I just received an email about a photo exhibition called “Iran Before the Chador” curated by Los Angeles-based rapper Malkovich Music at the R&R Gallery in Los Angeles. The exhibition features 30 photos of the everyday life of an Iranian family before the Iranian revolution in 1979. I haven’t been able to discover any information about the family - e.g., why was this family featured? where’s the family now? - but clearly, the exhibition is exploring the same kinds of issues that are central to Of Another Fashion. Update: The curator just confirmed with me that the family photos are of his family who now reside in, as he puts it, “Irangeles, California.” I’ve asked him to contribute a photo or two to Of Another Fashion. Fingers tightly crossed!
**Look for a possible review of the exhibition on my other blog, Threadbared, in the coming weeks.**
My brother, mom and I were filmed for a documentary on Iranian Americans...
It’ll air on PBS in December 2011/January 2012. I’M SO EXCITED!!!!
My mom took these (in our family room in my parent’s house) while they were filming my brother and I’s part
This was 2 days before my breast reduction :)
I hope you all can watch it :) :) :)
ATTENTION IRANIAN AMERICAN YOUTH: CAMP AYANDEH IS AMAZING.
For the last seven years, IAAB (an incredible non-profit org started by young Iranian Americans and based in NYC) has brought together high school and college-aged Iranian Americans to Camp Ayandeh, a summer leadership camp for Iranian American high school students in a different location each year. I’ve had the privilege of attending several years of Camp Ayandeh as a staff member, and cannot recommend it enough. It’s the most fun and life-changing week for everyone involved, and sure, you might learn something about Iranian culture, gain some valuable leadership skills, and get advice for college while you’re at it. And they even offer need-based scholarships to ensure everyone who wants to can attend. College students: being a counselor at Camp Ayandeh is not to be missed either! Check it out, let your friends/cousins/siblings/kids/nephews/nieces/random-Tumblr-acquaintances know, and apply soon!
For more information on Camp Ayandeh, please make sure to visit each year’s blog (in IAAB’s Media Center), as well as IAAB’s YouTube Channel for some great videos and photos of Camp Ayandeh.
From the IAAB website:
IAAB is thrilled that our flaghship program, Camp Ayandeh, is going into its 7th year. Camp Ayandeh is IAAB’s annual Iranian-American leadership camp for high school students through rising college freshmen.
Camp Ayandeh 2012 will be held in Los Angeles, CA at Whittier College from July 3rd to the 11th. Save the date and click here for the applications.
Camp Ayandeh first began in 2006 with its inaugural class and has grown every subsequent year to include a record number of campers, counselors and staff in 2011, in what many refer to as “the highlight of the summer.” Camp Ayandeh, through a positive and inclusive environment, allows campers to develop leadership skills, foster strong friendships, and gain a deeper understanding of culture and identity as the youth of the Iranian diaspora community. The Iranian-American community is diverse and vibrant, a characteristic that Camp Ayandeh represents, embraces, and celebrates. Campers leave with a stronger sense of self, lifelong friendships, and the necessary skills to lead both within and outside of the Iranian diaspora community. As a non-political and non-religious camp, Camp Ayandeh is open to all races and all creeds.
The future of my love life according to my mother.
- Mom: Tara, why don't you have a boyfriend?
- Me: I don't know...?
- Mom: Would you ever date an Iranian boy?
- Me: Absolutely not.
- Mom: Why not? How about an Iranian-American boy?
- Me: There's no difference, still wouldn't date him.
- Mom: He would be born here, and he'd be just like you and Tina and...(starts naming random cousins)
- Me: Nope.
- Mom: Why?!
- Me: ...because of their mothers.
- Mom: ...
- Mom: And how are they different from American mothers?
- Me: AMERICAN MOMS ARE EASIER TO PLEASE.
“ما آمریکای بودیم تا ۱۱ سپتامبر. بعد از اون شدیم خارجی... . .یادم میاد یه روز توی کلاس یکی اومد از من پرسید، خانواده تو از تروریسم پشتیبانی میکنه؟ We were American until September 11th. After that, we became foreigners. I remember in class one day, someone came up to me and asked, "Does your family support terrorism?”
—an Iranian-American university student“I'll leave you guys with this: I try, with my stand-up, to break stereotypes, present Middle Easterners in a positive light - Muslims in a positive light - and I hope that in the coming years, more film and television programs come out of Hollywood presenting us in a positive light. Who knows, maybe one day we'll even have our own James Bond, right. "My name is Bond, Jamal Bond." ”
—Maz Jobrani, Comedian.
“Did You Hear the One About the Iranian-American?
5th IAAB INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON THE IRANIAN DIASPORA: LAST CALL!
(As you may have noticed, Yadashts is on a brief hiatus at the moment, but this event is too relevant to leave un-posted. And just in the interest of full disclosure, yours truly is organizing said event, so feel free to read the following in my charming voice.)
Join us for the largest international conference on the Iranian diaspora this fall in Los Angeles! The IAAB International Conference on the Iranian Diaspora brings together scholars, professionals, artists, journalists, students, and community members to share cutting-edge research, participate in workshops, and engage in open dialogue about the current state, challenges, and contributions of communities in the global Iranian diaspora. The Call for Presentations is below; have a look at the extensive list of topics of interest, save the date, and consider submitting a proposal. (Note that the deadline is April 2nd, so no procrastinating!) I might also add that your favorite scholar of diasporic cinema and mine, Dr. Hamid Naficy, will give a keynote at this event. (In other words, if you like Yadashts even just a little bit, you’re going to want to be a part of this.) Any questions? Email IAAB at conference@iranianalliances.org.
CALL FOR PRESENTATIONS (DEADLINE: APRIL 2, 2012)
IAAB INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON THE IRANIAN DIASPORA
October 13-14, 2012 | University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
Through a series of panels, workshops, and presentations, the 2012 IAAB Conference aims to engage a diverse array of academics, community leaders, artists, and members of the global Iranian diaspora. In addition to providing an open environment for productive and interactive dialog on cutting edge research, community programs, and cultural productions, the conference will also serve as an opportunity to build a stronger network of Iranians across our various borders.
Proposal submissions
IAAB seeks original research and presentations from any discipline, with emphases on the following areas, in the format of a paper presentation, pre-arranged panel, or workshop:
- Oral and visual histories documenting the diaspora
- Refugee, transmigrant, and undocumented immigration experiences, rights and challenges
- Demographic studies based on recent data (e.g. 2010 U.S. Census, 2011 Canadian Census, etc.)
- Collaboration across and between diaspora and immigrant communities
- The effects of sanctions on Iranians in diaspora
- Cultural production in diaspora (cinema, music, literature, TV, theater, new media, visual and performance art, curation, etc.)
- Fieldwork and case studies on local Iranian communities, particularly those outside the U.S. and in newer destinations (e.g. Malaysia)
- The role of social media and transnational networks in diaspora
- Emerging legal challenges in Iranian communities worldwide
- Second- and third-generation identity negotiations
- Historical analyses of Iranian diaspora communities pre-1979
- Studies of health-related community activism in the Iranian diaspora
- Effects of the global financial crisis on Iranians globally
- Challenging gender, sexuality, and racial taboos in the diaspora
- Innovative approaches to ethnic entrepreneurship and transnational economic networks
- Social work, family dynamics, and community needs-assessments in the Iranian diaspora
- Cutting-edge research in heritage language education
- Transnational politics and impacts of diaspora activism upon both domestic and Iranian issues
- Other topics regarding present conditions, contributions, or challenges faced by Iranians in diaspora.
All presentations should be between 10 and 15 minutes in length and may be delivered in either of the conference languages, English and Persian. We encourage submissions of narratives, short films, and personal stories in addition to papers of a more academic nature. With the aim of engaging our diverse diaspora community, preference will be given to submissions that will generate discussion among a multigenerational and multidisciplinary audience comprised of academics, NGO and community leaders, students, artists, and members of the Iranian diaspora and international community.
Submission Guidelines | DEADLINE: APRIL 2, 2012.
All proposals must be submitted along with a short biography (no more than 200 words) via our online form by April 2, 2012. Please provide all biographical and contact information requested. Proposals without this information will not be considered. Proposals for paper presentations must include an abstract of no more than 350 words in length, submitted using the online submission form. Proposals for workshops must include the goals of the workshop, names and resumes of all workshop leaders (including previous workshops led), and an outline of content. Proposals for pre-arranged panels should consist of no more than 4 presenters and a chair (a panelist may be designated). Each panel member’s abstract must be submitted together with the panel proposal; each of these should be no more than 350 words in length and should be submitted together.
If submitting a short film or other audio-visual material for consideration, please submit a brief description through the online submission form and include a weblink to the material. If the material is not available online, please mail a copy to IAAB’s New York office. Please note: submitted material cannot be returned.
IAAB | Attn: 2012 Conference Committee
154 Grand Street, New York, NY 10013 USA
Please direct any inquiries regarding the Conference to conference@iranianalliances.org.
IAAB is a non-partisan, non-profit organization that seeks to strengthen the Iranian diaspora community through leadership and educational programming that encourages collaboration and solidarity across various borders and among multiple communities. To find out more about IAAB and our previous four International Conferences on the Iranian Diaspora, please visit our website at: www.iranianalliances.org.
Rising Rapper Azad Right - Aslan Media
aslanmedia.comIn an industry where “college dropout” maintains currency, musical artist “Azad Right” takes no interest in perpetuating the image of an uneducated rapper. Currently pursuing a degree in Political Science at UC Irvine and an internship at Interscope Records in his native Los Angeles, he has developed an uncompromising confidence to pursue a career built on his musical passion.
With the release of his debut EP, A Piece of Mine, Azad Right delivers a Hip Hop manifesto that pleases both ear and mind. Revolving around the themes of authenticity and self-reliance, he paints an intimate portrait of a young man who, like many of us, seeks to find a balance between love, friends, and success. In the process, he sparks a conversation with the listener, connecting introspective lyrics and upbeat rhythms to form a well-produced track. “If you give me your ear”, he explains in a song, “I will l give you my heart”.
But behind the Ray Bans and cool, commanding voice is Azad Naficy: an Iranian-American with big dreams and a worn-out notepad. Son to the esteemed poet Majid Naficy, Azad’s creative pursuits were fostered at a young age which saw instruction in the piano and violin. Uniquely, these skills would serve as the backdrop for an eventual transition into Hip Hop, where he has used a classical understanding of harmony to transform the microphone into an instrument for expression and thought. Now, at age 22, he hopes to introduce himself to the world.
Azad Right took some time to chat with Aslan Media about his music, life, and identity as an Iranian-Americanrapper on the rise
