SOURCE: ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT/AFP/Getty Images
The Syrian refugee crisis has brought about a heated debate over whether or not the United States should allow refugees into the country. A majority of governors are explicitly refusing to allow refugees into their states, and many GOP candidates are similarly stating their unwillingness to provide aid. Conversely, all three Democratic presidential hopefuls have voiced their support for admitting refugees. President Obama has condemned notions of not allowing Syrians fleeing their home country into the United States as well. With politicians becoming increasingly more divided on the issue, it's important to have a bit of perspective. Syrian refugees are certainly not bad people nor are they all in cahoots with ISIS or other terrorist organizations. In fact, many prominent Syrian Americans have changed the world.
Apple co-founder Steve Jobs' biological father immigrated from Syria, having grown up in Homs. His father would attend college in Beirut, then move to America to continue his studies at the University of Wisconsin. Jobs was not only a prominent Syrian American but a visionary idolized around the world. His innovations in technology paved the way for the smartphone as we know it in addition to tablets and aesthetically pleasing, efficient computers. It was Jobs who firmly placed a focus on design in tech.
That's just one example that shows once refugees or other immigrants are here, their contributions can literally transform our society. Here are eight more Syrian Americans' whose names you should know.
Diana Al-Hadid
Aleppo-born artist Diana Al-Hadid is based in the United States, but her work has transcended the very country she currently resides. Using a bit of mixed media, her own personal experiences, and the very idea of myths themselves, Al-Hadid has created fascinating sculptures and projects that call into question the nature of greed, power, and the very way that humans plan and arrange their lives. She has exhibited around the world and was a 2009 Rockefeller Fellow representing United States Artists.