IRANIAN AMERICAN

'Iranian Americans' (or 'Persian Americans') are Americans of Iranian (Persian) descent, including those who are expatriates in exile or permanent immigrants. Many Iranians (Persians) who are born in the United States identify with the status of Iranian-American.[1] Although Iranians have lived in the US in relatively small numbers since the 1930s, an overwhelming majority of Iranian-Americans are immigrants that have lived in the US since the Islamic Revolution of 1979.

Contents

History

Demography

US Census

Independent census

Concentrations

Notable individuals

See also

External links

References

History

Iranian immigration to the United States has been continuous since the 1980s. Today, the United States contains the highest number of Iranians in the world outside Iran. The Iranian-American community has produced a sizable number of individuals notable in many fields, including medicine, engineering, and business. The community expanded predominantly in the early 1980s in the wake of the Iranian Revolution and the fall of the former regime. Because the majority of Iranian refugees are upper-middle class and others are wealthy, hold more liberal political opinions and westernized lifestyles to indicate they were educated to become familiar with American culture, Iranian-Americans tend to exhibit less traditional and moderates form of Islam in variation and practice (some were forced to asylum or exile for disagreements in Islam with the country's Islamic fundamentalist regime).
Many Iranian Americans are also of Azeri, Armenian, Jewish, Gilak, Kurdish, Mazandarani, Assyrian or another ethnic group in Iran, reflecting the diversity of the community.

Demography

US Census

The 2000 US Census estimated that 338,000 Iranian-Americans reside in the United States. In 2004, the Iranian-American population was estimated at 691,000 by a group of Iranian Ph.D. candidates enrolled at MIT, working to compile statistics at the request of Persian associations and community leaders in the United States. ^[3] Large concentrations of Iranian Americans live in the state of California, more than 500,000 of them live in Southern California particularly around Los Angeles, Orange County, La Jolla (San Diego), and San José. Other Iranian-American communities in California include the Sacramento Valley, San Joaquin Valley, Imperial Valley and the Coachella Valley. For this reason, the L.A area with its Iranian American residents is sometimes referred to as "Tehrangeles" or "Irangeles" among Iranian Americans, in allusion to Iran and its capital, Tehran.^[4]

Independent census

A study was launched by the Iranian Studies Group at MIT, to publish the socio-economic characteristics of the Iranian-American population. 338,266 US residents claim to be of Iranian ancestry, though many Iranians claim this number to be largely understated. The largest populations of Persian-Americans can be found in the states of California, New York, Texas, and Washington. According to the study, 26.2% of Iranian-Americans attain a masters degree or higher, the highest percentage of the 67 ancestry groups. 56.2% attain a bachelor's degree or higher (2nd), and 90.8% receive a high school diploma or higher (2nd). The median family income is $42,000 (20% higher than the national average).

Concentrations

There are also large concentrations in Chicago, Las Vegas, New York City, Phoenix, Washington DC, and around Dallas and Houston, Texas, and a sizable Iranian American community developed in Oklahoma since the 1970s and 1980's (mostly in the cities of Tulsa and Oklahoma City) . An NPR report recently put the Iranian population of Beverly Hills as high as 20% of the total population. Beverly Hills elected its first Iranian-born Mayor in 2007.^[5][6]
Iranian communities in the US also have varying religious populations among each city. Los Angeles' Iranian population — the nation's most highly concentrated Persian American community — is representative of all of Iran's religious groups. A large number of Jewish Iranians reside in Los Angeles, with Beverly Hills having a large Jewish population among its Persian inhabitants, as well as the location of a large Farsi-speaking synagogue (Nessah Synagogue). L.A.-adjacent Orange County is home to predominantly Muslim Persians, as well as the San Fernando valley. Glendale, California's Iranian American population is mostly Armenian Christian. There is a considerable population of Persian American Zoroastrians and Bahá'ís in several states too. Almost all other Iranian Americans communities in other US cities are mostly Muslim or of secular backgrounds.

Notable individuals

Iranian-Americans have founded and/or participated in senior leadership positions of many major US companies, including many Fortune 500 companies such as GE, Intel, Verizon, Motorola, and AT&T.
The founder/CEO of Ebay (Pierre Omidyar) is a Persian, MIT Iranian-American Study, as well as the founder of Bratz (Isaac Larian).
In September of 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.
Well-known Americans of Iranian descent include Firouz Naderi, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Andre Agassi, Ali Javan, Sina Tamaddon, Omid Kordestani , Rudi Bakhtiar, and Catherine Bell.
A notable Iranian-American who works in sport is WWE wrestler Shawn Daivari.

See also

★ List of Iranian Americans

★ Iranian-Canadian

★ Iranian Kuwaitis

★ Persian Jews

★ Tehrangeles

★ Little Persia, Los Angeles, California

★ Iranian Australian

★ ISAUNA

★ Anti-Iranian sentiments

External links

★ Report into the life of Iranian-Americans from Iranian.com

★ National Iranian American Council Promoting Iranian American Participation in American Civic Life

★ Fact-sheet on the Iranian-American Community (ISG MIT)

★ Population Study of Iranian Americans in the United States

★ Migration Information Source

★ Iranian-American Organizations

★ Iranian American Political Action Committee

★ The Silence of the Iranian Lambs, JURIST

★ Iranian Alliances Across Borders (IAAB)

★ Resolution Condemning Discrimination and Bigotry Against Iranian Americans Re-Introduced in the House

★ Persian Jews politicking on Rodeo Drive

References

1. US demographic census
2. http://www.iranian.com/Diaspora/2004/January/USA/index.html
3. http://www.iranian.com/Diaspora/2004/January/USA/index.html
4. Iranians at odds over talks with 'the Great Satan'
5. [2]
6. [3]