Meet 13 Famous Yemeni Americans
By: Claire Boyle/Arab America Contributing Writer
Introduction:
The Yemeni American community has existed in the United States since around the 1890s, and they have been emigrating to the country since around the 1860s. Yemeni Americans have settled in places such as New York City, Chicago, Brooklyn, South Dearborn in Michigan, and various cities within the Midwest as well as California. Yemeni Americans have been in the United States for over 100 years, and they have become very successful as well. In more recent years, we are seeing an increased representation of Yemeni Americans, including those in public service, business professionals, entertainment figures, artists, writers, and advocates for their communities among many various roles. Meet 13 famous Yemeni Americans who are making big splashes within their various communities. In no particular order, it is time to “Yalla, let’s get started!”
1. Rashad Hauter
Rashad Hauter is an attorney who works as a criminal defense and immigration lawyer in North Carolina. He is a child of Yemeni immigrants. Hauter attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where as a first-generation college student, he majored in Biology and Asian Studies with a concentration in Arabic. He received his law degree from Campbell University School of Law where Hauter graduated with honors. Before he opened his own private practice working in criminal and immigration law, he was a prosecutor focusing on Traffic Safety. Finally, Hauter continues to make history as Governor Roy Cooper (D-NC) appointed him to serve as District Court Judge for District 10A which serves Wake County in early January 2021. Why is this history-making? Well, it is because with this appointment, Rashad Hauter will become the first Yemeni American to become a judge in the United States. Congratulations to Rashad Hauter on his groundbreaking appointment!
2. Debbie Almontaser
Debbie Almontaser is an educator, teacher, corporate trainer, speaker, activist, and an “authority on cross cultural understanding.” She is of Yemeni descent, and one of her largest achievements was to found and serve as the principal of the Khalil Gibran International Academy which is named after the famous poet, Khalil Gibran. The institution is an Arab-themed public school in New York City. She has taught for numerous years in the New York City public school system within the areas of special education and literacy and has served as a diversity and multicultural advisor as well. She continues to work with esteemed organizations such as the Muslim Community Network, and after the September 11, 2001 attacks, she worked to combat hate crimes in Brooklyn, NY. Finally, she made history becoming the first Muslim woman to offer a prayer at the Presidential Inaugural Prayer Service in Washington, DC, in honor of President Biden’s inauguration last week.
3. Abraham Aiyash
Abraham Aiyash is currently serving as a politician in the Michigan House of Representatives from the 4th District. His district encompasses many suburbs of Detroit and all of Hamtramck. Aiyash’s parents emigrated to Michigan from Yemen. Aiyash has a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree from Michigan State University where he majored in pre-medicine, political science, and Muslim Studies. He ran for the 4th District Representative position in 2020, came out on top in the Democratic primary as 1 of the 13 candidates, and then went on to win the general election race in November. Abraham Aiyash is also a featured panelist at the CONNECT Arab America Empowerment Summit on February 1st-5th, 2021, and he will be speaking on February 1st, as a member of the “Connecting with Public Officials” panel from 7-8 pm EST. For more information about how to hear State Representative Aiyash speak, please click here to register.
4. Adel Mozip
Adel Mozip is currently serving as the Secretary of the Dearborn Public School Board of Education in Dearborn, MI. He is a Yemeni American with well-established and well-kept roots in Dearborn. Mozip is a proud product of Fordson High School where he graduated with honors and was awarded the Bilingual Department Medallion. He studied Computer Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Michigan—Dearborn where he served as a Student Government Senator and was the chairman of an important Student Senate committee. In his professional life, he has a strong history of advocacy within the community, including working to promote Yemeni scientists, students, and professionals, mentoring Yemeni American young people, as well as focusing on utilizing innovation, technology, and research to improve the schools in Dearborn. Finally, he is the co-founder of the Michigan Chapter of the American Association of Yemeni Scientists (now Students) and Professionals (AAYSP) which promotes the achievements of Yemeni Americans in STEM fields as well as providing networking and academic support while partnering with area universities in Dearborn as well.
5. Aneesa Muthana
Aneesa Muthana currently is the President and Co-Owner of Pioneer Service, a machine shop and machining precision parts company located in Addison, IL. She is a proud Yemeni American having learned machining in her parents’ shop as a young girl. Muthana’s Pioneer Service is a Certified Women-Owned contract manufacturer, and her company has clients around the globe, including those in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Pioneer Service provides machining parts for the Aerospace, Electric Vehicles, Firearms, and Hydraulics industries among other numerous fields. Her company mindset focuses on exceptional workmanship, embracing diversity and technological advances, and breaking down gender barriers within the field of machining. Aneesa Muthana is also a featured panelist at the CONNECT Arab America Empowerment Summit on February 1st-5th, 2021, and she will be speaking on the “Connecting with Business Leaders” panel on February 3rd, from 7-8 pm EST. For more information about how to hear Aneesa Muthana speak, please click here to register.
6. Jamiel Altaheri
Jamiel Altaheri currently serves as a police officer for the New York Police Department (NYPD). He is the first Yemeni American to attain the rank of a police captain in the NYPD. Additionally, he is one of about 1,000 Muslim police officers serving within the NYPD as well. Altaheri currently works to advocate for Muslim and Yemeni American law enforcement officers, especially since he is involved in two organizations to support them. He is the co-founder of the NYPD Muslim Officers Society and the founder of the Yemeni American Law Enforcement Officers Association. He also continues to support the area he serves in by advocating for a community center to be built in the Bronx that would benefit Yemeni Americans. An interesting fact is that Altaheri is the direct descendant of King Amir bin Abdul-Wahab Altaheri of Yemen. These roots trace back to Rasulid Dynasty which built schools, madrasas, water irrigation systems, and mosques for their communities. Finally, he has served in various positions in the NYPD, including a police officer, detective, sergeant, lieutenant, and in his current role as a captain.
7. Queen Naija:
Queen Naija is a Yemeni American singer, songwriter, and YouTuber. Her father is from Yemen. She is from Ypsilanti, MI, and is currently signed to Capitol Records. One of her albums reached the top 10 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, and she has had singles on the Billboard Hot 100 as well. Queen Naija released over ten singles and has found modest success. Three of her singles have been certified platinum, meaning that these songs have all sold over 1,000,000 copies. She’s considered to be an influential YouTuber as she earns most of her income from her YouTube channel, which consists of video blogs (also known as vlogs), make-up tutorials, and a place to showcase her music as well. Additionally, she is an actress and composer writing her own music. In her younger years, she sang in churches in the Detroit area and competed on numerous seasons of the hit singing reality show, American Idol.
8. Dr. Letitia Plummer
Dr. Letitia Plummer is a politician in Texas. She currently serves as a member of the Houston City Council At-Large Position 4. She won the election in January 2020, with her current term ending in January 2024. Her mother is Yemeni Indian and her father is African American. She has the distinction of being the first Muslim elected to the Houston City Council. Plummer attended Spelman College and went to the Baylor College of Dentistry to become a Dentist. Plummer has received numerous honors for her profession as a dentist in the Houston area. This includes the award for “Houston’s Top Dentist”. She is a practicing Muslim and has three children. Plummer attempted to represent Houston in the 22nd Congressional District race in Texas in 2018, but she was defeated in the primary. Later on, she decided to run for the Houston City Council At-Large Position 4 where she was victorious in December 2019, by winning about 52% of the vote.
9. Professor Hilal A. Lashuel
Dr. Hilal A. Lashuel is currently a professor at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne. He is a Yemeni American who received his Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Chemistry from the City University of New York, and later completed his doctoral studies at Texas A&M University and the Scripps Research Institute. He has now gone on to work in the Medical Research field at the Picower Institute in New York. Later on, he became a fellow at Harvard Medical School in neurologic diseases. About fifteen years ago, Lashuel moved to Switzerland to take on his current role at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology. He teaches life sciences and directs the laboratory of molecular and chemical biology of neurodegeneration. Lashuel also serves as a visiting associate professor at Stanford specializing in Neurological Sciences, and he was the co-chair of the Qatar Cancer Research Partnership, among many other honors, publications, and awards.
10. Nasser Zawia, PhD
Dr. Nasser Zawia is currently serving as the Dean of the Graduate School and a Professor at the University of Rhode Island. Additionally, he currently researches the hidden effects of environmental issues on the developing brain, as well as a new class of mechanism-based drugs to treat Alzheimer’s Disease. His team focuses on how developmental, particularly, environmental issues of the brain may increase the occurrence of Alzheimer’s Disease in later adulthood. He is a Yemeni American, and Zawia received his education from esteemed institutions such as the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Loma Linda University, University of California, Irvine, and post-doctoral work at the National Institutes of Health. Additionally, Zawia is a published author with his research appearing in numerous journals over fifteen times. Finally, he is a professor in the College of Pharmacy at the University of Rhode Island.
11. Zainab Alkebsi
Zainab Alkebsi became one of 13 members of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Bar Association to be sworn in and admitted to the Bar of the United States Supreme Court. Alkebsi is of Yemeni American heritage, and this admission allows her to now argue cases before the US Supreme Court in the future. Her group of 13 attorneys has now been certified as the largest conglomerate of deaf and hard of hearing lawyers to achieve this esteemed honor of getting the opportunity to argue cases before the Supreme Court. Alkebsi was excited to see that “Chief Justice [John] Roberts granted [their] motion in American Sign Language!” Alkebsi is a graduate of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County as a political science major, and she currently works as policy counsel for the National Association of the Deaf (NAD). Finally, she graduated from the University of Baltimore School of Law where she received her J.D.
12. Dr. Ibrahim Alhussain
Dr. Ibrahim Alhussain currently works as an Orthodontist in the Virginia area. He is of Yemeni American descent, and says what he loves about his job is that “I get to see the continuous improvement in the physical and emotional well-being of my patients.” He received his Doctorate of Dental Medicine (DMD) from the School of Dental Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and his orthodontic certificate at the Montefiore Medical Center where he earned top honors. Alhussain is a member of numerous professional organizations including the American Association of Orthodontists, American Dental Association, and the Virginia Dental Association. Finally, he is heavily involved in his community by promoting dental awareness in schools and provides free cleft surgeries for children around the world through the Small Train Charity Group. He is also well-respected in the dental and medical community in the state of Virginia.
13. Dr. Reem Alhussain
Dr. Reem Alhussain currently works as a board-certified Pediatric Dentist in the Vienna, VA area. She is also of Yemeni American descent, and her practice goals are to make sure that “every child has the best oral healthcare possible as well as positive experiences at the dentist.” She grew up in numerous places, including France and the US, and loves to create connections with her patients. Alhussain graduated summa cum laude at George Mason University with a bachelor’s degree in Political and Persuasive Communications and minored in Business. Additionally, she was granted her Doctorate of Dental Surgery degree from Virginia Commonwealth University. In dental school, she worked to promote oral health nationally as a member of the American Student Dental Association. She is also a diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry. Alhussain is fluent in numerous languages and continues to learn more, and she is also the daughter of Dr. Ibrahim Alhussain who was mentioned above. (Daughter and father work together in her professional practice.)
Conclusion:
In conclusion, this is only a small number of Yemeni Americans who have become very successful within their communities. There are so many more, and as one can surely figure out, this is not an exhaustive list. We got to meet some of the amazing Yemeni Americans who are doing exciting things such as working in the medical and research fields, dentistry, serving as advocates, activists, and being a politician in local and national offices. We also got to meet some business professionals who do their best to give back to their community.
Please make sure to register for the CONNECT Arab America Empowerment Summit by clicking here to hear Michigan State Representative Abraham Aiyash and Pioneer Service president, Aneesa Muthana speak at the event!
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