As IAAB approaches its 10th anniversary, we will publish a series of articles about our experiences working with the Iranian American community in the past decade.  We have come a long way in the past ten years, but we have a long way to go and we need to continue working hard.

Ramin Bajoghli, President of IAAB’s Board of Advisors, writes about the dangers of perpetuating the myth of the successful Iranian American community.  The following article was published in PBS Frontline’s Tehran Bureau.

Diaspora | Community (Re)Defined: Hailing Successes, Recognizing Failures

by RAMIN BAJOGHLI

10 Dec 2012 18:520 Comments

Reflections on ten years working for the Iranian American community.

[ opinion ] The all too common Iranian American myth goes something like this: we are the wealthiest, smartest, most successful diaspora community in the United States.

Unfortunately, by perpetuating this myth, we ignore or refuse to acknowledge the very serious challenges facing the Iranian American community.

In the last decade, various national organizations and numerous individuals have worked tirelessly to combat the racist and misrepresentative images of Iranians in mainstream media. The 1979-81 Iran hostage crisis created a wave of anti-Iranian sentiment that in some measure continues to linger today. In response, many in the Iranian American community have sought to take control of its public image. However, the narrative we’ve created for ourselves is one of extreme levels of success: we are not the bearded and veiled religious fanatics of yesteryear, but instead, we demand recognition as the CEOs, bankers, scientists, doctors, lawyers, and engineers pioneering the United States in the 21st century.

Although our successes in the United States need to be celebrated, we are treading a treacherous slope with our narrow definition of success. As with any community, our socioeconomic conditions are diverse. The real difficulties faced by our community are not a matter of public relations and image; instead the complications emerge from one of exclusivity. We are marginalizing scores of our own who do not fit this golden image of success.

Socioeconomic issues are not the only barrier Iranian Americans need to recognize and address. Problems of mental illness, health and disability issues, domestic violence, racism, sexism, and homophobia are very real and occur daily in our community. Without an honest and open debate on these issues, Iranian Americans will never stand on a par with other successful diaspora communities. A serious study of said communities reveals a common characteristic sorely lacking among Iranian Americans: each diaspora community — Jewish, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Armenian, Arab, etc. — provides resources and social services to those in need.

Having spoken with leaders of these various communities over the past decade, three common elements in building a powerful and active diaspora community emerged: (1) take care of your own (the poor, the sick — anyone in need); (2) be active and participate in domestic policy issues; and (3) once significant ground has been gained on the first two, enter and sway foreign policy debates.

A successful diaspora community is one that celebrates the triumphs of all its members, regardless of profession, and comes to the aid of those in need. We must learn that individual success does not equal community prosperity. At this critical juncture for our community, it’s the only responsible way forward.

As Iranian Americans, we love to cite the oft-quoted Saadi poem that adorns the entrance of the United Nations.

Ironically, it seems, we never heed Saadi’s words when it comes to our own.

Human beings are members of a whole,

In creation of one essence and soul.

If one member is afflicted with pain,

Other members uneasy will remain.

If you have no sympathy for human pain,

The name of human you cannot retain.

Copyright © 2012 Tehran Bureau

To see original article, please click here.

Racist Against Ourselves: The Negative Impact of Ethnic Jokes

By: Danyal Lotfi

* Danyal Lotfi is a university student in Washington State. He has participated in IAAB’s Summer Leadership Institutes as both a student and as a counselor. 

I’m sure most of you have heard of the typical Iranian jokes that are exchanged at family gatherings, between friends and neighbors. Have you ever paid attention to the content of these jokes? Who are they referring to? To us, Iranians. But they are always targeting a certain ethnic minority. These jokes usually entail stories of how Turks/Azeris are dumb, Gilaks have no honor, Lurs are stupid, and so on.

Sattar Khan

What most people don’t realize when they share such jokes is how brutally they are hurting the identity of their brothers and sisters from all across Iran. No, Turks/Azeris are not dumb. Have you ever heard of a man named Sattar Khan? He was Azeri and one of the key players in the Iranian Constitutional Revolution in early twentieth century, who with the help of Bagher Khan became the leader of the Constitutional rebels in Tabriz and later on in most of Iran.

Mirza Kuchik Khan

You think Gilaks have no “honor”? Well, let me introduce you to Mirza Kuchik Khan, who was another leader during the Constitutional Revolution and who fought for quite a few years against the outside forces (Russian and British) who were controlling the capital at the time. Let’s not forget about Karim Khan Zand, a Lur, who in the 18th century, saved Iran from the chaos of the civil war. The list doesn’t end there. It goes on and on, giving us reasons to be respectful towards minorities within Iran and celebrate these minorities and what each of us bring to the table.

Today, there is much talk about racism against Iranians across the globe. However, when I sit at an Iranian gathering, whether it’s with family or friends, and I hear such offensive jokes, whether it’s targeting my own ethnicity or my friend’s ethnicity as a Turk, a Gilak, a Lur, or any other minority, I’m suddenly less worried about racism against Iranians from the outside world and much more concerned about racism within our own Iranian community.

Most people never really think about the impact of these jokes when they share them. To them, it’s “just a joke, and no one should take it personally.” But think about what we’re asking others when we say such a thing and make ethnic jokes. We are directly humiliating them and part of their identity. How do we expect others not to be offended when we deliberately hurt them and part of who they are?

In order to fight against racism against Iranians across the world, we must first look to ourselves and our community and see what kind of a message we’re sending to outsiders. When we can’t even respect human beings with diverse ethnic backgrounds within our own community, how do we, as Iranians, expect other nationalities to respect us?

When I was growing up, I was always the source of jokes in my family. It almost became a tradition in our family, where every time we had a family gathering everyone would be asking me for the “newest jokes in the market.” And I was always ready to give them the funniest and newest ethnic jokes I had heard. It wasn’t until about a year ago that I began to realize the true impact of these jokes. The ethnic stereotypes mentioned above had been repeated in my head so many times that my brain was starting to believe them. When I had that awakening about the impact of these jokes, I began thinking about why such jokes are so popular in our culture. Dr. Kaveh Farrokh, a history professor at the University of British Columbia’s Continuing Studies Division, says the following regarding the origin of ethnic jokes in the early twentieth century in Iran:

“The Russians (and British) were very concerned with a cultural dynamic in Iran that could lead to the rise of a modern and progressive state. The Russians and English were especially concerned with the leadership role that northern Iranians (e.g. Azeris, Rashtis, etc.) had played in Iran’s democratic movement of the early 1900s. It would appear that the united nature of the constitutional movement in which Azeri, Bakhtiari, Mazandarnai, Mashahdi, etc. fought side by side in the name of a democratic, progressive and modern Iran was not palatable to the distinguished policy makers in Moscow and London. A means had to be found to divide the Iranians and dissolve their historical bonds.

It was in here where the Russian secret police had the distinction of inventing the first anti-Iranian cultural weapons. They even outdid the British, who themselves had been working to undermine Iran’s unity since the 19^thcentury (see Part VI, item 10).

The cultural weapons are the so-called venomous “jokes” targeted against Iran’s Azeri population and the north in general (esp. Rasht). This is not surprising as it was always these regions that would put up the first fight against any Russian invasion. The Bakhtiaris and Lurs were also targeted, partly due to fears of their martial abilities.”

We must understand the origin of these jokes in order to fully realize their true purpose and impact. We have such a diverse community in Iran and that’s what makes our culture beautiful. Every ethnicity within Iran is an essential organ in the body of the Iranian culture and we shouldn’t have any reason to damage it.

In an article that was recently published by Beeta Baghoolizadeh, “The Afro-Iranian Community: Beyond Haji Firuz Blackface, the Slave Trade, & Bandari Music,” she brings up a similar topic. Her article is about the Afro-Iranian community of southern Iran, one of the many ethnic minorities within Iran. Baghoolizadeh discusses the status of Afro-Iranians in Iran, and the fact that to many Iranians “they simply do not exist.”  Baghoolizadeh states:

“When talking about the diversity of Iran, most people will recall the various ethno-linguistic groups that are equally native to the Iranian plateau, like Persians, Azeris, Gilakis, Baluchis, and others who have migrated to the region through the centuries. In these discussions, however, Afro-Iranians and those of African descent are often ignored. Perhaps this stems from their limited exposure in mainstream Iranian culture. Or maybe it is because the legacy of African slavery in Iran contradicts the ever-so-pervasive Aryan myth of perfection and civilization. Regardless, most Iranians forget the Afro-Iranians and their rich traditions, despite their prominent cultural influence that persists today.”

The issue of harming ethnic minorities within Iran does not only come from ethnic jokes. This issue must be looked at from a much broader point of view. We must find all the ways through which we are damaging ethnic minorities in Iran, such as ethnic jokes, ignorance, etc. and work together to eliminate these disrespectful practices.

Reliefs at Persepolis showing delegates of different regions of Persia coming to Persepolis during Norouz celebrations

We, as Iranians, have always been proud of our past and brag on a regular basis about the great Persian Empire that we believe promoted freedom of speech and religion, whether it actually was the case or not. By looking at the stone carvings at Persepolis in Iran, we can see how delegates of various races from different parts of the Persian Empire would gather together in peace during Norouz celebrations at Persepolis. While it is great for us to be proud of our past and what we believe our ancestors have accomplished, it unfortunately sometimes prevents us from seeing the problems that we face today. Are we as inclusive today as we can and should be? Are we able to gather in harmony with friends and family members from other ethnic backgrounds without making part of their identity the subject of ridicule? We must learn to move on from, but not forget, our past and focus on a brighter future. Ask yourself, aren’t you as a human being offended when someone’s topic of laughter is your ethnicity, sexuality, culture, or other parts of your identity? Are you doing anything to stop discrimination within our Iranian community? Please, take a moment and think about the extremely negative impact of these jokes. For as long as we continue making these ethnically offensive jokes, we are making it harder for ourselves to come together in unity with our brothers and sisters from various parts of Iran. Instead of sharing these disrespectful jokes against ethnic minorities in Iran, let’s encourage ourselves and others to celebrate this diversity within Iran’s borders and learn about how we can enrich our culture and society by doing so.

References

Farrokh, Kaveh. “Introdcution: Pan-Turanianism Takes Aim At Azerbaijan; A Geopolitical Agenda  | CAIS©.” Introdcution: Pan-Turanianism Takes Aim At Azerbaijan; A Geopolitical Agenda . The Circle of Ancient Iranian Studies, 2005. Web. 02 Aug. 2012. <http://www.cais-soas.com/CAIS/Iran/pan_turkism_takes_aim_at_azarbaijan/introduction.htm>.

Baghoolizadeh, Beeta. “The Afro-Iranian Community: Beyond Haji Firuz Blackface, the Slave Trade, & Bandari Music.” Ajam Media Collective. Ajam Media Collective, 20 June 2012. Web. 25 July 2012. <http://ajammc.wordpress.com/2012/06/20/the-afro-iranian-community-beyond-haji-firuz-blackface-slavery-bandari-music/>.

On Saturday, November 17, 2012, a team of IAAB volunteers joined forces with a coalition of community organizations in New York City to work with Occupy Sandy relief efforts in Brooklyn.

Congratulations to Cyrus Habib, a Democrat elected last night to the 48th Legislative District of Washington state’s House of Representatives. He will become the first American of Iranian heritage to serve in a state legislature and will be the highest ranking Iranian American in elected office. Mobarake!

Learn more about Cyrus:

Cyrus Habib is a technology lawyer and community volunteer. He grew up in Bellevue and is a proud product of Bellevue Public Schools. Having lost his eyesight at age 8 to a rare form of childhood cancer, he learned early the importance of equal opportunity, hard work, and a quality education.

After winning a Rhodes Scholarship to study at Oxford, Cyrus attended Yale Law School, where he served as editor of the law review. He returned to Bellevue following his graduation, and works at the Seattle-based law firm of Perkins Coie, where he assists startup technology firms with their early-stage legal needs. He is passionate about technology and entrepreneurship, and understands the needs of small businesses on the Eastside.

A disability advocate, Cyrus has testified before the U.S. Congress and written publicly on the importance of making currency accessible to blind and low-vision Americans, and before both houses of the Washington State legislature in support of tougher “distracted driving” laws. In 2009, King County Executive Dow Constantine nominated Cyrus to serve on the county’s Civil Rights Commission, where he has championed the rights of the disabled in our community.

Cyrus is a Human Services Commissioner for the city of Bellevue, which makes funding decisions with respect to the needs of the city’s most vulnerable residents, including children, those seeking employment, and the elderly. He is proud to serve as a Trustee of the Bellevue College Foundation, which raises scholarship funds to help economically disadvantaged students of the college. He serves on the board of the Bellevue Downtown Association, and on the advisory board of Overlake Hospital’s Pulse! fundraising program. He also mentors and coaches high school students with mock trial and with the college admissions process.

Cyrus enjoys spending time with his family, visiting the region’s many and varied restaurants, playing jazz piano, and traveling. He is a member of the St. James Cathedral parish.

To read more about Cyrus, please see his website.