Iranian Americans are one the most educated, hard working and successful minority groups in the United States. We have risen to the top of every industry. We are scientists, CEO’s, entertainers and scholars. After nearly thirty years of living in the United States, Americans still do not know too much about Iranians and our culture. We have been typecast by the Iran hostage crisis, as “the axis of evil,” and terrorist whose main goal is to “wipe Israel off the map.” Our rich and historic culture has been reduced to stereotypes and misinformation, while our accomplishments and hard work have gone unnoticed.
PAAIA (Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans) is an organization working to bring recognition and influence to our community. PAAIA is a non-partisan, non-sectarian, national grass roots membership organization dedicated to mobilizing the Iranian American community to project a positive and accurate image of our community in the media, the American public and the U.S. political process. PAYAM sat down with Rudi Bakhtiar (Director of Public Relations) and Dr. Niaz Kasravi (Director of Community Relations) to learn more about PAAIA.
1. HOW DID PAAIA COME TO FRUITION? WHO ARE SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT DECIDED TO PUT TOGETHER AN ORGANIZATION LIKE PAAIA?
Rudi Bakhtiar: Two years ago, a group of successful Iranian Americans gathered in Napa Valley to discuss how best to elevate the profile and advance the interests of our community. It was painfully evident then, as it is now, that despite our individual successes, collectively we had not been able to capitalize on our achievements to our benefit.
Individuals like Hamid Biglari, COO of the Institutional Client Group of Citigroup, Cyrus Amir Mokri, a Partner at one of the biggest law firms in the world, Skadden Arps, along with almost fifty other successful IA’s realized the need for a national grassroots organization which could effectively represent and advance the domestic interests of the Iranian American community at large before U.S. policymakers and opinion makers, the media, and the American public.
2. WHAT ARE PAAIA’S GOALS? WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO ACCOMPLISH IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS?
RB: PAAIA has three inseparable goals that are mutually reinforcing: Community Building, Image Building, and Influence Building.
Community building poses the greatest challenge, but is the most essential. We are one of the few immigrant communities, that until now, has not formed a large national membership organization, which represent our interests accurately, and effectively before the media and on Capitol Hill. September 11th, and the unwarranted detainment of Iranians in Los Angeles, taught us that we need such an organization, a “voice” if you will, and we need it now.
That is why PAAIA has embarked on a multi-state tour throughout the U.S. to introduce PAAIA and its mission to the IA community. In order for us to be effective, we Iranian Americans need to do that which does not come easy to us, and that is to PARTICIPATE. Here in America, there is power in numbers. If you have an organization which has fifty thousand members, there is no senator or congressman who will turn his or her back on your issues.
There are estimates of over one million Iranian Americans living in the U.S. right now. Why can’t we have an organization one hundred thousand strong? Given the political climate we are living in, it is essential that we have an organization that protects our community’s interest. If we don’t do this NOW, the next national catastrophe might be too late.
We also are focusing tremendous efforts toward building the Iranian American image to that which is reflective of whom we truly are. Iranian Americans are one of the most (if not the most) successful immigrant communities living in America. But unfortunately, not much is known about our accomplishments. To that end, PAAIA has hired a Public Relations firm to take our representation to the next level.
“Profiles of Iranian Americans” is as series of mini-documentaries designed to help facilitate that effort. I have traveled all over the U.S. interviewing Iranian Americans with tremendous immigration and success stories, like Vice President of Google, Omid Kordestani, Comedian Maz Jobrani, and Harvard Professor Dr. Pardis Sabeti.
3. WHAT ROLE DOES IAPAC PLAY?
RB: The Iranian American Political Action Committee (IAPAC) is the connected PAC of the Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans, and plays an integral role in the “Influence Building” mission of PAAIA. IAPAC contributes to candidates running for public office, regardless of their party affiliation, who are attuned to the domestic concerns of the Iranian American community.
Political Action Committees are an important part of the American political process. As a critical tool in PAAIA’s advocacy efforts, IAPAC contributions are a means of access to discuss policy positions and/or educate our elected officials, assuring that our message is heard on Capitol Hill, and a way to encourage increased community participation.
4. WHAT DO YOU FEEL ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUES OR OBSTACLES FACING IRANIAN AMERICANS?
Niaz Kasravi: Some of these issues include racial profiling, civil liberties, and immigration issues. After 9/11 it became clear to us that many of these issues directly and negatively impact us. For example, Rudi mentioned the National Security Entry/Exit Registration (NSEERS) policy that was put into effect after 9/11 requiring male immigrants of countries with large Muslim populations (including Iran) to report to the INS in the name of the “war on terror.”
I was down in Los Angeles and at the INS and saw firsthand thousands of Iranian American men lined up trying to follow the law only to be locked up overnight in the INS basement or sent to other states’ detention centers. It was heartbreaking.
There has never been a single act of terrorism on US soil by an Iranian much less an Iranian American. Given who we are as a community, given that we love and respect this country , and given how we contribute to the fabric of American life, we should not have been “profiled” as possible terrorists and we should not have been on that list. An organization like PAAIA can, with the community’s support, make sure that we do not face similar situations in the future.
5. WHAT IS PAAIA DOING TO ALLEVIATE THESE ISSUES?
RB: Babak, Morad, Niaz and I (PAAIA executive team) on a daily basis are reaching out to key members of the House and Senate, as well other governmental agencies, in order to foster the relationships necessary here in Washington DC to, not only elevate our community’s profile, but also to be in a position to protect Iranian Americans if and when necessary.
We are also forging relationships with scholars from various think tanks and journalists, in order to be able to shine a national light on issues that are important to us. Forging relationships and building alliances in Washington DC is no easy task. For a new organization, it can take years. But that is PAAIA’s strength.
6. BESIDES YOUR MEMBERSHIP TOUR, WHAT PROJECTS IS PAAIA WORKING ON RIGHT NOW?
NK: There are two nationwide, unprecedented polls that PAAIA has commissioned and that have been conducted by Zogby International. One is of the Iranian American public, so we can gauge our community’s opinions on different issues and see what the community is looking for in an organization such as PAAIA. The other poll is of the American public. We wanted to see what their perceptions are of Iranian Americans. The results of these polls will be very helpful in guiding our path forward and the results will be released publicly and on our website (www.paaia.org) in a few weeks.
Another great project that we undertook over the summer was the World Affairs Council’s Teacher’s Workshop on Iran that PAAIA sponsored. About 20 high school teachers from across the country came to Washington DC to learn about Iran’s history, art and literature. They have since gone back to their hometowns and are using this knowledge in their curriculum and have conveyed to us how helpful the knowledge has been.
7. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A MEMBER OF PAAIA? WHAT ROLE DO THE MEMBERS PLAY?
NK: A large membership base and the active involvement of our members are keys to the success of PAAIA. In fact, PAAIA’s true potential cannot and will not be realized without the support, involvement and guidance of its members. Our members get to vote for PAAIA’s Board of Directors, so they have a definite hand in guiding PAAIA’s future. Most importantly, they become ambassadors of PAAIA in their local communities. They tell other community members about PAAIA, encouraging them to join so that we can become a stronger organization and have a stronger voice. Also, they will let us know about what is going on in their community and what issues PAAIA should be aware of at their local level.
What you are saying as a member of PAAIA with your membership fee – which is $75 per year, $25 for students and senior citizens – is that “I am Iranian American, I am proud of my heritage, I am grateful for all the opportunities we have here in America, and I am a member of PAAIA to help create an accurate and positive image and an influential voice for our community here in the U.S.”
