fellow, Director of Silicon Technology - Manuchehr ShahrokhiManuchehr ShahrokhiManuchehr Shahrokhi is a professor of Global Business-Finance at California State University, Fresno, founding editor of the Global Finance Journal and Executive Director of the Global Finance Association/Conference. He has authored over 80 scholarly articles and books...
, Professor, California State UniversityCalifornia State UniversityThe California State University is a public university system in the state of California. It is one of three public higher education systems in the state, the other two being the University of California system and the California Community College system. It is incorporated as The Trustees of the...
, Founding Editor, Global Finance Journal and Executive Director, Global Finance Association, http://www.glofin.org/ - Vahid TarokhVahid TarokhVahid Tarokh is an electrical engineer with contributions to telecommunication, specifically to signal processing for wireless communications.-Life:...
, leading communication theorist Harvard UniversityHarvard UniversityHarvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
. - Ray TakeyhRay TakeyhRay Takeyh, PhD is an Iranian-American Middle East scholar, former United States Department of State official, and a Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. He is also an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University....
, Middle East Scholar and Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign RelationsCouncil on Foreign RelationsThe Council on Foreign Relations is an American nonprofit nonpartisan membership organization, publisher, and think tank specializing in U.S. foreign policy and international affairs... - Hamid JafarkhaniHamid JafarkhaniHamid Jafarkhani , born in 1966 in Tehran, is a Chancellor's Professor in electrical engineering and computer science at the University of California, Irvine's Henry Samueli School of Engineering...
, leading communication theorist University of California, IrvineUniversity of California, IrvineThe University of California, Irvine , founded in 1965, is one of the ten campuses of the University of California, located in Irvine, California, USA...
. - Cumrun VafaCumrun VafaCumrun Vafa is an Iranian-American leading string theorist from Harvard University where he started as a Harvard Junior Fellow. He is a recipient of the 2008 Dirac Medal.-Birth and education:...
, String theorist in Harvard. - Ehsan YarshaterEhsan YarshaterEhsan Yarshater is the founder and director of The Center for Iranian Studies, and Hagop Kevorkian Professor Emeritus of Iranian Studies at Columbia University. He was the first full-time professor of Persian at a U.S. university since World War II....
, Hagop Kevorkian Professor Emeritus of Iranian Studies, Director of Center for Iranian Studies, Columbia UniversityColumbia UniversityColumbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
, Founder and Editor in Chief of Encyclopaedia Iranica. - Lotfi A. Zadeh, Mathematician and computer scientist, and a professor of computer science at the University of California, Berkeley; father of Fuzzy LogicFuzzy logicFuzzy logic is a form of many-valued logic; it deals with reasoning that is approximate rather than fixed and exact. In contrast with traditional logic theory, where binary sets have two-valued logic: true or false, fuzzy logic variables may have a truth value that ranges in degree between 0 and 1...
. - Mark ZandiMark ZandiMark Zandi is an Iranian American economist and co-founder of Moody's Economy.com, a widely-cited source of economic analysis.. Moody's Economy.com is part of Moody's Analytics. Prior to founding Economy.com, Zandi was a regional economist at Chase Econometrics.He was born in Atlanta, Georgia of...
, Economist and co-founder of Economy.com, now part of Moody's AnalyticsMoody's AnalyticsMoody’s Analytics provides capital markets and risk management professionals with credit analysis, economic research, financial risk management software, and advisory services...
. - Omid SafiOmid SafiOmid Safi is Professor of Islamic Studies at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill where he specializes on Islamic mysticism , contemporary Islamic thought and medieval Islamic history. He has served on the board of the Pluralism project at Harvard University.- Progressive Islam :Professor...
, Professor of Islamic studies at the University of North Carolina and advocate of reform within Islam.
Arts/Entertainment
- Omid AbtahiOmid AbtahiOmid Abtahi is an American actor of Iranian origin.- Biography :Before moving to the United States, Abtahi and his family lived in Europe and the Middle East.He grew up in Orange County, California, and graduated from University High School in Irvine....
, actor - David AckertDavid AckertDavid Ackert is an entrepreneur and business development expert. He is the founder of The Ackert Advisory which has provided business development coaching and training for service firms since the late 90s....
, actor and writer - Shohreh AghdashlooShohreh AghdashlooShohreh Aghdashloo is an Iranian American actress.After establishing a theatre and film career in Iran, Aghdashloo moved to England during the Iranian Revolution in 1979, and subsequently became a citizen of the United States...
Academy Award-nominated film/television actress - Dan AhdootDan AhdootDan Ahdoot is a stand-up comedian who primarily performs in New York City. He is well-known for being a contestant in NBC's reality TV show Last Comic Standing and for performing on Comedy Central's Premium Blend.-Early life:...
, stand-up comedian - Jonathan AhdoutJonathan AhdoutJonathan Ahdout is an American actor.Ahdout was born in Santa Monica, California to Yahya Ahdout and Jacqueline Hayempour, Iranian Jews who left Iran to go to the U.S. with their baby daughter in 1982 via Pakistan to Israel. Ahdout resides in Brentwood with his parents and siblings, Melody and...
, actor - Max AminiMax AminiMax Amini is an American comedian of Iranian descent. He graduated from UCLA Acting Program in 2004. He speaks fluent Persian and conversational Arabic.-Stand-up Comedy:...
, comedian - Reza BadiyiReza BadiyiReza Sayed Badiyi was an Iranian-American film director. Badiyi was well known for directing episodes of many popular television series...
, TV director - Catherine BellCatherine BellCatherine Lisa Bell is an American actress known for her role of Lieutenant Colonel Sarah MacKenzie of the television show JAG from 1997 to 2005...
, actress - Nadia BjorlinNadia BjorlinNadia Alexandra Bjorlin born August 2, 1980, is an American actress and singer.-Early life:Björlin was born in Newport, Rhode Island but lived in Sweden until the age of 7. Her father was the Swedish composer and conductor Ulf Björlin .. Her mother, Fary, is a Persian interior decorator from...
, TV/soap opera actress - Nazanin BoniadiNazanin BoniadiNazanin Boniadi is a British Iranian actress currently living and working in the US.-Early life:...
, television and film actress - Maz JobraniMaz JobraniMaziar “Maz” Jobrani is an Iranian-born American comedian who is part of the "Axis of Evil" comedy group. The group appeared on a comedy special on Comedy Central. Jobrani has also appeared in numerous films, television shows, including Better Off Ted, on radio and in comedy clubs...
, comedian - Cyrus KarCyrus KarCyrus Kar is an Iranian-born American film director, part-time professor at the University of Phoenix, and now-vindicated alleged terrorist who was captured by United States forces in Iraq on May 17,...
, film director - Andre KhabbaziAndre KhabbaziAndre Khabbazi was born to Assyrian Iranian-American parents in 1975 in Sacramento, CA. Based in Los Angeles, California, he started his artistic career as an actor in several TV series and soap operas and later on starred in a 2001 movie titled Circuit along with Jonathan Wade-Drahos and Kiersten...
, actor, semi-professional tennis player - Kamshad KooshanKamshad KooshanKamshad Kooshan is an Iranian-American Movie Writer and Director. Iranian-born & Bay Area film director, screenwriter and film producer, , immigrated to the United States at the age of Sixteen. He has been involved with photography since the age of 12 and has had many exhibitions...
, screenwriter & director - Rosie Malek-YonanRosie Malek-YonanRosie Malek-Yonan is an Assyrian actress, author, director, public figure and human rights activist.-Early life:Born in Tehran, Iran, Rosie Malek-Yonan is a descendant of one of the oldest and most prominent Assyrian families, tracing her Assyrian roots back nearly 11 centuries...
, actress, author, director, and documentary filmmaker - Marshall ManeshMarshall ManeshMarshall Manesh is an Iranian/American actor.Manesh was born in Mashhad, Iran. He has appeared in the television shows Will & Grace, Entourage, Scrubs, How I Met Your Mother in a recurring role as the Bangladeshi taxi/town car/limo driver Ranjit, Burn Notice, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,...
, actor - Mozhan MarnoMozhan Marnò-Personal life:Mozhan was born in Los Angeles, California and received her M.F.A from the Yale School of Drama.-Career:Marnò is best known for her role as Soraya M...
, actress - Emud MokhberiEmud MokhberiEmud Mokhberi is an Iranian-American film director. In 2009, he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film for "Oktapodi"...
, Academy Award nominated director/animator - Amir MokriAmir MokriAmir M. Mokri is an Iranian cinematographer.Mokri was born in Iran and emigrated to the United States in 1977. He graduated from Emerson College and the American Film Institute.-Filmography:* A Hero of Our Time * All You Can Dream...
, director of photography - Amir NaderiAmir NaderiAmir Naderi is a notable Iranian film director, screenwriter and one of the most influential figures of 20th-century Persian cinema. Mr Naderi is currently in Japan working on CUT, his new feature film, starring Hidetoshi Nishijima and Takako Tokiwa, due to be released in 2011.Naderi developed his...
, film director - Amin NazemzadehAmin NazemzadehDominic Rains is an Iranian-American actor, best known for his portrayal of 9-11 hijacker Ziad Jarrah in the 2006 made-for-television movie, Flight 93. Dominic is the brother of Iranian actor Ethan Rains.From 12 July 2007 to 4 October 2007, Rains appeared as Dr...
, actor - Cyrus NowrastehCyrus NowrastehCyrus Nowrasteh , born September 19, 1956, is an American screenwriter and director of theatrical films, television shows, and made-for-TV movies. He is best known for his involvement in the controversial docudrama The Path to 9/11.- Biography :...
, screenwriter and director - Bijan Pakzad noted fashion and perfume designer
- Adrian PasdarAdrian PasdarAdrian Kayvan Pasdar is an American actor, voice artist, and film director. He is known for playing Jim Profit on the TV series Profit, for his roles in Near Dark, Carlito's Way, Mysterious Ways and as Nathan Petrelli on Heroes. Additionally, he directed the feature film Cement...
, actor - Nasim PedradNasim PedradNasim Pedrad is an Iranian-American comic actress currently appearing as a cast member on Saturday Night Live.-Early life:...
, actress, comedian - Artemis PebdaniArtemis PebdaniArtemis Pebdani is an actress best known for her work as Artemis on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. She is a foul-mouthed friend of Sweet Dee....
, actress - Behnaz SarafpourBehnaz SarafpourBehnaz Sarafpour is a New York City-based designer who introduced a line of women's apparel bearing her name in 2001.She attended Parsons School of Design, where she was honored with the Golden Thimble Award, and has held design positions at Isaac Mizrahi, Narciso Rodriguez, Richard Tyler, Anne...
, fashion designer - Sarah ShahiSarah ShahiAahoo Jahansouz "Sarah" Shahi is an American actress and a former NFL Cheerleader. She is probably best known for starring in The L Word as Carmen de la Pica Morales and in Life as Detective Dani Reese...
, actress - Bahar SoomekhBahar SoomekhBahar Soomekh is an Iranian-American actress and environmental activist. She began acting in the early 2000s, and is perhaps best known for her roles in the films Crash , Mission: Impossible III , and Saw III .-Early life:...
, actress - Massy TadjedinMassy TadjedinMassy Tadjedin is an Iranian-American screenwriter.Tadjedin was born in Tehran and grew up in Orange County, California, and studied English Literature at Harvard....
, screenwriter - Elie TahariElie TahariElie Tahari is an Israeli-American luxury fashion designer of men and women's clothing. Elie Tahari, Ltd., the company he founded, has annual revenue of around $1 to 2.5 million...
, fashion designer - Amir TalaiAmir TalaiAmir Talai is an Iranian-American stand-up comedian, actor, voice artist, and comedian.Talai made appearances in MADtv, Adventures in Homeschooling, Nip/Tuck, Cold Case, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Gilmore Girls, and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. He also played the role of Raza in the movie Harold and...
, actor - Shaun ToubShaun ToubShaun Toub is an Iranian-American film and television actor. He is perhaps best known for his role as Farhad in the 2004 movie Crash, as Rahim Khan in the movie The Kite Runner, and as Yinsen in the movie Iron Man.-Personal life:...
, actor - Bob YariBob YariBob Yari is an Iranian-American film producer.He grew up in New York City, and studied cinematography at the University of California, Santa Barbara...
, Academy Award winning film producer - Shiva Rose McDermott, actress
Business/Technology
- Anousheh AnsariAnousheh AnsariAnousheh Ansari is an engineer and the Iranian-American co-founder and chairman of Prodea Systems. Her previous business accomplishments include serving as co-founder and CEO of Telecom Technologies, Inc. . The Ansari family is also the title sponsor of the Ansari X Prize. On September 18, 2006,...
, Cofounder, Prodea systems, Inc. - Hamid AkhavanHamid AkhavanHamid Akhavan-Malayeri is the CEO of Siemens Enterprise Communications since February 2010. Hamid has overall responsibility for the performance of the company, including its subsidiary businesses like ....
, CEO of Siemens Enterprise CommunicationsSiemens Enterprise CommunicationsSiemens Enterprise Communications is a joint venture between the American private equity firm The Gores Group and German industrial conglomerate Siemens AG.The joint venture was announced on July 29, 2008, and was launched on October 1, 2008...
. - J. Darius BikoffJ. Darius BikoffJohn Darius Bikoff is an American entrepreneur, founder and CEO of Energy Brands. He was born to an American father and an Iranian mother....
, CEO and founder of Energy Brands - Shahram DabiriShahram DabiriShahram Dabiri is the Lead Producer responsible for the massively multiplayer online role-playing game World of Warcraft...
, video game producer, lead producer of World of Warcraft - Arash FerdowsiArash FerdowsiArash Ferdowsi is an Iranian-American entrepreneur known as the co-founder and chief technology officer of Dropbox.-Career:Ferdowsi launched Dropbox in June of 2007 with his business partner at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology...
, Co-Founder & CTO of Dropbox - Vartan GregorianVartan GregorianVartan Gregorian is an Armenian-American academic, serving as the president of Carnegie Corporation of New York. He is an ethnic Armenian, born in Iran....
, President of The Carnegie Corporation of New YorkCarnegie Corporation of New YorkCarnegie Corporation of New York, which was established by Andrew Carnegie in 1911 "to promote the advancement and diffusion of knowledge and understanding," is one of the oldest, largest and most influential of American foundations...
. - Salar KamangarSalar KamangarSalar Kamangar is CEO of YouTube and Senior Vice President of Video at Google.Kamangar was Google's 9th employee.-Early childhood and education:...
, CEO of YouTube, VP of Google's web applications - Dara KhosrowshahiDara KhosrowshahiDara Khosrowshahi is an Iranian American businessman and the CEO of Expedia, Inc..Khosrowshahi received a B.S. in Bioelectrical Engineering from Brown University in 1991....
, President and CEO, Expedia, Inc.Expedia, Inc.Expedia, Inc. is an American company headquartered in Bellevue, Washington that operates several travel brands including Expedia.com, Hotels.com, Hotwire.com, Egencia , TripAdvisor, Expedia Local Expert, Classic Vacations and eLong. Expedia, Inc.’s companies operate more than 90 branded points of... - Omid KordestaniOmid KordestaniOmid R. Kordestani is an Iranian-American businessman who works as Senior Advisor to Office of the CEO and Founders at Google. Kordestani was the Senior Vice President for Worldwide Sales and Field Operations of Google until he stepped down on April 16, 2009....
, Former Senior Vice President of GoogleGoogleGoogle Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program... - Isaac Larian, CEO of MGA Entertainment, manufacturer of BratzBratzBratz is an American line of fashion dolls and merchandise manufactured by MGA Entertainment. Four original 10" dolls were released in 2001 - Cloe, Jade, Sasha and Yasmin...
dolls - Manny MashoufManny MashoufManny Mashouf is an Iranian-American businessman.He came to the USA in his teens and settled first in Chicago, then in San Francisco. There, he went to San Francisco State University and graduated with a political science degree in 1966. He is the founder and present chairman of bebe stores...
, founder and Chairman of bebe storesBebe storesbebe stores are an American clothing retailer founded in 1976. The name was inspired by, and is pronounced as in, the phrase "to be or not to be" from the play Hamlet. Manny Mashouf, who emigrated to the United States in the early 1970s, opened the first bebe store in San Francisco during a time... - David MerageDavid MerageDavid Merage is an American businessman and venture philanthropist who co-founded the frozen microwave snack Hot Pockets, Lean Pockets, and Crossiant Pockets. He and his brother Paul Merage later sold the company to Nestlé for $2.6 billion. -References:...
, co-founder of Chef America Inc.Chef America Inc.Chef America Inc. was the former manufacturer of the popular microwavable snack, Hot Pockets. Chef America is a former closely held corporation, which was formed in the late 1970s by two brothers, Paul and David Merage, of Colorado. Chef America introduced Hot Pockets in the early 1980s. ...
, manufacturer of Hot PocketsHot PocketsHot Pockets are microwaveable turnovers usually containing a combination of cheese, meat, and vegetables. Hot Pockets are currently produced by Hylan Steez.- Varieties :... - Paul MeragePaul MeragePaul Merage is an Iranian-American entrepreneur. He is the former CEO and co-founder of Chef America Inc. who invented Hot Pockets microwaveable snacks....
, co-founder of Chef America Inc.Chef America Inc.Chef America Inc. was the former manufacturer of the popular microwavable snack, Hot Pockets. Chef America is a former closely held corporation, which was formed in the late 1970s by two brothers, Paul and David Merage, of Colorado. Chef America introduced Hot Pockets in the early 1980s. ...
, manufacturer of Hot PocketsHot PocketsHot Pockets are microwaveable turnovers usually containing a combination of cheese, meat, and vegetables. Hot Pockets are currently produced by Hylan Steez.- Varieties :... - Sam NazarianSam NazarianSam Nazarian is an Iranian-American entrepreneur. Nazarian is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of SBE, a Los Angeles based luxury hospitality, real estate development and lifestyle company which includes hotel, restaurant, nightlife, and real estate divisions...
, CEO of the SBE Entertaintment Group - Farzad NazemFarzad NazemFarzad Nazem also known as Zod Nazem, was Yahoo!'s chief technology officer and one of its longest-serving executives. He announced that he would leave the company on June 8, 2007 after 11 years at Yahoo. He will receive a golden parachute worth about $6.9 million. He holds a B.S...
, former CTO of Yahoo!Yahoo!Yahoo! Inc. is an American multinational internet corporation headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, United States. The company is perhaps best known for its web portal, search engine , Yahoo! Directory, Yahoo! Mail, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Groups, Yahoo! Answers, advertising, online mapping ,... - Mehrdad NikoonahadMehrdad NikoonahadDr. Mehrdad Nikoonahad is an Iranian-American electrical engineer, innovator and technologist.- Background and education:Dr. Nikoonahad received his B.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in Electronic Engineering from University College London , England, in 1979 and 1983, respectively. Here, he also completed...
, founder & CEO, Nikoo Technology, Inc. - Pierre OmidyarPierre OmidyarPierre Morad Omidyar is a French-Iranian American entrepreneur and philanthropist/economist, and the founder/chairman of the eBay auction site...
, founder of e-Bay (born to Iranian parents). - Sina TamaddonSina TamaddonSina Tamaddon was Senior Vice President of Applications for Apple Inc.Sina Tamaddon joined Apple in September 1997. He also served the company in the position of Senior Vice President, Worldwide Service and Support and Vice President and General Manager, Newton Group...
, Senior Vice President of Applications for Apple ComputerApple ComputerApple Inc. is an American multinational corporation that designs and markets consumer electronics, computer software, and personal computers. The company's best-known hardware products include the Macintosh line of computers, the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad...
.
Literature
- Reza AslanReza AslanReza Aslan is an Iranian-American activist, a nationally acclaimed writer of religions. He is on the faculty at the University of California, Riverside, and is a contributing editor for The Daily Beast...
, writer - Mahnaz BadihianMahnaz BadihianMahnaz Badihian is an American-Iranian poet. She is most noted for her use of poetry to bridge the gap between western and eastern cultures. She worked as a dentist for many years in Iowa City and often attended the Iowa Writers Workshop...
, poet - Najmieh BatmanglijNajmieh BatmanglijNajmieh Batmanglij is an Iranian-American chef and food writer.Hailed as “the guru of Persian cuisine” by The Washington Post, Najmieh Batmanglij has spent the past 30 years cooking, traveling, and adapting authentic Persian recipes to tastes and techniques in the West...
, chef, writer - Firoozeh DumasFiroozeh DumasFiroozeh Dumas is an Iranian-American writer.Dumas began to write and submit essays to obtain money to go toward college....
, author of Funny in Farsi: A Memoir of Growing Up Iranian in America - Roya HakakianRoya HakakianRoya Hakakian is an Iranian-American poet, journalist and writer living in the United States. A lauded Persian poet turned television producer with programs like 60 Minutes, Roya became well known for her memoir, Journey from the Land of No in 2004. Her essays on Iranian issues appear in the New...
, writer - Rosie Malek-YonanRosie Malek-YonanRosie Malek-Yonan is an Assyrian actress, author, director, public figure and human rights activist.-Early life:Born in Tehran, Iran, Rosie Malek-Yonan is a descendant of one of the oldest and most prominent Assyrian families, tracing her Assyrian roots back nearly 11 centuries...
, author of The Crimson Field - Azar NafisiAzar NafisiAzar Nafisi, born ca. 1947, is an Iranian academic and bestselling writer who has resided in the United States since 1997 when she emigrated from Iran. Her field is English language literature....
, writer - Majid M. Naini, writer, speaker
- Shahrnoosh Parsipour, writer
- Dalia SoferDalia SoferDalia Sofer is an Iranian-born American writer.Born in Tehran, Iran was raised in a Jewish family during revolutionary Iran, she eventually moved to New York City when she was 11. She attended the Lycée Français de New York, and went on to study French Literature at NYU with a minor in creative...
, writer - Mahbod SerajiMahbod SerajiMahbod Seraji Ph.D., is an Iranian - American writer who currently resides in the San Francisco Bay area, where he works as a Management Consultant.-Early life and education:...
, writer
Media/Journalism
- Christiane AmanpourChristiane AmanpourChristiane Amanpour, CBE is anchor of ABC News's This Week and formerly chief international correspondent at CNN, where she worked for 27 years. She is a Board Member at the IWMF .-Early years:...
, Anchor of ABCAmerican Broadcasting CompanyThe American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
Sunday morning political affairs program, former CNN chief international correspondent - Davar ArdalanDavar ArdalanDavar Iran Ardalan is the Senior Producer of NPR's Tell Me More. Prior to Tell Me More at NPR News, Ardalan was in charge of Weekend Edition, and some seven million listener tuned in. From community engagement to innovative ways to engage the public online to news programming choices during a...
, NPRNPRNPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
producer of Morning EditionMorning EditionMorning Edition is an American radio news program produced and distributed by National Public Radio . It airs weekday mornings and runs for two hours, and many stations repeat one or both hours. The show feeds live from 05:00 to 09:00 ET, with feeds and updates as required until noon... - Rudi BakhtiarRudi BakhtiarRudi Bakhtiar is an Iranian American journalist who has over a decade's experience working for major international news outlets CNN and Fox News Channel. Bakhtiar is currently the Director of Communications for the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran...
, Voice of AmericaVoice of AmericaVoice of America is the official external broadcast institution of the United States federal government. It is one of five civilian U.S. international broadcasters working under the umbrella of the Broadcasting Board of Governors . VOA provides a wide range of programming for broadcast on radio...
employee, former Director of Public Relations for the Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans (PAAIA), former FOX news anchor, former CNN anchor - Shmuley BoteachShmuley BoteachShmuel "Shmuley" Boteach is an American Orthodox rabbi, author, TV host and public speaker.Among other books, Boteach wrote Kosher Sex: A Recipe for Passion and Intimacy, published in 1999, which openly discusses intimacy and sexual intercourse...
, rabbi, radio and television host, author - Farnaz FassihiFarnaz FassihiFarnaz Fassihi is an award winning Iranian-American journalist. She is a senior staff writer for The Wall Street Journal covering the Middle East....
, journalist, Wall Street Journal - Alireza JafarzadehAlireza JafarzadehAlireza Jafarzadeh is a media commentator on the Middle East and an active dissident figure to the Iranian government. He is best known for revealing the existence of clandestine nuclear facilities in Iran in 2002...
, FOX News Channel Foreign Affairs Analyst - Arash MarkaziArash MarkaziArash Markazi is an Iranian-American sports journalist currently writing for ESPN.Markazi, who is of Iranian decent, was born in Oklahoma City and raised in Los Angeles, graduating from Notre Dame High School. He attended Arizona State University and later University of Southern California...
, journalist, Sports IllustratedSports IllustratedSports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the... - Azadeh MoaveniAzadeh Moaveni- Education :Moaveni grew up in San Jose, California, and studied politics at the University of California, Santa Cruz. She won a Fulbright Fellowship to Egypt, and studied Arabic at the American University in Cairo.- Career :...
, journalist, Time Magazine - Asieh NamdarAsieh NamdarAsieh Namdar is an Iranian-American journalist and television presenter.She was born to parents of Iranian origin, in Karachi in 1967. Namdar grew up in Tehran, Iran. Following the Iranian Revolution in 1979, her family moved to the United States...
, former CNN anchor - Atoosa RubensteinAtoosa RubensteinAtoosa Rubenstein was the editor-in-chief of Seventeen magazine. She was also the founding editor of CosmoGIRL!. She is currently the founder of Big Momma Productions, Inc. and Atoosa.com...
, former Seventeen (magazine)Seventeen (magazine)Seventeen is an American magazine for teenagers. It was first published in September 1944 by Walter Annenberg's Triangle Publications. News Corporation bought Triangle in 1988, and sold Seventeen to K-III Communications in 1991. Primedia sold the magazine to Hearst in 2003. It is still in the...
and CosmoGIRL!CosmoGIRL!CosmoGirl was an American magazine based in New York City, published from 1999 until 2008. The teenage spin-off of Cosmopolitan magazine, it targeted teenage girls and featured fashion and celebrities. It was published ten times a year and reached approximately eight million readers before folding....
editor-in-chief - Roxana SaberiRoxana SaberiRoxana Saberi is an American journalist who was arrested in Iran in January 2009. On April 8, 2009, the Iranian government charged Saberi with espionage, which she denied. She was subsequently sentenced to an eight-year prison term...
, photojournalist whose 2009 arrest in Iran became a cause celebre (Iranian Father) - Jahan SalehiJahan SalehiJahan Salehi is an Iranian-American entrepreneur and progressive activist who is best known for his work with , a left-leaning news and commentary syndicate, and for his role as Managing Director of the Los Angeles Times Syndicate's European operations....
, President, Agence Global, Inc. syndicate - Cyma ZarghamiCyma ZarghamiCyma Zarghami is an Iranian-American cable television executive currently serving as the president of Nickelodeon and MTV Networks' Kids & Family Group.-Early life and career:...
, president of Nickelodeon and MTV Networks Kids & Family Group
Music
- Lily AfsharLily Afshar- Awards and recognition :Afshar has been praised for her performances.She won the 2000 Orville H. Gibson Award for Best Female Classical Guitarist. as well as the Tenth, Eleventh, and the Twelfth Annual "Premier Guitarist" awards by the Memphis Chapter of the National Academy of Recording Arts &...
, female classical guitarist - Pouyan AfkaryScary Kids Scaring KidsScary Kids Scaring Kids was an American post-hardcore band formed in Gilbert, Arizona in 2002. The band's name comes from the Cap'n Jazz song of the same name...
, synthesizer musician, member of Scary Kids Scaring Kids - Axiom of ChoiceAxiom of Choice (band)Axiom of Choice is a southern California based world music group of Iranian émigrés who perform a fusion style incorporating Persian classical music and Western classical music.- History :...
, world music group - Leila BelaLeila BelaLeila Bela is an Iranian-born American avant-garde musician, writer, photographer, actress, multi-instrumentalist, playwright and record producer from Austin, Texas.-Biography:...
, Avant-garde musician, actress, writer and former member of PigfacePigfacePigface is an industrial rock supergroup formed in 1990 by Martin Atkins and William Rieflin.-History:Pigface was formed from Ministry's The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste tour, which produced the In Case You Didn't Feel Like Showing Up live album and video. For the tour, Al Jourgensen brought... - Cyrus Bolooki, drummer of New Found GloryNew Found GloryNew Found Glory is an American rock band from Coral Springs, Florida. Formed in the summer of 1997, founding members were lead vocalist Jordan Pundik, guitarists Chad Gilbert and Steve Klein, bassist Ian Grushka and drummer Joe Marino...
- Richard DanielpourRichard DanielpourRichard Danielpour is an American composer.-Biography:Danielpour is born of Persian/Jewish descent. He studied at Oberlin College and the New England Conservatory of Music, and later at the Juilliard School of Music, where he received a DMA in composition in 1986...
, composer, Professor of Composition, Manhattan School of Music - Deep DishDeep DishDeep Dish is a duo of DJs and house-music producers consisting of Iranian-American members Ali "Dubfire" Shirazinia and Sharam Tayebi. Based in Washington, D.C., Shirazinia and Tayebi are well known for providing house or dance remixes of tracks of famous stars such as Madonna, Cher and Gabrielle,...
, electronic music group - Ramin DjawadiRamin DjawadiRamin Djawadi is a German composer of orchestral music for film and television. He was born in Duisburg, Germany to an Iranian father and German mother...
, composer - Rostam BatmanglijVampire WeekendVampire Weekend is an American indie rock band from New York City that formed in 2006 and signed to XL Recordings. The Band has four members: Ezra Koenig, Rostam Batmanglij, Chris Tomson, and Chris Baio. The band released its first album Vampire Weekend in 2008, which produced the singles "Mansard...
, keyboard player of Vampire WeekendVampire WeekendVampire Weekend is an American indie rock band from New York City that formed in 2006 and signed to XL Recordings. The Band has four members: Ezra Koenig, Rostam Batmanglij, Chris Tomson, and Chris Baio. The band released its first album Vampire Weekend in 2008, which produced the singles "Mansard...
, music producer. - Anousheh KhaliliAnousheh KhaliliAnousheh Khalili , born 1983, is an Iranian-American singer-songwriter. She is known for providing vocal talent and appearing in the videos for Deep Dish's "Flashdance" and "Say Hello," the latter of which was nominated for a Grammy in 2006 in the Best Dance Recording category.She recorded her...
, vocalist - Lotfi MansouriLotfi MansouriLotfollah “Lotfi” Mansouri is an Iranian-born opera director and manager. He was an opera director from about 1960 onwards, and is most well known for being the General Director of the Canadian Opera Company and of the San Francisco Opera from 1988 through 2001...
, opera director - Daron MalakianDaron MalakianDaron Vartan Malakian is an Armenian-American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. He is best known as the guitarist, songwriter, and occasional vocalist of the heavy metal band System of a Down and as the lead vocalist, lead guitarist, and songwriter of the alternative...
, guitarist/vocalist of four-piece Alternative metalAlternative metalAlternative metal is a genre of alternative rock and heavy metal that gained popularity in the early 1990s. Most notably, alternative metal bands are characterized by heavy guitar riffs and experimental approaches to heavy music.-Origins:...
band System Of A DownSystem of a DownSystem of a Down, also known by the acronym SOAD and often shortened to System, is a rock band from Southern California. The band was formed in 1994. It consists of Serj Tankian , Daron Malakian , Shavo Odadjian and John Dolmayan...
(Armenian-Iranian mother) - Tony PetrossianTony PetrossianTony Petrossian is an acclaimed director of commercials and music videos. Today, he is best known for his work in television advertisements and music videos. He has directed spots for brands including McDonald's, Nike, Subway, Zoo York, Beeline, Sony Ericsson, the Environmental Defense Fund and...
, music video directorMusic video directorA music video director is driven by a given music track. These are called music videos and are then used as promotional tools for popular music singles... - Ali TabatabaeeAli TabatabaeeAli Tabatabaee is one of two main vocalists in the band Zebrahead. He is from California. He attended high school in La Habra, California, where he met the other members of Zebrahead...
, one of the lead singers of Orange County, CaliforniaOrange County, CaliforniaOrange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
-based pop-punk band ZebraheadZebraheadZebrahead is an American punk rock band from Orange County, California, which fuses elements of Rapcore, Pop Punk, Alternative Rock, Alternative Metal, and Funk Metal.-1996–98: Formation:... - Kourosh ZolaniKourosh ZolaniKourosh Zolani is an Iranian-American composer and instrumental soloist. He is known for designing and playing a chromatic santour....
, composer, soloist and inventor. Zolani is best known for designing and playing the world's only playable Chromatic Santour.
Politics
- Goli AmeriGoli AmeriGoli Ameri is an Iranian-American diplomat, politician and businesswoman from the U.S. state of Oregon. She is the current Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Values and Diplomacy for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. She is also the former U.S...
, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs, former U.S. delegate to the United Nations Commission on Human RightsUnited Nations Commission on Human RightsThe United Nations Commission on Human Rights was a functional commission within the overall framework of the United Nations from 1946 until it was replaced by the United Nations Human Rights Council in 2006...
, former U.S. public delegate to the United Nations General AssemblyUnited Nations General AssemblyFor two articles dealing with membership in the General Assembly, see:* General Assembly members* General Assembly observersThe United Nations General Assembly is one of the five principal organs of the United Nations and the only one in which all member nations have equal representation...
, and former Republican candidate for the United States House of RepresentativesUnited States House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from the 1st district of OregonOregonOregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern... - Hushang AnsaryHushang AnsaryHushang Ansary is an Iranian-American diplomat, businessman, and philanthropist. He served for eighteen years in the Iranian government prior to the Iranian Revolution and has also been chairman or director of companies both in Iran and in the United States.-Political career:Born in Ahvaz, in...
, former Iranian Minister of Finance and Chairman of National Finance Committee of Bush-CheneyGeorge W. Bush presidential campaign, 2004This article is about the presidential campaign of George W. Bush, the former President of the United States and winner of the 2004 Presidential Election. See George W. Bush for a detailed biography and information about his full presidency, and George W. Bush presidential campaign, 2000 for a...
2004 Campaign - Michael BenjaminMichael Benjamin BonheurMichael Benjamin was born Michael Benjamin Bonheur in New York City, New York, United States. Benjamin works as a private investor focusing on Internet companies...
, 1996 RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
candidate for the U.S. HouseUnited States House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from the 8th district of New YorkNew York's 8th congressional districtNew York's Eighth Congressional District for the United States House of Representatives in New York City. It is split into two sections. The northern portion of it includes most of Manhattan's Upper West Side, and continues south to include most parts of Hell's Kitchen, East Village, Chelsea, SoHo,...
, and 2004 United States SenateUnited States SenateThe United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
Republican Primary candidate from New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east... - Jimmy DelshadJimmy DelshadJamshid "Jimmy" Delshad is an Iranian-American politician in the state of California. He became Mayor of Beverly Hills on March 21, 2007 and again on March 16, 2010. He is the first Iranian-American to hold public office in Beverly Hills.-Biography:...
, Mayor of Beverly Hills, CaliforniaBeverly Hills, CaliforniaBeverly Hills is an affluent city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. With a population of 34,109 at the 2010 census, up from 33,784 as of the 2000 census, it is home to numerous Hollywood celebrities. Beverly Hills and the neighboring city of West Hollywood are together... - Ross MirkarimiRoss MirkarimiRoss Mirkarimi is a member of the Board of Supervisors of San Francisco, California, a marijuana legalization advocate, and co-founder of the Green Party of California. He was elected in 2004 to represent District 5...
, Member of San FranciscoSan Francisco, CaliforniaSan Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
City Council from the Green Party. - David SafavianDavid SafavianDavid Hossein Safavian is a former chief of staff of the United States General Services Administration and a figure in the Jack Abramoff lobbying and corruption scandal....
, disgraced former Chief of Staff of the United States General Services AdministrationGeneral Services AdministrationThe General Services Administration is an independent agency of the United States government, established in 1949 to help manage and support the basic functioning of federal agencies. The GSA supplies products and communications for U.S... - Faryar ShirzadFaryar ShirzadFaryar Shirzad formerly served on the staff of the National Security Council at the White House from March 2003 through August 2006, first as a special assistant to the President for International Economic Affairs, and then as deputy assistant to the President and deputy national security advisor...
, former Deputy National Security Advisor and White HouseWhite HouseThe White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
Deputy Assistant for International Economic Affairs to President George W. BushGeorge W. BushGeorge Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
Sports
- Esfandiar BaharmastEsfandiar BaharmastEsfandiar Baharmast is a retired Iranian-American football referee best known for supervising two matches during the 1998 FIFA World Cup held in France....
, World Cup referee, FIFA Instructor, known as Esse Baharmast - Farzad BonyadiFarzad BonyadiFarzad "Freddy" Bonyadi is an Iranian professional poker player based in Aliso Viejo, California, who has won 3 World Series of Poker bracelets....
, world champion of poker - Shawn DaivariShawn DaivariDara Daivari is an Iranian American professional wrestler, currently performing on the American independent circuit as Shawn Daivari. He is best known for his work with World Wrestling Entertainment as simply Daivari and with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling as Sheik Abdul Bashir.-Career:Daivari...
, professional wrestler and manager, better known by his stage names of Sheik Abdul Bashir or simply Daivari - Hamid DastmalchiHamid DastmalchiHamid Reza Dastmalchi is an Iranian-American professional poker player.Dastmalchi won the 1992 World Series of Poker main event, which is his largest tournament win at $1 million...
, world champion of poker - Antonio EsfandiariAntonio EsfandiariAntonio Esfandiari is a professional poker player, known for his elaborate chip tricks.-Early life:When he was 9 years old his family moved to San Jose, California...
, champion poker player - Alecko EskandarianAlecko EskandarianAlecko Eskandarian is a former American soccer player who last played for Los Angeles Galaxy. He currently is the youth technical director for Philadelphia Union.-High School and College:...
, American soccer player - Andranik EskandarianAndranik EskandarianAndranik Eskandarian is an Armenian Iranian-American footballer. He played as a defender for the F.C. Ararat Tehran, Taj F.C. and New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League....
, former soccer player - Matt GhaffariMatt GhaffariSiamak Ghaffari is an American-Iranian Olympic silver-medal winning wrestler. He was a two-time Olympic team member obtaining a silver medal after losing against Alexander Karelin in the final of 1996. In total holds four World and Olympic MedalsGhaffari attended Paramus High School in Paramus,...
, Olympic silver-medal winning wrestler - Afshin GhotbiAfshin GhotbiAfshin Ghotbi is an Iranian-American football coach and current head coach of the Japanese side Shimizu S-Pulse in J-League.-Early life:Though his family were from Shiraz, Mr. Afshin Ghotbi was born in the country's capital Tehran...
, soccer coach, former assistant coach of Korea Republic national football teamKorea Republic national football teamThe Korea Republic national football team represents Korea Republic in international football and is controlled by the Korea Football Association. Korea Republic is the most successful Asian football team in the history of the FIFA World Cup having participated in eight World Cup tournaments,...
, Los Angeles GalaxyLos Angeles GalaxyThe Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second...
and Iran national teamIran national football teamThe national football team of Iran represents Iran in international football competitions and is controlled by the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran... - Hamed Haddadi, NBA center for the Memphis GrizzliesMemphis GrizzliesThe Memphis Grizzlies are a professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. The team is part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Along with the Toronto Raptors, the Grizzlies were established in 1995 as part of the NBA's...
, first Iranian NBA player - T.J. Houshmandzadeh, NFL wide receiver for the Baltimore RavensBaltimore RavensThe Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
, father is Iranian. - King KamaliKing KamaliShahriar Kamali, known professionally as King Kamali , is an IFBB professional bodybuilder.Nicknamed "The Persian Pearl" and "The Terminator", Kamali was born in Tehran, Iran, but now lives in West New York, New Jersey and New City, New York...
, IFBB pro bodybuilder - George Malek-YonanGeorge Malek-YonanGeorge Malek-Yonan is an Assyrian international attorney, politician and champion athlete. Rosie Malek-Yonan, his daughter, is an actress, author, and human-rights activist.-Biography:...
, Iran's "Champion of Champions" in Track & Field and Pentathlon - Amin Abraham Paul Nikfar, Shot PutShot putThe shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" a heavy metal ball—the shot—as far as possible. It is common to use the term "shot put" to refer to both the shot itself and to the putting action....
for the Iranian National Team and 1st Iranian Asian Indoor Champion 2004 - Amir SadollahAmir SadollahAmir Sadollah is an American professional mixed martial artist of Iranian and Irish descent. He was the winner of Spike TV's The Ultimate Fighter 7....
, Professional mixed martial artist and winner of the ultimate fighter 7 - Behdad SamiBehdad SamiBehdad Sami is an Iranian American professional basketball player. Behdad was the world's first Iranian basketball player to play professionally at any level in the United States when he played in the minor-league American Basketball Association in 2007...
, First Pro Iranian Basketball player to play in USA history. - Michael ShabazMichael ShabazMichael Shabaz is an American tennis player who won the 2005 Wimbledon boys' doubles championship with Jesse Levine, and currently a NCAA tennis player for the University of Virginia Cavaliers.-Early life:...
, tennis player, 2005 WimbledonThe Championships, WimbledonThe Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors...
boys' doubles championship - Amir VahediAmir VahediAmir Vahedi was an Iranian professional poker player born in Tehran, Iran. who won a World Series of Poker bracelet at the 2003 World Series of Poker in the $1,500 No Limit Hold'em event....
, professional poker player - Leila VaziriLeila VaziriLeila Vaziri is an Iranian American swimmer and former world record holder in the 50 m backstroke.-Collegiate career:Vaziri completed her collegiate swimming career at Indiana University. She was 2005 Big Ten Champion in the 100 yard backstroke and the 2007 NCAA bronze medalist in the 100 yard...
, The current world record holder of the 50 m women's backstrokeBackstrokeThe backstroke, also sometimes called the back crawl, is one of the four swimming styles regulated by FINA, and the only regulated style swum on the back. This has the advantage of easy breathing, but the disadvantage of swimmers not being able to see where they are going. It is also the only... - Khosrow VaziriKhosrow VaziriHossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri is a semi-retired Iranian professional wrestler and actor better known by his ring name The Iron Sheik...
, retired professional wrestler, better known by his stage name of The Iron Sheik
See also
- Iranian American
- Modern Iranian scientists and engineers
- List of Iranians
- List of British Iranians
- US-Iran relations
- Famous Americans in Iran