Iranian-American
Encyclopedia
Iranian-Americans are Americans
of Iran
ian ancestry or people possessing Iran
ian and American dual citizenship.
Iranian-Americans (often used interchangeably as Persian-Americans, see Terminology section below) are amongst the most highly educated groups in the United States. Iranian-Americans have historically excelled in business, academia, the sciences, arts and entertainment – but have traditionally shied away from participating in American politics
or other civic activities.
and its abolition of the Iranian monarchy.
that Iran was called Persia officially prior to 1935; as well as the fact that Iran and Persia continue to be used used interchangeably since classic times. There is a tendency among Iranian-Americans to categorize themselves as "Persian" rather than "Iranian", mainly to disassociate themselves from the Iranian regime and the negativity associated with it. Majority of Iranian-Americans are of Persian-speaking backgrounds, however there is also a significant number of non-Persian Iranians
within the Iranian-American community, leading some scholars to believe that the label "Iranian" is more inclusive, since the label "Persian" excludes non-Persian minorities from Iran. The Collins English Dictionary uses a variety of similar and overlapping definitions for the terms "Persian" and "Iranian".
to serve the country, but were gradually purged from the newly established Islamic Republic
. Some of the students who graduated abroad after the revolution also did not return due to ruling clergy's repression. As the result, the educated elite who left Iran after the revolution and the new graduates in the United States who chose not to return home created a large pool of highly educated and skilled Iranian professionals in the United States. Today, over 1.5 million Iranians have chosen to leave Iran for other countries due to Islamic government's practices.
in 1998, 1,369 Iranian born professors were teaching engineering and science on a full-time basis in the U.S. The total number of Iranian professors in the U.S. is substantially higher if the Iranians who teach in other fields and part-time lecturers are added in. In 2001, it was estimated that the total number of Iranian professors who teach and research in higher education institutions in the United States was around 4,000.
of 1979. According to the 2000 U.S. Census, there were 338,000 Americans tracing heritage to Iran. The 2000 U.S. Census undercounted the numbers of many ethnic groups and minorities, including the Iranian-Americans. The U.S. Government and other sources estimate that the numbers of Iranian-Americans are close to 2 million.
(MIT). The group estimates that the number of Iranian Americans may have topped 691,000 in 2004—more than twice the figure of 338,000 cited in the 2000 U.S. census.
According to extrapolated U.S. Census data and other independent surveys done by Iranian-Americans themselves in 2009, there are an estimated 1–1.5 million Iranian-Americans living in the U.S., with the largest concentration—about 720,000 people—living around Los Angeles. For this reason, the L.A. area with its Iranian American residents is sometimes referred to as "Tehrangeles
" or "Irangeles" among Iranian-Americans. An NPR
report recently put the Iranian population of Beverly Hills as high as 20% of the total population. Other large communities include New York; New Jersey; Washington, D.C.; and Dallas, Texas.
Iranian-American organizations, including the Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans
, the Iranian American Bar Association
and the Iranian Alliances Across Borders
have banded together to form the 2010 Census Coalition, focusing on educating the Iranian-American diaspora about the 2010 Census.
(SBA) recently conducted a study that found Iranian immigrants among the top 20 immigrant groups with the highest rate of business ownership, contributing substantially to the U.S. economy. According to the report, there are 33,570 active and contributing Iranian American business owners in the U.S., with a 21.5% business ownership rate. The study also found that the total net business income generated by Iranian Americans is $2,559,450,000.
Almost one in three Iranian American households have annual incomes of more than $100K (compared to one in five for the overall U.S. population).
According to a study carried out by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
, Iranian scientists and engineers in the United States own or control around $880 billion.
Iranians of all religious backgrounds in the United States have comparatively a mix of liberal and conservative and nationalist political opinions and lifestyles. Iranian-Americans thus are secular or, if not, tend to practice moderate, less traditional religious forms, but strong cultural forms.
According to one sources, Iranian-Americans are Baha'i (7%), Christian (9%), irreligious
and "other" (31%), Jewish (estimates range from 6% to 10–20%), Muslim (42%) and Zoroastrian (5%). "There are religious and ethnolinguistic
differences among the Muslim, Jewish, Baha'i, Zoroastrian, Christian, Turkish
, Armenian
, Azerbaijani
, Kurdish
, and Assyrian
groups". The majority of Iranian-Americans are ethnic Persian
, with sizeable ethnic minorities being Iranian Azerbaijanis
, Iranian Jews, Armenian-Iranians, Iranian Kurds, and others.
According to one poll, two-fifths of Iranian Americans identify themselves as Muslims. The same poll found that a roughly equal percentage appear not to practice any particular religion at all. The poll found the remaining balance split among Christians, followers of Judaism, Baha'is and Zoroastrians. Calculating the percentage of Christian Iranian Americans is difficult because many Iranian Christians are of Armenian or Assyrian origin and self-identify as such rather than as Iranian.
According to Hakimzadeh and Dixon, members of religious and ehnic minorities such as Bahai'is, Jews, Armenians, and Assyrians were disporportionately represented amongst the early exiles of the 1978–79 revolution.
s (15%) of the United States (2008 survey).
An August 2008 Zogby International poll, commissioned by the Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans
, found that approximately one half of Iranian Americans identified themselves as registered Democrat
s, in contrast to one in eight as Republican
s and one in four as independents (2008).
The same poll indicates that more than half of Iranian Americans cite domestic U.S. issues, including issues that are not unique to Iranian Americans, as the most important to them. In contrast, one quarter of Iranian Americans cite foreign policy issues involving U.S.-Iran relations and less than one in ten cite the internal affairs of Iran as being of greatest importance to them.
From 1980 to 2004, more than one out of every four Iranian immigrants was a refugee or asylee. The PAAIA/Zogby poll also cites that almost three-quarters of Iranian Americans believe the promotion of human rights
and democracy in Iran is the most important issue relating to U.S.-Iran relations. About the same percentage, however, believe diplomacy is the foreign policy approach towards Iran that would be in the best interest of the United States. 84% support establishing U.S. Interest Section in Iran. Nearly all Iranian Americans surveyed oppose any U.S. military attack against Iran
.
, and almost three in ten communicate with their families or friends in Iran at least several times a week. An additional four in ten communicate with their families or friends in Iran at least several times a month. This study indicates an unusually close relationship between Iranian Americans and Iran
ians.
have experienced or personally know Iranian Americans who have experienced discrimination due to their ethnicity or country of origin. The most common types of discrimination reported are airport security
check, social discrimination, racial profiling
, employment or business discrimination
and discrimination at the hands of immigration officials.
, Intel, Verizon, Motorola
, Google, and AT&T
.
Shaahin Cheyene
, inventor/CEO of Herbal Ecstacy, as well as the founder of Accelerated Intelligence Inc. is of Iranian origin.Pierre Omidyar
, founder/CEO of eBay
is of Iranian origin, as well as the founder of Bratz
, Isaac Larian. In September 2006, Anousheh Ansari
, co-founder of the Ansari X Prize
became the first female tourist in space. Ansari is also the co-founder and former CEO of Prodea Systems Inc. and Telecom Technologies, Inc. Other well known Iranian-American entrepreneurs include designer Bijan Pakzad, entrepreneur Sam Nazarian
, Omid Kordestani
of Google
(named as a titan in the Time 100
), CEO of YouTube Salar Kamangar
and Sina Tamaddon
of Apple Inc.
Philanthropy: Many Iranian Americans are active philanthropists and leaders in improving their community. In 2006, the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center was the recipient of a 10 million dollar donation from an Iranian American couple based in Houston, Texas. The University of Southern California
was also the recipient of a 17 million dollar gift from an Iranian-American, as was San Francisco State University
which also received a 10 million dollar gift from an Iranian-American couple., and Chicago's Swedish Covenant Hospital ($4 million), Portland State University
($8 million), and UC Irvine ($30 million), among others.
Science/academia: Well-known Iranian Americans in science include Shahriar Afshar
originator of the Afshar experiment
, Firouz Naderi
director at NASA
, Ali Javan
inventor of the first gas laser, Lotfi Asker Zadeh
, Cumrun Vafa
, and Rashid Massumi, M.D., a pioneer in the fields of electrophysiology and cardiology, among others.
Media/entertainment: Well-known media personalities of Americans of Iranian descent include Christiane Amanpour
, Asieh Namdar
, Roya Hakakian
, and Rudi Bakhtiar
. There are several Iranian American actors, comedians and film crew, including the Academy-Award nominee and Emmy Award
winner Shohreh Aghdashloo
, actresses Catherine Bell
, Sarah Shahi
, and Bahar Soomekh
, comedian Maz Jobrani
, actor Adrian Pasdar
, producer Bob Yari
, Farhad Safinia
, author and performer Shahram Shiva
, and Daryush Shokof
.
Sports: Professional tennis player Andre Agassi
, TNA
wrestler Shawn Daivari
, professional Mixed Martial Artist Amir Sadollah
, and professional soccer players Sobhan Tadjalli
, Alecko Eskandarian
and Steven Beitashour
.
Politics: The son of the late Shah
of Iran, Reza Pahlavi
, lives in the United States, as well as several high-ranking officials in the Shah's administration such as Hushang Ansary
and Jamshid Amouzegar. Goli Ameri
is the Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, as well as the former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs from 2008–2009, during which she was the highest-ranking Iranian-American public official in the United States. Beverly Hills elected its first Iranian-born Mayor, Jamshid Delshad
, in 2007. In November 2011, Anna Monahemi Kaplan was elected to the Town Council of the Town of North Hempstead, New York, becoming the first Iranian-American to be elected to a major municipal office in New York State.
People of the United States
The people of the United States, also known as simply Americans or American people, are the inhabitants or citizens of the United States. The United States is a multi-ethnic nation, home to people of different ethnic and national backgrounds...
of Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
ian ancestry or people possessing Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
ian and American dual citizenship.
Iranian-Americans (often used interchangeably as Persian-Americans, see Terminology section below) are amongst the most highly educated groups in the United States. Iranian-Americans have historically excelled in business, academia, the sciences, arts and entertainment – but have traditionally shied away from participating in American politics
American politics
American politics is an area of study within the academic discipline of political science. It is primarily, but not exclusively, studied by researchers in the United States...
or other civic activities.
History
Iranian immigration to the United States has been continuous since the 1980s. Between 1980 and 1990, the number of foreign born from Iran in the United States increased by 74 percent. Today, the United States contains the highest number of Iranians outside of Iran. The Iranian-American community has produced significant numbers of individuals notable in many fields, including medicine, engineering, and business. The community chiefly expanded in the early 1980s, following the Iranian RevolutionIranian Revolution
The Iranian Revolution refers to events involving the overthrow of Iran's monarchy under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and its replacement with an Islamic republic under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the...
and its abolition of the Iranian monarchy.
Terminology
Iranian American is used interchangeably as Persian-American, partially due to the factthat Iran was called Persia officially prior to 1935; as well as the fact that Iran and Persia continue to be used used interchangeably since classic times. There is a tendency among Iranian-Americans to categorize themselves as "Persian" rather than "Iranian", mainly to disassociate themselves from the Iranian regime and the negativity associated with it. Majority of Iranian-Americans are of Persian-speaking backgrounds, however there is also a significant number of non-Persian Iranians
Ethnic minorities in Iran
This article focuses on ethnic minorities in Iran and their related political issues.-Overview:Iran is an ethnically diverse country, and interethnic relations are generally amicable. Persians form the majority of the population...
within the Iranian-American community, leading some scholars to believe that the label "Iranian" is more inclusive, since the label "Persian" excludes non-Persian minorities from Iran. The Collins English Dictionary uses a variety of similar and overlapping definitions for the terms "Persian" and "Iranian".
Pre- and post-revolution migration
Prior to the Islamic revolution in Iran and the cut off of diplomatic relations between the two countries, America and American universities were very popular among Iranians, and this popularity was a major force in drawing numerous Iranian students to the United States. During the 1977–1978 academic year, of about 100,000 Iranian students abroad, 36,220 were enrolled in American institutions of higher learning. During the 1978–1979 academic year, on the eve of the Iranian revolution, the number of Iranian students enrolled in American institutions rose to 45,340, and in 1979–1980 the number reached a peak of 51,310: at that time, more students from Iran were enrolled in American universities than from any other foreign country. Out of a total of 263,938 foreign student enrollment in the United States in the 1978–1979 academic year, 17% were from Iran. The expansion of Iranian economy and the resultant higher revenues were the cause of investments in students' education abroad, either directly by the Imperial government's financial aid services and/or indirectly by the students' families. This investment paid off and resulted in an excellent cohort of Western-educated professionals. Due to Iran's increasing demand for high-level manpower in the years prior to 1979, the majority of students were returning home after graduation to work including those who had received financial aid in exchange to serve the government or industry upon graduation. After the revolution, some returned to IranIran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
to serve the country, but were gradually purged from the newly established Islamic Republic
Islamic republic
Islamic republic is the name given to several states in the Muslim world including the Islamic Republics of Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan, and Mauritania. Pakistan adopted the title under the constitution of 1956. Mauritania adopted it on 28 November 1958. Iran adopted it after the 1979 Iranian...
. Some of the students who graduated abroad after the revolution also did not return due to ruling clergy's repression. As the result, the educated elite who left Iran after the revolution and the new graduates in the United States who chose not to return home created a large pool of highly educated and skilled Iranian professionals in the United States. Today, over 1.5 million Iranians have chosen to leave Iran for other countries due to Islamic government's practices.
Physicians
The earliest Iranian professionals in the U.S. before the 1979 revolution were the physicians. They were mostly young temporary trainees who worked as medical interns or residents. Some established themselves to continue practice beyond the residency stage. Their motives to extend their stay in the United States were more geared towards professional reasons than economics. In 1978, the total number of Iranian physicians in the U.S. had grown to 2,306. Later, those who migrated to the U.S. after the 1979 revolution were mostly experienced physicians who came with their families and intent to stay permanently. At the present time, there are about 5,000 Iranian physicians working in the United States who have either their own practices or work in various medical institutions. Based on a count in 2001, out of the 5000 physicians about 80 percent had obtained their primary medical degree in Iran and have gone through advanced training in the United States. Additionally, there are around 3,000 of new generation Iranian American physicians who have received their entire training in various fields in the United States. This increases the total number of Iranian medical doctors in the United States to around 8,000.Professors
Another major group of highly trained Iranian professionals in the U.S. are university professors. Based on a report that was published by the National Science FoundationNational Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation is a United States government agency that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National Institutes of Health...
in 1998, 1,369 Iranian born professors were teaching engineering and science on a full-time basis in the U.S. The total number of Iranian professors in the U.S. is substantially higher if the Iranians who teach in other fields and part-time lecturers are added in. In 2001, it was estimated that the total number of Iranian professors who teach and research in higher education institutions in the United States was around 4,000.
Demography
Although Iranians have lived in the United States in relatively small numbers since the 1930s, a large number of Iranian-Americans are immigrants to the United States after the Iranian RevolutionIranian Revolution
The Iranian Revolution refers to events involving the overthrow of Iran's monarchy under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and its replacement with an Islamic republic under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the...
of 1979. According to the 2000 U.S. Census, there were 338,000 Americans tracing heritage to Iran. The 2000 U.S. Census undercounted the numbers of many ethnic groups and minorities, including the Iranian-Americans. The U.S. Government and other sources estimate that the numbers of Iranian-Americans are close to 2 million.
U.S. Census
Iranian Americans are far more numerous in the United States than census data indicate, according to research done by the Iranian Studies Group, an independent academic organization, at Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyMassachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
(MIT). The group estimates that the number of Iranian Americans may have topped 691,000 in 2004—more than twice the figure of 338,000 cited in the 2000 U.S. census.
According to extrapolated U.S. Census data and other independent surveys done by Iranian-Americans themselves in 2009, there are an estimated 1–1.5 million Iranian-Americans living in the U.S., with the largest concentration—about 720,000 people—living around Los Angeles. For this reason, the L.A. area with its Iranian American residents is sometimes referred to as "Tehrangeles
Tehrangeles
Tehrangeles is a portmanteau deriving from the combination of Tehran, the capital of Iran, and Los Angeles. It is used when referring to the large number of former Iranian nationals and their descendants residing in the Los Angeles metropolitan area; it is the largest such population outside of...
" or "Irangeles" among Iranian-Americans. An NPR
NPR
NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
report recently put the Iranian population of Beverly Hills as high as 20% of the total population. Other large communities include New York; New Jersey; Washington, D.C.; and Dallas, Texas.
Iranian-American organizations, including the Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans
Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans
The Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans, PAAIA, Inc., is a nonpartisan, nonprofit, nonreligious 501 membership organization that aims to "serve the domestic interests of Iranian Americans and represent the community before U.S. policymakers and the American public at large." PAAIA Inc...
, the Iranian American Bar Association
Iranian American Bar Association
The Iranian American Bar Association was formed in 2000 in the District of Columbia and is a tax-exempt, non-profit organization under section 501 of the Internal Revenue Code.-Background:...
and the Iranian Alliances Across Borders
Iranian Alliances Across Borders
Iranian Alliances Across Borders is a U.S.-based non-profit volunteer organization, with a mission to "address issues of the Iranian diaspora community while raising awareness of the Iranian community, promoting leadership, and connecting Iranians across borders."- Formation :In 2003, IAAB was...
have banded together to form the 2010 Census Coalition, focusing on educating the Iranian-American diaspora about the 2010 Census.
Education
According to Census 2000, 50.9 percent of Iranian immigrants have attained a bachelor's degree or higher, compared to 28.0 percent national average. According to the latest census data available, more than one in four Iranian-Americans holds a master's or doctoral degree, the highest rate among 67 ethnic groups studied.Occupation and income
The Small Business AdministrationSmall Business Administration
The Small Business Administration is a United States government agency that provides support to entrepreneurs and small businesses. The mission of the Small Business Administration is "to maintain and strengthen the nation's economy by enabling the establishment and viability of small businesses...
(SBA) recently conducted a study that found Iranian immigrants among the top 20 immigrant groups with the highest rate of business ownership, contributing substantially to the U.S. economy. According to the report, there are 33,570 active and contributing Iranian American business owners in the U.S., with a 21.5% business ownership rate. The study also found that the total net business income generated by Iranian Americans is $2,559,450,000.
Almost one in three Iranian American households have annual incomes of more than $100K (compared to one in five for the overall U.S. population).
According to a study carried out by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
, Iranian scientists and engineers in the United States own or control around $880 billion.
Religions and languages
According to one sources, Iranian-Americans are Baha'i (7%), Christian (9%), irreligious
Irreligion
Irreligion is defined as an absence of religion or an indifference towards religion. Sometimes it may also be defined more narrowly as hostility towards religion. When characterized as hostility to religion, it includes antitheism, anticlericalism and antireligion. When characterized as...
and "other" (31%), Jewish (estimates range from 6% to 10–20%), Muslim (42%) and Zoroastrian (5%). "There are religious and ethnolinguistic
Ethnolinguistics
Ethnolinguistics is a field of linguistics which studies the relationship between language and culture, and the way different ethnic groups perceive the world. It is the combination between ethnology and linguistics. The former refers to the way of life of an entire community i.e...
differences among the Muslim, Jewish, Baha'i, Zoroastrian, Christian, Turkish
Turkish people
Turkish people, also known as the "Turks" , are an ethnic group primarily living in Turkey and in the former lands of the Ottoman Empire where Turkish minorities had been established in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Romania...
, Armenian
Armenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....
, Azerbaijani
Azerbaijani people
The Azerbaijanis are a Turkic-speaking people living mainly in northwestern Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan, as well as in the neighbourhood states, Georgia, Russia and formerly Armenia. Commonly referred to as Azeris or Azerbaijani Turks , they also live in a wider area from the Caucasus to...
, Kurdish
Kurdish people
The Kurdish people, or Kurds , are an Iranian people native to the Middle East, mostly inhabiting a region known as Kurdistan, which includes adjacent parts of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey...
, and Assyrian
Assyrian people
The Assyrian people are a distinct ethnic group whose origins lie in ancient Mesopotamia...
groups". The majority of Iranian-Americans are ethnic Persian
Persian people
The Persian people are part of the Iranian peoples who speak the modern Persian language and closely akin Iranian dialects and languages. The origin of the ethnic Iranian/Persian peoples are traced to the Ancient Iranian peoples, who were part of the ancient Indo-Iranians and themselves part of...
, with sizeable ethnic minorities being Iranian Azerbaijanis
Iranian Azerbaijanis
Iranian Azerbaijanis also known as Iranian Azeris, Iranian Turks, Azeri Turks or Persian Azerbaijanis, are Iranians of Azerbaijani ethnicity. Iranian Azeris are mainly found in the northwest provinces of East Azerbaijan, Ardabil, Zanjan, parts of West Azerbaijan, and in smaller numbers, in other...
, Iranian Jews, Armenian-Iranians, Iranian Kurds, and others.
According to one poll, two-fifths of Iranian Americans identify themselves as Muslims. The same poll found that a roughly equal percentage appear not to practice any particular religion at all. The poll found the remaining balance split among Christians, followers of Judaism, Baha'is and Zoroastrians. Calculating the percentage of Christian Iranian Americans is difficult because many Iranian Christians are of Armenian or Assyrian origin and self-identify as such rather than as Iranian.
According to Hakimzadeh and Dixon, members of religious and ehnic minorities such as Bahai'is, Jews, Armenians, and Assyrians were disporportionately represented amongst the early exiles of the 1978–79 revolution.
Citizenship
Nearly all Iranian-Americans are either citizens (81%) or permanent residentPermanent residency
Permanent residency refers to a person's visa status: the person is allowed to reside indefinitely within a country of which he or she is not a citizen. A person with such status is known as a permanent resident....
s (15%) of the United States (2008 survey).
Politics
Though Iranian-Americans have historically excelled in business, academia and the sciences, they have traditionally shied away from participating in American politics or other civic activities.An August 2008 Zogby International poll, commissioned by the Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans
Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans
The Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans, PAAIA, Inc., is a nonpartisan, nonprofit, nonreligious 501 membership organization that aims to "serve the domestic interests of Iranian Americans and represent the community before U.S. policymakers and the American public at large." PAAIA Inc...
, found that approximately one half of Iranian Americans identified themselves as registered Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
s, in contrast to one in eight as Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
s and one in four as independents (2008).
The same poll indicates that more than half of Iranian Americans cite domestic U.S. issues, including issues that are not unique to Iranian Americans, as the most important to them. In contrast, one quarter of Iranian Americans cite foreign policy issues involving U.S.-Iran relations and less than one in ten cite the internal affairs of Iran as being of greatest importance to them.
From 1980 to 2004, more than one out of every four Iranian immigrants was a refugee or asylee. The PAAIA/Zogby poll also cites that almost three-quarters of Iranian Americans believe the promotion of human rights
Human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran
The state of human rights in Iran has been criticized both by Iranians and international human right activists, writers, and NGOs. The United Nations General Assembly and the Human Rights Commission have condemned prior and ongoing abuses in Iran in published critiques and several resolutions.The...
and democracy in Iran is the most important issue relating to U.S.-Iran relations. About the same percentage, however, believe diplomacy is the foreign policy approach towards Iran that would be in the best interest of the United States. 84% support establishing U.S. Interest Section in Iran. Nearly all Iranian Americans surveyed oppose any U.S. military attack against Iran
Opposition to military action against Iran
Organised opposition to a possible future military attack against Iran by the United States and/or Israel is known to have started during 2005-2006. Beginning in early 2005, journalists, activists and academics such as Seymour Hersh, Scott Ritter, Joseph Cirincione and Jorge E...
.
Ties to Iran
According to a survey conducted in 2009, more than six in ten Iranian Americans have immediate family members in IranIran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, and almost three in ten communicate with their families or friends in Iran at least several times a week. An additional four in ten communicate with their families or friends in Iran at least several times a month. This study indicates an unusually close relationship between Iranian Americans and Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
ians.
Discrimination
According to the Public Affairs of Alliance of Iranian Americans (PAAIA), nearly half of Iranian-Americans surveyed in 2008 by Zogby InternationalZogby International
IBOPE Zogby International is an international market research, opinion polling firm founded in 1984 by John Zogby. The company polls and consults for a wide spectrum of business media, government, and political groups, and conducts public opinion research in more than 70 countries...
have experienced or personally know Iranian Americans who have experienced discrimination due to their ethnicity or country of origin. The most common types of discrimination reported are airport security
Airport security
Airport security refers to the techniques and methods used in protecting airports and aircraft from crime.Large numbers of people pass through airports. This presents potential targets for terrorism and other forms of crime due to the number of people located in a particular location...
check, social discrimination, racial profiling
Racial profiling
Racial profiling refers to the use of an individual’s race or ethnicity by law enforcement personnel as a key factor in deciding whether to engage in enforcement...
, employment or business discrimination
Employment discrimination
Employment discrimination is discrimination in hiring, promotion, job assignment, termination, and compensation. It includes various types of harassment....
and discrimination at the hands of immigration officials.
Notable individuals
Business/technology: Iranian-Americans are among the most educated and successful communities in the U.S., according to a report by Iranian Studies group at MIT, Iranian-Americans have founded and/or participated in senior leadership positions of many major US companies, including many Fortune 500 companies such as GEGê
Gê are the people who spoke Ge languages of the northern South American Caribbean coast and Brazil. In Brazil the Gê were found in Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, Bahia, Piaui, Mato Grosso, Goias, Tocantins, Maranhão, and as far south as Paraguay....
, Intel, Verizon, Motorola
Motorola
Motorola, Inc. was an American multinational telecommunications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois, which was eventually divided into two independent public companies, Motorola Mobility and Motorola Solutions on January 4, 2011, after losing $4.3 billion from 2007 to 2009...
, Google, and AT&T
AT&T
AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications corporation headquartered in Whitacre Tower, Dallas, Texas, United States. It is the largest provider of mobile telephony and fixed telephony in the United States, and is also a provider of broadband and subscription television services...
.
Shaahin Cheyene
Shaahin Cheyene
Shaahin Cheyene is the founder of Accelerated Intelligence ,and Victory Films. He considers himself as a fifth generation herbalist from Tehran, Iran...
, inventor/CEO of Herbal Ecstacy, as well as the founder of Accelerated Intelligence Inc. is of Iranian origin.Pierre Omidyar
Pierre Omidyar
Pierre Morad Omidyar is a French-Iranian American entrepreneur and philanthropist/economist, and the founder/chairman of the eBay auction site...
, founder/CEO of eBay
EBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
is of Iranian origin, as well as the founder of Bratz
Bratz
Bratz is an American line of fashion dolls and merchandise manufactured by MGA Entertainment. Four original 10" dolls were released in 2001 - Cloe, Jade, Sasha and Yasmin...
, Isaac Larian. In September 2006, Anousheh Ansari
Anousheh Ansari
Anousheh Ansari is an engineer and the Iranian-American co-founder and chairman of Prodea Systems. Her previous business accomplishments include serving as co-founder and CEO of Telecom Technologies, Inc. . The Ansari family is also the title sponsor of the Ansari X Prize. On September 18, 2006,...
, co-founder of the Ansari X Prize
Ansari X Prize
The Ansari X Prize was a space competition in which the X Prize Foundation offered a US$10,000,000 prize for the first non-government organization to launch a reusable manned spacecraft into space twice within two weeks...
became the first female tourist in space. Ansari is also the co-founder and former CEO of Prodea Systems Inc. and Telecom Technologies, Inc. Other well known Iranian-American entrepreneurs include designer Bijan Pakzad, entrepreneur Sam Nazarian
Sam Nazarian
Sam Nazarian is an Iranian-American entrepreneur. Nazarian is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of SBE, a Los Angeles based luxury hospitality, real estate development and lifestyle company which includes hotel, restaurant, nightlife, and real estate divisions...
, Omid Kordestani
Omid Kordestani
Omid R. Kordestani is an Iranian-American businessman who works as Senior Advisor to Office of the CEO and Founders at Google. Kordestani was the Senior Vice President for Worldwide Sales and Field Operations of Google until he stepped down on April 16, 2009....
of Google
Google
Google Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program...
(named as a titan in the Time 100
Time 100
Time 100 is an annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world, as assembled by Time. First published in 1999 as a result of a debate among several academics, the list has become an annual event.-History and format:...
), CEO of YouTube Salar Kamangar
Salar Kamangar
Salar Kamangar is CEO of YouTube and Senior Vice President of Video at Google.Kamangar was Google's 9th employee.-Early childhood and education:...
and Sina Tamaddon
Sina Tamaddon
Sina Tamaddon was Senior Vice President of Applications for Apple Inc.Sina Tamaddon joined Apple in September 1997. He also served the company in the position of Senior Vice President, Worldwide Service and Support and Vice President and General Manager, Newton Group...
of Apple Inc.
Philanthropy: Many Iranian Americans are active philanthropists and leaders in improving their community. In 2006, the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center was the recipient of a 10 million dollar donation from an Iranian American couple based in Houston, Texas. The University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
was also the recipient of a 17 million dollar gift from an Iranian-American, as was San Francisco State University
San Francisco State University
San Francisco State University is a public university located in San Francisco, California. As part of the 23-campus California State University system, the university offers over 100 areas of study from nine academic colleges...
which also received a 10 million dollar gift from an Iranian-American couple., and Chicago's Swedish Covenant Hospital ($4 million), Portland State University
Portland State University
Portland State University is a public state urban university located in downtown Portland, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1946, it has the largest overall enrollment of any university in the state of Oregon, including undergraduate and graduate students. It is also the only public university in...
($8 million), and UC Irvine ($30 million), among others.
Science/academia: Well-known Iranian Americans in science include Shahriar Afshar
Shahriar Afshar
Shahriar S. Afshar is an Iranian-American physicist and a multiple inventor. He is known for devising and carrying out the Afshar experiment at Harvard University in 2004. As of July 2004, Afshar is a Visiting Research Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Rowan University...
originator of the Afshar experiment
Afshar experiment
The Afshar experiment is an optical experiment, devised and carried out by Shahriar Afshar in 2001, which investigates the principle of complementarity in quantum mechanics...
, Firouz Naderi
Firouz Naderi
Firouz Naderi is an Iranian-American scientist and currently the Director for Solar System Exploration at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory...
director at NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
, Ali Javan
Ali Javan
Ali Mortimer Javan , born December 26, 1926 in Tehran, Iran is an Iranian American inventor and physicist at MIT. He co-invented the gas laser in 1960, with William R. Bennett...
inventor of the first gas laser, Lotfi Asker Zadeh
Lotfi Asker Zadeh
Lotfali Askar Zadeh , better known as Lotfi A. Zadeh, is a mathematician, electrical engineer, computer scientist, artifical intelligence researcher and professor emeritus of computer science at the University of California, Berkeley...
, Cumrun Vafa
Cumrun Vafa
Cumrun Vafa is an Iranian-American leading string theorist from Harvard University where he started as a Harvard Junior Fellow. He is a recipient of the 2008 Dirac Medal.-Birth and education:...
, and Rashid Massumi, M.D., a pioneer in the fields of electrophysiology and cardiology, among others.
Media/entertainment: Well-known media personalities of Americans of Iranian descent include Christiane Amanpour
Christiane Amanpour
Christiane Amanpour, CBE is anchor of ABC News's This Week and formerly chief international correspondent at CNN, where she worked for 27 years. She is a Board Member at the IWMF .-Early years:...
, Asieh Namdar
Asieh Namdar
Asieh Namdar is an Iranian-American journalist and television presenter.She was born to parents of Iranian origin, in Karachi in 1967. Namdar grew up in Tehran, Iran. Following the Iranian Revolution in 1979, her family moved to the United States...
, Roya Hakakian
Roya Hakakian
Roya Hakakian is an Iranian-American poet, journalist and writer living in the United States. A lauded Persian poet turned television producer with programs like 60 Minutes, Roya became well known for her memoir, Journey from the Land of No in 2004. Her essays on Iranian issues appear in the New...
, and Rudi Bakhtiar
Rudi Bakhtiar
Rudi Bakhtiar is an Iranian American journalist who has over a decade's experience working for major international news outlets CNN and Fox News Channel. Bakhtiar is currently the Director of Communications for the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran...
. There are several Iranian American actors, comedians and film crew, including the Academy-Award nominee and Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
winner Shohreh Aghdashloo
Shohreh Aghdashloo
Shohreh Aghdashloo is an Iranian American actress.After establishing a theatre and film career in Iran, Aghdashloo moved to England during the Iranian Revolution in 1979, and subsequently became a citizen of the United States...
, actresses Catherine Bell
Catherine Bell
Catherine Lisa Bell is an American actress known for her role of Lieutenant Colonel Sarah MacKenzie of the television show JAG from 1997 to 2005...
, Sarah Shahi
Sarah Shahi
Aahoo Jahansouz "Sarah" Shahi is an American actress and a former NFL Cheerleader. She is probably best known for starring in The L Word as Carmen de la Pica Morales and in Life as Detective Dani Reese...
, and Bahar Soomekh
Bahar Soomekh
Bahar Soomekh is an Iranian-American actress and environmental activist. She began acting in the early 2000s, and is perhaps best known for her roles in the films Crash , Mission: Impossible III , and Saw III .-Early life:...
, comedian Maz Jobrani
Maz Jobrani
Maziar “Maz” Jobrani is an Iranian-born American comedian who is part of the "Axis of Evil" comedy group. The group appeared on a comedy special on Comedy Central. Jobrani has also appeared in numerous films, television shows, including Better Off Ted, on radio and in comedy clubs...
, actor Adrian Pasdar
Adrian Pasdar
Adrian Kayvan Pasdar is an American actor, voice artist, and film director. He is known for playing Jim Profit on the TV series Profit, for his roles in Near Dark, Carlito's Way, Mysterious Ways and as Nathan Petrelli on Heroes. Additionally, he directed the feature film Cement...
, producer Bob Yari
Bob Yari
Bob Yari is an Iranian-American film producer.He grew up in New York City, and studied cinematography at the University of California, Santa Barbara...
, Farhad Safinia
Farhad Safinia
Farhad Safinia is a screenwriter and film/TV producer, best known for Apocalypto and Boss.-Personal life:Farhad Safinia was born in Tehran, Iran, in 1975. He left Iran with his family at the age of four to live in Paris, then London...
, author and performer Shahram Shiva
Shahram Shiva
Shahram Shiva is a performance poet, translator, scholar, and author, whose principal subject is Rumi, a 13-century Persian poet.Shiva was born to a Persian Jewish family in Iran, and emigrated to the United States at age 16...
, and Daryush Shokof
Daryush Shokof
Daryush Shokof is an Iranian artist, film director, philosopher, writer, art director, and film producer, and singer...
.
Sports: Professional tennis player Andre Agassi
Andre Agassi
Andre Kirk Agassi is a retired American professional tennis player and former world no. 1. Generally considered by critics and fellow players to be one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Agassi has been called the best service returner in the history of the game...
, TNA
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling is a privately held professional wrestling promotion founded by Jeff Jarrett and Jerry Jarrett. The company broadcasts its events on television and the Internet fifty two weeks a year with over a million weekly viewers on its primary television program, Impact...
wrestler Shawn Daivari
Shawn Daivari
Dara Daivari is an Iranian American professional wrestler, currently performing on the American independent circuit as Shawn Daivari. He is best known for his work with World Wrestling Entertainment as simply Daivari and with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling as Sheik Abdul Bashir.-Career:Daivari...
, professional Mixed Martial Artist Amir Sadollah
Amir Sadollah
Amir Sadollah is an American professional mixed martial artist of Iranian and Irish descent. He was the winner of Spike TV's The Ultimate Fighter 7....
, and professional soccer players Sobhan Tadjalli
Sobhan Tadjalli
Sobhan Tadjalli is a Persian-American soccer player.Sobhan played collegiate soccer at the University of Delaware from 2004 to 2008. Sobhan is on the all-time most career goals, most career points, most season points, most career assists lists at the University of Delaware...
, Alecko Eskandarian
Alecko Eskandarian
Alecko Eskandarian is a former American soccer player who last played for Los Angeles Galaxy. He currently is the youth technical director for Philadelphia Union.-High School and College:...
and Steven Beitashour
Steven Beitashour
Steven Beitashour is an Iranian American soccer player who currently plays for the San Jose Earthquakes in Major League Soccer.-College and Amateur:...
.
Politics: The son of the late Shah
Shah
Shāh is the title of the ruler of certain Southwest Asian and Central Asian countries, especially Persia , and derives from the Persian word shah, meaning "king".-History:...
of Iran, Reza Pahlavi
Reza Pahlavi
Reza Pahlavi may refer to:*Reza Shah , aka Reza Shah Pahlavi, Shah of Persia from 1925 until 1935 and Shah of Iran from 1935 until 1941* Mohammad Reza Pahlavi , Shah of Iran from 1941 to 1979, son of Reza Shah...
, lives in the United States, as well as several high-ranking officials in the Shah's administration such as Hushang Ansary
Hushang Ansary
Hushang Ansary is an Iranian-American diplomat, businessman, and philanthropist. He served for eighteen years in the Iranian government prior to the Iranian Revolution and has also been chairman or director of companies both in Iran and in the United States.-Political career:Born in Ahvaz, in...
and Jamshid Amouzegar. Goli Ameri
Goli Ameri
Goli Ameri is an Iranian-American diplomat, politician and businesswoman from the U.S. state of Oregon. She is the current Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Values and Diplomacy for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. She is also the former U.S...
is the Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, as well as the former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs from 2008–2009, during which she was the highest-ranking Iranian-American public official in the United States. Beverly Hills elected its first Iranian-born Mayor, Jamshid Delshad
Jimmy Delshad
Jamshid "Jimmy" Delshad is an Iranian-American politician in the state of California. He became Mayor of Beverly Hills on March 21, 2007 and again on March 16, 2010. He is the first Iranian-American to hold public office in Beverly Hills.-Biography:...
, in 2007. In November 2011, Anna Monahemi Kaplan was elected to the Town Council of the Town of North Hempstead, New York, becoming the first Iranian-American to be elected to a major municipal office in New York State.
See also
- Iranian citizens abroadIranian citizens abroadThe term Iranians abroad or Iranian diaspora refers to the Iranian people born in Iran but living outside of Iran with their children.As of 2010, there are an estimated four to five million Iranians living abroad, mostly in North America, Europe, Persian Gulf States, Turkey, Australia and the...
- Iranian nationality lawIranian nationality lawIranian nationality law contains principles of both jus sanguinis and jus soli. Children acquire nationality of Iran through their fathers, but not their mothers...
- Iran-United States relations
- American Iranian CouncilAmerican Iranian CouncilThe American-Iranian Council was formed in 1997 as a bi-partisan think tank focused upon promoting better relations between the United States and Iran. Former United States Secretary of State Cyrus Vance was the original honorary Chair of the organization...
- Iranian alliances across bordersIranian Alliances Across BordersIranian Alliances Across Borders is a U.S.-based non-profit volunteer organization, with a mission to "address issues of the Iranian diaspora community while raising awareness of the Iranian community, promoting leadership, and connecting Iranians across borders."- Formation :In 2003, IAAB was...
- National Iranian American CouncilNational Iranian American CouncilThe National Iranian American Council is a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit organization "dedicated to advancing the interests of the Iranian-American community." Trita Parsi is the organization's current president and founder.-Formation:...
- Iranian American Bar AssociationIranian American Bar AssociationThe Iranian American Bar Association was formed in 2000 in the District of Columbia and is a tax-exempt, non-profit organization under section 501 of the Internal Revenue Code.-Background:...
- Little Persia, Los Angeles, California
- Persian palace
- TehrangelesTehrangelesTehrangeles is a portmanteau deriving from the combination of Tehran, the capital of Iran, and Los Angeles. It is used when referring to the large number of former Iranian nationals and their descendants residing in the Los Angeles metropolitan area; it is the largest such population outside of...
- 30 Years After30 Years After30 Years After was founded in 2007 as a non-profit, non-partisan organization for the Iranian-American Jewish community. The missions of the organization are education and political and community involvement....
- Iran-America SocietyIran-America SocietyThe Iran-America Society was founded in the 1950s in Tehran, Iran to promote understanding between the people of Iran and the people of the United States of America. The founding Chairman of the Board was Ralph E. Becket. David Nalle was one of its early directors. Its office in Washington, DC...
- Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian AmericansPublic Affairs Alliance of Iranian AmericansThe Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans, PAAIA, Inc., is a nonpartisan, nonprofit, nonreligious 501 membership organization that aims to "serve the domestic interests of Iranian Americans and represent the community before U.S. policymakers and the American public at large." PAAIA Inc...
- Asian American
- Azerbaijani AmericanAzerbaijani AmericanAzerbaijani Americans , or Azeri-Americans, are U.S. citizens and permanent residents of ethnic Azerbaijani background, or those who were born in Azerbaijan...
- Armenian Americans
- Arab AmericanArab AmericanAn Arab American is a United States citizen or resident of Arab ethnic, cultural and linguistic heritage or identity, who identifies themselves as Arab. Arab Americans trace ancestry to any of the various waves of immigrants of the countries comprising the Arab World...
- Kurdish AmericanKurdish AmericanKurdish Americans are Americans of Kurdish descent, the majority of Kurdish Americans are recent migrants.- History :Kurdish immigration in the United States began in the twentieth century. The Kurdish who immigrated to the United States, came to this country after World War I, developed since that...
- Jewish American
- Hyphenated AmericanHyphenated AmericanIn the United States, the term hyphenated American is an epithet commonly used from 1890 to 1920 to disparage Americans who were of foreign birth or origin, and who displayed an allegiance to a foreign country. It was most commonly used to disparage German Americans or Irish Americans who called...
- Zoroastrian American
External links
- PARSA Community Foundation
- Iranian-American workers by occupation, New York Times
- Iran Census Report (2003): Strength in Numbers – The Relative Concentration of Iranian Americans Across the United States
- Persian American Networking Development (PAND)
- Report into the life of Iranian-Americans from Iranian.com
- Iranian American Bar Association
- American Iranian Council Promoting Iranian American Participation in Civic Life
- National Iranian American Council Promoting Iranian American Participation in American Civic Life
- Iranian-American Muslim Association of North America (IMAN Foundation ,بنیاد ایمان )
- Fact-sheet on the Iranian-American Community (ISG MIT)
- Persiancity.com – Comprehensive Iranian-owned business directory (US & Worldwide)
- Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans (PAAIA) National Grassroots Organization Representing the Iranian-American Community
- Migration Information Source -Spotlight on the Iranian Foreign Born
- Iranian-American Organizations
- Iranian American Political Action Committee
- The Silence of the Iranian Lambs, JURISTJURISTJURIST is an online legal news service hosted by the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, powered by a staff of more than 40 law students working in Pittsburgh and other US locations under the direction of founding Publisher & Editor-in-Chief Professor Bernard Hibbitts, Research Director Jaclyn...
- Iranian Alliances Across Borders (IAAB)
- Resolution Condemning Discrimination and Bigotry Against Iranian Americans Re-Introduced in the House
- Persian-American Community Outreach
- Persian Jews politicking on Rodeo Drive
- Network of Iranian American Professionals of Orange County
- Iranian.com, website for the expatriate Iranian community, mostly Iranian-Americans
- Pars Times:Iranian-American Organizations Comprehensive List of Internet Resources
- Middle East Journal The Brain Drain from Iran to the United States by Akbar E. Torbat
- Interest Section of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Washington D.C. – Consular affairs
- Survey of American Perceptions of Iranian Americans (2008)
- 2009 National Survey of Iranian Americans
- 2010 Survey of Iranian Americans