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By the time you read this piece, Campaign 2008 is in full swing. In fact by then we might even know who the front runners of both parties are. On November 4, 2008, we will be electing the 44th President of the United States who will be inaugurated on January 20, 2009. Between now and then many things could happen which will make this year’s election interesting as it is the first time in many years where we are having an open election with no clear lead-in candidates. For us Iranians, it should also be an interesting election. Although Iraq is the biggest foreign policy issue in this year’s election, Iran is running a close second. Many voters are concerned about Iran's nuclear programs and in case they forget, candidates from both parties are sure to keep the Iran issue on the forefront.
Given the importance of Iran in this election you will think these candidates will pay a little bit more attention to us Iranian Americans? Well, they are when they need money. In fact I know of a few fund raiser activities by some well known (read: rich) Iranians where major candidates from both parties came, mingled, took group pictures and received a good chunk of campaign donation! Will they remember us? I doubt it very much. Here is why: on October 2007, the Arab-American Institute's National Leadership Conference was held in Dearborn, Michigan. According to the news reports, none of the top-tier candidates from either party showed up. New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, a Democrat, was the most prominent candidate to attend. Several Democrats submitted videotaped messages, but none of the major Republican candidates bothered to send even those. The only Republican who did attend was Ron Paul. The absence of major candidates from both sides underscores the perception among many Arab and Muslim-American leaders that they've been deemed politically expendable, even as some of the 2008 election's key issues (such as the Iraq War, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the debate over balancing domestic security and civil liberties) are of particular interest to their community. So you ask, what does that have to do with us Iranian Americans? Well, just think about it. If Arab-Americans, who constitute a group of 1.3 million voters, according to independent polling firm Zogby International, and make up a potentially crucial voting bloc in battleground states like Ohio, Florida and Pennsylvania are ignored then why should anyone pay attention to us with a smaller number of registered voters?
Would any of the major presidential candidates pay attention to us in these private fund raisers? Sure they will. Will they ever publicly acknowledge receiving campaign contributions for Iranian Americans? I doubt it.
So what are we to do? Please don’t get me wrong here. I am not suggesting for you to ignore U.S. Presidential candidates and just be passive. On the contrary, I think it is important to be involved. Without a doubt, we Iranian-Americans have achieved extraordinary levels of professional and economic success in the United States, consistently ranking among the highest in most surveys of immigrant education and affluence. From Wall Street to Main Street, the impact of Iranian-Americans on American economic life is undisputed. Still, despite our contribution to the engine of American economic growth, the Iranian-American impact on our civil society - on our politics, our media, our advocacy organizations, our social institutions - is a less impressive story. We have the ability to play a key role in American civil society with the same levels of success and professionalism that we have played in American economic, academic, technological and scientific life. Perhaps we need to learn from such powerful lobby groups as The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) that lobbies the United States Congress and White House in favor of maintaining a close U.S.- Israel relationship. Just remember things do not happen overnight. AIPAC was formed during the Dwight D. Eisenhower administration. According to a survey by the National Journal of the most powerful lobby groups, AIPAC came in 2nd - ahead of, for instance, the AFL-CIO and the National Rifle Association (NRA), but behind the AARP (American Association of Retired People). We still have a long way to go, but with our wealth and knowledge we can be as effective if we put our resources together.
My observation (albeit limited) is that as a community we pay too much attention to the Presidential candidates and quite honestly for those candidates to associate themselves with Iran or anything Iranian will be political suicide given the power of special interest groups who support them. Given our numbers and concentration, I think we should instead focus where we can make a difference. While we might not have the sheer numbers on the national scene, we have that in certain geographies with a large concentration of Iranians such as Northern and Southern California. Take Irvine or Beverly Hills for example. We definitely have a block vote that can make a difference in which candidate wins the city council or local school board election. All we have to do is to make our views known to those candidates and make sure they do not take our votes for granted. This is how the system works. As the saying goes, think global, act local. Another way to think about this is that as a community we are as American as anyone else and have the same rights as anyone else. To use these rights, we must make it clear to any candidate who wants our support that we care about such issues as Budget & Economy, Civil Rights, Crime, Drugs, Education, Environment, Families & Children, Foreign Policy, Free Trade, Health Care, Immigration, Jobs, Social Security, Tax Reform, War & Peace and so on. So you see it is not just about how the U.S. deals with Iran, rather it is about us and our children’s future.
Successful communities are politically educated communities. Only when we as Iranian Americans, are well familiar with the policy process will we be able to effectively participate in the democratic process and advance our interest. Successful communities are ones that have intimate knowledge of political institutions, as well as up-to-date information regarding changes in trends, laws, and procedures. I recommend that we learn the process and make use of it. I do hope that you all participate in this great democracy and vote in the upcoming election. Please remember in order to vote you must be a citizen and register to vote. In order to participate in California primaries which will be held early this year, February 5, 2008, you must register to vote by January 22, 2008. For more information, please call 1-800-345-VOTE (8683).
Remember: YOUR VOTE COUNTS!
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