"Egyptian Cigarettes"

This is the twenty-seventh in Arab America’s series on American pathbreakers of Arab descent. The series includes personalities from entertainment, business, sports, science, academia, journalism, and politics, among other areas. Our twenty-seventh pathbreaker, depicted by contributing writer, John Mason, is Ramy Youssef, an American stand-up comedian, actor, screenwriter, and director known for his role as Ramy Hassan on the Hulu comedy series “Ramy.” Youssef was born in New York City to Muslim Egyptian parents and later raised in New Jersey. He has consistently highlighted his Arab cultural background, using it to create empathy and understanding of his audience. Youssef employs comedy to emphasize a balance between humor and sensitivity, thereby humanizing his often-politicized stories.