Iranian Americans play active role in 2008 election
America.gov, a US State Department publication for international audiences, published this report on the unprecedented level of Iranian-American involvement in the current election, including interviews with NIAC, PAAIA, IABA, and others. From America.gov’s Beverly O’Neal: Los Angeles — Iranian Americans are well-integrated into their communities and are eager to have their voices heard in the 2008 […]
Iranian-American Artists Urge You to Vote November 4!
[vodpod id=Groupvideo.1692763&w=425&h=350&fv=videoId%3D1866656866%26playerId%3D1745100234%26viewerSecureGatewayURL%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fconsole.brightcove.com%2Fservices%2Famfgateway%26servicesURL%3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fservices.brightcove.com%2Fservices%26cdnURL%3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fadmin.brightcove.com%26domain%3Dembed%26autoStart%3Dfalse%26] Remember: Election Day is November 4! Click here to find your polling location.
After Postponing Announcement, Bush to Open Interests Section After Election
According to David Ignatius of the Washington Post, the Bush administration is planning to announce the opening of a US diplomatic interests section in Iran following the November 4 election. Plans for the announcement had been postponed in August out of fears that it would unduly influence the Presidential election. The issue of foreign policy […]
Last-Minute Iran Sanctions Pass House
In a last-minute legislative maneuver, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Howard Berman (D-CA) introduced HR7112, the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2008 on Thursday and ushered its passage through the House late Friday evening.
Darius Shahinfar Loses Race to Represent NY-21 in Congress
Darius Shahinfar, the first generation American of Iranian descent who ran in the Democratic primary in the NY-21 Congressional race, lost last night. New York voters in the district, which includes parts of Albany, Schenectady, Troy, and Johnstown, voted for Paul Tonko with 39% of the vote. The low turnout election brought out over 38,000 […]
NIAC covers the Democratic and Republican conventions for the Iranian-American community!
NIAC Legislative Director Emily Blout and West Coast Director Sara Shokravi will cover the Democratic National Convention in Denver for the Iranian-American community. From Denver, they will report on the week’s events and meet with NIAC members, local and national organizations and elected officials. Throughout the proceedings, NIAC will present an Iranian-American perspective through daily […]
For all the cynics, contacting your representative WORKS!
In an interview published last Monday, US Congressman Henry A. Waxman (D-CA30), whose district boasts a very large number of Iranian Americans, stated that he’s getting “mixed messages” from our community on how to deal with the Iran situation, but recent polling has shown that on the whole there is very minimal support for military […]
Identity Politics and electing Iranian Americans
Last week, NIAC sent out a report on its mailing list about an Iranian-American candidate for US Congress. Darius Shahinfar declared his candidacy from New York’s 21st district and faces a competitive primary to be the Democratic nominee in an overwhelmingly Democratic district. In response to the article, I received several emails from our members […]
Voting in Special Elections
April 8th marks a phenomenal opportunity for Iranian Americans to affect policy through the ballot-box. In light of the recent passing of Tom Lantos (D-CA), the 12th Congressional District in Northern California will hold a special election to determine his replacement. Special elections are held when a Congressional seat is vacated in the middle of […]
Two Coasts One Voice
Over the last few weeks, I have been tasked with looking into ways to spread the word about NIAC’s electoral education outreach in the Persian-language media. During this experience, I was both astounded and impressed by the sheer volume of Iranian media outlets (both print and broadcast) based in the United States. It was very […]
Election 2008: The Importance of Involvement
Over the past few weeks I have been working feverishly gathering information and resources concerning the upcoming elections (both Presidential and Congressional). I remain amazed at the wealth of electoral knowledge and information that is easily available to everyone. No doubt many of the people who are reading this blog have already received NIAC reminders […]
Lantos has left the building: Sort of
Last week, Representative Tom Lantos [D-CA-12] announced his intention to step down in January 2009 due to pancreatic cancer. Lantos is chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and second in seniority on the Oversight Committee. His departure creates a critical opening in the democratic leadership and the potential to steer a new course in […]