KeanuNazemi

CutlerEdwards
Humanities3
11/13/15

IranianAmericans:
RevolutiontoRebirth

IranianAmericanshaveonlyrecentlybegantheirmassjourneytoAmerica.Havingbeen
pushedfromtheircountrybecauseoffesteringpoliticalconditions,theymovedtoAmericaand
themanyopportunitiesitoffers.Fromtheveryfirstdocumentedimmigrantin1875,Mirza
MohammadAli,tothehundredsofthousandswhohavetraveledfrom1960totoday,Iranians
havemademanycontributionstoAmericanculture.Beingpushedfromtheirhomebecauseof
theIranianRevolution,increasedrestrictionsonliving,andanewleaderwithnewrules.They
werealsopulledtoAmericatogainahighereducation,searchfornewopportunities,andbuild
newlivesforthemselves.TheseaspectsresultedintheestablishmentofrichIraniancultureand
traditionsinanewandstrangelandvoidofanythinglikeit.1
Highereducationwasoneofthemajorfactorsthatpulledtheeducationseekingyouth
fromIran.Between19541960becauseofincreasedspendinginIran,youngIranianswerenow
ablepursueahighereducation.Iransinstitutionswerenotreadyforsuchalargequantityof
studentsenrolling,butbecausethegovernmentwantedtheyouthtorepresentIranasastrong
nation,theysuppliedstudentswithfinancialsupportforstudyingabroad.Americahadthemost
advancedEngineeringcoursesaround,andbecauseIranianstudentswerehighlydesiredbythe

"FirstIranianAmericanPAAIA."2010.22Oct.2015
<
http://www.paaia.org/CMS/firstiranianamerican.aspx
>

Universities,alargeamountofIraniansweremotivatedtoimmigratetotheUS.Whenthe
revolutionbeganafewyearslaterthecontinuedstayofthestudentswhodidnotwanttoreturn
toIranwaslaternamedthebraindrain.2
TheIranianRevolutionwasonethemostimportanteventstooccurinthecountry's
history.Theentirenationwentthrougharapidtransformationtobecomewhatitistoday.Prior
totheRevolution,ShahRezaPahlaviwastherulerofIran.Hedistributedpowerinthe
governmenttohisclosefriendsandrelatives.ThecitizensdistastetotheShahseconomicpolicy
andautocraticrulingstylewasgrowingasthespacebetweenrichandpoorincreased.Iranians
whoopposedtheShahswaysralliedbehindAyatollahRuhollahKhomeini,areligiousleader
livinginexileinParis.3 HepromisedreformacrossvariousaspectsonIraniangovernmentas
wellasbringingbacktraditionalreligiousways.Soonafter,violentantishahprotestsandstrikes
tookplacethroughoutthecountry.TheShahfledIraninJanuary1979andneverreturned,
AyatollahKhomeinisoonseizedpowerwithoverwhelmingsupport,hedeclaredIranasan
IslamicRepublicandbecameIranspoliticalandreligiousleaderforlife.4
TherevolutionandriseofIransnewleaderhadpushedawaymanyIranianstoother
countries.ThistimeofchangemademanypeopleuncertainofwhattheirfutureinIranwould
looklike,whetheritwouldbebetterorworse.Whiletherewasalargenumberofpeoplewho
adaptedtothischange,manycouldnotcontinuetheirlivesinIranduetocomplicationsthatrose
inthefollowingyearslikethebanonaspectsofwesternculture,restrictionsonpolitical

"IranianAmericans:ImmigrationandAssimilationPAAIA."2014.22Oct.2015
<
http://www.paaia.org/CMS/Data/Sites/1/pdfs/iranianamericansimmigrationandassimilation.pdf
>
3
EncyclopaediaBritannica,andStephenKinzer.
Iran:TheEssentialGuidetoaCountryontheBrink.

Hoboken,NJ:JohnWiley&Sons,2006.Print.
4
"TheIranianrevolutionBBCNews|InPictures."2004.3Nov.2015
<
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/04/middle_east_the_iranian_revolution/html/1.stm
>

participation,andtheinfamouswarbetweenIranandIraq.ThisiswhatjustifiedIranianstoleave
Iranuntilthewatersbecamecalm.ImmigrantsthoughtthatIranwouldrecoverintheir
temporaryabsence,andtheywouldreturnhomeonceitdid.Thiswasnotthecaseasthenew
leadershiphadmadethechangeirreversible.TheeraoftheShahhadcometoanend,andlifein
anewIranwasbeginning.ThepeoplewhodidmakeittoAmericadecidedtobecomepermanent
residents.ThesepeoplewereIranianswhograduallysavedupfundsoverseasandpeoplewho
quicklyfledIranwithnobelongingstoescapetherapidchanges.5 Theimmigrantsstillhopedthe
situationathomewouldimprovebutalas,therewasnomajorrecovery.Bythetimetherewas
littleimprovement,theImmigrantshadalreadylaiddeeprootsdowninAmerica.
Alongwithescapingtherevolution,immigrantsmovedtoAmericaforavarietyofother
reasons,andatmanydifferenttimeperiods.However,allimmigrantshadathingincommon,
theyallwantedachancetorebuildtheirlives.TheIranianswhoimmigratedtoAmericafitin
verywellwiththenewenvironment.Forthem,jobswerenotdifficulttocomeby.Forexample,
becauseofthebraindrainfromIran,manyofthestudentswhograduatedwenttoworkforthe
collegesandinotherareasineducation.Mostimmigrantshadlittleproblemprovidingessentials
fortheirfamily.ImmigrantsalsowantedtorebuildthecultureofIraninaplacewhereithas
neverexistedbefore.ThefirstwaveofimmigrantswhointegratedIraniancultureinAmerica
assuredIraniansthattherewouldbealotoftheirhomealreadywaitingforthem.Thismade
immigratingtoAmericamoreappealingtoIranianswhowereconcernedthatifwouldbe
difficulttoadapt.Therewasalreadyasteadyinfrastructureofcultureandaspreadout

"IranianAmericans:ImmigrationandAssimilationPAAIA."2014.22Oct.2015
<
http://www.paaia.org/CMS/Data/Sites/1/pdfs/iranianamericansimmigrationandassimilation.pdf
>

populationofIranianAmericans.6Thisissimilartoapointthatwasbroughtupinaletterfrom
GermanimmigrantAnnaMariatoherparentsbackinGermany.Shestatedthattherewasnot
anythingtobeafraidabout,thattherewasagoodcommunityofGermansthatalready
understoodhowthingsworked.ThisportionofAnnaMariasletterwasencouragingherparents
tocometojoinher,shewaslistingoffapullfactortoherparents.7Thesamepullfactorthat
exponentiallybroughtIranianimmigrantstoAmerica:Iftheyimmigratedandjoinedthe
community,rebuildingtheirliveswouldbejustaseasyasitwasbackhome.8
IraniansettlerswantedtobringthecultureofIrantoaplacewhereithasneverexisted
before.ThespreadofIranianculturewasnotsomethingthatwasintended,ithappened
autonomouslywithoutmuchawareness.AsmoreandmoreIraniansmigrated,theculturegrew
andgrew.ThisbroughtacornucopiaofnewideastoAmericalikeschools,mosques,and
communes.Aswellasholidays,clothing,andthealwaysdeliciousPersianrestaurants.The
culturethatblossomedattractedIranianstocometoAmerica,wheretherewasproofthattheir
culturewasstrongandtheywouldnotbealoneinanewlandwheretheirexistencewasnew,but
theirsurroundingswerefamiliar.
TheeventsofSeptember11thchangedhowIranianimmigrantswereseeninan
unquantifiableway.Theeventssparkedmassdiscriminationandstereotypingofmiddleeastern
cultures.OnedayIranianAmericanswerealmostunnoticed,thenext,theyweredangerous
peoplefromaterroristharboringcountry.EventhoughIranhadnoinvolvementintheseevents,

"IranianAmericansCountriesandTheirCultures."2006.22Oct.2015
<
http://www.everyculture.com/multi/HaLa/IranianAmericans.html
>
7
Ngai,MaeM.,andJonGjerde."Chapter4."
MajorProblemsinAmericanImmigrationHistory:Documents
andEssays
.Boston,MA:Wadsworth,CengageLearning,2013.105.Print.
8
"IranianAmericans:ImmigrationandAssimilationPAAIA."2014.22Oct.2015
<
http://www.paaia.org/CMS/Data/Sites/1/pdfs/iranianamericansimmigrationandassimilation.pdf
>

theywerestilladvertisedasonenationapartoftheaxisofevilinMiddleEasterncountries.9
Thesenotionsarestillappearingofteninourmodernage,andstillcarryalotofweightwhen
discussingIranianimmigration.Thereformsthatfollowed2001madeimmigratinga
significantlymoredifficulttask.TheDepartmentofJusticecreatedtheDomesticCallin
RegistrationProgram,ittookmalesfromseveralcountriesandmadethemreporttotheirINS
officestobefingerprinted,questioned,andphotographed.10Soonafter,becauseofprocedural
infractions,manymaleIranianswhowerewaitingforpermanentresidency,werearrested,
detained,andtreatedharshly.Over1,000Iraniansweretakenandothersweredeportedbecause
ofvisaviolations.Asaresultofthis,outragedIraniansconductedlargeprotestsinLosAngeles.
Tothem,itwasclearthattheywouldhavetofighttohealtheimagewoundedbythemedia.11
Iranianshavealwaysbeenatightlyknitcommunity,sharingexperiences,working
together,andstandingupforoneanother.OneofthefirstIraniancommunitiesinAmericawas
createdinLosAngelesbyIranianstudentswhowereamongthefirstinthenewwaveofIranian
immigrants(prerevolution).ThiscommunitywaslaterknownasTehrangeles,acomicalmix
ofboththecapitalofIran,Tehran,andLosAngeles.12AnearlymemberofTehrangelesstated:
"Wehadasayinginourcommunity,don'tunpackyoursuitcase,wethoughtanydaythings
wouldchangeandwewouldgoback,"
saidwriterandbroadcasterHomaSarshar.
"Butit'sbeen
32yearsandwearestillhere."
TherevolutionmadeIranianimmigrantstofermentintheirnew

"IranAndTheAxisOfEvilAnalysisTheLongReachOfA..."2002.22Oct.2015
<
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/tehran/axis/axis.html
>
10
Cainkar,L."SpecialRegistration:AFervorforMuslimsePublications..."2002.
<
http://epublications.marquette.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1007&context=socs_fac
>
11
"IranianAmericans:ImmigrationandAssimilationPAAIA."2014.22Oct.2015
<
http://www.paaia.org/CMS/Data/Sites/1/pdfs/iranianamericansimmigrationandassimilation.pdf
>
12
"TehrangelesWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia."2011.6Nov.2015
<
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tehrangeles
>

location,andallowedthemtocreatesomethingveryspecial.Tehrangelesandmanycommunities
likeitexperiencedtheprogressionsinIranfromAmerica,everytimebadnewsstrucklikethe
Tehranhostagecrisisin1979,immigrantswerepranked,callednames,anddiscriminated
against.Althoughthisitwasdifficulttogothrough,thetightlyknitIraniancommunitiesbecame
strongerthanever,unitingandfurtherintegratingtheircommunityintoAmericanculture.13
EventhoughIranianshaveonlyrecentlybeguntheirtrekintoAmericatheyhavetraveled
alongdistanceinashortamountoftime.ThisjourneychangedthecourseofIranianhistory,
bringingmodernbattle,uprising,andresolutiontoanancientcivilization.IranianAmericans
havealsochangedthecourseofAmericanhistory,integratingpiecesoftheircultureinto
everydayAmericancitieslikeLosAngeles.BycreatingthecommunitiesliketheTehrangeles,
IranianAmericanshaveestablishedstrongbeaconsoffamiliaritythatremindimmigrantsthat
theyarenotalone.AndevenlookingbackatthepoliticalmessthatwastheIranianRevolution,
Iranianshavemovedpastthosedaysandnowhopeforacleanerfuture.Althoughtheroadhas
beenbumpyandevenjaggedattimes,IranianAmericanshaveperseveredinretainingtheir
image.Animagefullofrichcultureandheritage,withrootsgrowingfromoneofthegreatest
empiresthateverexisted.Iraniansusethatpridetopushthemselvesthriveandprovetothe
worldtheyarecapableofchangingtheirfuture,onlytimewilltelliftheysucceed.

13

"Tehrangeles:HowIraniansmadepartofLAtheirownBBC..."2012.6Nov.2015
<
http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine19751370
>