Negar Salehi, MD, is an interventional cardiology fellow at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York. Originally from Iran, she attended medical school and trained in cardiology and interventional cardiology at Shahid Beheshti and Iran University of Medical Sciences, both in Tehran, before coming to the US to repeat her training with the goal of furthering her career. -tctMD 12/17/21

The Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans (PAAIA), a nonpartisan organization serving the interests of the Iranian American community, proudly announces its Civic Leadership Program, a significant new initiative which invests in youth leadership programs with the goal of creating a more engaged and empowered Iranian American community. -PAAIA 12/15/21

Emad Shargi's daughter says her dad has always been stoic during his ordeal as an American citizen unjustly held in an Iranian prison. But recently, she heard something different. "Whenever I tell him, 'Oh, I wish you were here, I wish we could do this together, like when I cook something and I wish he could taste it, he always says, 'Whatever will happen will happen, everything will be fine ... don't worry about me'," Ariana Shargi said. -CNN 12/10/21

Farhang Foundation is proud to present the 9th Annual "Virtual" Celebration of SHAB-E YALDA. Join us as we welcome the arrival of the winter solstice, an ancient Persian tradition dating back thousands of years. The evening program will feature Ferdowsi's Shahnameh storytelling by the world's first female Iranian epic storyteller GORDAFARID. -Farhang 12/9/21

During a talk for the Chicago Public Library in late 2020, Hoda Katebi told her audience that the fashion industry is one of the biggest contributors to pollution on Earth, second only to the U.S. Military. The Iranian-American writer, community organizer, and educator is setting the scene for what led her, someone with no background in fashion, to start a clothing manufacturing co-op in Chicago. -Teen Vogue 12/9/21

This week's Jefferson Award Winner is a Peninsula woman helping to make a difference in the battle against extreme poverty in the Bay Area and around the globe. Real estate asset manager Delfarib Fanaie gets ready for her volunteers to pack hundreds of holiday food boxes for low-income families. -CBS, San Francisco 12/2/21

MATHEMATICIAN Lotfi Zadeh made numerous contributions to math, science, and education. With many of Zadeh's theories and findings utilized in many higher education settings, his legacy lives on. Iranian-American engineer Lotfi Zadeh was born Lotfi Aliaskerzadeh in the previously Soviet nation of Azerbaijan SSR. He was born on February 4 of 1921. Lotfi Zadeh passed away on September 6, 2017 at the age of 96. -The Sun 12/1/21

This exhibition features the work of identical twin Iranian artists Bahareh and Farzaneh Safarani in their first solo museum exhibition, opening on November 12, 2021. As interdisciplinary artists and collaborators, their creative practice exists at the intersection of visual art, new media art, and performance. -Morristown Green 11/24/21

Over the last five years, Mayukh Sen has been writing about figures on the margins of the American food world. His profiles act as counternarratives to a food canon long unconcerned with the accomplishment of non-white chefs. His new book, Taste Makers: Seven Immigrant Women Who Revolutionized Food in America continues this theme by resurfacing the stories of outsider food figures, some of whom were disappeared by a ruthless restaurant economy and an indifferent media. -Guardian 11/17/21

For one night only, the Guerillas of Boston present "FRACTURED" at the Museum of Science, a collection of two exhibition performances composed by Iranian women that focus on fractured experiences. "Distorted Attitudes III/ Scattered," written and composed by Anahita Abassi, is performed by baritone Brian Church and percussionist Mike Williams. The world premiere of "SALT: A woman at the edge" is composed by Bahar Royai with libretto, or text, by Deniz Khateri. -Boston Globe 11/17/21

Two locations of Persian-Mediterranean restaurant Yalda open next year in Sandy Springs and City of Atlanta. Yalda opens first at Aria Village off of Abernathy Road in Sandy Springs next spring, followed by the second restaurant in the summer at the Osprey complex on the corner of Howell Mill Road and 10th Street. -Atlanta Eater 11/17/21

The Moghadam Gallery has been displaying colourful Persian rugs since 1977. The gallery's founding father, Alexander Moghadam, soon to be 86 years old, but who could easily pass for ten years younger, is preparing to hand over the reins. Let's look back at the fabulous destiny of an outstanding trader, with an an inspiring passion for carpets. -Monaco Tribune 11/16/21

The exhibition "Discover Iranian Artists' Taste" at Eran Gallery is meant to introduce Montreal audiences to the rich range of Iran's artistic output, to through the work of 11 artists. A wide span of Iranian Modern and contemporary art is on view-from the artist Nasser Ovissi's decorative depictions of women which are rooted in the traditions of Persian miniature painting, to Siamak Azmi's controversy-courting canvases, which recontextualize cartoons characters and pop culture mascots. -artnet 11/15/21

As an Iranian artist, Kiana Honarmand said her exhibit "Altar" is meant to acknowledge the Iranian and Middle Eastern communities at Penn State. The exhibit is on display at the HUB-Robeson Center at Penn State now through Jan. 30. It's located on the same floor as the HUB Galleries, across from the restroom area. -Daily Collegian 11/11/21

In his new book, Taste Makers, writer Mayukh Sen gives credit where credit is due. By profiling seven immigrant women chefs, he depicts their genuine struggles and contributions to what we know today as the American "melting pot." One of these women is Chef Najmieh Batmanglij, who has been cooking and writing Iranian recipes for 40 years, through exile in France during the Iranian Revolution and eventual emigration to America. We talked to Batmanglij and Sen about the book and the importance of food as a cultural connector. -Thrilist 11/10/21

The muscle wasting disease that has debilitated Sharif Tabebordbar's father motivated a life in science that led to an important medical discovery. When Sharif Tabebordbar was born in 1986, his father, Jafar, was 32 and already had symptoms of a muscle wasting disease. The mysterious illness would come to define Sharif's life. Jafar Tabebordbar could walk when he was in his 30s but stumbled and often lost his balance. Then he lost his ability to drive. When he was 50, he could use his hands. Now he has to support one hand with another. -Gina Kolata, New York Times 11/5/21

Today, the Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans (PAAIA), a nonpartisan organization serving the interests of the Iranian American community, congratulates Liliana Bakhtiari, Amir Farokhi, and Ramin Fatehi on a victorious Election Day! All three are supported by Iranian American Political Action Committee (IAPAC), the connected PAC of PAAIA. -PAAIA 11/4/21

Drifters, Rosha Yaghmai's new solo exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara (MCASB), divides rather than cuts the MCASB gallery space. The curved white wall of the installation that Yaghmai has designed partitions MCASB's main area in two, choreographing the act of crossing the square room into something out of Pina Bausch - an unscripted Cafe Muller. Titled "Afterimages," these works blur classic illustrations of the epic Persian poem Shahnameh. -Halim Madi, Santa Barbara Independent 11/4/21

Two U.S. congresswomen are demanding that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (USCBP) send a formal apology and release records in connection with the January 2020 detainment of Iranian Americans at the U.S.-Canada border. House Reps. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) and Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.) requested in their letter Tuesday an apology from USCBP and the renunciation of the hours-long detainment of the Iranian American travelers at the U.S.-Canada border. -The Hill 11/3/21

Mohammad and Sofiya Abdolrezagh opened Taste of Persia in 2019 amid South Grand Boulevard's stretch of multicultural eateries. The couple's journey began in two different countries that they left a decade apart, before they met in Russia, fell in love, married and eventually settled in St. Louis. Mohammad, a slender, energetic man of 64, fled Tehran for Vancouver in 1985, leaving behind a bloody war between Iran and Iraq. -Sauce Magazine 10/29/21

"If we don't want to be demonized, if we didn't want Trump to be blocking our family members, if we don't want... the politics having to deal with Iran to be... driven by narratives that don't involve Iranian-Americans, then we need to be in office," said Ramin Fatehi in a recent interview. Fatehi is the Democratic nominee in the election for Norfolk Commonwealth's Attorney. If elected, he will be the first Iranian-American in this role... -NIAC Action 10/27/21

Iran is a country with a complicated history and people that have been widely misunderstood and entangled in geopolitical turmoil. It is estimated that nearly 2 million immigrants left Iran in exile during the 1979 Islamic Revolution hoping for a better future. Over 500,000 of them have found refuge in L.A., where they are now part of the largest population of Iranians outside of Iran. -Leila Najafi, Conde Nast Traveler 10/25/21

Iran on Thursday awarded a prestigious prize in the study of science and technology to two physicists based in the United States. Harvard University physics professor Cumrun Vafa received The Mustafa Prize in the field of "All Areas of Science and Technology." Vafa is an Iranian-American. The award, he said, reminds him "that there is no border for science and technology and they belong to all human beings." -AP 10/22/21

It was a cool September afternoon on the patio at Caspian Bistro. Sheila Nezhad was placing her order to the owner when she told him: "I'm running for mayor, you know." They had known each other since Nezhad was a baby. She's the daughter of an Iranian immigrant father and an Anishinaabe-Scandinavian mother and would make the trip from their home in Fargo for authentic Persian ingredients. -JD Duggan, Sahan Journal 10/20/21

Duality is a main theme in the works of 26-year-old designer Kouros Maghsoudi. His Mehmooni collection that was released earlier this year, consisted of chairs, a coffee table, and a floor mirror, is playfully postmodern. The titles of each piece - Taarof, Doodool, and Behsheen are Farsi words that connect the bubbly furniture back to Kouros's Iranian-American heritage. -Office Magazine 10/19/21

This gorgeous book by Yasmine Mahdavi introduces readers (ages 12+) to fifteen incredible women with Roots in Iran. In their biographies, readers will find athletes and artists, scientists and activists, astronauts and authors whose struggles are universal. Yet they persevered. Roots in Iran celebrates the achievements of transformative pioneers whose vision of who they wanted to become will surprise and inspire readers of all ages. -PR.com 10/15/21

When I arrived at Sofreh Cafe on Varet Street, owner Nasim Alikhani was making small chickpea cardamom sweets while she compared recipes with an Iranian grandmother on the other side of the counter. The grandmother lamented the lack of chickpea flour back home in Utah. At a communal table in the center of the cafe, a couple played backgammon on an ornate board... -Bushwick Daily, New York 10/14/21

Heralding a dynamic era for Iranian Studies, the Encyclopaedia Iranica Foundation announced today an innovative multiyear partnership between the University of Toronto and the Encyclopaedia Iranica Foundation. This new alliance will be dedicated to sharing with the world exciting new research in two key fields - Iranian Women Poets and Iranian Cinema. 10/13/21

Sculptures made of soft tufts of brightly-colored wool make up the latest series from Iranian artist Salman Khoshroo, a rumination on his experience with a case of COVID and the associated quarantine. "Weaving inanimate fibers into faces has brought me comfort and helped with overcoming my own experience of contracting the virus," the artist explained to Ignant magazine earlier this year. -Amber Nelson, Yahoo News 10/12/21

Ala Ebtekar is well aware that some museumgoers will seek out his latest work, Luminous Ground, intent on snapping a selfie. After all, composed of 1,800 handmade tiles that capture the cosmos and line a 55-foot-long wall of the new rooftop terrace at the Asian Art Museum, the artwork makes for a striking backdrop. But the Berkeley-born artist is optimistic that when the installation opens to the public later this fall, visitors will come away with much more than social media fodder. -Anh-Minh Le, Nob Hill Gazette 10/7/21

In 1998, Nima Bahrami was just nine years old when his family decided to pack their bags and move to Vancouver from Tehran. Growing up, Bahrami was passionate about everything related to animals and the environment. Years later, his passion turned into a profession. Bahrami is now the founder and CEO of bettermoo(d), a brand that offers dairy-alternative products and recreates the taste that we enjoy in dairy products. -Vancouver Is Awesome 10/6/21

An Iranian-born research scientist alleges that a former University of Alabama at Birmingham co-worker harassed her for nine years because of her ethnicity and even threatened her with a pistol but that the school failed to stop the abuse even after she repeatedly complained. "Our country does not need your kind," Fariba Moeinpour says she was told. -Corky Siemaszko, NBC News 10/6/21

In December last year, one of Pune's biggest art spaces was launched in Koregaon Park - Vida Heydari Contemporary (VHC). It is a gigantic space sprawling across 3,000 square feet and looks like something of high international standard. Vida Heydari, the founder of this gallery is an Iranian-Canadian art curator and gallerist, who has been working in the art industry for almost 15 years. -Femina 10/4/21

My name is Sheila June Nezhad. I'm grateful to my parents for giving me an early start on a life of cross-cultural movement building. My parents chose my first and middle names "Sheila June" to be both Persian (my dad) and American (my Anishinaabe-Swedish-Norwegian mom). And my last name, Nezhad roughly translates to "the people." 9/30/21

The National Theatre Conference (NTC) has announced Sanaz Toossi as the winner of the Barrie and Bernice Stavis Playwright Award in recognition of her play Wish You Were Here, unanimously selected by NTC's Stavis committee. Besides the award, Toossi will be granted an honorarium of $2,000 during NTC's annual meeting in December 2021. -American Theatre 9/30/21

Mike Agassi, the father of tennis star, Andre Agassi passed away on Friday, September 24 in Las Vegas. He was 90. Emanuel Aghassian, an Iranian Armenian, was a boxer and competed for Iran in the 1948 and 1952 Olympic Games. -Asbarez 9/30/21

The councilmember believes that she will be able to provide a unique perspective to finding a way to create the equity the city and county are looking for. As a woman, and an Iranian immigrant, Kalantari-Johnson has the first-hand experience to look through the lens of more marginalized communities. -Santa Cruz Sentinel 9/27/21

When I was 12, a bespectacled boy with a shock of thick hair and his forearm in plaster gave me the first Harry Potter book. We were at that age when gifts need little occasion, and this marked the last day of our first year of secondary school. It was 1999, and the book was unknown to me. I was mildly embarrassed by its childish watercolour cover, but I dutifully packed it in my satchel when, two days later, my family flew to Iran for our six-week summer holiday. -Arianne Shahvisi, Guardian 9/23/21

Councilmember Sepi Shyne made history in November 2020 when she was elected to the West Hollywood City Council. She became the first out LGBTQ Iranian elected anywhere globally and locally became the first woman of color elected to West Hollywood's City Council. Her election also ushered in West Hollywood's first female-majority City Council. -Blunt Post 9/23/21

Sept. 12, 2001 was the first day of my politicization. You see, before that I had no reason to be afraid. I was born in Iran and came to the United States when I was about 4 years old. I had been diagnosed with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis in the early 90s after waking up one morning and simply not being able to walk or barely even move at all. My mama brought me here with $11, and it was by the grace of God, and the help of our family and friends that we had made it so far with so little. -Shadi Seyedyousef, Inkstick 9/22/21

When Shirin Keykhosrovi was growing up In Tehran, Iran, her parents would often take the family to visit different cities in the country. Her favorite part of those trips was seeing up close the cuisine and hospitality in Iran's different regions. After emigrating to the U.S. and becoming an Arizonan 20 years ago, Keykhosrovi began paying forward the early education she received to her own children by cooking traditional foods from various regions of Iran for them. -Bahar Anooshahr, New Times 9/22/21

As a former professional wrestler who made it on the Iranian national team, Vaisi brought enough perseverance and discipline to overcome all obstacles. Today, 10 years later, Vaisi has focused on his next goal: he wants to enter the Bundestag for the North Rhine-Westphalia branch of the socialist Left Party. If he succeeds, he would be the first former politically persecuted person to win a seat in Germany's federal parliament. -DW 9/21/21

Nairy Baghramian takes the creation and presentation of sculpture as her de facto subject yet makes works highlighting the poignant, contradictory, and sometimes humorous circumstances that can suffuse both the artistic process as well as everyday life. Over the past three decades, she has explored elements of sculptural practice and installation to create works that challenge their settings and upend expected modes of presentation as well as the architectural, sociological, political, and historical contexts that inform them. -Nasher 9/14/21

Nasim Moghadam's exhibition I Sprout on my Wound at Oakland's Aggregate Space Gallery (through October 23) is a haunting, immersive experience that brings together the interdisciplinary artist's sculptural, photographic, sound, and video practices in a single installation of new work. -Tamara Suarez Porras, 48hills 9/10/21

Aspiring professional clarinetist promotes peace and understanding through performing music from Iran, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan. Just recently, Paniz began working toward a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in clarinet performance at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas where she also works as a graduate assistant. -EIN News 9/9/21

Touraj Daryaee, director of UCI's Samuel M. Jordan Center for Persian Studies & Culture and Maseeh Chair in Persian Studies & Culture, has been elected to the European Academy of Sciences and Arts. "It is a great honor to be part of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts, which is due to the kindness of friends and colleagues in that continent," Daryaee said. -UCI 9/9/21

PAAIA congratulates our newest Akbar Ghahary Capitol Hill Internship Program (CHIP) interns, Hanna Ahmaripour and Daniel Khoshkepazi! The Capitol Hill Internship Program offers Iranian American students and recent graduates an opportunity to learn about the legislative process by interning with a Member of Congress. -PAAIA 9/8/21

Farhang Foundation is calling on graphic artists worldwide to submit original designs that conceptualize Nowruz (the Iranian New Year) commemorating Farhang's annual celebration of Nowruz in Los Angeles. Eligible designs will be considered as the central artwork featured on street banners and other marketing material that will proudly promote Farhang's 13th Annual Nowruz Celebration at UCLA throughout prominent boulevards of Los Angeles in February and March of 2022. 9/3/21

There are more than 100,000 Iranians in the greater Vancouver area, with most of them concentrated on the city's North Shore. This city, with its proximity to the mountains, sea and lush greenery, first become a magnet for Iranians during the 1980s. It reminded them of both the sought-after neighbourhood of Evin in North Tehran and the resort area near the Caspian Sea. -Hadani Ditmars, Geographical 9/3/21

Works by athlete and artist Mohammad Berangi were exhibited at the West Yorkshire Printing Workshop (WYPW). The works of this collection, like the previous works of this artist, show his interest in using Iranian stories and literature and combining them with various visual elements. -Honar Online 9/2/21

Iranian-American artist Amir H. Fallah has created his largest public installation to date. "Portals" is a series of three stained glass panels created for The Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health's new headquarters in Koreatown. Each work subtly divides the terrace of the site, by allowing visitors an intimate space to contemplate each work with the surrounding environment. -HypeArt 8/31/21

Mona Assemi has experienced a recent surge of interest in her brand thanks to many high-profile celebrities - including Beyoncé and Serena Williams - wearing her sculptural jewelry pieces. But she's been a fixture in the industry for the last 15 years. 8/27/21

Hasteem is an exhibition produced by the Collective for Black Iranians to raise awareness on the intersection of being Black, African/of African descent and Iranian. The Collective invites the global community to embark on a journey of understanding the different segments that make up who we are. The Collective affirms the interconnectedness between Blackness and the Iranian identity. 8/23/21

Myth, fantasy, and memory collide in Once Upon a Time, a group exhibition exploring the dialogue between contemporary artists of Iranian origin whose work is inspired by or acts as a reimagined form of memory or fairytale. The Persian equivalent of "Once upon a time" is "Yeki bood, yeki nabood," literally translating to "There was one and there was not one. 8/23/21

Aras Amiri, a British Council employee detained in Iran, has been acquitted by the country's supreme court, according to her lawyer. Hojjat Kermani told Emtedad News on Sunday that his client had been acquitted after a request for a retrial had rendered verdicts issued against her to be "illegal". -MEE 8/17/21

Forty-seven years later, Helen Sabzevari is CEO of Precigen, a biopharmaceutical company developing cutting edge treatments for a number of different diseases, including type 1 diabetes and certain forms of cancer. It's here that Sabzevari, 59, is bringing her lifetime of experience in cancer research to realize a vision of immunotherapies that are both more effective and easier to scale than what's on the market now. -Forbes 8/12/21

Iranian woman climber Mehri Jafari was killed at the Peak Pobeda in Kyrgyzstan. She was last seen on Wednesday, descending from an altitude of 6,000m. It is believed that another Iranian climber, Saeid Mirzaei, was ahead of Jafari on Peak Pobeda, though his status is not currently known. -Tehran Times 8/10/21

Members of Calgary's Iranian community held a festival on Saturday to raise funds to help underprivileged children in the Persian Gulf. The weekend event, held by the Persian Gulf Charity, featured a number of tents filled with all sorts of cultural items as well as works of art. -Calgary News 8/9/21

The Iranian American Political Action Committee (IAPAC), the connected PAC of the Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans (PAAIA), today proudly announces its endorsement of Liliana Bakhtiari for Atlanta City Council for the 5th District. If elected, Liliana would join Amir Farokhi as the second Iranian American elected to the Atlanta City Council. -PAAIA 8/6/21

Sheila Morovati, a first-generation Iranian American, is the president and founder of the Crayon Collection. She helped the organization set a Guinness World Record with the largest crayon donation in history-more than one million were donated to schools and Head Start Centers in Los Angeles. -Red Tricycle 8/5/21

As the Olympics in Tokyo wind down in about a week, the Paralympics are just around the corner. Later this month, the Paralympic Games will showcase some of the world's top athletes who live with disabilities. One team competing in the games is the Refugee Paralympic Team, which debuted in 2016 in Rio -wbur 8/3/21

An Iranian-American man wanted to travel by sea from Florida to New York in a homemade vessel to raise money for charity, but ended up in hot water with the Coast Guard instead! 49-year-old Reza Baluchi has run from New York to California twice for charity, but his latest daring excursion came to an abrupt end after only 25 miles on the water. -Tag24 8/2/21

Farhang Foundation is proud to announce the official unveiling of its third winning mural design as part of its Iranian Mural Design Competition in collaboration with Beautify Earth. The competition invited artists to submit design concepts that conceptualize different and unique aspects of Iranian culture. 7/28/21

For many immigrant families, Canada has long held the promise of a better life. As the child of Iranian immigrants, however, I've questioned whether Canada is the home for me. My family immigrated to Canada from Iran in the early '90s, when I was just a toddler. My earliest memories of life start in Montreal, where we became permanent residents. For all intents and purposes, I was no less Canadian than the white kids at school - but I would come to learn early on that I couldn't be just another one of the kids. -Kimiya Shokoohi, CBC 7/2/21

Shari Siadat has always been a busy woman. Before founding her industry-disrupting beauty brand, TooD, in 2019, she juggled life as a model, dancer, fitness instructor, and writer, all while caring for three young daughters. While working in the image-based industries of fashion, dance and fitness, Siadat, who is Iranian American, found herself uninspired and excluded by Eurocentric standards. -Healthyish 6/30/21

Aahoo Jahansouz Sarah Shahi is an Iranian-American TV on-screen actress and former NFL Cheerleader. In 2018, she featured in the arrangement Reverie. In 2019, she performed in a couple of scenes of City on a Hill on Showtime. She was born on 10 January 1980. Presently, Sarah Shahi age is 41 years. 6/28/21

Working remotely has been good for Roxanne Varza. But the coronavirus pandemic brought a new management challenge: how to turn Paris-based tech hub Station F, centred around a physical building, into a remote support service. Six years ago, Varza received an email out of the blue from French billionaire businessman Xavier Niel that led to him offering her the job of running Station F... -Jonathan Moules, Financial Times 6/28/21

Iranian sisters Gisue Hariri and Mojgan Hariri are using their extraordinary talents for the sake of refugees and the unhoused. For Gisue Hariri and Mojgan Hariri, the meaning of home has always been integral to their practice as family and architects. The sisters came to the United States from Iran to study architecture at Cornell. -Abigail Glasgow, Architectural Digest 6/24/21

When she was growing up in Woodland Hills in Los Angeles's suburban San Fernando Valley, Ora Yashar felt very American. But at home, her parents were preoccupied with their native Iran. "I always heard stories," Yashar told the Forward. "My parents were always talking about life before the Revolution. They always talk about Iran." The Iranian-American Yashar is now co-producing "Persian Sunrise, American Sunset," a Zoom-based show at The Braid theater, portraying the autobiographical narratives of Iranian-Americans. -Forward 6/18/21

Momeni Foundation is dedicated to providing scholarships to graduating high school students and full time college students of Iranian descent anywhere in the world. Deadline for receiving the application material for Scholastic Achievement Scholarship and Financial Assistance Scholarship is June 30th, 2021. 6/8/21

A conspiracy theory smearing a State Department official as loyal to Iran has migrated from the internet to a group of Republican congressmen. Earlier this week, Breitbart News reported that a group of lawmakers led by Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-N.J.) was demanding an investigation into State Department senior adviser Ariane Tabatabai and the revocation of her security clearance. -Matthew Petti, Responsible Statecraft 6/7/21

In her debut novel, Perfectly Parvin, author Olivia Abtahi tells the story of 14-year-old Parvin Mohammadi, a second-generation Iranian American who navigates the trials of adolescence with the added complexity of growing up with different cultures. Growing up in the U.S. with an Iranian father and an Argentine mother, Abtahi herself is a reflection of the increasingly diverse Iranian diaspora. 6/7/21

"I have lived a privileged life," Ramin recalls, "But having to take up for my American mom in Iran and for my Iranian dad in the States - having been an insider and an outsider at the same time in one country and then the other - taught me that we should never let our prejudices about people's skin color, parents, or background blind us to who they are as individuals." 6/3/21

For most of the last three years, Bahareh Shargi's watch has been set to Iranian time. And when she checks the clock hands ticking away, the Washington, D.C., mother of two imagines how her husband of 32 years is managing life as an American captive overseas. -People 6/3/21

Yashar and Akhondzadeh are part of a plethora of Persian talent - writers, actors, musicians, and in Ora's case, a producer - of the brand-new salon show from The Braid (formerly Jewish Women's Theatre), Persian Sunrise, American Sunset. The autobiographical narratives of these Iranian-Americans will be given dramatic life in four live-on-Zoom performances between June 19 and June 28. -Broadway World 6/3/21