Martha Teichner: THEIR STORY BEGINS MORE THAN TWO MILLENNIA AGO, IN THE MIDDLE EAST, IN A LAND THAT WOULD COME TO BE CALLED "PERSIA."

BEGINNING AS A GROUP OF NOMADS, IN TIME, UNIFIED BY A COMMON LANGUAGE, THE PEOPLE OF PERSIA, LED BY SUCH GREAT KINGS AS CYRUS AND DARIUS, WOULD BUILD AN EMPIRE THAT, AT ITS PEAK, STRETCHED FROM NORTH AFRICA TO INDIA, FROM THE CASPIAN TO THE RED SEA.

A PEOPLE OF DIVERSE ETHNICITIES AND FAITHS, THEY DEVELOPED RICH TRADITIONS THAT HAVE ENDURED CENTURIES OF MIGRATIONS AND CONQUESTS.

IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE 20th CENTURY, THEIR NATION, NOW KNOWN AS IRAN, WAS RACKED BY POLITICAL AND RELIGIOUS UPHEAVAL AND, ULTIMATELY, REVOLUTION.

FROM THIS, TENS OF THOUSANDS OF IRANIANS LEFT THEIR HOMELAND FOR THE UNITED STATES, A COUNTRY THEY WOULD COME TO CALL HOME.

MAJOR FUNDING FOR "THE IRANIAN AMERICANS" EINSTEIN.

YOU KNOW, NAMES, PLACES, THAT I COULD NEVER IMAGINE BEING THERE.

[ "AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL" PLAYS ] Pirnazar-Oberman: OH, MY GOD, THE PICTURES FROM SEARS ROEBUCK.

IT WAS LIKE GOING TO THE MOON.

ALL THE LADIES WOULD LOOK AT THAT AND FOLLOW THE FASHIONS FROM THERE.

THAT'S HOW I REMEMBER MY MOM AND MY SISTER.

THEY WOULD LOOK AT THIS, OKAY, THEY'D TELL THE DRESSMAKER, "LET'S MAKE THIS, LET'S MAKE THAT."

I WAS RAISED IN TEHRAN WITH ALL KINDS OF NEIGHBORS AROUND US, FROM ALL NATIONALITIES.

WE HAD SOME RUSSIAN NEIGHBORS RIGHT NEXT TO US AND LOTS OF ARMENIANS, LOTS OF JEWS.

WE HAD A NEIGHBOR WHO WAS AN AMERICAN EXPAT LIVING IN IRAN AND, WHEN THEY LEFT, THEY WANTED TO SELL SOME OF THEIR STUFF AND MY MOM BOUGHT ME THE FIRST BARBIE AND THE BARBIE HOUSE.

BARBIE'S DREAM HOUSE.

EVERYBODY WANTED TO COME THERE AND PLAY WITH THIS BARBIE AND IT WAS JUST, YOU KNOW, I HAD DIED AND GONE TO HEAVEN.

I GREW UP ON TARZAN, WATCHING TARZAN MOVIES.

MY FATHER LOVED TARZAN AND WE WATCHED EVERY OF HIS MOVIES, OR SOME OTHER MOVIES.

AMERICAN MOVIES WERE VERY FAMOUS.

Interviewer: CAN YOU DO THE TARZAN "YAAH!"?

I CANNOT, BUT -- AAAAH!

Ameri: THE AMERICAN ARMED FORCES HAD A TV STATION IN IRAN, AT THE TIME.

WE USED TO WATCH ALL THESE GREAT SHOWS, LIKE "LASSIE."

WE WERE ALL ENAMORED BY "LASSIE."

Jobrani: I LOVED COMIC BOOKS, SO I HAD, LIKE, "SPIDER-MAN" AND "SUPERMAN" AND "BATMAN" AND MY COUSIN AND I WOULD LOOK AT THESE AND THEN WE'D RUN AROUND THE HOUSE, ACTING IT OUT.

I'M A BIG FILM FANATIC.

EVERY WEEK, I WANTED TO WATCH FILMS AND, OF COURSE, THE EPITOME OF FILMS IS HOLLYWOOD AND AMERICAN FILMS.

Teichner: RELATIONS BETWEEN IRAN AND THE U.S. HAD BEEN FLOURISHING FOR MUCH OF THE 20th CENTURY, BEGINNING, IN PART, WHEN REZA PAHLAVI, A HIGH-RANKING ARMY OFFICER, TOOK CONTROL OF THE COUNTRY, BECOMING THE SHAH OF IRAN IN 1925.

IN 1941, HIS SON MOHAMMAD REZA TOOK OVER AS SHAH.

A WEAKER LEADER THAN HIS FATHER, HE ALL BUT LOST POWER IN THE 1950s TO AN ELECTED GOVERNMENT THAT MARGINALIZED HIM.

THE BRITISH AND AMERICANS, HOWEVER, FEARFUL THEY'D LOSE INFLUENCE OVER IRAN AND ITS OIL, OVERTHREW THE DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED PRIME MINISTER, GIVING MOHAMMAD REZA SHAH VIRTUALLY UNCHALLENGED AUTHORITY.

WE HAVE NO OTHER NATION ON EARTH WHO IS CLOSER TO US AND THERE IS NO LEADER WITH WHOM I HAVE A DEEPER SENSE OF PERSONAL GRATITUDE AND PERSONAL FRIENDSHIP.

Teichner: UNDER THE SHAH'S RULE, IRAN AND THE U.S.

GREW INCREASINGLY CLOSE.

DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS STRENGTHENED AND TRADE GREW EXPONENTIALLY.

MANY AMERICANS ALSO WENT TO LIVE AND WORK IN IRAN.

Rahimieh: THERE WAS A GREAT DEAL OF RAPID WESTERNIZATION.

THE TRANSFORMATIONS WERE VISIBLE.

YOUNG IRANIANS, TEENAGERS, THEY HAD THIS IMAGE OF THIS GLAMOROUS COUNTRY THAT YOU WOULD GO TO AND SEE, IF NOT NECESSARILY IN TERMS OF "THE LAND OF OPPORTUNITY," BUT ALL SORTS OF NOVEL, NEW THINGS.

Teichner: WHILE SMALL NUMBERS OF IRANIANS HAD BEEN MOVING TO THE U.S. FOR DECADES, BY THE 1970s, THEY WERE COMING IN THE TENS OF THOUSANDS, SOME FOR WORK, BUT MANY MORE FOR EDUCATION.

Biglari: GOING TO THE UNITED STATES FOR EDUCATION WAS SOMETHING I LOOKED FORWARD TO.

SO DID MANY OF MY CONTEMPORARIES.

WHEN I ULTIMATELY CAME TO THE STATES, JUST BEFORE THE REVOLUTION, THERE WERE ABOUT 50,000 IRANIAN STUDENTS IN THIS COUNTRY, OR ABOUT 20% OF THE TOTAL FOREIGN-STUDENT POPULATION IN THE COUNTRY.

Ameri: IN MY FAMILY, MY DAD, HE ALWAYS WANTED TO SEND HIS KIDS TO THE STATES BECAUSE HE THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS WHERE THINGS WERE HAPPENING.

SO BEFORE ME, MY TWO OLDER BROTHERS HAD COME HERE AND THEN, BY THE TIME IT WAS MY TURN, THE PATH WAS VERY CLEAR.

Pirnazar-Oberman: I GRADUATED IN IRAN IN 1975.

I GOT MY MASTER'S IN ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE AND I WAS OFFERED A SCHOLARSHIP TO COME TO GET MY PhD IN THE UNITED STATES.

THE EXPECTATION THAT WE HAD WHEN WE CAME HERE WAS THAT WE WOULD GET OUR EDUCATION HERE AND THEN GO BACK TO IRAN.

THAT'S WHAT MOST PEOPLE WHO CAME AND STUDIED IN THE UNITED STATES DID.

AS IT TURNED OUT, THE IRANIAN REVOLUTION INTERFERED WITH THOSE PLANS.

THE POLITICAL CONVULSIONS IN IRAN CONTINUE AND THE GOVERNMENT APPOINTED BY THE SHAH APPARENTLY HAS BEEN TOPPLED.

Teichner: 1979 MARKED A CHANGE FOR IRAN.

THE LARGELY SECULAR GOVERNMENT LED BY THE SHAH CAME TO END AS HE AND HIS FAMILY FLED AND THE COUNTRY UNDERWENT A REVOLUTION.

WHILE MANY IRANIANS HAD PROSPERED UNDER THE SHAH'S RULE, OTHERS WERE ENRAGED BY THE GROWING DISPARITY BETWEEN CLASSES.

MANY ALSO CONSIDERED HIM CORRUPT; A MERE TOOL OF THE U.S.; AND OPPRESSIVE, OFTEN VIOLENTLY, TO HIS OPPOSITION.

Pourjafar: IN IRAN IN 1979, I WAS ONLY EIGHT, EIGHT AND A HALF YEARS OLD, SO I WAS MOSTLY IN SCHOOL.

A LOT OF THINGS WERE HAPPENING EVERYWHERE.

WE WERE SCARED BECAUSE THERE WAS A LOT OF BLOODSHED, THERE WERE A LOT OF DEMONSTRATIONS, THERE WAS A LOT OF... ANGER.

Teichner: THE SOLUTION FOR THE REVOLUTIONARIES WAS TO USHER IN A NEW LEADER.

THEIR CHOICE WAS THE AYATOLLAH KHOMEINI.

EXILED FROM IRAN FOR YEARS, HE PROMISED A NEW IRAN, A CLASSLESS SOCIETY, ROOTED IN ISLAMIC BELIEF, WITH NO CORRUPTION AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL, A NATION THAT WOULD BE BASED ON INDEPENDENCE AND FREEDOM.

THESE WERE HIS PROMISES, BUT, AS THE WORLD SOON LEARNED, THEY WERE SHORT-LIVED.

Naderi: IT TURNED VERY QUICKLY, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF ALL THE PROMISES THAT KHOMEINI HAD MADE ABOUT SECULAR DEMOCRACY AND ALL OF THAT.

IT WAS VERY CLEAR, WITHIN THE FIRST FEW MONTHS, THAT NONE OF THAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN.

Teichner: THE AYATOLLAH FORMED A NEW REPUBLIC OF IRAN, WHERE ISLAMIC LAW RULED AND DISSENT WAS NOT TOLERATED.

MANY OF THOSE ASSOCIATED WITH THE SHAH OR THOSE POLITICALLY OPPOSED TO THE NEW REGIME FACED IMPRISONMENT OR EXECUTION.

THOSE WHO COULD AFFORD TO LEAVE -- IN LARGE PART, PEOPLE WHO'D BENEFITED FROM THE SHAH'S POLICIES -- DID SO, FLEEING THE COUNTRY WITH THEIR FAMILIES.

IN MOST CASES, THESE WERE PEOPLE WITH MEANS -- PRIMARILY, SECULAR MUSLIMS AND RELIGIOUS AND ETHNIC MINORITIES.

Pourjafar: A LOT OF A FAMILIES LEFT.

THEY LEFT, THEY LEFT.

ONE AFTER ANOTHER, THEY LEFT THE COUNTRY.

THEY JUST LEFT THEIR HOUSES, EVERYTHING.

THEY PACKED THEIR CLOTHES, THEY BOUGHT A TICKET, AND THEY LEFT.

I LEFT.

ALL MY BOOKS IN MY OFFICE, MY APARTMENT, THE CAR PARKED IN THE FRONT -- EVERYTHING THAT WOULD HAVE GIVEN THE PERCEPTION THAT I'M LEAVING FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS AND COMING BACK.

AND I LEFT AND THAT WAS THE END OF THAT.

Man: THE MOST POPULAR PLACE IN TEHRAN, AT THE MOMENT, IS THE AIRPORT.

IRANIANS AND FOREIGNERS ARE TRYING TO LEAVE.

Teichner: IN THE YEARS SURROUNDING THE REVOLUTION, TENS OF THOUSANDS OF IRANIANS BEGAN ARRIVING IN THE UNITED STATES.

Sarshar: I WAS FIRED.

MY HUSBAND WAS FIRED FROM THE POSITION THAT HE HAD.

WE THOUGHT MAYBE IT'S NOT A BAD IDEA TO GO OUT OF THE COUNTRY FOR A FEW WEEKS AND SEE IF EVERYTHING SETTLED DOWN -- WE WERE SMELLING SOMETHING COMING UP -- AND COME BACK, AND THAT WAS IT.

MY FATHER WAS ON BUSINESS IN NEW YORK AND HE SENT FOR MY MOM TO BRING MY SISTER AND MYSELF TO NEW YORK TO BE WITH HIM FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS.

AND I ALWAYS SAY WE PACKED FOR 2 WEEKS, WE STAYED FOR 30 YEARS.

Soomekh: I MOVED HERE WHEN I WAS TWO.

MY PARENTS, WE HAD WHAT I CALL A RUSHED MOVING.

WENT IMMEDIATELY TO THE AMERICAN EMBASSY.

WE WERE ABLE TO SELL SOME OF OUR BELONGINGS, NOT A LOT OF IT -- MY DAD COULDN'T SELL HIS BUSINESS, OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT -- AND IMMEDIATELY JUST BOUGHT A TICKET TO AMERICA.

THERE WERE THOUSANDS OF US STUDYING IN THE U.S. AND, YOU KNOW, WE HAD A CHOICE TO MAKE.

I MEAN, EITHER WE WERE GOING TO GO BACK TO IRAN AND, YOU KNOW, BE FACED WITH THIS UNKNOWN -- AND THE UNKNOWN DIDN'T LOOK VERY APPEALING -- OR WE COULD STAY HERE.

I HAD NO FAMILY HERE AND I WAS ONLY 17 AND I WAS SUDDENLY CUT OFF FINANCIALLY AND PSYCHOLOGICALLY AND PHYSICALLY FROM THE COUNTRY AND THE FAMILY AND I STARTED TO FEEL LIKE I WAS REALLY FALLING APART, PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY.

Teichner: FOR YEARS, KHOMEINI HAD DENOUNCED THE U.S. AS AN IMPERIAL OPPRESSOR.

UNDER HIS RULE, RELATIONS BETWEEN THE U.S. AND IRAN, THAT HAD BEEN SO STRONG UNDER THE SHAH, BEGAN TO CRUMBLE.

ON NOVEMBER 10, 1979, TIES BETWEEN THE U.S. AND IRAN WERE SEVERED COMPLETELY, AS A GROUP OF SEVERAL HUNDRED IRANIAN STUDENTS JOINED THE ANTIAMERICAN FERVOR, STORMED THE AMERICAN EMBASSY IN TEHRAN, AND TOOK DOZENS OF AMERICANS HOSTAGE.

THE STUDENTS' PRIMARY DEMAND WAS THAT AMERICA SEND THE SHAH BACK TO IRAN FOR TRIAL.

THE VERY NEXT DAY, THE AYATOLLAH MADE HIS FAMOUS DECLARATION THAT AMERICA WAS "THE GREAT SATAN."

IN NOVEMBER 1980, THE DRAMA IN IRAN INTENSIFIED WHEN IRAQ, SENSING A WEAKENED IRAN AND A CHANCE TO TAKE NEW LANDS RICH WITH OIL, ATTACKED, BEGINNING A WAR THAT WOULD LAST EIGHT YEARS.

WITH A COLLAPSING ECONOMY AND A COUNTRY AT WAR, ANOTHER EXODUS FROM IRAN BEGAN AND CONTINUED THROUGH THE 1980s, WITH MORE IRANIANS COMING TO SETTLE IN THE UNITED STATES.

WITH THE HOSTAGE CRISIS IN DAILY HEADLINES, AMERICAN ANGER TOWARDS IRAN GREW AND MANY IRANIANS IN THE U.S. FOUND THEMSELVES IN THE CROSSFIRE.

Rahimieh: AFTER THE HOSTAGE CRISIS, IRANIANS, PARTICULARLY OUTSIDE IRAN, WANTED TO DISAVOW THEIR ORIGINS BECAUSE, IF YOU'RE LIVING IN THE WEST AND IRAN HAS BECOME A COUNTRY THAT IS SO CLOSELY IDENTIFIED WITH ANTIWESTERN VIEWS, WITH A KIND OF REPRESENTATION THAT IS NOT FAVORABLE TO IRANIANS, THAT, PSYCHOLOGICALLY, IT'S WORKED AGAINST EMBRACING THE IRANIAN IDENTITY.

Bozorgmehr: PEOPLE ASKED YOU, "WHAT ARE YOU?

", YOU SAID YOU WERE IRANIAN, YOU WERE UP FOR SOME KIND OF SHOUTING MATCH OR A FISTFIGHT.

YEAH!

SO PEOPLE STARTED USING A VERY INNOCUOUS TERM, "PERSIAN," YOU KNOW, WHICH SORT OF SPOKE OF THE GRANDEUR OF PERSIAN CIVILIZATION AND PERSIAN RUGS AND PERSIAN PISTACHIOS.

YOU KNOW, WE SMILE WHEN WE SAY IT.

WE'RE LIKE, "NO, NO.

I'M NOT IRANIAN.

ME?

"WHAT AM I?

ME?

ME?

I AM PERSIAN, LIKE THE CAT.

MEOW!"

Soomekh: WHAT IT REALLY DID FOR THE IRANIAN-JEWISH COMMUNITY IS MAKE THEM PLAY UP THEIR JEWISH IDENTITY OVER EVERYTHING ELSE, IN ORDER TO SHOW AMERICAN JEWS AND JUST PEOPLE IN AMERICA THAT THEY'RE NOT, IN ANY WAY, ASSOCIATED WITH THE ISLAMIC REGIME THAT JUST HELD 52 AMERICANS HOSTAGE.

THE FIRST THING I DID IS I WENT AND BOUGHT AN AMERICAN FLAG AND PUT IT HERE.

SO I WALKED AROUND ALL OVER WITH AN AMERICAN FLAG.

IN FACT, I WAS GOING TO A CEMETERY IN BURBANK AND I DIDN'T HAVE THAT FLAG, SO I ASKED SOMEBODY, "HOW DO I GET TO FOREST LAWN?"

HE SAYS, "WHY DON'T YOU GO BACK TO YOUR DAMN COUNTRY?"

JUST LIKE THAT, DIDN'T WANT TO GIVE ME DIRECTIONS, OR NOTHING.

SO I KNEW, IN THEIR MIND, ANYBODY THAT LOOKED LIKE ME, MIDDLE EASTERN, WAS LOOKED DOWN AND WITH PREJUDICE AND WITH ANGER.

WE FELT AN INCREDIBLE SENSE OF INSECURITY, IN TERMS OF THAT WE HAD NO WAY BACK, BUT ALSO, WHERE WE WERE, THERE WAS A LOT OF THE ELEMENT OF UNKNOWN.

A LOT OF AMERICAN FRIENDS, THEY USED TO TELL ME, "DON'T SAY EVERYWHERE YOU'RE PERSIAN.

SAY YOU'RE GREEK, YOU'RE ITALIAN."

I SAY, "WHY?

I AM PERSIAN."

[chanting] GO HOME!

GO HOME!

GO HOME!

Man: IT IS NOT ONLY IN PUBLIC DEMONSTRATIONS THAT HOSTILITY TOWARD IRANIANS IS SEEN.

THIS BEVERLY HILLS ESTABLISHMENT HAD A BRICK THROUGH ITS WINDOW THE OTHER DAY.

AS FOR GOING "HOME," FOR THOUSANDS OF IRANIANS HERE, THIS IS HOME.

Dumas: MY FATHER NO LONGER HAD A JOB AND NOBODY WOULD HIRE HIM.

HERE HE WAS, LIKE, THIS MAN IN HIS 50s, HE TALKED LIKE "THEES" [this].

HIS NAME IS KAZEM JAZAYERI.

I MEAN, HE WAS JUST UNEMPLOYABLE.

AND IT WAS A VERY PAINFUL PERIOD.

I MEAN, HE WAS HOME ALL THE TIME, WATCHING TV, SWEARING AT KHOMEINI, SWEARING AT THE REVOLUTION.

IT WASN'T SO MUCH THAT I WAS SAD THAT WE WEREN'T GOING BACK, I WAS JUST SO SAD THAT MY FATHER WAS SUCH A DIFFERENT PERSON NOW.

Neshat: THERE IS NO WAY THAT ANY IRANIAN COULD HAVE TRAVELED AND LEFT THEIR COUNTRY AND NOT HAVE HAD THE EXPERIENCE OF PAIN AND THE EXPERIENCE OF SEPARATION ANXIETY AND, YOU KNOW, YOU SUFFER, TO A DIFFERENT DEGREE.

Delshad: HERE I WAS, I'M BECOMING MORE AND MORE AMERICANIZED, AND THEN, ALL THE IRANIANS STARTED COMING HERE AND LIFE STARTED CHANGING AGAIN, FOR ME.

WHEN THEY CAME HERE, I CALLED THEM A "SUITCASE MENTALITY."

THEY WERE ALWAYS HAVING THEIR SUITCASE READY, PACKED, TO GO BACK.

Teichner: WHILE MANY COULD TRAVEL BACK TO IRAN TO VISIT, FOR MOST, THEIR OLD LIVES, JOBS, AND BUSINESSES WERE GONE, OR THEIR FAMILIES HAD DISPERSED.

FOR OTHERS, THEIR POLITICS OR RELIGION MADE PERMANENT RETURN IMPOSSIBLE.

Ameri: THOSE OF US WHO FINISHED COLLEGE HERE AND, RIGHT AWAY, HAD TO GO INTO THE WORKFORCE DURING THE TIME THAT THE REVOLUTION WAS HAPPENING, I THINK, FOR US, IT WAS VERY EVIDENT THAT THIS WAS OUR HOME.

"WE'RE WORKING HERE.

THIS IS OUR HOME.

WE NEED TO MOVE ON."

THE OLDER GENERATION, WHO HAD TO LEAVE IRAN AFTER THE REVOLUTION, I THINK IT WAS VERY DIFFERENT FROM THEM.

YOU KNOW, THEY HAD ALREADY STARTED A LIFE IN IRAN AND THEN THEY HAD TO LEAVE THAT AND COME HERE.

I MISSED EVERYTHING, EVERY LITTLE THING YOU CAN THINK OF.

MOST OF ALL, MY FAMILY.

AT THE BEGINNING, IT WAS MY MOTHER, MY SISTER, MY BROTHER, MY NEIGHBOR, THE GARBAGE MAN WHO PICK UP MY GARBAGE.

"I REALLY WANT TO GO BACK TO IRAN.

"I WANT TO BE IN THE CARGO OF THE PLANE.

"JUST PUT ME SOMEPLACE AND TAKE ME BACK TO MY COUNTRY."

Sarshar: WHEN I LOOK BACK AND I THINK OF THOSE DAYS, WHICH, I WENT THROUGH A VERY DEEP DEPRESSION.

WHOEVER WOULD TALK TO ME AND SAY, "HOMA, HOW ARE YOU?

", I STARTED CRYING BECAUSE I FELT THAT I DIDN'T SAY GOODBYE TO MY COUNTRY.

I DIDN'T LEAVE MY COUNTRY AND MY HOMELAND BY WILL.

I WAS FORCED OUT.

SO MANY IRANIANS ACTUALLY CLUNG TO THE HOPE THAT, SOMEHOW, THINGS WOULD GO BACK AND THERE WOULD BE AN IRAN THAT THEY COULD GO BACK TO.

I DON'T THINK THAT OLDER IRANIANS REALLY EVER THOUGHT THAT THEY WOULD BE DYING IN THIS COUNTRY.

Delshad: AND IT TOOK A FEW YEARS, TELLING THEM THAT THIS IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.

YOUR KIDS ARE NOT GOING TO GBACK.

THEY WANT TO GO BACK.

OPEN YOUR SUITCASES, HANG YOUR CLOTHES, AND THIS IS GOING TO BE YOUR PLACE.

Houman: PEOPLE STARTED TO COME TO TERMS WITH THE FACT THAT "I THINK WE'RE HERE TO STAY.

"WE NEED TO START "CELEBRATING THANKSGIVING.

"EVEN THOUGH "WE DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH THIS CRANBERRY SAUCE.

"BUT, NOW, I HAVE A 3-YEAR-OLD GRANDCHILD WHO'S AN AMERICAN."

Rahimieh: THEY ESTABLISHED BUSINESSES.

SOME OF THEM HAD TO COMPLETELY REMAKE THEMSELVES.

Teichner: WHILE THE LARGEST NUMBER OF IRANIANS SETTLED IN CALIFORNIA, PARTICULARLY IN LOS ANGELES, IRANIANS ALSO SETTLED ACROSS THE COUNTRY, PRIMARILY IN MAJOR CITIES, FROM CHICAGO TO NEW YORK, WASHINGTON TO HOUSTON.

THESE COMMUNITIES INCLUDED SECULAR AND A SMALLER NUMBER OF PRACTICING MUSLIMS; AS WELL AS RELIGIOUS AND ETHNIC MINORITIES WHO HAD LEFT IRAN: A LARGE NUMBER OF JEWS, ARMENIAN CHRISTIANS, ASSYRIANS, ZOROASTRIANS, AND BAHA'IS.

IN MORE RECENT YEARS, MIGRATION FROM IRAN HAS CONTINUED, THOUGH IN MUCH SMALLER NUMBERS.

Pourjafar: AND I SAID, "I REALLY WANT TO GO SOMEWHERE THAT I CAN GET UP AND SAY, 'THIS IS WHAT I WANT TO DO TODAY.'"

I WANT TO BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT -- IF THEY ASK ME, SAY I'M A BAHA'I, THIS IS WHAT I BELIEVE IN.

I WANT TO BE ABLE TO BE AMONG PEOPLE WITH DIFFERENT CULTURES, TO EXPERIENCE A DIFFERENT LIFE.

Soomekh: BEFORE THE REVOLUTION, YOU HAD 100,000 JEWS IN IRAN.

AFTER THE REVOLUTION, YOU HAD ABOUT 20,000 JEWS.

SO ABOUT 80,000 JEWS LEFT IRAN AND WENT, MOSTLY, TO LOS ANGELES; TO GREAT NECK, NEW YORK.

MY FAMILY BECAME A PART OF THE CLOTHING INDUSTRY, MAKING BELTS.

AND SO, WHEN THE IRANIAN JEWISH COMMUNITY CAME HERE, THEY FELT WELCOMED, IN A SENSE, FROM THE JEWISH COMMUNITY, AND, YET, AT THE SAME TIME, PEOPLE JUST DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WHAT TO MAKE OF THEM.

PEOPLE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THAT JEWS EXISTED IN IRAN AND SO THEY IMMEDIATELY SET UP THEIR OWN SYNAGOGUES AND FELT VERY WELCOMED AND VERY RELIEVED THAT THEY WERE HERE.

Houman: MY GRANDMOTHER HAD BOUGHT A HOUSE.

MY IMMEDIATE FAMILY -- MY PARENTS, ME, AND MY BROTHER; MY MOM'S OLDER BROTHER, WIFE, AND TWO KIDS; AND MY GRANDPARENTS AND MY AUNT; ALL LIVED IN A 4-BEDROOM RANCH HOUSE.

SO EACH FAMILY WAS BASICALLY GIVEN A BEDROOM AND I KIND OF ENDED UP SLEEPING ON THE LIVING ROOM COUCH.

AND AFTER EVERYBODY WENT TO SLEEP, I'D WATCH TV AND, AT THAT POINT, IT WAS EITHER EARLY LOONEY TUNES OR LATE-NIGHT SILVER-SCREENS, WHICH WAS REALLY HOW I LEARNED TO SPEAK ENGLISH.

Khordadian: WE WENT TO L.A. AND WE SEE "OH, THERE IS A CABARET TEHRAN IN L.A." AND THAT'S WHERE WE START WORKING, RIGHT AWAY.

BECAUSE, IN IRAN, I WAS A DANCER AND THIS IS SOMETHING I KNEW I'M GOOD AT IT.

THAT'S WHERE MY SECOND LIFE OF DANCING START.

SLOWLY, THEY HAD IRANIAN TV.

Khordadian: I REMEMBER THEY ONLY HAD EVERY SUNDAY, ONLY ONE HOUR, AND WE USED TO MAKE SURE, LIKE, WE DON'T MISS IT.

WE'D ALWAYS GET TOGETHER WITH THE NEIGHBORS OR FRIENDS WE MET AND HAVE A LUNCH PARTY AND WATCH THE TV.

Farmanara: BOTH OF US, MY HUSBAND AND I, WE ALWAYS HAD PROBLEMS WITH OUR NAMES.

NOBODY COULD PRONOUNCE IT.

SO I JUST "MY NAME IS HALEH," LIKE I TOLD YOU, AND, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE JUST WEREN'T GETTING IT, SO, OKAY, I BECAME "HOLLY" AND MY HUSBAND, FARHAD, BECAME "FRED."

HOLLY AND FRED FARMANARA, THERE YOU GO.

THEY JUST THOUGHT I WAS SPANISH.

Jobrani: AS A KID, COMING TO AMERICA, I JUST WANTED TO LAY LOW AND MY DAD WAS THIS VERY GREGARIOUS IRANIAN MAN AND HE WAS ALWAYS LOUD, WHEREVER HE WENT, SO EVERYWHERE WE WENT, MY DAD WOULD BE LIKE, "HELLO!

HOW ARE YOU?"

YOU KNOW.

LIKE, I REMEMBER GOING TO BUY ICE CREAM ONE TIME AND I WAS, LIKE, 10 YEARS OLD AND THERE WAS, LIKE, A 14-YEAR-OLD GIRL WORKING BEHIND THE COUNTER.

HE'S LIKE, "HELLO!

HOW ARE YOU, PRETTY LADY?

YOU WANT TO MARRY MY SON?"

AND I WAS, LIKE, TURNING RED.

I'M LIKE "DAD!"

YOU KNOW.

HE'S LIKE "HA HA HA," YOU KNOW, YOU MAY AS WELL CUE THE STEREOTYPICAL MIDDLE EASTERN MUSIC THEY PLAY IN MOVIES, LIKE ♪ LEE LEE LEE LEE DING DEE DEE DEE DING DING ♪♪♪ Farmanara: WHEN MY DAUGHTER WAS BORN, WE LIVED IN TEXAS, SO I HAD THIS NEIGHBOR WHO BECAME MY BEST FRIEND.

SO, THAT FIRST CHRISTMAS, SHE JUST CAME TO VISIT AND SO SHE LOOKED AROUND THE HOUSE AND THEN SHE SAID, "I'LL BE RIGHT BACK."

SO SHE CAME BACK WITH A CHRISTMAS TREE FOR ME.

I SAID, "WELL, WE DON'T REALLY CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS."

SHE GOES, "EVERYBODY CELEBRATES CHRISTMAS."

WE STARTED HAVING CHRISTMAS EVERY YEAR, IN HONOR OF DARLENE, MY FRIEND FROM TEXAS.

YOU KNOW, IT'S FUNNY, BECAUSE, WHEN WE CAME TO AMERICA, WE NOTICED THAT, WHEN THERE WERE VACATIONS, PEOPLE WOULD ACTUALLY GO AND VISIT PLACES, WHEREAS, MY WHOLE LIFE, WE'D JUST GO AND VISIT FAMILY.

IT NEVER OCCURRED TO US, LIKE, TO GO TO A CITY WE DON'T KNOW, JUST TO SEE THE CITY.

AND I WAS TALKING TO MY BEST FRIEND, CONNIE, ONE DAY, AND SHE SAID SOMETHING ABOUT SHE HAS A COUSIN SHE'S NEVER MET.

I SAID, "YOU DON'T KNOW YOUR COUSIN?!

WHY?!"

AND SHE SAID, "WELL, SHE LIVES IN OREGON."

AND I'M THINKING, "WELL, WE'RE IN CALIFORNIA.

OREGON?

YOU KNOW, YOU CAN DRIVE."

I COULDN'T BELIEVE THAT SHE HAD A COUSIN THAT SHE HADN'T MET.

Soomekh: WHAT IS SO AMAZING ABOUT THIS CULTURE IS THAT FAMILY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING, AND NOT JUST YOUR NUCLEAR FAMILY, YOUR EXTENDED FAMILY.

YOU HAVE FIRST, SECOND, THIRD COUSINS WHO ARE LIKE YOUR SIBLINGS.

YOUR AUNTS AND UNCLES ARE LIKE YOUR PARENTS.

YOU HAVE FOUR GENERATIONS THAT ARE UNDER ONE HOME, ESPECIALLY DURING PARTIES, THINGS LIKE THAT.

YOU HAVE IRANIAN WEDDINGS AND YOU HAVE 500, 600 PEOPLE WHO ARE THERE.

IN THAT ASPECT OF IT, YOU'RE CONSTANTLY BEING NURTURED, YOU CONSTANTLY HAVE THAT LOVE.

Houman: YOU CANNOT BE AN IRANIAN WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING THAT, IF YOUR THIRD COUSIN TWICE REMOVED IS GETTING MARRIED, YOU HAVE A FAMILIAL OBLIGATION TO BE THERE FOR THE WEDDING.

IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW FAR IT IS, YOU BUY A TICKET, YOU GET ON A PLANE, YOU SHOW UP, AND YOU CELEBRATE AND YOU DANCE ALL NIGHT, AS IF YOUR SISTER WERE GETTING MARRIED.

THE GENERATION OF MY PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS WERE PETRIFIED AT THE THOUGHT THAT THEIR CHILDREN WERE GOING TO GROW UP IN A COUNTRY WHERE EVERY PART OF SOCIETY IS TELLING THEM TO LEAVE YOUR FAMILY BEHIND AND BECOME AN AUTONOMOUS SINGLE INDIVIDUAL WHO'S ONLY GOING TO THINK ABOUT CAREER, SUCCESS, AND WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO YOU.

THIS IS A COUNTRY WHERE CHILDREN LEAVE HOME AT 18.

IRANIAN PARENTS THOUGHT THESE PEOPLE WERE CRAZY.

I THINK I WAS THE FOURTH OR FIFTH GIRL IN MY COMMUNITY THAT WENT AWAY TO COLLEGE, AND I WENT TO BERKELEY.

WHAT WAS THE RESPONSE OF THE COMMUNITY WHEN I WENT TO BERKELEY?

THEY DIDN'T TURN TO MY MOM AND SAY, "CONGRATULATIONS, YOUR DAUGHTER GOT INTO ONE OF THE TOP UC SCHOOLS," BUT, INSTEAD, THEY TURNED TO MY MOM AND SAID, "WHAT DID YOU DO TO YOUR DAUGHTERS TO MAKE THEM RUN AWAY FROM YOU?"

Houman: IN IRAN, YOU KNOW, CHILDREN LIVE AT HOME UNTIL THEY GET MARRIED.

LIKE "WHY DO YOU WANT TO MOVE OUT?

WHO'S GOING TO COOK FOR YOU?

WHO'S GOING TO DO YOUR LAUNDRY?"

YOU KNOW, "WHAT'S THE MATTER?

"WHAT, YOU DON'T LIKE THE WAY I COOK?

WHY DO YOU WANT TO LEAVE THE HOUSE?"

Fallah: MY DAUGHTER SHEILA, WHEN SHE WANTS TO GO AWAY TO THE COLLEGE, I DIDN'T WANT HER TO GO AWAY BECAUSE I THOUGHT, "WHERE SHE'S GOING, WHAT SHE'S GOING TO DO, WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN?"

I DIDN'T LET HER GO.

I SAID, YOU KNOW, "YOU CAN DRIVE.

YOU CAN DRIVE TO SCHOOL" BECAUSE PACE UNIVERSITY, IT WAS JUST TWO BLOCKS FROM MY HOUSE.

Sarshar: I TALKED TO MY FRIEND AND SHE TOLD ME, "IF THEY'RE 18 YEARS OLD, THEY DON'T NEED YOUR PERMISSION."

IN MY COUNTRY, YOU NEED YOUR PARENTS' PERMISSION.

"YOU'RE ALIVE AND YOU'RE NOT DEAD, SO YOU NEED THAT PERMISSION ALL THE TIME."

WHATEVER RULE WE WERE PUTTING IN THE FAMILY, EITHER ME OR OTHER IRANIAN FAMILIES, CAME FROM FEAR.

WE DIDN'T WANT AMERICAN KIDS.

WE WANTED THE SAME IRANIAN VALUES TO STAY IN THE FAMILY AND NOT TO LOSE IT, SO, IN OUR VERY STRANGE NAIVETé THAT WE HAD, I THOUGHT, A LOT OF US THOUGHT, THAT SPEAKING FARSI OR SPEAKING PERSIAN WOULD KEEP THEM IRANIAN, WOULD ALLOW THEM TO BE MORE IRANIAN THAN AMERICAN.

Houman: THE FIRST TIME I UTTERED AN ENGLISH SENTENCE TO MY MOM, WHICH I WAS SO PROUD TO DO -- I'M LIKE, I CAN FINALLY FORMULATE A SENTENCE IN ENGLISH -- MY MOM LOOKED STRAIGHT AT ME, SAID, "IF YOU EVER SPEAK TO ME "IN ENGLISH AGAIN, I WILL NEVER TALK TO YOU.

PERSIAN, AND ONLY PERSIAN."

[ SPEAKING PERSIAN ] THERE'S A SCHOOL HERE THAT THEY HAVE FARSI.

I WAS TRYING TO TAKE MY SON TO REGISTER AND THE PERSON WHO IS IN CHARGE, WHO IS ALSO IRANIAN, HE WAS THE ONE WHO SAID, "THIS IS GOING TO BE A LITTLE DIFFICULT FOR HIM NOW.

WAIT A LITTLE BIT, UNTIL HE'S SEVEN, MAYBE EIGHT."

AND I SAID, "NO, BUT HE HAS TO LEARN.

"I WANT HIM TO LEARN THE LANGUAGE.

HE HAS TO LEARN HOW TO READ.

HE HAS TO LEARN."

HE SAID, "LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING -- "ENGLISH IS GOING TO BE HIS FIRST LANGUAGE.

HE'S BORN HERE.

HE'S GOING TO BE AMERICAN."

AND, YOU KNOW, IT WAS A MOMENT THAT I SAID, "OH, WAIT, I DIDN'T WANT TO HEAR THAT."

I WANT THEM TO GROW UP AND BE ABLE TO SPEAK FARSI FLUENTLY.

I WANT THEM TO GROW UP AND BE ABLE TO READ THE POEMS FROM HAFEZ AND RUMI.

IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR ME.

Adabi: MY FATHER SPEAKS ENGLISH AT HOME.

WE SPEAK FARSI BACK TO HIM.

AND THEN WE'LL ASK HIM, LIKE "WHAT DOES THIS WORD MEAN IN FARSI?"

OR "WHAT DOES THAT WORD MEAN?"

AND THEN HE'LL TRY TO PUT IT INTO A SENTENCE AND, IN CONTEXT CLUES, WE'LL FIGURE IT OUT.

SO IT WAS MORE BASED ON US.

THERE IS ALWAYS A SENSE OF JOY WHEN YOU REALIZE THAT WHAT YOU'RE PASSING ON TO YOUR CHILDREN AND WHAT THEY WILL BE CARRYING ON TO THEIR CHILDREN, HOPEFULLY, IS A BOND TO THE PAST, IS A BOND BACK TO THEIR CULTURE.

SO WHEN THEY SPEAK, OBVIOUSLY, THEY DON'T SPEAK WITH A PERFECT ACCENT, BUT IT DOESN'T MATTER.

JUST THE FACT THAT THEY'RE TRYING TO SPEAK IN PERSIAN HAS VALUE FOR US AND IT'S ALWAYS WONDERFUL TO HEAR IT.

I THINK, FOR ME, SPEAKING FARSI, IT'S ONE OF THOSE REMAINING PARTS OF MY IDENTITY [crying] THAT I REALLY TREASURE BECAUSE I'VE LOST QUITE A LOT, BUT SPEAKING MY LANGUAGE IS, HOPEFULLY, SOMETHING THAT WILL STAY WITH ME.

WHEN YOU SPEAK FARSI, IT'S SLOWER, IT'S VERY POETIC, IN A WAY, AND IT'S, YOU KNOW -- [ SPEAKING PERSIAN ] [ SCAT SINGING ] SO IT'S VERY SLOW, SO WHEN WE WE DO SPEAK ENGLISH, WE SPEAK VERY SLOWLY, WE TALK LIKE THIS.

WE TALK LIKE "THEES," WE TALK VERY ESLOW, LIKE, YOU KNOW, FALLING ASLEEP.

HOW ARE YOU?

HOW ARE YOU?

I AM IRANIAN.

HOW ARE YOU?

HOW ARE YOU?

IT'S IRANIAN.

[ SPEAKING PERSIAN ] IT'S IRANIAN.

[ SPEAKING PERSIAN ] DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT.

IT'S A RHYTHMIC THING AND YOU FEEL IT, YOU KNOW, LIKE WHEN WE RECITE OUR POETRY, YOU KNOW, LIKE -- SO THAT'S THE POEM.

FIRST OF ALL, IF ANY IRANIANS ARE WATCHING THIS, THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME IRANIAN WHO WILL BE LIKE, "YOU SAID THAT PART WRONG" AND THEY'RE GOING TO EMAIL YOU AND BE LIKE "IT'S THIS INSTEAD OF THAT," SO I PROBABLY MESSED UP A VERSE OR TWO, SO I'M SORRY.

IRANIANS CANNOT TALK WITHOUT POETRY.

WE'RE RAISED WITH POETRY.

I MEAN, IT'S IN OUR BLOOD.

WE HAVE EPIC POETRY, WE HAVE LYRIC POETRY, DIDACTIC.

I LOVE RUMI.

WE HAVE FERDOWSI, WHO IS OUR EPIC MASTER.

THEN, OF COURSE, WE HAVE SAADI, WHO WAS VERY ELOQUENT.

THERE'S A WHOLE GARDEN FULL OF FLOWERS THERE.

Houman: EARLY ON, WHEN WE WOULD HAVE FAMILY DINNERS AND FRIENDS WOULD COME BY AND KNOCK ON THE DOOR AND SEE THAT THEY'VE ARRIVED IN THE MIDDLE OF A DINNER PARTY, AMERICANS WOULD BE MORTIFIED -- "OH, MY GOD!

WE'VE INTERRUPTED," YOU KNOW.

TRYING TO GET THEM TO COME IN, IT'S LIKE "NO, COME IN, HAVE FOOD, HAVE, YOU KNOW, EAT!"

IT WAS JUST SUCH A CONFUSING THING FOR THEM THAT, "FIRST OF ALL, WHY IS THERE SO MUCH FOOD ON THE TABLE?

HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE YOU GUYS PLANNING TO FEED?"

Dumas: WE HAVE THIS NEED TO FEED PEOPLE ALL THE TIME.

I CAN'T EXPLAIN IT.

I THINK IT'S LIKE A MUTANT GENE, OR SOMETHING.

AND I'M STILL THIS WAY, EVEN THOUGH I LIVE IN AMERICA.

THE MINUTE SOMEONE COMES IN MY HOUSE, I REALLY, FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART, WOULD LIKE TO FEED THEM.

AND THE MORE THEY EAT, THE MORE I LIKE THEM.

AND IF YOU GO INTO THE HOME OF AN IRANIAN, YOUR PERSIAN HOST WOULD SAY, "OH, NO NO, PLEASE, JUST A LITTLE BIT, PLEASE COME."

AND THEN YOU SAY, "NO, REALLY, I JUST ATE A WILDEBEEST" AND THEY SAY, "NO NO NO, PLEASE, PLEASE, JUST A BITE.

"I JUST MADE SOMETHING ESPECIALLY FOR YOU, ANDREW.

PLEASE, PLEASE COME."

AND SO, YOU KNOW, YOU LEAVE AND, YOU KNOW, YOUR PANTS ARE BURSTING AND YOU CAN'T SIT DOWN ANYMORE AND THEN WE'RE HAPPY.

Pirnazar-Oberman: THIS IS RICE WITH SAFFRON AROUND IT.

ALL PERSIAN GIRLS, WHEN THEY GET MARRIED, THEY DON'T KNOW ANYTHING, HOW TO COOK, BUT, AFTER A COUPLE YEARS, YOU'D BE SURPRISED, YOU KNOW?

SO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS THAT WE NEED TO GET MARRIED, IN ORDER TO COOK.

NO NO, I JUST HOPE THAT YOU DO.

Lilia: THIS ONE TIME, MY FRIEND WAS EATING AND MY MOM MADE FAJITAS.

IT WAS SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE EAT.

BUT SHE ALSO MADE RICE AND IT WAS IRANIAN RICE AND MY FRIEND TOLD HER SHE DIDN'T WANT ANY RICE, BUT MY MOM WENT AND PUT TWO SPOONS OF RICE ON HER PLATE AND I WAS LIKE, "MOM, SHE TOLD YOU SHE DIDN'T WANT RICE" AND SHE WAS LIKE "SHE JUST DIDN'T WANT TO ASK FOR IT."

YEAH, I MEAN, WHEN I COOK AND THEN SHE HAS FRIENDS OVER, I ALWAYS ASK THEM TO EAT AND IF THEY SAY NO, I SAY, "NO NO NO NO, YOU SHOULD, YOU SHOULD!"

BECAUSE I THINK MAYBE THEY'RE SHY AND THAT'S WHY THEY DON'T WANT TO EAT, SO, YEAH, I DO DO THAT.

Pourjafar: PEOPLE COME TO MY HOUSE AND I PUT ALL THIS FOOD AND I SAY, "NO, YOU EAT.

DO YOU WANT ME TO BRING YOU ANOTHER DRINK?

CAN I GIVE YOU ANOTHER?"

AND THEY SAY, "NO, I'M FINE.

I DON'T WANT ANOTHER ONE."

THERE'S AN INTERESTING EXPRESSION FOR IT.

THEY SAY TAROF, YOU'RE "TAROFING," AND MY SON NOW KNOWS THAT.

SOMETIMES, "MOMMY, WHY ARE YOU TAROFING SO MUCH?

DON'T.

IT'S OKAY.

JUST --" ONE TIME, I COME HOME AND IT SMELLS AMAZING AT HOME AND I'M LIKE, "DAD, SO WHAT ARE YOU COOKING?"

AND HE'S LIKE, "COME HERE, I WANT TO SHOW YOU SOMETHING."

AND SO HE OPENS UP THE POT AND THERE'S A HEAD, LIKE, IN THE POT.

AND THE EYES ARE THERE AND IT'S JUST -- OH, MY GOD, I START SCREAMING.

AND HE FORCED ME TO EAT IT, BUT IT TASTED GOOD.

AGAIN, IT DEPENDS ON HOW YOU COOK IT, BUT, YEAH, IT WAS GOOD.

BUT IT WAS SCARY.

MY SINGLE FAVORITE FOOD IS GHORMEH SABZI, WHICH IS RICE BASE WITH THE GHORMEH SABZI BROTH, WHICH IS, LIKE, VEGETABLES AND SOME BEANS AND IT'S A LITTLE SOUR -- IT'S DELICIOUS.

THE RICE HAS GOT A CRUST ON THE BOTTOM, WHICH IS CALLED TADIK, WHICH, LITERALLY TRANSLATED, MEANS "BOTTOM OF THE POT."

WHEN WE GO TO POUR ON OUR DISH, THE FIRST THING THAT GOES IS THE TADIK AND WE TRY TO TELL OUR AMERICAN FRIENDS, "YOU REALLY DON'T WANT TO TRY THAT.

YOU WANT TO TRY THE REST OF THE RICE," SO THAT WE GET THE CRUST.

THERE ARE A LOT OF GRANDMOTHERS OUT THERE WHO WOULD LAUGH AT THE CONCEPT OF, YOU KNOW, ME MAKING A BETTER FESENJUN THAN THEY DO, BUT I'LL TELL YOU WHAT THE TRICK IS, THAT MOST PEOPLE DON'T KNOW.

THE BEST FESENJUN YOU CAN MAKE IS AFTER THANKSGIVING, BECAUSE, WHEN YOU MAKE A TRADITIONAL THANKSGIVING TURKEY WITH FRUIT STUFFING, THE JUICE THAT'S LEFT AT THE BOTTOM OF THAT PAN IS THE BEST SAUCE YOU CAN USE FOR YOUR FESENJUN.

YOU USE THAT, INSTEAD OF WATER, MAKES THE BEST FESENJUN, EVER.

IF I WANT TO EAT PERSIAN FOOD, I EAT IN HIS HOUSE.

HE MAKES THE BEST KEBABS.

AND HE LOVES MY STEAKS, TOO, SO WE KIND OF TRADE.

HE WAS WORKING AS A CHEF WHEN HE STARTED HERE, BEFORE OPENING THE ICE CREAM STORE.

Mashti: IT USED TO BE "MUGSY MALONE," WHEN I GOT THE PLACE.

I DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO CHANGE THE WHOLE SIGN BECAUSE I PAID MONEY TO LAND OR FOR EQUIPMENT.

SO I CHANGED A COUPLE LETTERS, FROM "MUGSY" TO "MASHTI," MADE IT "MASHTI MALONE."

Man: THERE ARE SO MANY FLAVORS TO PICK FROM, I DON'T KNOW WHICH ONE.

Teichner: NOWRUZ, THE PERSIAN NEW YEAR, IS THE COMMUNITY'S MOST POPULAR HOLIDAY.

Jobrani: I PERSONALLY THINK IT MAKES A LITTLE MORE SENSE.

THE WESTERN NEW YEAR'S FALLS DECEMBER 31st.

NO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE, DECEMBER 31st, WE'RE DONE.

THE PERSIAN NEW YEAR, TO ME, ACTUALLY, LOGICALLY, MAKES SENSE -- IT'S THE FIRST MOMENT OF SPRING.

Pourjafar: NOWRUZ, AS WELL AS BEING AN IRANIAN HOLIDAY, IS ALSO A BAHA'I HOLIDAY, THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR.

Biglari: PEOPLE SPEND A LOT OF TIME MAKING SURE THAT EVERYTHING IS PERFECT, THAT THE FISH IS THERE AND THE GOLD COIN AND VARIOUS OTHER ORNAMENTS ARE THERE.

Jamshid: THE NOWRUZ CELEBRATION, THE IRANIAN NEW YEAR'S CELEBRATION, WELL, OBVIOUSLY, IN IRAN, IT'S A BIG DEAL, OKAY?

SO YOU SEE EVERYBODY IS PARTICIPATING AND THE PREPARATION FOR NOWRUZ STARTS FROM, LIKE, A MONTH BEFORE THE NEW YEAR.

WHILE HERE, LIKE, IN OUR FAMILY, WE TRY TO DO THAT, WE TRY TO START THE PREPARATION, WHICH INCLUDES CLEANING OF THE HOUSE AND ALL OF THAT, BUT, THEN, WHEN YOU GO TO THE STREET, YOU DON'T SEE THAT, YOU DON'T GET THAT FEELING.

IN FARSI, THERE'S AN EXPRESSION.

WE SAY "IT SMELLS LIKE NOWRUZ."

IT DOESN'T QUITE SMELL LIKE NOWRUZ HERE.

Khordadian: I WAS VERY HOMESICK FOR PERSIAN NEW YEAR, WHICH IS AROUND MARCH 20th, THE FIRST DAY OF SPRING.

I ALWAYS USED TO CRY.

WE HAVE A LOT OF CANYONS IN L.A.

THEY LOOK SIMILAR OF NORTH PART OF IRAN.

I REMEMBER I USED TO DRIVE, FOR NO REASON, IN THESE CANYONS, GO UP AND DOWN AND CRY.

I'M FEELING I'M IN A FREE, BEAUTIFUL LAND, BUT, WITH EVERY LITTLE BONE IN MY BODY, EVERY...

PIECE OF MY HEART, I MISS IT THERE.

Shahrzad: DO I MISS LIFE, AS IT WAS IN IRAN WHEN I WAS GROWING UP THERE?

VERY MUCH SO.

THE GET-TOGETHERS AT MY GRANDPARENTS', ON THURSDAY NIGHTS AND FRIDAYS, [crying] IT'S A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE THAT'S NEVER GOING TO RETURN FOR ME.

AND IT'S GOING TO BE NONEXISTENT FOR MY CHILDREN, UNFORTUNATELY, TOO, SO.

Pirnazar-Oberman: I DON'T THINK THE CASPIAN SEA HAS CHANGED, PERSEPOLIS HAS CHANGED, THE WEATHER HAS CHANGED, THE BEAUTIFUL AROMA OF THOSE TREES BY THE CASPIAN SEA.

I STILL HEAR THE CHIRPING OF THE BIRDS.

THOSE THINGS WON'T CHANGE.

Farmanara: AS I GET OLDER, I MISS MY HOMELAND MORE AND MORE.

WHEN I WAS YOUNGER, I REALLY DIDN'T THINK ABOUT IT BECAUSE YOU'RE BUSY WITH KIDS, SCHOOL, WORK, AND EVERYTHING.

YOU KNOW, I HAVEN'T EVEN VISITED MY MOM'S GRAVE YET.

MY MOM PASSED AWAY 21 YEARS AGO AND I STILL HAVEN'T VISITED HER GRAVESITE.

AND, TO ME, I NEED TO GO BACK AND JUST CLOSE A LOT OF UNANSWERED QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE, SO I DO MISS MY HOMELAND AND I DO WANT TO GO BACK.

MY FATHER IS STILL THERE.

HE'S 94 YEARS OLD.

HE CAME HERE EVERY YEAR TO SEE US AND, NOW, HE CAN'T.

Khordadian: I WAS FORCED TO BECOME AMERICAN.

NOW, I'M PERSIAN AMERICAN.

WHY I HAVE TO BE FORCED TO PICK UP ANOTHER COUNTRY AS MY COUNTRY?

BUT, IN A WAY, I WAS HAPPY, BECAUSE, WHEN YOU GET AN AMERICAN PASSPORT, YOU HAVE THE KEY TO THE WHOLE WORLD.

IT FELT GOOD, YOU KNOW, IT FELT LIKE HOME.

EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT IRAN, BUT IT'S MY HOME NOW.

IT'S WHERE I'M FREE TO TALK, WHERE I'M HAPPY TO LIVE, YOU KNOW, THE WAY I WANT IT.

I REMEMBER THAT DAY, WHEN I STOOD UP AND SWEARING TO GET MY CITIZENSHIP, IT WAS UNBELIEVABLE FEELING.

AND THAT WAS THE DAY THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY ASKED ME WHAT NAME I WANTED AND MY NAME WAS JAMSHID AND "JIM," TOO, BUT I SAID IT WAS ALWAYS JAMSHID JIM.

I CHANGED IT AROUND, I MADE IT JIM JAMSHID DELSHAD.

SO I CHANGED THE FIRST NAME TO MIDDLE NAME AND THAT WAS JUST TO SIGNIFY THAT I AM AN AMERICAN NOW.

THE CEREMONY OF BECOMING AN AMERICAN CITIZEN, IT WAS VERY -- VERY BEAUTIFUL BECAUSE WE WERE IN -- WHERE WE WERE?

WE WERE IN -- JUST OFF STATEN ISLAND, ON THE BATTERY PARK.

IT WAS OPEN-AIR.

THERE WAS 10,000 PEOPLE.

IT'S INTERESTING, THE NEW YORK TIMES HAD A PICTURE THAT BIG.

ED WAS STANDING THERE BECAUSE HE WAS TALLER.

EVERYBODY HAD PUT HIS HAND UP THERE.

IT WAS VERY TOUCHING.

IT WAS EXTREMELY EMOTIONAL.

YEAH.

I FELT I'M FREE AND I FELT I'M BLESSED.

I FEEL HOME AND I LOVE TO FEEL HOME.

Naderi: THERE IS NOT A SIDE OF ME WHICH IS IRANIAN AND A SIDE OF ME WHICH IS AMERICAN.

IT'S SORT OF LIKE SCRAMBLED EGGS.

WHEN YOU SCRAMBLE IT, THE WHITE AND THE YOLK, YOU CAN'T SEPARATE IT ANYMORE.

I DON'T KNOW, I MEAN, THIS IS WHO I AM NOW.

YOU KNOW, MY IRANIAN IDENTITY AND AMERICAN IDENTITY ARE WOVEN TOGETHER INTO A FABRIC WHICH IS ME RIGHT NOW.

WE SOMETIMES THINK IN FARSI.

WE SOMETIMES THINK IN ENGLISH.

WE SOMETIMES COUNT IN FARSI.

WE SOMETIMES COUNT IN ENGLISH.

WE'RE TRULY DUALCULTURED, IN THAT SENSE.

I'M AMERICAN, IN THE SENSE THAT I'M AN OPTIMIST AND I THINK THAT EVERYBODY HAS A VOICE THAT THEY SHOULD USE.

SO THAT IS COMPLETELY AMERICAN.

I'M IRANIAN, IN THAT I LIKE TO FEED PEOPLE AND I'M VERY LOYAL.

BEING OF IRANIAN HERITAGE, CLEARLY, IS SOMETHING THAT I'M PROUD OF.

I'M PROUD OF THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, THE FAMILY IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT UNIT WHERE I GREW UP.

THAT, TO ME, IS WHAT'S MADE ME.

IT'S WHAT MADE MY KIDS, IT'S WHAT'S MADE MY HUSBAND'S FAMILY.

IT'S JUST ALL OF US BEING TOGETHER LIKE THAT.

CLEARLY, THERE'S A HISTORY ASSOCIATED WITH IT, THERE'S ALL THESE CULTURAL FACTORS.

THERE'S THE POETRY.

THERE'S THE MUSIC.

I MEAN, THESE ARE THINGS THAT WE'VE ALL GROWN UP WITH AND I DON'T KNOW WHY ONE WOULD WANT TO LET GO OF THAT, BECAUSE IT ENRICHES OUR LIVES.

IT'S ENRICHED MY LIFE.

I THINK -- I HOPE -- IT'S ENRICHED MY KIDS' LIVES, AND I HOPE THEY WILL PASS IT ON, GENERATION TO GENERATION.

AND I CERTAINLY HOPE IT'S ENRICHED THE LIVES OF OTHER, NONIRANIAN, AMERICANS AROUND ME.

I'VE TRIED TO KEEP THESE TWO IDENTITIES, MY JEWISH IDENTITY, MY IRANIAN IDENTITY -- NOW MY AMERICAN IDENTITY -- TOGETHER AND NOT LET ONE BE DIMINISHED BY THE OTHER ONE.

I REMEMBER MY DAUGHTER, AT HER BAT MITZVAH, SAYS, "WHO ELSE CAN HAVE SO MANY NEW YEARS?

"I HAVE ROSH HASHANAH, I HAVE AMERICAN/WESTERN NEW YEAR, AND I HAVE PERSIAN NEW YEAR."

Shahrzad: WHEN PEOPLE ASK YOU, "YOU'RE IRANIAN?

", THEY IMMEDIATELY THINK THAT YOU'RE MUSLIM AND, WHEN THE CONVERSATION ALLOWS YOU TO TELL THEM THAT YOU'RE NOT MUSLIM AND YOU'RE ZOROASTRIAN, THE FIRST RESPONSE IS "ZORO-WHAT?"

I'M ARMENIAN, AMERICAN, IRANIAN, YOU KNOW?

WE CELEBRATE ARMENIAN CHRISTMAS, ARMENIAN, YOU KNOW, ALL THE HOLIDAYS, BUT ALSO, WE CELEBRATE AMERICAN CHRISTMAS, THANKSGIVING, YOU KNOW, IRANIAN NEW YEAR, WHICH IS A SPRING DAY.

MY FRIENDS, THEY CALL ME UP, WHAT WE ARE EATING OR WHAT WE ARE GOING TO DO.

SOMEHOW, IT BECAME KIND OF -- KIND OF DIFFICULT TO DEAL ALL WITH THIS IDENTITY CRISIS.

Edward: NO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE, HOW MANY PASSPORTS YOU HAVE IN YOUR POCKET -- AND I HAVE THREE OF THEM: IRANIAN, ARMENIAN, AND AMERICAN -- STILL, I'M A FOREIGNER.

MAYBE LEAST IN AMERICA BECAUSE AMERICA IS A COUNTY OF IMMIGRANTS, ANYHOW.

Farmanara: I HAD MY CHILDREN HERE.

I GAVE BIRTH TO BOTH OF MY KIDS IN TEXAS.

I WENT TO SCHOOL HERE.

I GRADUATED FROM THE UNIVERSITY HERE.

I HAD MY FIRST JOB HERE.

SO THIS IS MY HOME.

AFTER LIVING HERE FOR 13 YEARS, IT'S DEFINITELY HOME.

AND I LOVE IT.

IT'S THE LAND OF OPPORTUNITY.

YOU MAKE OF IT WHAT YOU -- OR YOU GET OUT OF IT WHAT YOU PUT INTO IT.

IT'S A GREAT COUNTRY, I THINK, FOR MY CHILDREN TO GROW UP IN AND LEARN THAT THEY CAN BUILD A WONDERFUL LIFE, IF THEY PUT WHAT THEY NEED TO INTO IT.

I LOOK AROUND ME AND, IN A COUNTRY OF ALMOST 300 MILLION INDIVIDUALS, A COMMUNITY WHO ARRIVED WITH BROKEN ENGLISH, WITH BROKEN HEARTS, A LOST COUNTRY, LOST IN THIS HUGE LAND -- THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHICH WAY WAS UP -- YOU KNOW, KIND OF, WITHIN 10, 15 YEARS, ALMOST EVERYBODY LANDED ON THEIR FEET.

MIDDLE EASTERN PARENTS, PERSIAN PARENTS, IT'S LAWYER, DOCTOR, ENGINEER, YOU GOT THREE OPTIONS.

AND, NOWADAYS, IT'S JUST LAWYER, DOCTOR, YOU KNOW.

ENGINEER?

NOT MAKING ENOUGH MONEY, YOU KNOW.

MAYBE, LIKE, IF YOU OWN A COMPUTER COMPANY, OR SOMETHING, YOU KNOW.

BUT I ALWAYS SAY THAT THAT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT, EVEN IF YOU'RE NOT ONE OF THOSE THREE, WE STILL WILL CALL YOU ONE OF THOSE THREE.

LIKE, THE WORD FOR ENGINEER IS MOHANDES.

SO, GROWING UP, THERE WAS PEOPLE COMING OVER TO MY HOUSE, MY DAD WOULD BE LIKE, "AND THAT'S MR.

MOHANDES."

AND I WAS LIKE, "WOW, WHAT'S HE AN ENGINEER OF?"

"UH, UH... GAS PUMPING.

HE PUMPS VERY GOOD GAS."

THE IRANIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY HAS HAD PHASES OF GROWTH AND CHANGE AND IT'S IN VERY RECENT HISTORY THAT WE CAN ALSO SEE A FORMATION OF COMMUNITIES WITHIN THIS BROAD COMMUNITY, SO THAT, NOT ONLY PEOPLE HAD TO ESTABLISH THEMSELVES AND BECOME SUCCESSFUL AND INTEGRATE THEMSELVES IN AMERICAN SOCIETY, BUT THAT, NOW, THERE IS REFLECTION, ON THE PART OF IRANIANS, WHAT IS IT LIKE, HOW CAN WE REPRESENT OURSELVES, HOW WE CAN BECOME ACTIVE, AS IRANIAN AMERICANS.

I WAS NOT AS MUCH IN TOUCH WITH MY IRANIAN SELF UNTIL 2000.

AND WHAT HAPPENED IN 2000 IS THAT NASA SOUGHT ME OUT AND THEY SAID, "WE WANT YOU TO BE "THE MARS PROGRAM MANAGER AND HELP RESHAPE AND RESTORE THE PROGRAM."

AND THEY DID A PRESS RELEASE.

AND ASSOCIATED PRESS PICKED IT UP AND EVERYBODY ELSE PICKED IT UP AND, THE NEXT DAY, I GO TO WORK AND I OPEN UP MY COMPUTER AND, LIKE USUAL, YOU KNOW, CHECK THE DOZEN OR TWO EMAILS THAT HAD COME OVERNIGHT.

AND THEN I DO THIS THING AND THERE IS JUST THOUSANDS OF EMAILS.

AND IT IS LITERALLY FROM EVERY CORNER OF THE WORLD, IRANIANS HAD WRITTEN ME.

AND THEY FELT LIKE I BELONGED TO THEM.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, LIKE YOUR UNCLE MIGHT TELL YOU, "I'M PROUD OF YOU," OR YOUR DAD MIGHT SAY, YOU KNOW, "I'M PROUD OF YOU," THEN, ALL OF A SUDDEN, I WAS BEING SHOWERED WITH THIS LOVE AND AFFECTION FROM PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD.

[tearfully] AND, FOR SOMEONE WHO DIDN'T HAVE A STRONG FAMILY, YOU KNOW, CONNECTION, THIS WAS A NEW FEELING, SO.

BEVERLY HILLS HAS SWORN IN ITS FIRST IRANIAN-BORN MAYOR.

JIMMY DELSHAD IS NOW THE HIGHEST-RANKING IRANIAN-BORN POLITICIAN IN THE U.S. Delshad: ONE OF THE MAJOR REASONS I RAN FOR CITY COUNCIL AND FOR MAYOR WAS TO SHOW THE OTHER PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT GETTING INVOLVED THAT AMERICA'S POWER CAN BE USED IN A VERY POSITIVE WAY, IF YOU BECOME INVOLVED IN ITS POLITICS, THAT RUNNING A BUSINESS AND BEING THE BEST EDUCATED AND THE BEST PARENT IS NOT ENOUGH.

I REALLY THINK ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL THINGS I HEARD, WHICH WAS VERY MOVING TO ME, IS SECRETARY RICE SPOKE AT MY SWEARING-IN CEREMONY WHEN I BECAME THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY.

Rice: GOLI IS BEING SWORN IN TODAY WITH HER HAND ON THE U.S. CONSTITUTION, WHICH I THINK IS COMPLETELY FITTING.

Ameri: AND THE CEREMONY WAS HAPPENING IN THE BENJAMIN FRANKLIN ROOM AT THE STATE DEPARTMENT AND SHE SAID, "IF BENJAMIN FRANKLIN "WAS HERE TODAY, HE WOULD HAVE BEEN SO HAPPY "TO SEE A BLACK SECRETARY OF STATE "SWEAR IN A WOMAN OF IRANIAN HERITAGE "TO BE AN ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA."

Pirnazar-Oberman: I LIKE THAT UNITY OF IRANIANS, ALL OF THIS HERE IN DIASPORA, AND EVERYBODY LOVES TO PRESERVE THEIR IRANIAN IDENTITY HERE, TAKE THE EFFORT TO INTRODUCE IRANIAN TRADITIONS TO THE WORLD.

THAT GIVES ME A LOT OF JOY AND PRIDE.

THERE WAS A TIME WE WOULD BE PLEASED TO HEAR OUR NAME, BUT WHEN I SEE THEY ARE REALLY GETTING TO OUR CULTURE, IT MAKES US VERY PROUD THAT WE ARE REALLY DOING SOMETHING HERE, INTRODUCING OUR HERITAGE TO THE REST OF THE WORLD.

TO ORDER A DVD COPY OF "THE IRANIAN AMERICANS," WITH 15 MINUTES OF BONUS INTERVIEWS AND FOOTAGE, CALL 1-800-715-8668.

THAT'S 1-800-715-8668.

[ SINGING IN PERSIAN ]