Center for Iranian Diaspora Studies, San Francisco State University

Mohammad Reza Shajarian, whose distinctive voice quavered to traditional Persian music on state radio for years and supported protesters after Iran’s contested 2009 election, has died aged 80 from cancer, state TV has reported.

The Trump administration imposed new sanctions on Iran’s financial sector Thursday in defiance of European allies who warned that the move could have devastating humanitarian consequences on a country reeling from the novel coronavirus and a currency crisis.

Thank you to Iranian-American International Relations graduate student, Sarah Sakha, of Columbia University for her thorough research on Iranian Americans and the efforts to racialize and marginalize them over the past four decades.

Our latest newsletter, "Stepping into Fall" - https://mailchi.mp//from-revolution-to-evolution-commemora

Commencement speakers Neda Nobari and Jonas Rivera named 2020 Alumni of the Year: San Francisco State University has named Iranian American humanitarian and businesswoman Neda Nobari (B.S., ’84) and Academy Award-winning Pixar producer Jonas Rivera (B.A., ’96) Alumni of the Year. They’ll join dozens of other distinguished alumni who have been inducted into the Alumni Hall of Fame since 1994. The University plans to honor this year’s inductees at a virtual ceremony Friday, Nov.... 6, and at a future celebration when it’s safe to gather in person. Both Gators have made significant cultural contributions and are pioneers in their fields Rivera in film and Nobari in business and educational philanthropy. Rivera is the first U.S.-born Latinx producer to win two Oscars. And Nobari, following on a successful career in retail fashion, established the first-of-its-kind Center for Iranian Diaspora Studies at San Francisco State. She’s also an inaugural member and currently vice chair of SF State’s Foundation board, where she has been integral to the Foundation’s nationally recognized leadership in socially responsible and green investing. Rivera and Nobari both left an indelible imprint on SF State graduates, having delivered the University’s Commencement addresses in 2016 and 2017, respectively. Read article here: https://news.sfsu.edu//commencement-speakers-neda-nobari-a

Even willows bear sweet fruit - https://mailchi.mp//from-revolution-to-evolution-commemora

This is a novel, yes, but it's also the story of Nayeri's childhood in Oklahoma. The protagonist called Daniel is Iranian refugee who lives with his mother and sister, and because he's the only Persian student his classmates know, he's the butt of jokes, the target of bullies, and he concocts layers of strategies to escape their abuse. And these indignities at school are actually some of the lighter moments in a memoir that explores what it feels like to part ways with your home country, and with your father.

The Collective for Black Iraniansfounded out of necessity, the necessity to be heard, seen, and understood. Join us in welcoming the Collective in their important endeavor for stronger representation of Black and Afro-Iranian voices within the Iranian diaspora! To learn more, please view this article. https://www.aljazeera.com//part-tapestry-black-iranians-la

https://www.washingtonpost.com//dan-crenshaw-sima-ladjev/

"By the time I reached early adulthood, English had become my dominant language and made a sprawling home in my brain, forcing Farsi into a tiny corner, so much so it worried me at times. To lose that connection, or have it weaken, felt devastating. But as it turns out, a language doesn’t just slip out of your mind. In fact, in a 2014 study, researchers found that our mother tongue creates neural patterns on our infant brains that stay with us even if we don’t use the language."

We Are Here, a film collaboration between the DocFilm Institute and Center for Iranian Diaspora Studies, San Francisco State University documentary movie shar...es the unique and extraordinary journey of the visual artist, art teacher, and architectural designer, Mokhtar Pakie. His work has been exhibited throughout the San Francisco, Bay Area, and in his Berkeley studio. He has several short stories and articles in Iranian anthologies. His novel "Shamayel-e-Mana'' was published in Sweden (1997) and Iran in 2003. His second novel, "Shahrazad of Silence," was published in 2015. (mokhtarpaki.com) His latest project was a storytelling performance , Narrating Div Tales; or How I Survived Closeted Adulthood. As part of our national pride month events, Paki draws on the rich storytelling tradition of Iran called Naghali. #MokhtarPaki #WeAreHere #DocFilm #IranianDiasporaStudies #SFSU #Iranian #American #Diaspora #IranianAmerican #Pride #BayArea #Immigrant #Journey #Storytelling #IranianAmericanArtist

A group of Iranian and American musicians are using digital media to create music together, which they hope will spread joy and promote unity at a time when the two countries with strained relations are reeling from the coronavirus pandemic. https://www.cnn.com//iran-us-musicians-collabor/index.html