Explore Iranian-American Identity

i know this doesn't include me but i thought it might be

helpful to have another perspective as well.  i'm american married to an iranian.

1) What do you like about Iranian culture? And what do you dislike and try to avoid?   

i love the art... some of the music... the incredible architectural features...listening to the language although my farsi is minimal... and of course the food.  :-)

2) Do you prefer to marry an Iranian-American than any other nationality? why?   

i married an iranian man.  whew... what a handful...:-)  my particular iranian man is extremely intelligent, witty, resourceful and passionate.   also, jealous and possessive and stubborn and NEVER wrong.  about anything.  :-0

3) What would you change about Iranian-Americans community?

i can't really think of anything.  almost every iranian event or gathering i've been to has been very receptive and welcoming to me.

4) How do you compare Iranians in Los Angeles with the ones in northern california?

no credible opinion

5) What was your first impression about Iran when you visited there?

still waiting and longing for that first visit.

6) Are you an American? explain.

Southern born and Southern bred and when I die, I'll be Southern dead.

7) Do you introduce yourself as Iranian or Persian?

i probably use both when talking about my husband

8) Do you watch/listen to any Iranian program?

i try to follow as best i can. 

9) Do you follow news about Iran? or Watch Iranian movies?

we very much follow the news about iran and watch as many movies as we can find with english subtitles (for my benefit)

10) Please share any detailed memory that you think might be relevant to the topic.

i'm very proud to be married to an iranian.  i value his culture and traditions and appreciate that he honors mine.  it's not always easy but it's worth it and i truly do thank God for having him in my life.  i wish iranians were not so defensive.  it makes it hard sometimes to discuss things.

Confused

Hi Talieh,

I am a bit confused as to whom your intended respndents ought to be.  In essance, I'm not sure which Iranian-Americans you wish to target because we definately are not all the same.  I'm sure you recongnize that there are at least five distinct types of Iranian Americans, and maybe more.

First, you have those individuals who left Iran as adults with their values and belief systems already well formed before they entered the United States and became Naturalized Citizens.  (For example, my mother would fall into this class.)

Second, you have those individuals who left Iran as adolescents and children whose values and belief systems were only partially formed and who have fewer memories than their elders of the life they had in Iran before moving to the United States and becoming Naturalized Citizens.  This group assimilated much more easily into the wider culture than their elders who immigrated as adults, yet the assimilation process wasn't always easy for them. 

Third, you have those individuals who are the  American born children of two-Iranian immigrant parents.  (California has millions of Iranians who were born in America and who have never lived in Iran.)

Fourth, you have those individuals who are the children of one Iranian-immigrant parent and one American parent.  (This is my catagory.)

Fifth, you have those individuals who were born in America, and whose mother and father were born in American, but who are 100% ethnically Persian/Iranian. (People in this catagory would have had grandparents or great-grandparents who immigranted to the US back in the 1950s or 60, perhaps even earlier.)

In addition to issues related to parentage or naturalization, there are a host of other issues that distinguish Iranian Americans from one another.  Some of us can read, write and speak Parsi.  Some can only speak.  Some can only speak a little very badly, and some cannot speak Persian at all.  Regardless of the varying degree of linguistic proficiency they may have, all of these people have Iranian DNA.  Then, there are questions of religion, ethnic background and so on.  Iranian-Americans are a very diverse poplulation. 

All of us can rightly claim to be Iranian-Americans in one way or another, but still I'm not sure which of these groups you had in mind when you formulated your questions. 

O.K. I’ll answer your questions

...so you can finish your thesis and get your Master’s Degree from MIT in Comparative Media Studies, but I’m confused about the use of the word “reconstruction”. Has the Iranian identity in America ever been constructed before? If yes, can you guide me to where I should look to learn more about what is constructed already and why are you trying to reconstruct it? What was wrong with it to begin with?

1) What do you like about Iranian culture? And what do you dislike and try to avoid?

I like Iranian culture because it is an inexhaustible source on comic material. I dislike it because even though it is an inexhaustible source of comic material, Iranian people think what they say and do is so serious, so I try to avoid the light hearted stuff and pay more attention to the serious stuff because they are a greater source of comedy.

2) Do you prefer to marry an Iranian-American than any other nationality? Why?

How would I know? I’ve never tried it.

3) What would you change about Iranian-Americans community?

I would change the entire Iranian-American community to make it more like an African-American community.

4) How do you compare Iranians in Los Angeles with the ones in Northern California?

There are no Iranians, as a community, in Northern California (Crescent City, Yreka, Tulelake, Weed, Alturas, Mount Shasta, Dunsmuir,..., etc.), so there is no comparison.

5) What was your first impression about Iran when you visited there?

My first impression was of a man who was gagging from smog.

6) Are you an American? Explain.

I was an American, but I changed it to Iranian.

7) Do you introduce yourself as Iranian or Persian?

It depends on who I’m introducing myself to. To the rednecks, I say Persian; to the Iraqis, I say Iranian; and so on.

8) Do you watch/listen to any Iranian program?

No way.

9) Do you follow news about Iran? Or watch Iranian movies?

If they’re funny, I do.

10) Please share any detailed memory that you think might be relevant to the topic.

No way, no details please.

my feedback

1) What do you like about Iranian culture? And what do you dislike and try to avoid?

I love almost anything and everything: culture, history, architect, customs, languages, music,   landscapes, hospitality and FOOD!I don’t like overly westernization of some people, “acting” as foreigners, intentionally replacing another language when talking to another Iranian, “khod baakhtegi”! 

2) Do you prefer to marry an Iranian-American than any other nationality?  Why?

I am happily married to an American; as long as there’s true harmony and happiness I don’t think it matters.

3) What would you change about Iranian-Americans community?

For them to learn how to properly represent our motherland and not inject too much emotion and false information into their efforts; and try to be unbiased.

4) How do you compare Iranians in Los Angeles with the ones in Northern California?

I have not been exposed to Northern California Iranians, but I lived in Maryland, Virginia, and the DC area for a little while, and I found those Iranians more comfortable with their culture, IMHO, LA is what “Laleeh zaar” was to Iran! A thousand times more people interested in a “dumbooli” concert than a book, photography or painting exhibition.

5) What was your first impression about Iran when you visited there?   

My plane landed in Mehr Aabaad airport at 11:35 pm and as I got out the first thing I did was kiss the ground, then to answer the officer’s question “how long have you been away” I said  “22 years, 11 months and 23 days”  Jokingly he asked “….and how many hours?” to which I replied “due to the daytime saving adjustment I lost that, but between 8½ to 10½ hours”  He smiled and while stamping my passport he said…”welcome home” That was probably the “goosh navaaz tarin” thing I’d heard in a long long time.                                               

I WAS HOME!

6) Are you an American? Explain.   

I’m a US citizen.

7) Do you introduce yourself as Iranian or Persian?

Most of the time, both. My background is from the “Bakhtiaari” tribe.

 8) Do you watch/listen to any Iranian program?  

Yes, web sites, radio stations and Sunday news programs.

9) Do you follow news about Iran? Or watch Iranian movies?   

News, YES, as best as I can…..movies, IF they’re worth watching.

10) Please share any detailed memory that you think might be relevant to the topic.

Regarding Question #3, My American wife knows more, is interested in more and makes  more efforts to show that our house is an Iranian home than many Iranians I know.   

Answers

1. I like the music, language/s, food and 50 other ones. I can't think of anything that I avoid in Iranian culture.

2. Yes I do because Dah...

3. Nothing

4. Iranians in LA are more pissed off at IRI and receive more funding and maybe these two are related.

5. I don't remember, I was one day old.

6. Yes. It's too late to explain now.

7. Iranian.

8. Yes.

9. Yes, I confess.

10. No memories