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Join Us in Celebrating History

Become a part of the Estevanico Foundation's mission to preserve cultural heritage. Support our initiatives or volunteer today for a brighter, more knowledgeable community!

Meet Our Team

Our dedicated team works tirelessly to preserve Estevanico's legacy and advance cross-cultural understanding.

Abdeslem El Idrissi, PhD

Dr El Idrissi is our President, passionate about cultural initiatives and community engagement.

Dr. Abdeslem El Idrissi is a Professor of Neuroscience at the City University of New York (CUNY) and Head of the Developmental Neurobiology Laboratory, where he has served since 2003. Before joining CUNY, he conducted research at the New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities. At CUNY, he has held several leadership positions, including Chair of Neurosciences, Chair of Biology, Director of the Medical Technology Program, and Co-Director of the Physician Assistant Program at the College of Staten Island. He currently serves as Vice President of the International Taurine Society, Co-Chair of the Health and Biomedical Sciences Committee of the American Moroccan Competencies Network, and is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of BlinkLab. Dr. El Idrissi directs the CUNY–CHU Medical Internship Program, fostering academic partnerships between American universities and teaching hospitals in Morocco. His research focuses on neuro-developmental disorders, autism spectrum disorders, and Alzheimer's disease, and has been supported by the NIH, DoD, and NSF. He has authored more than 70 scientific publications, book chapters, and scholarly books, and has been recognized among Stanford University's World's Top 2% Scientists. In addition to his scientific career, Dr. El Idrissi is the Founder and President of the Estevanico Foundation, dedicated to preserving the legacy of Estevanico of Azemmour, the first known Moroccan and African explorer of the American Southwest. Through research, publications, exhibitions, and international conferences, the Foundation promotes Estevanico's legacy and the shared history of Morocco and the United States. His work also highlights Morocco's historic role as the first nation to recognize American independence in 1777, establishing the oldest continuous diplomatic relationship in U.S. history. Dr. El Idrissi is committed to strengthening Moroccan-American cultural and academic ties while inspiring future generations to explore the rich historical connections between the two nations.

H.E. Abdelkader El Jamoussi

H.E Mr Jamoussi is a seasoned diplomate, a poet and an established scholar with key interest in Estevanico's legacy.

H.E. Abdelkader Jamoussi is a diplomat, he has served in the Netherlands, England, Australia and Japan and New York. Currently Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco to Cameroun. As a poet, he has published five collections of poetry: Two knots and one poem (2006), The land of the Kangaroo (2014), A Flute to Save the Rose, Haiku poems (2016), and Alphabet 29 haiku (2019) and Tea Ceremony, haiku and senryu, a bilingual edition in collaboration with Stanford M. Forrester (2022). MrJamoussi has authored the Life of Spinoza, Diplomacy (practice, institution and theory); Anthology of Arabic Haiku (2016), Moroccan Haiku (2020). He translated The Epic of Gilgamesh (2003), Machiavelli's The Prince (2004), T.S. Eliot's Four Quartets (2005), Classic Japanese Haiku (2015), 30 haiku poems (2016), Anthology of World Haiku (2016). His first novel “Imagining London” was published in (2017). He is a member of the Morocco Writers' Union. He founded the Festival of Arab Poetry in Kenitra, and directed it in 2009 and 2010. Founder and organizer of the International Haiku Symposium in Morocco since 2015. MrJamoussi translated into Arabic “the Marvellous Adventure of Cabeza de Vaca” by Haniel Long (2012), and for the first time “the relacion” by Cabeza de Vaca which was awarded Ibn Battuta award for travel writing by Arabic Geographical Center during the Abu Dhabi book fair 2023. He is the Co-Founder of the International Estevanico Symposium

Hsain Ilahiane, Ph.D

Professor, School of Middle Eastern and North African Studies

Dr. Hsain Ilahiane is Professor of Anthropology at the University of Arizona, where he serves as Associate Director of the School of Global Studies and is a faculty member of the W.A. Franke Honors College. For more than twenty-five years, he has researched the life and legacy of Estevanico de Dorantes, the sixteenth-century Moroccan explorer whose extraordinary journey connected North Africa, Iberia, New Spain, and the Indigenous Southwest. Combining archival research, ethnography, oral history, and public anthropology, his work seeks to recover Estevanico’s place in global history and reposition him not simply as a colonial scout, but as one of the first Africans and Muslims to traverse North America and as a foundational figure in the intertwined histories of Morocco, Portugal, Spain, Mexico, and the United States. This research reflects Professor Ilahiane’s scholarly interests in migration and diaspora, digital technologies and artificial intelligence, Indigenous and local knowledge systems, globalization, applied anthropology, economic development, football and society, and the historical and contemporary connections between North Africa and the Greater American Southwest. He is the author and editor of numerous articles and books on anthropology, contemporary Morocco, information and communication technologies, pastoralism, water governance, and applied anthropology. Through his scholarship and public engagement, he is committed to bringing anthropological knowledge into conversation with broader public audiences while illuminating the enduring legacies of cross-cultural encounters across the Atlantic world.

Mbarek Bouali

A veteran journalist, political cartoonist, and cultural diplomat specialized in Moroccan-American relations.

Mr. Mbarek Bouali is a veteran journalist, political cartoonist, and cultural diplomat specialized in Moroccan-American relations. With a career spanning over three decades, Bouali masterfully blends his background in public law and education with visual arts and journalism to foster cross-continental dialogue.  He began his artistic journey in the late 1980s, contributing to prominent Moroccan newspapers such as Al-Alam and L'Opinion, before officially joining Al-Alam in 1996. Upon relocating to Canada, he expanded his media footprint by collaborating with numerous Arabic and Canadian publications, introducing North American audiences to Maghrebi and Arab socio-political perspectives. He currently serves as a correspondent and editorial cartoonist for Hespress, following his career with the Moroccan Ministry of Employment and his role as a Cultural Attaché at the Moroccan Cultural Center (Dar Al-Maghrib) in Montreal. Bouali holds a Bachelor’s degree in Public Law from Mohammed V University in Rabat and a Diploma of Advanced Studies (DES) from the Faculty of Education Sciences. Deeply invested in diplomatic history, he is a co-founder of the Moroccan American Network in Washington, D.C. (est. 2018). As one of the dedicated professionals engaged in preserving transatlantic history, Bouali has been an active organizer in the historic reclamation of the Moroccan explorer Mustafa Al-Zamouri (Estevanico). Since 2020, he has co-organized and curated landmark symposia dedicated to Estevanico’s legacy, coordinating pivotal cultural and academic forums across New Jersey, Azemmour, Houston, and New York City.

Honoring History and Fostering Unity

At the Estevanico Foundation, our mission is to preserve and promote the remarkable legacy of Estevanico, the first documented African Explorer of North America. Based in New Jersey, we are dedicated to enhancing public understanding of the rich historical links between Morocco and the United States. Through educational programs and community initiatives, we aim to promote historical awareness and cross-cultural understanding, ensuring that the stories of our past inspire future generations.
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Frequently Asked Questions

Get answers to common inquiries about Estevanico Foundation Inc.

What is the mission of the Foundation?

We aim to preserve Estevanico's legacy, promote U.S.-Morocco historical ties, and support educational and cultural initiatives.

Is your foundation a nonprofit organization?

Yes, Estevanico Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to charitable and educational purposes.

How can I support the Foundation?

You can support us through donations, volunteering, or participating in our community events and initiatives.

Where is the Estevanico Foundation located?

Our office is based in Bayonne, New Jersey. You can reach us at (201) 668-7804.