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What do some 20 Irvine teachers have in common with Iranian Americans? They now know as much if not more about Persian history and culture than you and me. Thanks to a three-day Persia Summer Institute, a work-shop style event was held last July in Irvine. It was designed to help teachers better understand their Iranian American student population.
Sponsors of the Persia Summer Institute included the Irvine Public Schools Foundation (IPSF), PARSA Community Foundation, and Fullerton International Resources for Students and Teachers (FIRST) of Cal State Fullerton. The person and entity that brought the whole thing together was no other than our own Mrs. Hoori Ghahremani of Khayam Persian School Foundation. Mrs. Ghahremani has been teaching kids and adults Farsi in Orange County since the 1980’s. Those who know her will undoubtedly tell you that she has dedicated her life to the promotion of Iranian Culture in Orange County through teaching Persian language and through her involvement at Mehregan Festivals, as well as all other cultural events taking place in the area. It is reported that the Irvine school district has 908 students who speak Farsi, more than any other foreign language. That’s why Irvine was chosen for this event.During the 3-day workshop, teachers became familiar with such topics as: “Big Picture” of Iran, the land, the culture, the people, what it means to be Persian, Persian language and writing, Persian dance and music, geography of Iran, history of Islam, Zoroastrian beliefs and influences, the importance of early Persian history in today’s Iran, the role of women in Iran, understanding culture and immigration patterns,
Norooz and other cultural celebrations, and understanding the culture and stereotypes. Teachers also heard first hand stories of Iranians coming to America. The grand finale was dinner at Caspian to get a taste of Persian food.
So how did the teachers react? Well, there were many “aha!” moments when they began to understand why their Persian students do things the way they do. For example, they wanted to know why Iranian parents are not so involved in the classroom. “It’s not a lack of interest,” said parent Shiva Farivar. “It’s more because Persian parents are used to trusting that the teacher knows best and to not interfere,” she explained, adding that in Iran it’s unusual for parents to be involved in the classroom.
Former Irvine student Dara Ghahremani said the student-teacher relationship surprised him when he came to Irvine into third grade. In Iran, when a teacher enters, students stand up “as if some great royalty has just stepped into the room,” he told the teachers. The institute’s director, Cal State Fullerton Professor Connie DeCapite, said she had a teacher who told her he has two Persian students who tell him thank you after class everyday and he was eager to learn more about how they were raised. They wanted to know about Iran’s educational system, teachers’ pay, student teacher relationships, subject matters and curricula, and Iranian American parents’ expectations of teachers and educators in Irvine. All in all, I think they got their questions answered. There was an interesting exchange about the fact that many Iranian parents want their children to excel in math and science because they want them to pursue such careers as medical doctors, engineers, and lawyers.
Teachers got a dose of Persian culture, religion, poetry, music, politics, and food during the three days. Pam Adams, a fourth-grade teacher at Oak Creek Elementary, said she will bring what she learned back to the classroom. Adams said she now understands, “If we have Persians who are struggling with concepts that are more abstract, that might be because of how they are brought up.” It was noted that some Persian students might feel a disconnect between culture at home and at school. Students will feel less divided about their identity if teachers have a better understanding of their background. This institute “came at a perfect time for me emotionally,” one teacher said. “You hear things in the news and it’s mostly bad about Iran. This just gave me an optimistic view of our future and to just not have that fear or distrust.”
So how much does a workshop like this cost and who pays for it? The total cost was $15,000 including $100/day stipends for each teacher. The entire project was funded by the Iranian American community. A major portion was covered by a $7,500 (50%) grant from Parsa Community Foundation and the remaining funds were donated by the Orange County Mehregan committee of NIPOC and individual Iranian Americans living in Orange County.
Should these programs be repeated? You bet! According to Cal State Fullerton Professor Connie DeCapite, the demand was so high that we could have three more workshops. The main issue is going to be funding. This is where you come in. I believe our community could and should fund these types of programs for years to come. If you feel the same and want to help, here is what you can do: Send your tax deductible donations to Khayam Persian School Foundation, 13 Silverfern St., Irvine, CA 92603. You can also call Mrs. Ghahremani at (949) 854-3325. Better yet, visit their website http://www.persianschool.org to get more information As the saying goes “if you think education is expensive, try ignorance!” With so many bad news about Iran and Iranians in the media, supporting projects like this is the least we can do to educate others about our rich cultural heritage and customs.
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