The Iranian Diaspora’s New Political Awakening
There is change afoot in Iranian communities all across the globe. The Iranian Diaspora is coming of age politically, and nothing has helped propel this change more than the disputed presidential elections of June 2009 and the young Iranians who led the post-election unrest. Whereas once the Diaspora communities were psychologically fractured and plagued with […]
NJ Voter Registration Fiasco
Zary Mojtabai and her sister were both denied their vote in their preferred New Jersey Primary earlier this year. When they showed up at the polling station they were informed that they were tagged as Republicans, even though they had not officially affiliated themselves with either political party. Consequently, they were ineligible to vote in […]
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 […]
Led by Youth, Future of Iranian-American Participation Grows Brighter
Iranian American participation in civic life is growing, and it is the younger generations that are leading this effort. As some of the other NIAC interns observed last week, Iranian Americans have often distanced themselves from politics in socially vibrant but politically dormant communities. From expert Iranian scholars to average Iranian American citizens, many label […]
Speak Out and Make a Difference
This week, as part of the Campaign for New American Policy on Iran’s “National Call-In Day,” over 6,000 calls came in from all over the country to members of Congress to advocate direct diplomacy with Iran. As feedback comes in from NIAC members and Iranian Americans throughout the country, it is clear our Congressional representatives […]
“Time to Talk to Iran” event and press conference – 06/10
I attended my first event on behalf of NIAC the other day. It was set-up by the Campaign for a New American Policy on Iran (CNAPI) and the Enough Fear Campaign and was entitled “Time to Talk to Iran.” By setting up a line of attention-grabbing red 1960’s style “hotline” telephones the organizers were able […]
First Day at NIAC
It is my first day interning at NIAC and I am very excited to be here. I am from Scotland and attend St Andrews University but I have been in America since last August on my junior year abroad. Studying in the U.S. has been a fantastic experience and one that has opened many doors […]
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 […]
The Iranian American vote
I have often been asked, “There are so many Iranian Americans in California, how come the Presidential candidates are not asking for our votes?” This is a good place to start our discussions about the Iranian-American voter and our potential impact on electoral politics. There are so many factors that help determine the relative impact […]