CHICAGO: Negative portrayals of the Middle East and its many peoples in Hollywood movies and TV programs can be shattered if Arab Americans are willing to make that change happen themselves, Egyptian-American actor and stand-up comedian Ahmed Ahmed told Arab News this week.
Appearing on The Ray Hanania Radio Show Wednesday, Ahmed said that he grew up in the American media environment in which every image of an Arab and Muslim was negative, which pushed him to seek positive change.
Born in Helwan, Egypt, just outside of Cairo, his family immigrated to America, finding a home in a Los Angeles suburb, when he was one-month old. Ahmed and his stay-at-home mother learned to speak English watching TV sitcoms and soap operas while his father worked 14- to 15-hour days pumping gas at a local station.
The only Egyptian family in their neighborhood, they shared dreams of achieving a…
