Aman Ali (comedian)

Aman Ali
Born (1985-03-27) March 27, 1985
Reynoldsburg, Ohio, United States
Medium Stand-up, Newspaper, Television
Nationality American
Years active 2006–present
Genres Observational comedy
Subject(s) Indian culture, Islamic humour
Influences Bill Cosby
Website www.amanali.net

Aman Ali (Urdu: اشرف علی‎; born March 27, 1985) is an American stand-up comedian, storyteller, journalist and writer of Indian descent.

Early life

Ali was born and raised in Reynoldsburg, Ohio, United States.[1] He attended Gahanna Lincoln High School. In 2006, he graduated from Kent State University with a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication.[2]

His parents are from India. His father first came to the United States in the 1960s,[3] his mother came to the United States in the 1970s.[4] He has four brothers.[5][6]

Ali's father went to college in India, majoring in civil engineering intending to design bridges and roads. He came to America to find better opportunities. He moved to Chicago to pursue a degree in civil engineering. He would take classes during the day and work night shifts at the factory. After being offered a manager position and an opportunity to own doughnut stores, with being newly married and a child on the way, his father left school.[7]

Journalism career

Ali started his career as a multimedia producer and reporter in Washington, D.C. for The Hill in Capitol Hill, Washington D.C. and then worked for Gannett news in New York before writing for Reuters.[2]

He has travelled across the United States covering presidential races,[1] Hurricane Katrina recovery efforts in New Orleans, and hula festivals in Hawaii.

Ali appeared on media outlets such as CNN,[8][9][10] HBO, ABC News, and NPR.[11]

Ali has written articles for newspapers and magazines in the greater New York City area.[5] Ali has also made several appearances on CNN, NPR and many other news outlets.[12]

Ali is currently a web producer for various websites managed by the National Basketball Association.

Stand-up career

In 2007, Ali moved to New York City. He has travelled all over the world and regularly performs shows at comedy clubs, colleges and theaters all around the United States. He has opened for Dave Chappelle and other acclaimed comedians working in the industry today.[5]

In 2012, he performed in England,[13] Denmark, Belgium and Germany.[7]

Storytelling

Ali is also storyteller who talks about his upbringing as a 20-something Muslim born and raised in America. His storytelling draws heavily from his upbringing and travels.[11] His jokes cross age, cultural and religious barriers with the intention of bringing people together with his humor.[1]

In 2009, Ali and his friend, Bassam Tariq, a photographer and filmmaker, co-created 30 Mosques in 30 Days, a blog chronicling them visiting a different mosque every day of the 30 days.[11][14] recording his travels of two Ramadans during which he and his friend visited one mosque a day,[15][16] telling stories about Muslims in America.[11] In 2010, they changed it to mosques in 30 different states in 30 days.[14] They have been covered by CNN, BBC, PBS and Al Jazeera.[15] In 2011, they visited the other 20 states, including Alaska and Hawaii.[14] and they have travelled over 25,000 miles.[17] In 2012, they also released a series of short films on various facets of Muslim life[18] and spread the message on social media.[19]

Awards

Ali has received several awards for his reporting including one from the Associated Press in 2010 for his breaking news coverage in New York.[20]

Personal life

Ali lives in New York City New York, United States.[11]

In November 2012, Ali and his mother performed Hajj (the largest Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia).[21]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Aman Ali". bhutia. 2011. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
  2. 1 2 "About Aman Ali". kdmc. 2007. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
  3. ↑ "Interview with US comedian Aman Ali". usembassybrussels. April 24, 2012. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
  4. ↑ "AMAZING Indian Comedian - Aman Ali". bhutia. January 16, 2010. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
  5. 1 2 3 Cox, Robert (September 21, 2009). "No Joke: Journal News' Aman Ali is a Real Comedian". New Rochelle's Talk of the Sound. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
  6. ↑ "Aman Ali: A young American-Muslim voice". Pittsburg: Pittsburg State University. September 24, 2012. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
  7. 1 2 "The Stories of Our Fathers". New York: The New York Times. November 9, 2012. Retrieved March 1, 2012.
  8. ↑ Ali, Aman (September 7, 2011). "My Take: Muslims should stop apologizing for 9/11". CNN. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
  9. ↑ Ali, Aman (October 1, 2011). "My Take: Muslims should lay off the victim card". CNN. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
  10. ↑ Ali, Aman (November 15, 2011). "My Take: 'All-American Muslim' doesn't speak for this Muslim". CNN. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 "Aman Ali". The Huffington Post. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
  12. ↑ "Profile". CNN. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
  13. ↑ "Aman Ali Returns to the Hubb!". Soul City Arts. 2011. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
  14. 1 2 3 "Aman Ali". Morning Sun. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
  15. 1 2 "Stand-up Islam". Halal Monk. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
  16. ↑ "US comedian tells tales from the Mosque". The Local. April 12, 2012. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
  17. ↑ "Aman Ali Interview". Bridges TV. February 15, 2012. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
  18. ↑ "THE SIFR: A Global Jam Session". Beyond The Box. September 11, 2012. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
  19. ↑ "Experiencing Ramadan Around the World". Beyond The Box. August 16, 2012. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
  20. ↑ "ontributors". All American Muslim Men. Retrieved January 1, 2014. Aman Ali
  21. ↑ "Comedian-Writer Aman Ali Reflects on His Hajj Journey". Altmuslim. November 5, 2012. Retrieved March 1, 2013.

External links

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