Egyptians in America - Culture and Involvement...
There are an estimated 60,000 Egyptians living in the United States. Of this population, 33% were born in Egypt and 67% are naturalized US citizens or hold other types of legal status. Most Egyptians residing in the United States reside on the East Coast, with a few thousand residing in California and Texas as well.
As part of the North African diaspora, Egyptians living in the US have had a long history of involvement in American politics and culture. In 1973, Dr. Boutros Ghali became the first Egyptian to serve as United Nations Secretary-General and also one of the earliest high-profile figures that highlighted to Americans how much talent and contributions Egyptians could bring to America's melting pot society.
Today, Egyptians continue to make their mark on America through various careers such as professional athletes like Mo Salah who is considered one of the best soccer players currently playing for Liverpool FC; entertainers like actor Rami Malek who won an Academy Award for his role as Freddie Mercury; scientists like Ahmed Zewail who won a Nobel Prize for Chemistry; and entrepreneurs like Egyptian-born Sara Blakely who founded Spanx Inc., a multi-billion dollar company specializing in shaping undergarments for women.
Egyptian organizations such as The Arab American Institute (AAI) also play an important role in advocating for Egyptian immigrants' rights and representing them before federal policy makers both inside and outside Washington D.C. The AAI works to ensure that these issues remain part of public discourse so that Egyptian immigrants can obtain fair consideration when their rights come up for discussion before Congress or other government entities. Likewise, they work hard to ensure that all Americans are aware of the contributions that Egyptian immigrants make to our society through their excellence in diverse fields ranging from medicine and engineering to business management and education.
In addition, many charitable organizations exist specifically to help those from Egypt who have immigrated or been displaced due to war or poverty find safe homes here in America where they can rebuild their lives with dignity and opportunity. These include Caritas Internationalis USA which assists refugees fleeing war by providing emergency aid; Project Hope whose mission is to provide health care access and health education programs throughout Egypt; and UNICEF whose goal is to reduce malnutrition rates among children throughout Egypt by providing essential vitamins such as iron supplementation along with health education classes about proper nutrition and hygiene practices.
Over time, this vibrant community has grown larger as more individuals have chosen life here versus staying home in Egypt due primarily because of economic opportunity within America’s comparatively large labor market coupled with various incentives offered by both private sector businesses as well as public agencies designed specifically for immigrants looking for new beginnings away from home - all factors which have attracted many skilled workers seeking better lives within US borders since 1975 when Egyptian nationals were first allowed entry into America en masse following President Richard Nixon’s visit to Egypt earlier that year where he was welcomed warmly by then President Anwar Sadat himself.
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