22 People and Products America Would Miss if Trump's Ban on Muslim-Majority Countries Had Always Been in Place

posted on: Jan 27, 2017

BY: Nisreen Eadeh/Staff Writer

If President Trump’s ban on refugees and migrants from Muslim-majority countries always existed, America’s Middle Eastern and North African population would be miniscule. As the shock of the executive orders hits the Arab American population, we are reminded of the great contributions our community has given this country.

Although the majority of the Arab American population consists of Christians, they would also be excluded from entry into the U.S. under Trump’s proposal, as it includes ALL people, regardless of religion, from Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Iran.

If an immigration ban on Muslim-majority countries had always been in place, America would be missing out on some amazing people and products that have shaped society for the better. Here are products and people the U.S. would be without if immigrants from Muslim-majority countries were banned.

1. Donald Trump’s favorite hair spray

Farouk Shami, a Palestinian immigrant, gave the U.S. some of the best hair products in the world with his line, CHI. Donald Trump himself has admitted to using Shami’s famous CHI Helmet Head product. How would the president have his famous head of hair without Shami and his line of CHI products?

2. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

St. Jude’s was founded by Lebanese American actor and singer, Danny Thomas. During the early phase of his career, Danny Thomas pledged to make a shrine to St. Jude Thaddeus, the patron saint of hopeless causes. He believed “no child should die in the dawn of life” and made it his mission to open a hospital for sick children under the name of St. Jude.

3. MADD: Mother’s Against Drunk Driving

Lebanese American mother and activist, Candy Lightner, founded the group Mother’s Against Drunk Driving, which has helped save lives on the road. Without her campaign to end drunk driving, reckless behavior may have continued to be the norm in the U.S.

4. The Exorcist

Perhaps one of the most popular thriller movies of all time is The Exorcist. The book and film were written by Lebanese American writer William Peter Blatty. The Exorcist is considered the first of its kind and without the film, an entire genre of cinematic thrill might not have been invented.

5. The heart pump

Dr. Michael DeBakey was a Lebanese American cardiac surgeon and educator who invented the heart pump that saved countless lives. Without his expertise and pioneering, where would America be in the field of medicine?

6. Thelma and Louise

Thelma and Louise was a massive success during its time. It was applauded as a feminist film, giving America iconic pop culture moments. The film was written by Syrian American writer Callie Khouri, who won an Academy Award for her original script.

7. Ice cream cones

Ernest A. Hamwi was a Syrian immigrant selling zalabia, a wafer dessert, next to an ice cream stand when he combined the products to make the ice cream cone. Without Hamwi, who knows how long it would’ve taken for Americans to experience the oh-so-delicious combination of wafer and ice cream.

8. Apple, the iPhone and iPods

Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple, was born to a Syrian immigrant, Abdulfattah Jandali. Without Apple, America wouldn’t have its revolutionary products, such as the iPhone and iPod. Additionally, Lebanese American engineer, Tony Fadel, is credited as one of the fathers of the iPod. He was one of the lead designers behind both the iPod and iPhone.

9. Classic Rock

What would the classic rock genre be without the stylings of Frank Zappa, an Italian of Arab ancestry?

10. Britney Spears, Eminem, and Mary J. Blige

No one wants to live in a world without the talented voice of Mary J. Blige or iconic rapping of Eminem. And Britney Spears basically founded the female pop industry America knows and loves today. None of these artists would be who they are without the work of their producer FredWreck (Farid Nassar), who is the son of Palestinian immigrants.

11. Gigi and Bella Hadid

The Arab American community is overjoyed to say that the world’s top models today are of Palestinian descent. Sisters Gigi and Bella can be seen on runways, billboards, awards shows, and television.

12. Seat belt safety

Ralph Nader, a Lebanese American political activist, has literally saved lives. Without his research on seat belt safety, Americans may still be flying through windshields when they get into car accidents.

13. This awesome Pink Floyd album cover

Spectroscopy, the study of “the interaction between matter and electromagnetic radiation” was revolutionized by Mostafa El-Sayed, an Egyptian American chemist. Without his work, the world wouldn’t know about light reflections through prisms and this iconic Pink Floyd album cover.

14. The voice of Casey Kasem

Casey Kasem was beloved by all Americans. His soothing voice could be heard on radios across the county and as Shaggy, the whimsical Scooby-Doo character every child can recognize.

15. The study of Orientalism that explodes every college student’s mind

Edward Said, a Palestinian immigrant, was the founder of Orientalism, which completely altered the study of identity politics and Western history. Not since Oedipus has a writing about identity politics been so commonly read. Anyone who reads Orientalism during their studies gains a connection to their identity that is invaluable.

16. M*A*S*H with the hilarious Jamie Farr

The show M*A*S*H would be nothing without the talented work of Lebanese American actor, Jamie Farr. He introduced the world to a cross-dressing character that helped pave the path for the transgender community on television.

17. Monk

One of the most unique and critically acclaimed shows in recent history is Monk, which starred Lebanese American actor Tony Shalhoub. The show used humor to help expose obsessive-compulsive disorder to the mainstream public.

18. Mr. Robot

Television dramas get better every year and Mr. Robot, created by Egyptian American writer Sam Esmail, is climbing to the top as one of the best. The show stars Egyptian American actor Rami Malek, an award winning actor, who has everyone binge-watching the series.

19. Falafel, Shawarma, Hummus, Couscous, Tabbouli, and more

It is almost impossible to argue against the amazing food of the Muslim-majority countries that are being threatened by the Trump administration. It’s healthy, delicious, and everywhere.

20. Michael Bublé’s career

Lebanese Canadian singer Paul Anka gave the stamp of approval for Michael Bublé, which propelled him into his insanely successful career, which put class and style back into the worlds of pop and jazz.

21. Jim Carrey’s career

Actor Jim Carrey might not be as famous if it weren’t for Tom Shadyac, a Lebanese American director, producer, and screenwriter. Shadyac brought us some of Jim Carey’s most popular films, such as Ace Ventura, Liar Liar, and Bruce Almighty.

22. The famous hairstyles of Hillary Clinton, Sigourney Weaver, Renée Zellweger, and others

Frédéric Fekkai, a Lebanese immigrant has basically won the war against hair frizz. His line of hair products and salons have brought America than popular hair stylings of big-name female celebrities.