Hi John,
We’re continuing to research and battle the circumstances and injustices Iranian Americans face every day. Today, we’re focusing on the significant impact of discriminatory stereotypes that "other" our community in the U.S.
In January, we published our report, “Othering Iran: How Dehumanization of Iranians Undermines Rights at Home.” [[link removed]] Our report detailed how the systematic demonization of Iran in U.S. political discourse and media has led to the dehumanization of Iranians, and by extension, Americans of Iranian heritage.
Discriminatory stereotypes have educated generations of leaders in the U.S., who passed these prejudiced policies:
*
Discriminatory
and
unjustified
closures
of
Iranian-American
bank
accounts
;
*
Freezing
of
transactional
accounts
simply
for
using
words
like
“Iran”
or
“Persian;”
*
Immigration
policies
that
prevent
family
members
from
Iran
to
visit
their
Iranian-American
family
in
the
U.S.
;
*
Biased
questions
when
entering
the
United
States
as
a
U.S.
person;
*
Preventing
Iranian
green
card
holders
from
working
for
the
government
solely
due
to
their
Iranian
heritage;
*
And
failure
to
deliver
legal
mail
and
packages
to
loved
ones
in
Iran.
What is more - Iranians and Iranian Americans live with the collective punishment of sanctions and fear of possible war with Iran, while their loved ones in Iran are cut off from necessary goods and information.
Moreover, the Department of Energy is still operating under Trump-era policies which bar people with Iranian heritage from working there. The Biden administration has kept these discriminatory policies in place, regardless of how unjustified and prejudiced they are. The DOE has turned away qualified candidates based on their Iranian heritage.
Over the last four decades, Iranians and Iranian Americans have been systemically demonized and left with little recourse. Our thorough report draws on primary sources and personal testimonies to shed light on these indiginities and advocate for real solutions.
We demand equal treatment for Iranian Americans and are working to ensure the Biden administration and Congress enacts policies based on facts on the ground rather than zealous hostility.
Sign our petition to call on Biden and Congress to defend Iranian-American rights in America and abroad. [[link removed]]
SIGN OUR PETITION [[link removed]]
Thank you.
Assal Rad
Research Director, NIAC
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