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{{disputed|date=September 2011}}
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{{Infobox Ethnic group {{Infobox Ethnic group
|group = Iranian American |group = Iranian American
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|popplace = ], ], ], ], ], ].<ref>http://www.niacouncil.org/docs/irancensus.pdf</ref> |popplace = ], ], ], ], ], ].<ref>http://www.niacouncil.org/docs/irancensus.pdf</ref>
|langs = ], ]<br /> minority languages:<br /> ], ], ], ], ] |langs = ], ]<br /> minority languages:<br /> ], ], ], ], ]
|rels = Predominant Religious Groups: ], ]<ref name="payvand1"/><br /> Other Religious Groups: ] (10-20%),<ref> {{cite news| url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,207337,00.html | work=Fox News | title=Iranian Jews Living in U.S. Have Complex Feelings About Mideast Crisis | date=2006-08-07}}</ref> ], ], ]<ref name="payvand1"/> |rels = Predominant Religious Groups: ], ]<ref name="payvand1">{{cite web|url=http://www.payvand.com/news/08/dec/1117.html |title=Survey of Iranian Americans: 84% Support Establishing U.S. Interest Section in Iran |publisher=Payvand.com |date=2006-11-22 |accessdate=2010-02-15}}</ref><br /> Other Religious Groups: ], ], ], ]<ref name="payvand1"/>
|related = ]{{·}}]{{·}}]{{·}} |related = ]{{·}}]{{·}}]{{·}}
}} }}
'''Iranian-Americans''' are ] of ] ancestry or people possessing ] and ] dual citizenship.
'''Iranian-Americans''' (distinct and separate from '''Persian-Americans''', an ethnic category, although sometimes used interchangeably<ref></ref><ref>[http://projects.publicintegrity.org/iranintelligence/Iran%20%28D%29/html/iran/Persian/index.html U.S. Marine Corps Intelligence Activity.

⚫ Cultural Intelligence for Military Operations: Iran. Unclassified Culture Field Guide on CD-ROM. Persians in Iran.]</ref><ref></ref><ref>Raymond M. Nakamura,"Iranian/Persian Americans The flow of Iranian citizens into the United States began in 1979, during and after the Islamic Revolution."Raymond M. Nakamura -"Health in America: A multicutral perspective" , Kendal Hub 2003. </ref><ref>Mark Zenger,"The American Ethnic Cook Book for Students", Excerpt pp-212-214: (Iranians) Most of the million Iranian-Americans have come to the United States since the 1979 revolution that overthrew the Shah and established an Islamic Republic in Iran."</ref><ref>
⚫ Iranian-Americans are amongst the most highly educated groups in the ].<ref name="migrationinformation.org">{{cite web|url=http://www.migrationinformation.org/USfocus/display.cfm?ID=404 |title=Migration Information Source - Spotlight on the Iranian Foreign Born |publisher=Migrationinformation.org |date= |accessdate=2010-02-15}}</ref><ref name="payvand.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.payvand.com/news/04/jan/1191.html |title=Iranian-Americans Reported Among Most Highly Educated in U.S |publisher=Payvand.com |date=2006-11-24 |accessdate=2010-02-15}}</ref> Iranian-Americans have historically excelled in business, academia, the sciences, arts and entertainment - but have traditionally shied away from participating in ] or other civic activities.<ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite news|author=By Azadeh Ansari CNN |url=http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/06/12/iran.elections.voting/ |title=Iranian-Americans cast ballots on Iran's future |publisher=CNN.com |date=2009-06-16 |accessdate=2010-02-15}}</ref>

⚫ Although Iranians have lived in the United States in relatively small numbers since the 1930s, a large number of Iranian-Americans are immigrants to the United States after the ] of ]. The census 2000 undercounted the numbers of many ethnic groups and minorities, including the Iranian-Americans.<ref></ref> The U.S. Government and other sources estimate that the numbers of Iranian-Americans are close to 2 million.<ref></ref><ref></ref><ref></ref><ref></ref> <ref></ref><ref></ref>

⚫ ==History==
⚫ Iranian immigration to the United States has been continuous since the 1980s. Between 1980 and 1990, the number of foreign born from Iran in the United States increased by 74 percent.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.migrationinformation.org/USFocus/display.cfm?ID=404 |title=Migration Information Source - Spotlight on the Iranian Foreign Born |publisher=Migrationinformation.org |date= |accessdate=2010-02-15}}</ref> Today, the United States contains the highest number of ] outside of Iran. The Iranian-American community has produced significant numbers of ], including ], ], and ]. The community chiefly expanded in the early 1980s, following the ] and its abolition of the Iranian monarchy.

===Terminology===
⚫ '''Iranian American''' is used interchangeably as '''Persian-Americans'''<ref name="Daha"></ref><ref>Raymond M. Nakamura,"Iranian/Persian Americans The flow of Iranian citizens into the United States began in 1979, during and after the Islamic Revolution."Raymond M. Nakamura -"Health in America: A multicutral perspective" , Kendal Hub 2003. </ref><ref>Mark Zenger,"The American Ethnic Cook Book for Students", Excerpt pp-212-214: (Iranians) Most of the million Iranian-Americans have come to the United States since the 1979 revolution that overthrew the Shah and established an Islamic Republic in Iran."</ref><ref>
Racial and Ethnic Relations in America, Carl Leon Bankston,"Therefore, Turkish and Iranian (Persian) Americans, who are Muslims but not ethnically Arabs, are often mistakenly ..",Salem Press, 2000</ref>, partially due to the fact<ref>Fereshteh Haeri Darya, "Second-generation Iranian-Americans: The relationship between ethnic identity, acculturation, and psychological well-being" Racial and Ethnic Relations in America, Carl Leon Bankston,"Therefore, Turkish and Iranian (Persian) Americans, who are Muslims but not ethnically Arabs, are often mistakenly ..",Salem Press, 2000</ref>, partially due to the fact<ref>Fereshteh Haeri Darya, "Second-generation Iranian-Americans: The relationship between ethnic identity, acculturation, and psychological well-being"
Capella University, ProQuest, 2007 Capella University, ProQuest, 2007
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of their identification as a group accross time and setting." of their identification as a group accross time and setting."
</ref> </ref>
that Iran was called Persia officially prior to 1935; as well as the fact that Iran and Persia continue to be used used interchangeably since classic times<ref></ref>. Many Iranians due to political reasons also identify themselves as Persian Americans due to negative portrayl of Iran in the media<ref name="Daha"></ref> that Iran was called Persia officially prior to 1935; as well as the fact that Iran and Persia continue to be used used interchangeably since classic times<ref></ref>. Many Iranians due to political reasons also identify themselves as Persian Americans due to negative portrayl of Iran in the media<ref name="Daha"/>. As an ethno-linguistic term, the majority of Iranian Americans are of Persian-speaking backgrounds/Persian ethnicity and Muslims, but there are also minority non-Persian languages/groups of Iran and practicioners of other religions within the Iranian American community (see below under demographics).
<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=z-y_q4J_eCEC&pg=PA469
Mehdi Mozorgmehr, The new Americans: a guide to immigration since 1965 // Mary C. Waters, Reed Ueda, Helen B. Marrow (eds.), Harvard University Press, 2007, p. 469]</ref>
<ref></ref>) are ] from ] (with former or current Iranian citizenship) or with ancestors from Iran.


===pre and post revolution migration===
⚫ Iranian-Americans are amongst the most highly educated groups in the ].<ref name="migrationinformation.org">{{cite web|url=http://www.migrationinformation.org/USfocus/display.cfm?ID=404 |title=Migration Information Source - Spotlight on the Iranian Foreign Born |publisher=Migrationinformation.org |date= |accessdate=2010-02-15}}</ref><ref name="payvand.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.payvand.com/news/04/jan/1191.html |title=Iranian-Americans Reported Among Most Highly Educated in U.S |publisher=Payvand.com |date=2006-11-24 |accessdate=2010-02-15}}</ref> Iranian-Americans have historically excelled in business, academia, the sciences, arts and entertainment - but have traditionally shied away from participating in ] or other civic activities.<ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite news|author=By Azadeh Ansari CNN |url=http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/06/12/iran.elections.voting/ |title=Iranian-Americans cast ballots on Iran's future |publisher=CNN.com |date=2009-06-16 |accessdate=2010-02-15}}</ref>

⚫ Although Iranians have lived in the United States in relatively small numbers since the 1930s, a large number of Iranian-Americans are immigrants to the United States after the ] of ]. The census 2000 undercounted the numbers of many ethnic groups and minorities, including the Iranian-Americans.<ref></ref> The U.S. Government and other sources estimate that the numbers of Iranian-Americans are close to 2 million.<ref></ref><ref></ref><ref></ref><ref></ref> <ref></ref><ref></ref>

⚫ Iranian-Americans are ] (7%), ] (9%), ] and "other" (31%), ] (6%), ] (42%) and ] (5%).<ref>http://www.payvand.com/news/08/dec/1117.html</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.migrationinformation.org/USfocus/display.cfm?id=404 |title=Spotlight on the Iranian Foreign Born |author=Hakimzadeh, Shirin |coauthors=Dixon, David |year=2006 |month=June |work=US in Focus |publisher=Migration Information Source |quote=The Iranian foreign born are a relatively new population whose migration to the United States was concentrated around the years of the Islamic Revolution (1978-1979). }}</ref><ref></ref> "There are religious and ] differences among the Muslim, Jewish, Baha'i, Zoroastrian, Christian, ], ], ], ], and ] groups".<ref></ref> The majority of Iranian-Americans are ethnic ] (Persian-American), with the sizeable minorities being ], ], ], ], and others.<ref></ref>

⚫ ==History==
⚫ Iranian immigration to the United States has been continuous since the 1980s. Between 1980 and 1990, the number of foreign born from Iran in the United States increased by 74 percent.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.migrationinformation.org/USFocus/display.cfm?ID=404 |title=Migration Information Source - Spotlight on the Iranian Foreign Born |publisher=Migrationinformation.org |date= |accessdate=2010-02-15}}</ref> Today, the United States contains the highest number of ] outside of Iran. The Iranian-American community has produced significant numbers of ], including ], ], and ]. The community chiefly expanded in the early 1980s, following the ] and its abolition of the Iranian monarchy.

⚫ Iranians of all religious backgrounds in the United States have comparatively a mix of liberal and conservative and nationalist political opinions and lifestyles. Iranian-Americans thus are secular or, if not, tend to practice moderate, less traditional religious forms, but strong cultural forms.

⚫ Besides the ethnic ] who form the majority of Iranians in the United States, there is a large christian ] minority. Other minority group among the Iranians resident in the United States are the Jewish Iranians.
Prior to the ] in Iran and the cut off of diplomatic relations between the two countries, America and ] were very popular among Iranians, and this popularity was a major force in drawing numerous Iranian students to the ]. During the 1977-1978 academic year, of about 100,000 Iranian students abroad, 36,220 were enrolled in American institutions of higher learning (the rest studied chiefly in the ], ], ], ], or ]). During the 1978-1979 academic year, on the eve of the Iranian revolution, the number of Iranian students enrolled in American institutions rose to 45,340, and in 1979-1980 the number reached a peak of 51,310: at that time, more students from Iran were enrolled in American universities than from any other foreign country. Out of a total of 263,938 foreign student enrollment in the United States in the 1978-1979 academic year, 17% were from Iran (the number of students in American institutions from oil-exporting countries were unusually high in the 1970s, yet second-place Nigeria sent only 16,340 students, or 6% of the total foreign enrollment). The expansion of Iranian economy and the resultant higher revenues were the cause of wise investments in students' education abroad, either directly by the Imperial government's financial aid services and/or indirectly by the students' families. This investment paid off and resulted in an excellent cohort of Western-educated professionals. Due to Iran's ever increasing demand for high-level manpower in the years prior to 1979, the majority of students were returning home after graduation to work including those who had received financial aid in exchange to serve the government or industry upon graduation. After the revolution, some returned to ] to serve the country, but were gradually purged from the newly established ]. Some of the students who graduated abroad after the revolution also did not return due to ruling clergy's repression. As the result, the educated elite who left Iran after the revolution and the new graduates in the United States who chose not to return home created a large pool of highly educated and skilled Iranian professionals in the ]. Today, over 1.5 million Iranians have chosen to leave Iran for other countries due to Islamic government's practices.<ref name="autogenerated2002">Torbat, Akbar E (Spring 2002). "The brain drain from Iran to the United States". Middle East Journal 56 (2): 272–295.</ref> Prior to the ] in Iran and the cut off of diplomatic relations between the two countries, America and ] were very popular among Iranians, and this popularity was a major force in drawing numerous Iranian students to the ]. During the 1977-1978 academic year, of about 100,000 Iranian students abroad, 36,220 were enrolled in American institutions of higher learning (the rest studied chiefly in the ], ], ], ], or ]). During the 1978-1979 academic year, on the eve of the Iranian revolution, the number of Iranian students enrolled in American institutions rose to 45,340, and in 1979-1980 the number reached a peak of 51,310: at that time, more students from Iran were enrolled in American universities than from any other foreign country. Out of a total of 263,938 foreign student enrollment in the United States in the 1978-1979 academic year, 17% were from Iran (the number of students in American institutions from oil-exporting countries were unusually high in the 1970s, yet second-place Nigeria sent only 16,340 students, or 6% of the total foreign enrollment). The expansion of Iranian economy and the resultant higher revenues were the cause of wise investments in students' education abroad, either directly by the Imperial government's financial aid services and/or indirectly by the students' families. This investment paid off and resulted in an excellent cohort of Western-educated professionals. Due to Iran's ever increasing demand for high-level manpower in the years prior to 1979, the majority of students were returning home after graduation to work including those who had received financial aid in exchange to serve the government or industry upon graduation. After the revolution, some returned to ] to serve the country, but were gradually purged from the newly established ]. Some of the students who graduated abroad after the revolution also did not return due to ruling clergy's repression. As the result, the educated elite who left Iran after the revolution and the new graduates in the United States who chose not to return home created a large pool of highly educated and skilled Iranian professionals in the ]. Today, over 1.5 million Iranians have chosen to leave Iran for other countries due to Islamic government's practices.<ref name="autogenerated2002">Torbat, Akbar E (Spring 2002). "The brain drain from Iran to the United States". Middle East Journal 56 (2): 272–295.</ref>


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According to extrapolated U.S. Census data and other independent surveys done by Iranian-Americans themselves in 2009, there are an estimated 1–1.5 million Iranian-Americans living in the U.S.,<ref name="autogenerated1"/> with the largest concentration—about 720,000 people—living around Los Angeles.<ref name="autogenerated1"/><ref name=WJ>'']'', </ref> For this reason, the L.A. area with its Iranian American residents is sometimes referred to as "]" or "Irangeles" among Iranian-Americans.<ref>{{cite news|title=Iranians at odds over talks with 'the Great Satan'|publisher=]|date=04-06-2006|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/06/04/wiran04.xml | location=London | accessdate=2010-05-05}}</ref> An ] report recently put the Iranian population of ] as high as 20% of the total population. Other large communities include New York; New Jersey; Washington, D.C.; and ], Texas.<ref name="autogenerated1"/> According to extrapolated U.S. Census data and other independent surveys done by Iranian-Americans themselves in 2009, there are an estimated 1–1.5 million Iranian-Americans living in the U.S.,<ref name="autogenerated1"/> with the largest concentration—about 720,000 people—living around Los Angeles.<ref name="autogenerated1"/><ref name=WJ>'']'', </ref> For this reason, the L.A. area with its Iranian American residents is sometimes referred to as "]" or "Irangeles" among Iranian-Americans.<ref>{{cite news|title=Iranians at odds over talks with 'the Great Satan'|publisher=]|date=04-06-2006|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/06/04/wiran04.xml | location=London | accessdate=2010-05-05}}</ref> An ] report recently put the Iranian population of ] as high as 20% of the total population. Other large communities include New York; New Jersey; Washington, D.C.; and ], Texas.<ref name="autogenerated1"/>
Iranian-American organizations, including the ], the ] and the ] have banded together to form the , focusing on educating the Iranian-American diaspora about the ]. Iranian-American organizations, including the ], the ] and the ] have banded together to form the , focusing on educating the Iranian-American diaspora about the ].


===Education=== ===Education===
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According to a study carried out by the ], ] in the United States own or control around $880 billion.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1239439901918627893&q=abbas+milani&pl=true |title=2-4. Dr. Abbas Milani, a lecture about Modernity in Iran |publisher=Video.google.com |date=2005-11-26 |accessdate=2010-02-15}}</ref> According to a study carried out by the ], ] in the United States own or control around $880 billion.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1239439901918627893&q=abbas+milani&pl=true |title=2-4. Dr. Abbas Milani, a lecture about Modernity in Iran |publisher=Video.google.com |date=2005-11-26 |accessdate=2010-02-15}}</ref>


===Religion=== ===Religion and languages===
] ]
⚫ Iranians of all religious backgrounds in the United States have comparatively a mix of liberal and conservative and nationalist political opinions and lifestyles. Iranian-Americans thus are secular or, if not, tend to practice moderate, less traditional religious forms, but strong cultural forms.
⚫ According to one poll, two-fifths of Iranian Americans identify themselves as ]. The same poll found that a roughly equal percentage appear not to practice any particular religion at all. The poll found the remaining balance split among ], followers of ], ]s and ].<ref name="payvand1">{{cite web|url=http://www.payvand.com/news/08/dec/1117.html |title=Survey of Iranian Americans: 84% Support Establishing U.S. Interest Section in Iran |publisher=Payvand.com |date=2006-11-22 |accessdate=2010-02-15}}</ref> Calculating the percentage of Christian Iranian Americans is difficult because many Iranian Christians are of Armenian or Assyrian origin and self-identify as such rather than as Iranian.<ref>http://abs.sagepub.com/content/50/1/100.abstract</ref>
⚫ Besides the ethnic ] who form the majority of Iranians in the United States, there is a large christian ] minority. Other minority group among the Iranians resident in the United States are the Jewish Iranians.

⚫ According to one sources, Iranian-Americans are ] (7%), ] (9%), ] and "other" (31%), ] (6%), ] (42%) and ] (5%).<ref>http://www.payvand.com/news/08/dec/1117.html</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.migrationinformation.org/USfocus/display.cfm?id=404 |title=Spotlight on the Iranian Foreign Born |author=Hakimzadeh, Shirin |coauthors=Dixon, David |year=2006 |month=June |work=US in Focus |publisher=Migration Information Source |quote=The Iranian foreign born are a relatively new population whose migration to the United States was concentrated around the years of the Islamic Revolution (1978-1979). }}</ref><ref></ref> "There are religious and ] differences among the Muslim, Jewish, Baha'i, Zoroastrian, Christian, ], ], ], ], and ] groups".<ref></ref> The majority of Iranian-Americans are ethnic ], with sizeable ethnic minorities being ], ], ], ], and others.<ref></ref>


⚫ According to one poll, two-fifths of Iranian Americans identify themselves as ]. The same poll found that a roughly equal percentage appear not to practice any particular religion at all. The poll found the remaining balance split among ], followers of ], ]s and ].<ref name="payvand1"/> Calculating the percentage of Christian Iranian Americans is difficult because many Iranian Christians are of Armenian or Assyrian origin and self-identify as such rather than as Iranian.<ref>http://abs.sagepub.com/content/50/1/100.abstract</ref>. Another source mentions that the vast majority of Iranian Americans of ] Muslim background<ref>Mark Zenger,"The American Ethnic Cook Book for Students","Persian+americans"&hl=en&ei=pER5TszuFML40gHho_WuAg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CDAQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=falsePersian-Americans Excerpt pp-212-214: (Iranians) Most of the million Iranian-Americans have come to the United States since the 1979 revolution that overthrew the Shah and established an Islamic Republic in Iran...the vast majority as in Iran are Shi'ite Muslims"</ref>.


===Citizenship=== ===Citizenship===
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*] *]
*] *]
*]
*] *]
*] *]
*] *]

{{Iranian diaspora}} {{Iranian diaspora}}


Revision as of 00:37, 24 September 2011

Ethnic group
Iranian American
Anousheh AnsariAndre Agassi
Pierre OmidyarChristiane Amanpour
Maz JobraniCatherine Bell
Lofti ZadehShohreh Aghdashloo
Goli AmeriAdrian Pasdar
Omid KordestaniHushang AnsaryAnousheh Ansari • Andre Agassi
Pierre Omidyar • Christiane Amanpour
Maz Jobrani • Catherine Bell
Lotfi Zadeh • Shohreh Aghdashloo
Goli Ameri • Adrian Pasdar •
Omid Kordestani • Hushang Ansary
Regions with significant populations
California, New York, Texas, Maryland, Virginia, Washington DC.
Languages
American English, Persian
minority languages:
Assyrian, Armenian, Gilaki, Hebrew, Talysh
Religion
Predominant Religious Groups: Irreligious, Muslim
Other Religious Groups: Judaism, Christianity, Zoroastrianism, Bahá'í Faith
Related ethnic groups
Armenian American · Turkish American · Arab American ·

Iranian-Americans are Americans of Iranian ancestry or people possessing Iranian and American dual citizenship.

Iranian-Americans are amongst the most highly educated groups in the United States. Iranian-Americans have historically excelled in business, academia, the sciences, arts and entertainment - but have traditionally shied away from participating in American politics or other civic activities.

Although Iranians have lived in the United States in relatively small numbers since the 1930s, a large number of Iranian-Americans are immigrants to the United States after the Iranian Revolution of 1979. The census 2000 undercounted the numbers of many ethnic groups and minorities, including the Iranian-Americans. The U.S. Government and other sources estimate that the numbers of Iranian-Americans are close to 2 million.

History

Iranian immigration to the United States has been continuous since the 1980s. Between 1980 and 1990, the number of foreign born from Iran in the United States increased by 74 percent. Today, the United States contains the highest number of Iranians outside of Iran. The Iranian-American community has produced significant numbers of individuals notable in many fields, including medicine, engineering, and business. The community chiefly expanded in the early 1980s, following the Iranian Revolution and its abolition of the Iranian monarchy.

Terminology

Iranian American is used interchangeably as Persian-Americans, partially due to the fact that Iran was called Persia officially prior to 1935; as well as the fact that Iran and Persia continue to be used used interchangeably since classic times. Many Iranians due to political reasons also identify themselves as Persian Americans due to negative portrayl of Iran in the media. As an ethno-linguistic term, the majority of Iranian Americans are of Persian-speaking backgrounds/Persian ethnicity and Muslims, but there are also minority non-Persian languages/groups of Iran and practicioners of other religions within the Iranian American community (see below under demographics).

pre and post revolution migration

Prior to the Islamic revolution in Iran and the cut off of diplomatic relations between the two countries, America and American universities were very popular among Iranians, and this popularity was a major force in drawing numerous Iranian students to the United States. During the 1977-1978 academic year, of about 100,000 Iranian students abroad, 36,220 were enrolled in American institutions of higher learning (the rest studied chiefly in the United Kingdom, West Germany, France, Austria, or Italy). During the 1978-1979 academic year, on the eve of the Iranian revolution, the number of Iranian students enrolled in American institutions rose to 45,340, and in 1979-1980 the number reached a peak of 51,310: at that time, more students from Iran were enrolled in American universities than from any other foreign country. Out of a total of 263,938 foreign student enrollment in the United States in the 1978-1979 academic year, 17% were from Iran (the number of students in American institutions from oil-exporting countries were unusually high in the 1970s, yet second-place Nigeria sent only 16,340 students, or 6% of the total foreign enrollment). The expansion of Iranian economy and the resultant higher revenues were the cause of wise investments in students' education abroad, either directly by the Imperial government's financial aid services and/or indirectly by the students' families. This investment paid off and resulted in an excellent cohort of Western-educated professionals. Due to Iran's ever increasing demand for high-level manpower in the years prior to 1979, the majority of students were returning home after graduation to work including those who had received financial aid in exchange to serve the government or industry upon graduation. After the revolution, some returned to Iran to serve the country, but were gradually purged from the newly established Islamic Republic. Some of the students who graduated abroad after the revolution also did not return due to ruling clergy's repression. As the result, the educated elite who left Iran after the revolution and the new graduates in the United States who chose not to return home created a large pool of highly educated and skilled Iranian professionals in the United States. Today, over 1.5 million Iranians have chosen to leave Iran for other countries due to Islamic government's practices.


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Physicians

The earliest Iranian professionals in the U.S. before the 1979 revolution were the physicians. They were mostly young temporary trainees who worked as medical interns or residents. Some established themselves to continue practice beyond the residency stage. Their motives to extend their stay in the United States were more geared towards professional reasons than economics. In 1978, the total number of Iranian physicians in the U.S. had grown to 2,306. Later, those who migrated to the U.S. after the 1979 revolution were mostly experienced physicians who came with their families and intent to stay permanently. At the present time, there are about 5,000 Iranian physicians working in the United States who have either their own practices or work in various medical institutions. Based on a count in 2001, out of the 5000 physicians about 80 percent had obtained their primary medical degree in Iran and have gone through advanced training in the United States. Additionally, there are around 3,000 of new generation Iranian American physicians who have received their entire training in various fields in the United States. This increases the total number of Iranian medical doctors in the United States to around 8,000.

Professors

Another major group of highly trained Iranian professionals in the U.S. are university professors. Based on a report that was published by the National Science Foundation in 1998, 1,369 Iranian born professors were teaching engineering and science on a full-time basis in the U.S. The total number of Iranian professors in the U.S. is substantially higher if the Iranians who teach in other fields and part-time lecturers are added in. In 2001, it was estimated that the total number of Iranian professors who teach and research in higher education institutions in the United States was around 4,000.

Demography

See also: Demography of the United States and Demography of Iran

U.S. Census

Iranian Americans are far more numerous in the United States than census data indicate, according to research done by the Iranian Studies Group, an independent academic organization, at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The group estimates that the number of Iranian Americans may have topped 691,000 in 2004—more than twice the figure of 338,000 cited in the 2000 U.S. census.

According to extrapolated U.S. Census data and other independent surveys done by Iranian-Americans themselves in 2009, there are an estimated 1–1.5 million Iranian-Americans living in the U.S., with the largest concentration—about 720,000 people—living around Los Angeles. For this reason, the L.A. area with its Iranian American residents is sometimes referred to as "Tehrangeles" or "Irangeles" among Iranian-Americans. An NPR report recently put the Iranian population of Beverly Hills as high as 20% of the total population. Other large communities include New York; New Jersey; Washington, D.C.; and Dallas, Texas. Iranian-American organizations, including the Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans, the Iranian American Bar Association and the Iranian Alliances Across Borders have banded together to form the 2010 Census Coalition, focusing on educating the Iranian-American diaspora about the 2010 Census.

Education

According to Census 2000, 50.9 percent of Iranian immigrants have attained a bachelor's degree or higher, compared to 28.0 percent national average. According to the latest census data available, more than one in four Iranian-Americans holds a master's or doctoral degree, the highest rate among 67 ethnic groups studied.

Occupation and income

The Small Business Administration (SBA) recently conducted a study that found Iranian immigrants among the top 20 immigrant groups with the highest rate of business ownership, contributing substantially to the U.S. economy. According to the report, there are 33,570 active and contributing Iranian American business owners in the U.S., with a 21.5% business ownership rate. The study also found that the total net business income generated by Iranian Americans is $2,559,450,000. Almost one in three Iranian American households have annual incomes of more than $100K (compared to one in five for the overall U.S. population).

According to a study carried out by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Iranian scientists and engineers in the United States own or control around $880 billion.

Religion and languages

File:IAmericanreligions.png
Religions of Iranian-Americans

Iranians of all religious backgrounds in the United States have comparatively a mix of liberal and conservative and nationalist political opinions and lifestyles. Iranian-Americans thus are secular or, if not, tend to practice moderate, less traditional religious forms, but strong cultural forms. Besides the ethnic Persians who form the majority of Iranians in the United States, there is a large christian Iranian-Armenian minority. Other minority group among the Iranians resident in the United States are the Jewish Iranians.

According to one sources, Iranian-Americans are Baha'i (7%), Christian (9%), irreligious and "other" (31%), Jewish (6%), Muslim (42%) and Zoroastrian (5%). "There are religious and ethnolinguistic differences among the Muslim, Jewish, Baha'i, Zoroastrian, Christian, Turkish, Armenian, Azerbaijani, Kurdish, and Assyrian groups". The majority of Iranian-Americans are ethnic Persian, with sizeable ethnic minorities being Iranian Azerbaijanis, Iranian Jews, Armenian-Iranians, Iranian Kurds, and others.


According to one poll, two-fifths of Iranian Americans identify themselves as Muslims. The same poll found that a roughly equal percentage appear not to practice any particular religion at all. The poll found the remaining balance split among Christians, followers of Judaism, Baha'is and Zoroastrians. Calculating the percentage of Christian Iranian Americans is difficult because many Iranian Christians are of Armenian or Assyrian origin and self-identify as such rather than as Iranian.. Another source mentions that the vast majority of Iranian Americans of Shi'ite Muslim background.

Citizenship

Nearly all Iranian-Americans are either citizens (81%) or permanent residents (15%) of the United States (2008 survey).

Politics

See also: Iran-US relations

Though Iranian-Americans have historically excelled in business, academia and the sciences, they have traditionally shied away from participating in American politics or other civic activities.

An August 2008 Zogby International poll, commissioned by the Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans, found that approximately one half of Iranian Americans identified themselves as registered Democrats, in contrast to one in eight as Republicans and one in four as independents (2008).

The same poll indicates that more than half of Iranian Americans cite domestic U.S. issues, including issues that are not unique to Iranian Americans, as the most important to them. In contrast, one quarter of Iranian Americans cite foreign policy issues involving U.S.-Iran relations and less than one in ten cite the internal affairs of Iran as being of greatest importance to them.

From 1980 to 2004, more than one out of every four Iranian immigrants was a refugee or asylee. The PAAIA/Zogby poll also cites that almost three-quarters of Iranian Americans believe the promotion of human rights and democracy in Iran is the most important issue relating to U.S.-Iran relations. About the same percentage, however, believe diplomacy is the foreign policy approach towards Iran that would be in the best interest of the United States. 84% support establishing U.S. Interest Section in Iran and a majority supports political reform. Nearly all Iranian Americans surveyed oppose any U.S. military attack against Iran.

Ties to Iran

See also: Communications in Iran

According to a survey conducted in 2009, more than six in ten Iranian Americans have immediate family members in Iran, and almost three in ten communicate with their families or friends in Iran at least several times a week. An additional four in ten communicate with their families or friends in Iran at least several times a month. This study indicates an unusually close relationship between Iranian Americans and Iranians.

Discrimination

See also: Anti-Iranian sentiments

According to the Public Affairs of Alliance of Iranian Americans (PAAIA), nearly half of Iranian-Americans surveyed in 2008 by Zogby International have experienced or personally know Iranian Americans who have experienced discrimination due to their ethnicity or country of origin. The most common types of discrimination reported are airport security check, social discrimination, racial profiling, employment or business discrimination and discrimination at the hands of immigration officials.

Notable individuals

Main article: List of Iranian Americans

Business/technology: Iranian-Americans are among the most educated and successful communities in the U.S., according to a report by Iranian Studies group at MIT, 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, Google, and AT&T.

Pierre Omidyar, founder/CEO of eBay is of Iranian origin, as well as the founder of Bratz, Isaac Larian. In September 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. Other well known Iranian-American entrepreneurs include designer Bijan Pakzad, entrepreneur Sam Nazarian, Omid Kordestani of Google (named as a titan in the Time 100), CEO of YouTube Salar Kamangar and Sina Tamaddon of Apple Inc.

Philanthropy: Many Iranian Americans are active philanthropists and leaders in improving their community. In 2006, the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center was the recipient of a 10 million dollar donation from an Iranian American couple based in Houston, Texas. The University of Southern California was also the recipient of a 17 million dollar gift from an Iranian-American, as was San Francisco State University which also received a 10 million dollar gift from an Iranian-American couple., and Chicago's Swedish Covenant Hospital ($4 million), Portland State University ($8 million), and UC Irvine ($30 million), among others.

Science/academia: Well-known Iranian Americans in science include Shahriar Afshar originator of the Afshar experiment, Firouz Naderi director at NASA, Ali Javan inventor of the first gas laser, Lotfi Asker Zadeh, Cumrun Vafa, and Rashid Massumi, M.D., a pioneer in the fields of electrophysiology and cardiology, among others.

Media/entertainment: Well-known media personalities of Americans of Iranian descent include Christiane Amanpour, Asieh Namdar, Roya Hakakian, and Rudi Bakhtiar. There are several Iranian American actors, comedians and film crew, including the Academy-Award nominee and Emmy Award winner Shohreh Aghdashloo, actresses Catherine Bell, Sarah Shahi, and Bahar Soomekh, comedian Maz Jobrani, actor Adrian Pasdar, producer Bob Yari, Farhad Safinia, author and performer Shahram Shiva, and Daryush Shokof.

Sports: Professional tennis player Andre Agassi, TNA wrestler Shawn Daivari, professional Mixed Martial Artist Amir Sadollah, and professional soccer players Sobhan Tadjalli, Alecko Eskandarian and Steven Beitashour.

Politics: The son of the late Shah of Iran, Reza Pahlavi, lives in the United States, as well as several high-ranking officials in the Shah's administration such as Hushang Ansary and Jamshid Amouzegar. Goli Ameri is the Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, as well as the former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs from 2008-2009, during which she was the highest-ranking Iranian-American public official in the United States. Beverly Hills elected its first Iranian-born Mayor, Jamshid Delshad, in 2007.

See also

Iran Iranian diaspora
Asia
East
South
Southeast
West
Europe
North America
Oceania
South America
See also


References

  1. http://www.niacouncil.org/docs/irancensus.pdf
  2. ^ "Survey of Iranian Americans: 84% Support Establishing U.S. Interest Section in Iran". Payvand.com. 2006-11-22. Retrieved 2010-02-15.
  3. http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/DTTable?_bm=y&-ds_name=ACS_2009_1YR_G00_&-mt_name=ACS_2009_1YR_G2000_B04003&-CONTEXT=dt&-redoLog=true&-currentselections=ACS_2007_1YR_G2000_B04001&-geo_id=01000US&-format=&-_lang=en
  4. "The Nation Magazine, July 9, 2007
  5. ^ "Migration Information Source - Spotlight on the Iranian Foreign Born". Migrationinformation.org. Retrieved 2010-02-15.
  6. ^ "Iranian-Americans Reported Among Most Highly Educated in U.S". Payvand.com. 2006-11-24. Retrieved 2010-02-15.
  7. ^ By Azadeh Ansari CNN (2009-06-16). "Iranian-Americans cast ballots on Iran's future". CNN.com. Retrieved 2010-02-15. {{cite news}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  8. IraniansCount.org
  9. U.S. State Department
  11. Nobel-prize winner Shirin Ebadi
  12. Douglas McGill
  13. Alliance of Iranian Americans
  14. Iranian Trade Group
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  16. ^ Maryam Daha, Contextual Factors Contributing to Ethnic Identity Development of Second-Generation Iranian American Adolescents, Journal of Adolescent Research September 2011 vol. 26 no. 5 543-569: "the majority of the participants self-identified themselves as Persian instead of Iranian, due to the stereotypes and negative portrayals of Iranians in the media and politics. Adolescents from Jewish and Baha’i faiths asserted their religious identity more than their ethnic identity."
  17. Raymond M. Nakamura,"Iranian/Persian Americans The flow of Iranian citizens into the United States began in 1979, during and after the Islamic Revolution."Raymond M. Nakamura -"Health in America: A multicutral perspective" , Kendal Hub 2003. ["Persian+Americans"&dq=iranian+americans+"Persian+Americans"&hl=en&ei=P0V5Tp_WN6rz0gG5tPi1Ag&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CD8Q6AEwAg
  18. Mark Zenger,"The American Ethnic Cook Book for Students","Persian+americans"&hl=en&ei=pER5TszuFML40gHho_WuAg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CDAQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=falsePersian-Americans Excerpt pp-212-214: (Iranians) Most of the million Iranian-Americans have come to the United States since the 1979 revolution that overthrew the Shah and established an Islamic Republic in Iran."
  19. Racial and Ethnic Relations in America, Carl Leon Bankston,"Therefore, Turkish and Iranian (Persian) Americans, who are Muslims but not ethnically Arabs, are often mistakenly ..",Salem Press, 2000
  20. Fereshteh Haeri Darya, "Second-generation Iranian-Americans: The relationship between ethnic identity, acculturation, and psychological well-being" Capella University, ProQuest, 2007 pp 3-4: "According to previous studies, the prescence of heterogeneity is evident among Iranian immigrants (also known as Persians -- Iran was known as Persia until 1935) who came from myriads of religious (Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Armenian, Assyrian, Baha'i and Zoroastrian), ethnic (Turk, Kurds, Baluchs, Lurs, Turkamans, Arabs, as well as tribes such as Ghasghaie, and Bakhtiari), linguistic/dialogic background (Persian, Azari, Gialki, Mazandarani, Kurdish, Arabic , and others). Cultural, religious and political, and various other differences among Iranians reflect their diverse social and interpersonal interactions. Some studies suggest that, despite the existence of subgroup within Iranian immigrants (e.g. various ethno-religious groups), their nationality as Iranians has been an important point of reference and identifiable source of their identification as a group accross time and setting."
  22. Torbat, Akbar E (Spring 2002). "The brain drain from Iran to the United States". Middle East Journal 56 (2): 272–295.
  23. The Wall Street Journal, Iran's Political Crisis Fuels Expatriates' Fears, Hopes
  24. "Iranians at odds over talks with 'the Great Satan'". London: The Sunday Telegraph. 04-06-2006. Retrieved 2010-05-05. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  25. "SBA Report: Iranian-Americans with one of highest rates of immigrant-owned businesses". Payvand.com. 2006-11-22. Retrieved 2010-02-15.
  26. http://paaia.org/galleries/new-gallery/Survey_of_Iranian_Americans_Final_Report_Dec_10%202008.pdf
  27. "2-4. Dr. Abbas Milani, a lecture about Modernity in Iran". Video.google.com. 2005-11-26. Retrieved 2010-02-15.
  28. http://www.payvand.com/news/08/dec/1117.html
  29. Hakimzadeh, Shirin (2006). "Spotlight on the Iranian Foreign Born". US in Focus. Migration Information Source. The Iranian foreign born are a relatively new population whose migration to the United States was concentrated around the years of the Islamic Revolution (1978-1979). {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  30. Zogby International for Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans (PAAIA) Survey of Iranian Americans, December 10-20, 2008
  31. Nilou Mostofi, Who We Are: The Perplexity of Iranian-American Identity, The Sociological Quarterly (published by: Blackwell Publishing on behalf of the Midwest Sociological Society), Vol. 44, No. 4 (Autumn, 2003), pp. 681-703, p. 685
  32. Iranian Studies Group at MIT, Iranian-American Community Survey Results, 2005
  33. http://abs.sagepub.com/content/50/1/100.abstract
  34. Mark Zenger,"The American Ethnic Cook Book for Students","Persian+americans"&hl=en&ei=pER5TszuFML40gHho_WuAg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CDAQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=falsePersian-Americans Excerpt pp-212-214: (Iranians) Most of the million Iranian-Americans have come to the United States since the 1979 revolution that overthrew the Shah and established an Islamic Republic in Iran...the vast majority as in Iran are Shi'ite Muslims"
  35. ^ "PAAIA Releases 2009 National Survey of Iranian Americans". Payvand.com. Retrieved 2010-02-15.
  36. "Iranian Studies Group at MIT". Isg-mit.org. Retrieved 2010-02-15.
  37. Profile of an Iranian-American philanthropist: Ali Saberioon
  38. Title_ - M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
  39. Alum Gives $17M to USC Viterbi Dept
  40. SF State News
  41. Iranian.com | Archive Pages
  42. Portland State Maseeh College of Engineering & Computer Science | Visionary Alumnus
  43. University of California, Irvine | The Paul Merage School of Business
  44. Iranian.com | Archive Pages
  45. NPR: Living in Tehrangeles: L.A.'s Iranian Community
  46. Kasindorf, Martin (2007-03-14). "Beverly Hills will have first Iranian-born mayor in USA". USA Today. Retrieved 2010-05-05.

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