Iranian-American
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Iranian-Americans (sometimes called Persian-Americans) are Americans of Iranian descent, including those who are expatriates in exile or permanent immigrants. Many Persians who are born in America identify with the status of Iranian-American.[1]
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[edit] History
Iranian immigration to the United States has been continuous since the 1980s. Today, the United States contains the highest number of Iranians in the world outside Iran (Persia). The Iranian-American community has produced a sizeable number of individuals notable in many fields, including medicine, engineering, and business. The community expanded predominantly in the early 1980s in the wake of the Iranian Revolution and the fall of the former regime.
[edit] Demography
The 2000 US Census estimated that 338,000 Iranian Americans reside in the United States. In 2004, the Iranian American population was estimated at 691,000 by a group of Iranian Ph.D. candidates enrolled at MIT, working to compile statistics at the request of Persian associations and community leaders in the United States. [1] Large concentrations of Iranian Americans live in the state of California, particularly around Los Angeles, Orange County, La Jolla, and San José. For this reason, the L.A area with its Iranian American residents is sometimes referred to as "Tehrangeles" among Iranian Americans, in allusion to the Iranian capital of Tehran.[2] There are also large concentrations in Washington DC, and around Dallas and Houston, Texas. An NPR report recently put the Iranian population of Beverly Hills as high as 20% of the total population.[2]
Iranian communities in the US also have varying religious populations among each city. Los Angeles' Iranian population — the nation's highest concentration Persian American community — is representative of all of Iran's religious groups. Noticeably, the majority of Jewish Iranians in the world, after Israel, reside in Los Angeles. Glendale, California's Iranian American population is mostly Armenian Christian. There is a considerable population of Persian American Bahá'ís in several states too. Almost all other Iranian Americans communities in other US cities are mostly Muslim or of secular backgrounds. Many Iranian Americans are also of Azeri, Armenian, Kurdish, Mazandarani, Chaldean/Assyrian or other origin, reflecting the diversity of the community.
[edit] Iranian-American Census
A study was launched by the Iranian Studies Group at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), to publish the socio-economic characteristics of the Iranian-American population. 338,266 US residents claim to be of Iranian (Persian) ancestry, though many Iranians claim this number to be largely understated. The largest populations of Persian-Americans can be found in the states of California, New York, Texas, and Washington. According to the study, 26.2% of Iranian-Americans attain a masters degree or higher, the highest percentage of the 67 ancestry groups. 56.2% attain a bachelor's degree or higher (2nd), and 90.8% receive a high school diploma or higher (2nd). The median family income is $42,000 (20% higher than the national average).
Iranian-Americans have founded and/or participated in senior leadership positions of many major US companies, including many Fortune 500 companies such as GE, Intel, Verizon, Motorola, and AT&T.
The founder/CEO of Ebay (Pierre Omidyar) is of Persian descent, MIT Iranian-American Study, as well as the founder of Bratz (Isaac Larian).
In September of 2006, Anousheh Ansari, co-founder of the Ansari X Prize became the first female tourist in space. Ansari is also the co-founder and former CEO of Prodea Systems Inc. and Telecom Technologies, Inc.
CNN's Christiane Amanpour serves as Chief International Correspondent for that news service. Other well-known Americans of Iranian descent include Andre Agassi, Sina Tamaddon, Rudi Bakhtiar, and Avadis Tevanian.
[edit] See also
- List of Iranian Americans
- Iranian-Canadian
- Iranian Kuwaitis
- Persian Canadians
- Persian Jews
- Tehrangeles
- Little Persia, Los Angeles, California
[edit] External links
- Report into the life of Iranian-Americans from Iranian.com
- National Iranian American Council Promoting Iranian American Participation in American Civic Life
- Fact-sheet on the Iranian-American Community (ISG MIT)
- Population Study of Iranian Americans in the United States
- Migration Information Source
- Iranian-American Organizations
- Iranian-American Bar Association
- The Silence of the Iranian Lambs, JURIST
