All sessions run concurrently in one 45-minute period)   Workshops: Immigration: Undocumented Experiences, Challenges, and Paths Forward (South Bay Room) Facilitator: Ms. Pouneh Behin Participants:         Mr. Mohammad Abdollahi Ms. Shirin Hakimzadeh Mr. Diego Sepulveda Social Services and the Iranian American Community (West Coast … Continue reading →

Mr. John Tehranian (Southwestern Law School) – “Who’s Afraid of Hussein, or Playing Cowboys and Iranians:  The Trope of Colorblindness in the Age of Obama” Mr. Tehranian described the firestorm that arose around the “Let’s play cowboys and Iranians.” Despite outrage … Continue reading →

Mr. Shahin Najafi took the stage to address the audience. He began with a short talk regarding the collaborative and democratic culture of Iranians, both in Iran and in diaspora. Anywhere Iranians get connected in a political or organizational capacity, … Continue reading →

Ms. Golnoush Niknejad (TehranBureau.com) – “The Tehran Bureau. Digital News on Iran and the Iranian Diaspora” Ms. Niknejad covered a range of topics in her long journalistic career – constantly having to pitch and pander to American editors if she ever wanted … Continue reading →

Dr. Babak Elahi (Rochester Institute of Technology) – “Crossing Tehran Avenue: The Convergence of Digital, Urban, and Diasporic Iranian Spaces” The metaphor of the internet as city drove Mr. Elahi’s early research into the relationship  of cities and virtual spaces. However, … Continue reading →

Dr. Hamid Naficy, Sunday’s keynote speaker, discusses the rise of internet cinema. He outlines the state-citizen media struggle in video, satellite TV, and the internet. Naficy outlines how the fear of filming in public places arose from the Green Movement. … Continue reading →