TIRGAN 2017: The Arts and Culture Festival that Transcends borders and penetrates hearts - Mesmerized by KamanChello playing, a duo string performance of the Persian Kamcheh and occidental Cello, the highly diverse audience comprised of not only Iranians from all walks of life and places, but also with the eminent presence of others including peace and justice loving mainstream Canadians, found themselves in twilight nostalgic and humanistic trance on earth and beyond. Tirgan 2017, the Iranian summer solstice festival ten years in the making in Toronto, had once again attracted 150,000 spectators which included many from the U.S. world down under, as well as from Europe and even Iran. -Davood N. Rahni - 8/1/17
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2017 National Public Opinion Survey of Iranian Americans: Poll Shows a Community Under Duress Due to Rising Discrimination - Today, the Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans (PAAIA) released the findings of its national public opinion survey of Iranian Americans revealing concerns over increased discrimination and domestic issues - a shift from previous polling. A great majority of respondents (82%) are worried about rising discrimination against Iranian Americans, and more than one-half (56%) report having personally experienced discrimination. - 7/28/17
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Jasmin Moghbeli, Badass Astronaut - In the rarefied world of space travellers, nasa's new astronaut class--seven men and five women, picked from a record-breaking eighteen thousand applicants--includes one, nicknamed "Jaws," who played basketball at M.I.T., is a Marine Corps major, and was decorated for flying Cobra gunships on a hundred and fifty combat missions in Afghanistan. The astronaut candidate is also an immigrant-an Iranian-American, the only one with roots in the Middle East since the first class of astronauts was selected, in 1959. -Robin Wright, New Yorker - 7/21/17
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NIAC Action Statement on Congress Rejecting Amendments to Bar Muslim-ban Funding - "We applaud Representatives Mark Pocan and Barbara Lee for leading the charge against the Trump administration's Muslim ban. By offering amendments to defund elements of the ban, Representatives Pocan and Senator Lee demonstrated real leadership in attempting to put an end to Congressional inaction and forego the need for further judicial intervention regarding the Muslim ban. The Pocan amendment, which came to a vote, was unfortunately defeated on a largely party line vote." - 7/19/17
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Iranian Mathematician Maryam Mirzakhani, First Woman To Win Fields Medal In Math, Dies At 40 - Mirzakhani in 2014 won the Fields Medal, the mathematics equivalent of the Nobel Prize that is awarded every four years by the International Congress of Mathematicians. The medal is given to people aged 40 or younger who make major contributions to math. She received hers for her "striking and highly original contributions to geometry and dynamical systems," the committee said at the time. Mirzakhani died in an undisclosed U.S. hospital after the cancer she had been fighting for four years spread to her bone marrow. - 7/16/17
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U.S. Federal Court Rules Against Trump Restrictions On Travelers With U.S. Relatives - A U.S. judge has ruled against the Trump administration's restrictions on refugees and travelers from six predominantly Muslim countries who have American relatives. U.S. District Judge Derrick Watson in Honolulu said late on July 13 that people with grandparents, uncles, aunts, and other American relatives currently barred by the administration should be allowed into the country. - 7/14/17
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Iranian math genius Maryam Mirzakhani battles cancer recurrence at US hospital - Internationally-renowned Iranian mathematician Maryam Mirzakhani has been hospitalized in the US for deteriorating health conditions caused by cancer recurrence. According to one of her relatives, Mirzakhani is currently receiving treatment at a hospital in the US after medical tests confirmed that cancer has spread to her bone marrow a few weeks ago, the Iranian Haft-e Sobh daily reported. - 7/13/17
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'Los Angeles embodies diversity.' The city's new sculpture celebrating freedom is unveiled - Production of the sculpture was organized by the Farhang Foundation, an L.A.-based nonprofit organization, and the unveiling was part of the inaugural Freedom Festival, a nightlong block party that featured live music, food and fireworks. The Farhang Foundation promotes the study and appreciation of Iranian art and culture. Organizers said they hope the Freedom Festival becomes an annual event. -Matt Hamilton, Los Angles Times - 7/5/17
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Touraj Daryaee: Uncovering the Splendor of Ancient Iran - With the goal of harnessing the untapped potential of Iranian-Americans, and to build the capacity of the Iranian diaspora in effecting positive change in the U.S. and around the world, the Iranian Americans' Contributions Project (IACP) has launched a series of interviews that explore the personal and professional backgrounds of prominent Iranian-Americans who have made seminal contributions to their fields of endeavor. - Jahandad Memarian, Huffington Post - 7/5/17
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For Iranian-Americans, Trump travel ban keeps families apart - Weddings have been moved and family visits delayed. The Trump administration's travel ban, while a shadow of its original self, has dealt a harsh blow to the Iranian-American community, where family ties run strong and friends and loved ones regularly shuttle between Los Angeles and Tehran. -ABC News - 7/3/17
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Iranian maestro Maziar Heidari among Canada's Top 25 Immigrants of 2017 - Iranian composer and orchestra conductor Maziar Heidari is among Canada's Top 25 Immigrants of 2017. The Canadian Immigrant magazine has announced winners of its ninth annual RBC Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Awards which chooses and celebrates the success stories of Canadian immigrants who have made an influential contribution to Canada. The award is sponsored by Royal Bank of Canada (RBC). - 7/1/17
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Iranian American Organizations Denounce State Department Travel Ban Guidelines - As organizations representing the Iranian American community, we denounce the new guidelines for the revised Travel Ban issued by the State Department on Wednesday night. Following the Supreme Court's June 26th, decision to move the Travel Ban forward while exempting those who can "credibly claim a bona fide relationship with a person or entity in the United States," the State Department's guidelines ban extended family including grandparents, aunts, uncles, nephews, nieces and fiances from entering the country. - 6/30/17
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Houston surgeon set to visit Iran again under limited travel ban - A Houston doctor is resuming his regular trips to Iran four months after President Donald Trump's Middle East travel ban led him to cancel life-saving operations on three unborn babies there. The decision by the U.S. Supreme Court this week to reinstate a limited portion of Trump's travel order will not affect Dr. Alireza Shamshirsaz's plans to return to Iran next month and perform fetal surgeries on four pregnant women, he said. -Houston Chronicle - 6/30/17
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U.S. To Only Allow 'Close Relatives' From Six Nations Under Travel Ban To Visit - The U.S administration has set new rules for visa applicants from six mainly Muslim countries and all refugees, requiring them to have a "close" relative in the United States or a "formal" relationship to a U.S. organization. The guidelines are due to come into effect at 8 p.m. Washington time on June 29. - 6/29/17
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Iranian-American Organizations issue statements on Trump's Muslim ban after Supreme Court decision - "Today's Supreme Court decision immediately places the status of many Americans' families into question again. The Iranian-American community, Muslims across America, and families directly impacted by the ban are now reliving the chaotic days following the Muslim ban in January. Fears of the Trump administration once again spreading chaos by triumphing in the courts and reinstituting parts of its ban that has separated families have been realized. - 6/27/17
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IAPAC Proudly Endorses Campaigns of Iranian American Candidates - Today, the Iranian American Political Action Committee (IAPAC) proudly announced its support for the campaigns of Kia Hamadanchy and Amir Farokhi who are running for the U.S. Congress and the Atlanta City Council, respectively. For more information about how you can get involved in these races, please visit: Kia for Congress and Amir for Atlanta. - 6/26/17
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Beyond the Ban: Exhibition Spotlights Major Iranian-American Artists - Works by prominent Iranian-American artists were showcased to a packed house on June 14, the opening night of the "Beyond the Ban" art exhibition, a collaboration between the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) and the Susan Eley Fine Art gallery in New York City. - 6/21/17
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Immigrant-Americans With Support From Over A Million People Worldwide Create A Monument To Humanity In Los Angeles - The Farhang Foundation, a nonpolitical, nonreligious, not-for-profit Iranian-American cultural foundation, is proud to announce that The Freedom Sculpture: Freedom a Shared Dream, a monument honoring core American values of freedom, cultural diversity and unity, has raised more than $2.2 million, nearing the minimum goal of $2.5 million needed to complete the project. With over a million supporters from more than 50 countries following its progress on social media, the Freedom Sculpture has also become the most crowd-supported public monument gifted in U.S. history. - 6/11/17
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NIAC Statement on Trump's Muslim Ban Tweets - The National Iranian American Council issued the following statement following President Donald Trump's tweets resurrecting his calls for "EXTREME VETTING" and a "TRAVEL BAN!" this morning: "In today's episode of daily misinformation, blame-shifting, and overall erosion of our democracy, the President of the United States revealed the categorical duality in his approach to combatting terrorism and his desire to persist with his nonsensical Muslim ban." - 6/6/17
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Trump Administration Asks U.S. Supreme Court To Reinstate Travel Order - The Trump administration has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to immediately reinstate its temporary ban on travelers from six predominantly Muslim countries, arguing that it would make the United States safer. - 6/2/17
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AIC Partners with Educational Non-Profit ProjectExplorer.org to Create Film Series in Iran - AIC is partnering with the award-winning educational non-profit, ProjectExplorer.org, to send a small film crew to Iran in Spring 2018 to produce a series of short, high-quality, educational videos about everyday life in Iran. - 6/1/17
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Avideh Zakhor: the brains behind Google Earth and Street View - For one of Silicon Valley's most important inventions, we can thank Avideh Zakhor, creator of the technology that brought us Google Earth and Street View. Before there was Google Earth and Street View showing us around the world, there was Zakhor and her team driving a truck loaded with sensors around Berkeley and flying in a helicopter overhead to gather imagery, mapping part of the city in three dimensions. -Ethan Baron, San Jose Mercury - 5/30/17
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Nine Iranian American Receive Ellis Island Medal of Honor - On May 13th, 2017 nine highly accomplished Iranian Americans, including IA-100 member Mohammed Farzaneh, were awarded the 2017 Ellis Island Medal of Honor for outstanding achievement in their personal and professional lives, as well as their commitment to the preservation of their Iranian culture and heritage and noteworthy citizenship to the United States. - 5/27/17
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Interview: Tony Award Nominee Arian Moayed, Star of the Provocative Dual-Language Adaptation of Hamlet - Waterwell Theatre Company is undertaking a professional stage production of Shakespeare's Hamlet set in 1917 Tehran, during the dawn of World War I. Performing Shakespeare's words in both English and Farsi, Waterwell's adaptation of Hamlet explores the shifting cultural identities that Persians were battling as the rest of the world was modernizing. With passages spoken in Farsi, this version of Shakespeare's celebrated tragedy explores parallels between Hamlet's central existential dilemma and the compromises of a nation faced with the encroachment of Western influences, then and now. - 5/22/17
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I live in Irvine but my congresswoman seems to be the representative from Trump Nation - I live in Irvine with my family and thousands of other American citizens of Iranian descent. I came to this country as an immigrant and a refugee of war, and I have never taken for granted the opportunities America represents. All across the country, Iranian Americans have worked to better their communities, participating in all walks of civic life. But because Iran is one of the countries targeted by Trump's ban, we now face persecution and separation from family and friends in our native country. -Farshad Farahat, Los Angeles Times - 5/16/17
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U.S. District Court Judge "Inclined to Agree" That Muslim Ban Unconstitutional - On Thursday, Judge Tanya Sue Chutkan a judge at the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia issued an order staying the National Iranian American Council (NIAC) motion for a nationwide freeze on President Trump's Muslim travel ban, indicating that she is "inclined to agree with Plaintiffs that they are likely to succeed on the merits of their claims with respect to Sections 2 and 6 of the Second Executive Order." - 5/12/17
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Court Judges Focus On Whether Trump Travel Order Targets Muslims - U.S. appeals court judges asked tough questions about President Donald Trump's temporary ban on travelers from six predominantly Muslim countries, with several voicing skepticism that national security was the measure's true goal. - 5/9/17
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Made in Iran, Born in America - 'Made in Iran, born in America' - that's been your motto for quite some time now. How has Iran made you, despite having lived almost all of your life in the States? Taravat Talepasand: I have been harassed almost all of my life for not being Iranian, as I wasn't born in Iran. This surprised me, since as a child I had resented being Iranian only because I was growing up in a predominantly white, Republican, suburban, racist town in Portland. -Joobin Bekhrad, Reorient - 5/9/17
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New Trump's "Extreme Vetting" Proposal Raises Alarm Bells - The National Iranian American Council (NIAC) is profoundly concerned by the Trump administration's newly released proposal for "extreme vetting" interview questions. "Donald Trump's Muslim ban has been blocked by multiple courts so now he is attempting to circumvent the judiciary and impose a Muslim ban through new measures," said Shayan Modarres, Legal Counsel for NIAC. "This proposal makes America less safe and would do further damage to the values and protections that are fundamental to this country." - 5/5/17
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Take Action: Make sure Iranian Americans are counted in the next U.S. Census - The National Iranian American Council (NIAC) and a coalition of Iranian-American organizations comprised of Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans (PAAIA), Iranian Alliances Across Borders (IAAB) and Iranian American Bar Association (IABA) are urging for the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to include an ethnicity category in the Census for Middle Eastern and North African (MENA). - 5/4/17
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Persian Parade Illuminates Madison Avenue - Parades are one of New York City's greatest traditions and yesterday, the NYPD Mounted Horse unit, that has patrolled the city streets since 1858, led the 14th Annual Persian Parade on Madison Avenue. Prominent Iranian-American community leaders followed along with city and state officials and a commanding float depicting Persian King Cyrus the Great and his famous barrel-shaped clay cylinder, said to be the first recorded declaration of human rights dating back some 2,600 years ago. -Davar Ardalan, Huffington Post - 5/2/17
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Trump Unites Iranian Americans - Generations of Iranians like my parents have admired the United States for almost everything. They wanted their children to attend American universities, promoted America as the land of great opportunities, and proudly sent invitations to friends for their U.S. citizenship ceremonies. But many Iranian Americans today are confused and frightened by the wave of unjust immigration policies targeting Iranians. -Leila Mansouri - 4/27/17
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Family Urges Trump To Work For Release Of Jailed Americans In Iran - A relative of two Iranian-Americans imprisoned in Iran has said their health is deteriorating in Tehran's Evin prison and urged U.S. President Donald Trump to take "personal responsibility" for freeing them. Siamak Namazi and his father, Baquer Namazi, were sentenced to 10-year prison terms last year for "collusion with an enemy state" -- the United States. Babak Namazi has been seeking the release of his father and brother since then. - 4/26/17
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Sahar Nowrouzzadeh, U.S. Official Who Helped Broker Iran Nuclear Deal, Demoted and Reassigned - A top U.S. State Department official who helped broker the Iran nuclear deal was demoted and reassigned after right-wing media outlets questioned her loyalty to U.S. President Donald Trump, media are reporting. - 4/24/17
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Iranian Couple Reunited In Colorado After Travel Ban Scares - An experience that both called "a nightmare" turned into a dream come true for an Iranian family reunited at Denver International Airport Tuesday night. "I saw her on May 5, one year ago," Zoheir Khademian said. -CBS, Denver - 4/19/17
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Iranian Americans, livid over Trump visa ban, to get their day in court - President Donald Trump's attempts to impose a visa ban on a set of majority-Muslim countries has sparked unusual anger and activism among a wealthy, highly educated group that generally avoids U.S. politics: Iranian Americans. Now, they're about to get their day in court, winning the first chance to present in-person testimony against the travel ban. -Politico - 4/17/17
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Meet Kia Hamadanchy: Candidate for U.S. Congress (CA-45th) - The Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans (PAAIA) recently had the opportunity to interview Kia Hamadanchy to discuss his historic campaign for California's 45th Congressional District. If successful, he will become the first American of Iranian descent to be elected to the U.S. Congress. - 4/13/17
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Iranian Americans Use Tech to Count Their Impact in US - Pirooz Parvarandeh, a longtime Silicon Valley executive, saw a problem. Although he has lived in the United States for more than 40 years, he knew little about the contributions and accomplishments of Iranian Americans like himself. That lack of knowledge is widespread, he feared, and in his view makes Iranians in America more subject to stereotypes, discrimination and attacks. -Michelle Quinn, VOA - 4/7/17
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Iranian-American Nilou Motamed Highlights Her Culture in Food & Wine Magazine - Iranian-American Nilou Motamed began her second year as editor-in-chief of Food & Wine, an American lifestyle magazine dedicated to covering new trends in food, drink, travel, design and entertaining. In an interview with VOA Persian journalist Saman Arbabi in New York, the 45-year-old Motamed explains how her Iranian roots inspired her not only to pursue success in the competitive U.S. media industry, but also to highlight Iranian culture through her magazine. -VOA - 4/7/17
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Joint Statement of Iranian-American Organizations on Detentions of Iranians - As organizations that represent the Iranian-American community, we are deeply concerned by recent arrests of Iranians visiting and studying in the United States. At least two Iranians are currently being held in custody by U.S. immigration authorities: Alia Ghandi and Mohammad Salar Fard-Hajian. We implore authorities to ensure these individuals have ready access to legal counsel and insist they be promptly released from custody. - 4/6/17
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Documenting the Contributions of Iranian Americans - Launched in 2016, the Iranian American's Contributions Project (IACP) applies software technologies to publicly available information to rigorously aggregate the many facets and contributions of the Iranian American community. Pirooz Parvarandeh is the founder and will describe this new approach and the results achieved to date. - 4/6/17
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NIAC Calls on Authorities to Release Detained Iranian Citizen Holding Valid Visa - "The National Iranian American Council calls upon authorities to release and explain the arrest and detention of Alia Ghandi, an Iranian citizen who holds a valid U.S. visa. Ghandi's arrest raises a number of concerns that Iranians are still being unfairly targeted by immigration enforcement due to their national origin, in spite of court orders putting a hold on Trump's Muslim ban." - 3/31/17
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Engage: Second Annual Harvard Iranian Weekend - Harvard Iranian Weekend (HIW) is a global conference that serves as a platform to broadcast the distinct Iranian voices in today's America. This year's theme is Engage, a direct call to action in convening the curious, bold, and bright members of the Iranian community. - 3/29/17
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Nowruz at New York's Dare Mehr - Nowruz, the secular Persian New Year that transcends religions, regions and borders, but instead binds humanity as one since antiquity (this year 3755,) was once again upon us. As families arrived in mostly all-white and colorful gowns to enjoy the Nowruz gala at the newly inaugurated Dare Mehr in Suffern New York, they could not help but be mesmerized by the captivating warmth of the sun shining down on them. -Davood N. Rahni - 3/28/17
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PAAIA Hosts Annual Nowruz Celebration on Capitol Hill - On March 20th, 2017, the Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans (PAAIA) hosted its annual Nowruz reception on Capitol Hill. Fourteen members of Congress, including House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, attended the reception, as well as more than 200 Congressional staff and special guests. - 3/23/17
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President Trump's travel ban disrupts family reunion in San Ramon - President Trump's new travel ban may be on hold, but it's also putting travel plans on hold during what is usually a festive time especially for people from one of the countries targeted. These are busy days for Golnazar Gourmet Ice Cream. The San Ramon company is filling orders for their exotic flavors including saffron/pistachio -- desserts that will sweeten the 14 day celebration of Norooz, --the Persian New Year. -ABC News - 3/22/17
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Why It's Important Now, More Than Ever, To Celebrate Norooz - Self-identifying and proudly displaying our heritage as Iranian Americans has always been complicated -- and this is even more pronounced in a climate of policies and political rhetoric that are anti-immigrant, anti-refugee, and anti-Muslim. Melody Ehsani reflected on how that's impacted her family, and strengthened the importance of preserving and sharing her family's Iranian and Baha'i practices -Atoosa Moinzadeh, The Fader - 3/21/17
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Saratoga: Iranian-American community celebrates Persian New Year amid political anxieties - The outfits were lavish and colorful, the smiles were unwavering, the jokes were flowing and the cake was bountiful and sweet. Beneath the veneer of lighthearted fun that the West Valley College Persian New Year celebration has come to personify over the years, the warm breeze that passed through the Campus Center on Monday afternoon carried a solemness, a palpable uneasiness. -Khalida Sarwari, Mercury News - 3/20/17
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White House Appeals Court Decision Blocking Trump Travel Order - The U.S. government on March 17 announced it is appealing a court decision blocking President Donald Trump's executive order on immigration from taking effect. The Justice Department said in a court filing it would appeal a ruling by a U.S. District Court in the state of Maryland that halted the part of Trump's March 6 order temporarily banning the entry of travelers from six predominantly Muslim countries. - 3/18/17
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Persian Arts Festival: 11th Annual Norooz Celebration at National Sawdust in New York - The Persian Arts Festival celebrates 11 years of showcasing the work of hundreds of Iranian American artists from around the world at the prestigious new Brooklyn venue, National Sawdust in New York. The 11th Annual Persian Arts Festival will feature multiple art forms including short films curated by west coast's Noor Iranian Film Festival, family-friendly performances of Fictionville Studio's shadow puppet masterpiece, "Zahhak, The Legend of the Serpent King", a panel discussion featuring Iranian American artists and scholars,... - 3/17/17
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#LiveTogether Norooz Challenge Goes Viral - Washington Governor Jay Inslee and Lt. Governor Cyrus Habib took part in the Norooz Challenge yesterday, a new viral trend emerging across America ahead of the Iranian New Year, which falls on March 20. "I'm so glad you're here," Inslee said to Habib on Facebook Live. "One of the best things to happen to the State of Washington is to have an Iranian-American leader and you're doing a super job. What a great reason to celebrate Persian New Year. Norooz Mobarak [Happy New Year]," Inslee added. - Davar Ardalan, Huffington Post - 3/17/17
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NIAC Welcomes Court Order Halting Trump's Muslim Ban 2.0 - "The court's decision to issue a temporary restraining order barring the latest executive order imposing a Muslim ban is another triumph for American values over discrimination. The Trump administration has now had its attempt to impose a Muslim ban halted by the courts twice. Fortunately, Iranians will once again face a slight reprieve in that the ban will not go into effect tomorrow. Nevertheless, the back and forth struggle has already kept Iranian families apart and imposed turmoil on countless individuals, while doing untold damage to America's image abroad." - 3/17/17
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Iranian-American Orgs File Federal Court Challenge To Trump Travel Ban 2.0 - On March 14th, four prominent Iranian-American organizations renewed their challenge to the Trump Administration's illegal and unconstitutional policies, filing papers to take on the President's revised "Travel Ban" Executive Order. The organizations, joined by over 20 individual plaintiffs, have updated their existing lawsuit against the January 27th Travel Ban Executive Order, Pars Equality, et al v. Trump, to take on the March 6th version. - 3/17/17
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The "#LiveTogether Norooz Challenge" spreading message of tolerance - Over the past few days, the viral "Norooz Challenge" has brought Americans & Iranians together to broadcast "Happy New Year" in Persian, then challenge friends to follow suit. The Norooz Challenge is the first of several challenges in the #LiveTogether campaign, with a theme of crossing borders and cultures to put our similarities above our differences. - 3/16/17
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PEOPLE IN AMERICA: Once a US Soldier, Iranian Immigrant Now Serves Veterans - Assal Ravandi knows service. First, as a soldier in the United States Army in Afghanistan. Now, as a soldier for soldiers at the organization she founded: Academy of United States Veterans. Ravandi was born in Tehran, Iran. She came with her family to the United States at age 13. She thinks her decision, years later, to join the United States Army was partly inspired by the life she left. -Marsha James, VOA - 3/16/17
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Iranian Americans Afraid to Travel Under Trump Travel Order - In the heart of Persian Square, in West Los Angeles, everyone is getting ready for Nowruz, the Iranian New Year, when family members visit each other.Normally it's the busy season for the travel agencies that cater to the Iranian community. But not this year. President Donald Trump's revised executive order banning travelers who do not currently have visas from six Muslim majority countries from entering the U.S. for three months is scheduled to take effect on March 16.Among the six countries on the travel order is Iran. -Elizabeth Lee, VOA - 3/15/17
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Iranian-American Robin Shahini Serving 18-Year Prison Sentence in Iran Proclaims Innocence in Letter - Robin (Reza) Shahini, an Iranian-American dual national sentenced to 18 years in prison in October 2016 during a visit to Iran, has proclaimed his innocence in a letter urging human rights groups and international organizations to work for his release. - 3/14/17
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American Musicians To Perform Works by Iranian Composers in Gesture of Welcome - n late January, after the first of the recent U.S. travel bans was signed, Los Angeles-based violist and violinist Andrew McIntosh put a post on Facebook looking for recommendations of violin repertoire by living composers from the affected countries. "The response that I received to that post was astounding, with many friends and acquaintances chiming in with suggestions, mostly of music by composers from Iran," McIntosh said. -Laurie Niles, Violinist - 3/13/17
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Hawaii First U.S. State To Challenge New Trump Travel Order In Court - The U.S. state of Hawaii plans to file the first court challenge to President Donald Trump's new executive order temporarily barring visitors from six predominantly Muslim countries as well as all refugees. Hawaii said that it will seek to temporarily halt the order on March 8. - 3/8/17
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Trump's New Muslim Ban - National Iranian American Council Policy Director Jamal Abdi released the following statement in response to President Trump's revised Muslim Ban: "Donald Trump has doubled down on his harmful and un-American threat to ban Muslims from this country. Since Trump's first Muslim ban, we have seen a spate of hate crimes against people who were believed to be Muslim or of Middle Eastern descent. The President and advisors like Steve Bannon are effectively egging on these acts of hate and bigotry by making discrimination against us official U.S. policy. - 3/6/17
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Iranian-American merges 2 worlds at Waynesboro show - Elyana Javaheri said she started finding collages as a source of refuge. Twelve years ago, Javaheri moved to the United States from Tehran, Iran, to pursue her education at Virginia Tech. Now a landscape architect, she had originally intended on pursuing a career in law, but found herself interested in urban planning. As a child, she was fascinated by the big city life of Tehran. -NewsLeader - 3/2/17
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Iranian-American Orgs on Rise in Hate Crimes: Time for Leaders to Condemn These Incidents - As Iranian American organizations, we have been sounding the alarm on the divisive rhetoric against immigrants, spurred by the harmful and discriminatory effects of the Trump Administration's Executive Order banning nationals from seven Muslim-majority countries - including Iran - from entering the United States. - 3/1/17
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Iran MPs pass legislation in response to Trump travel ban - Iranian lawmakers have added a new article to the proposed budget bill for the next fiscal year (starting March 21, 2017) to attract investment by the country's nationals living in the United States. - 2/27/17
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Kickstarter Campaign: Presenting IRAN THROUGH BOOKS at America's biggest annual book festival in 2017 - Farhang Foundation aims to promote Iranian art, culture & literature to the community at large. This two-day, free to public festival will help us give presence to Iranian books as well as books about Iran & books by Iranian authors. The event will be built around one central theme - celebrating books & promoting reading as a gateway to bring harmony and understanding to our diverse community in Los Angeles and Southern California. - 2/21/17
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Trump Travel Ban Crashes Texas Wedding Plans - President Donald Trump has repeatedly said his approach to preventing terrorist attacks on U.S. soil won't always be tidy. That's especially true when it affects things like the already delicate task of compiling a wedding guest list. Just ask Shervin Taheran. -John T. Bennett, Roll Call - 2/18/17
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Iranian Chicagoan Says Life Under Trump Reminds Him of Ahmadinejad - Chicagoans from each of seven countries listed in President Trump's travel ban explain how the executive order has changed their lives. -Chicago Magazine - 2/13/17
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Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals' Upholds Court Order Blocking Trump's Executive Order - "The court's decision to uphold the order blocking the Trump administration's un-American Executive Order is a triumph of justice. The message to the Trump administration is clear: America's democratic institutions will not allow our democracy to be corrupted by bigoted and racist measures that divide our country and make America less safe. -NIAC - 2/10/17
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For Iranian Americans, Trump has complicated an already tricky trip to motherland - For many Iranian immigrants and their families, the 7,500-mile journey between Tehran and California is an emotionally fraught necessity. Most Iranians in the U.S. oppose the hard-line regime in Tehran. Many fled for political freedoms or opportunities for professional growth. Others moved here for a Western education and planned to go back, but found themselves tethered to America after the Islamic Revolution in 1979. -Sarah Parvini, Los Angeles Times - 2/7/17
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Iranian-Americans feel stuck, confused, afraid of travel ban - Iranian-American supermarket supervisor Alan Tahmasebi voted for Donald Trump last year, hoping a businessman would be more trustworthy than a politician. The 35-year-old now sorely regrets it, seeing the havoc wreaked upon his fellow countrymen - and his family - since the new president issued a temporary travel ban on refugees and citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries, including his former home. -Chicago Tribune - 2/6/17
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U.S. Travel Ban Stands Between Iranian Cancer Patient And Her Grandmother - These are trying times for Negin Ghanei and her family. Doctors in the United States last year detected a return of her teenage daughter Kiana's lymphoma cancer, leaving the transplanted Iranians in what the U.S.-based chemical engineer calls a state of shock. Ghanei says the second shock came in late January when she learned that Kiana's 74-year-old grandmother couldn't travel to the United States to help care for Kiana and provide them all with much-needed moral support. -Golnaz Esfandiari, RFE - 2/3/17
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White House Says Immigration Order No Longer Affects Legal U.S. Residents - The White House said it has issued updated guidance on President Donald Trump's executive order on immigration clarifying that legal permanent residents, or green-card holders, do not require a waiver to enter the United States. - 2/2/17
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America Polarized and in Turmoil: United, we must take back our country from the ultra-supremacists in the White House - Among the executive orders signed by President Donald J. Trump this past Friday, there is the enhancing "national security and border control," that has led to massive demonstrations and much controversy. No patriotic American, native or naturalized, could argue against the meritorious notion of enhancing our national security, immigration and border control. However, while most Americans are committed to inclusivity and blind justice, Trump and his dwindling number of supporters want to block Muslims by using a religious litmus test for entry and immigration to the US. -David N. Rahni - 2/1/17
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U.S. tech without Iranian immigrants: No eBay, Oracle, Google, DropBox, Tinder - Talented people in other countries don't disappear if we reject them. They'll shrug and move on to the burgeoning tech scenes of Europe and Asia, where they'll be greeted with easy funding, a low cost of living, fast Internet, vibrant communities, and exotic workspaces. Many American tech startups have even been flocking to these destinations of late. If we limit immigration, we'll be accelerating Europe and Asia's tech position while massively sabotaging our own. -Adam Ghahramani , Venture Beat - 2/1/17
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Build Bridges with Iran: 8 Surprises from the Iranian People - I am deeply saddened by President Trump's executive order banning many Muslims from entering the United States. I also am sad to see the Iranian response: Iran To Ban U.S. Visitors In Retaliation To Trump Order. The U.S. and Iran, along with other Muslim-majority countries, will be much safer in the long term by building bridges of goodwill with one another instead of building walls of fear and mistrust. -Philip M. Hellmich, Director of Peace, The Shift Network - 2/1/17
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Explainer: Who Is Affected By Trump's Entry Ban To U.S., And How? - U.S. President Donald Trump's executive order of January 27 bans refugees from all countries from entering the United States for 120 days and bans Syrian refugees from entering indefinitely. At the same time, the executive order temporarily bans entry into the United States for people from seven predominantly Muslim countries -- Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen -- until more stringent vetting of visas is introduced. - 1/31/17
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