Growing Up As An Iranian-American [Becoming Iranian-American, Pt. 3] | AJ+ 

"This is our identity. We are two arms. You want me to cut one? We can't." I wept.

When your dad cried, I cried too.

The dad’s crying 😢. You can tell he has a sweet soul.

Hi Yara. I am an Armenian-Iranian-Canadian. Talk about identity crises! I left Iran after the war started at the age of 15. Your documentary made me think bout my life and reflect on it. I would love to go back to Iran and visit someday. But, just like your mom, here(Canada) is my home now. Thank you for sharing your story. Love your dad and mom. Salam bere-soon. Chakeram.

Dear Yara, I am a medical student here in US. I came from Iran two years ago when I was 27 with my wife. Having single entry visa, during the past two years both of us have lost our grandmas and we could not even go to the funerals. When I was watching your videos, tears come to my eyes and fall on my iPad, especially when you showed videos of your Iran trip and how families and friends get together full of love and joy. I really like your videos and how you are moving forward with them, please continue. BTW, loved the Tahchin, big fan!

Yara, I cannot say how much your series has touched my heart, as an american who grew up with no contact to anyone from the middle east at all I admit that after 9/11 i shared the fear of many, and tragically all middle eastern people and muslim's were blanketed as "terrorists". Thankfully i know better than that now and my eyes have been opened in so many ways, i see how dangerous fear becomes, how toxic, it leads to ignorance and causes catastrophic damage to EVERYONE. And now i have fallen in love with one Iranian man, and his beautiful family, incredible culture, and therefore all Persians/Iranians have a very special place in my heart, and i speak openly and untiringly to my fellow Americans to try and help break the barriers that really have no substance at all in the first place! As the man said "we iranian's are not our government". I pray for all prejudice to end and for a world without borders, no matter how hopeless this may seem, we must never give up. My thoughts and prayers are with all Iranian's every day, right now it is scary

As a millennial Iraqi American, I have grown up in the similar exact situation. Growing up with Arabic speaking parents, people looking at me different in school (fuzz moustache) being called terrorist after 9/11 and hating my name. I don't mind it now and embrace my culture. Thanks Yara for showing me we aren't alone.

I appreciate this video so much Yara, honestly as a British born Iranian this is exactly how I feel. An Iranian among the British and a British among Iranians, its the worst living paradox and to know I’m not the only foreign born Iranian that feels like this makes me feel 1000000x times better. Yara damet garm!

As a Mexican-American or“Chicano” I’ve felt the same exact way that Yari has felt not being American enough or Mexican enough. I’m proud to be an American and also to celebrate and cherish my Mexican cultural identity. May the Iranians and other groups that come be welcomed and celebrated.

I cried a little when your dad started to cry, because at the end of the day we immigrants are on the same boot, even though we're from different countries. My dad left Algeria for France as an 18-year-old. Then, in 1986, he moved my entire family to Belgium, where I was born. My dad has spent more of his life in France and Belgium then he has in Algeria. It automatically became home, and Algeria is a souvenir that is getting further and further away from him and definitely from me as I never visited.

Your father made me cry. I don't know how I would feel in his situation especially being torn between 2 countries that he loves. I love the Iranian people and culture. The Iranian men that came here to Mississippi in the 1970s were a great bunch of guys. They were in the military and studied at the AF base here. They loved to cook and make friends with the people here. My mother opened her home to them and they were very respectful to us. We had many parties at our house. I miss those days. Thank you for making these videos and making me remember the good times with so many great people.

As an Indian American who went back to India and studied there for 6 years I can relate to your story. Also, please give your dad a hug from all of us, he is such a beautiful man!

The last scene with his father was so poignant and beautiful.

As a Mexican American, I related so much to this. As Ive gotten older I’ve connected more with my Mexican culture than when I was young

love how personal you got with your life story!!

Beautiful documentary Yara, a very interesting and well made series. As someone who speaks Persian (despite not being Iranian or from a Farsi speaking household lol) this was very intriguing to watch. Dastetun dard nakone :)

I love this series, and I’m not even Persian ❤️

I went to visit Iran like ten years ago, I travelled many place there, since that trip I became a fierce defender of Iranians, they are marvellous people. My best wishes to iranians from México

One of my most favorite videos out there, telling our immigrant journey as Iranian-Americans! Thank you Yara and family!

I had a different experience, being a millennial Iranian Canadian myself. I was born in Rafsanjan, Iran and immigrated to Canada with my family in 1997, where I was raised and attended school. Growing up, I had a lot of internalized shame that I felt about my culture and heritage and wanted nothing more than to run away from it. I was determined to be fluent in English and forget about my Iranian heritage. It wasn’t until fall of 2016 when I learned about the ancient history of Iran and how it used to be the Persian Empire thousand of years ago. It really opened my eyes and made me see my home country in a different light. Now, as a 32 year old, I love, appreciate and fully embrace my Iranian identity. I look forward to Iranian holidays like Eide Nowruz and Chaharshanbe Suri every year, and I even started practicing how to speak Farsi more fluently (I can sort of speak, understand, read and and write it, but not as well as I should) so that I can communicate with my extended family more. This was such a great series, Yara! ❤️ Great job! ☺️

I left Iran 10 years ago when I was 17 and I have been hopping from one country to another ever since, I can call none of them my home! And the Iranian inside me is never going to wear off !

I love this series so much! You and your family are so beautiful, you look so much like your dad. Thank you for showcasing your beautiful culture, the Iranian-American experience, and your personal life as well :).

Your mom is stunning and I was in tears with you and your dad by the end. Thank you so much for sharing your story.

As an iranian raised in Spain, going through a cultural identity crisis in my adulthood, man... I cried like a baby. We need more platforms to discuss this unique way of approaching migration and culture for iranians. This was truly awesome!

These videos are amazing and show accurately the amount of diversity in California regarding Iranian-Americans. As an Iranian-American myself who was born in Iran and raised in California, I understand many of the feelings you have felt and that others have felt as well. I love visiting Iran and seeing my family there, but America has now become my home. My parents feel the same way your parents feel and this video was so emotional and accurate. Thank you for bringing these stories to the eyes of others.

Why am I crying with your dad? :( this video was so emotional for me

Man this was incredible. Thank you for sharing! Growing up Canadian-Iranian, this hit home 100%.

Your mom is so beautiful and your dad is soooooo real. Love it. His cry made me cry. Beautiful fam. Love from Toronto. ❤

when your father cried, my eyes teared, very nice job

This series resonates so much with me being an immigrant - Kenyan 🇰🇪 who came to the US as student like your parents and now 25 years later straddling both worlds of being a dual citizen 🇰🇪🇺🇸. Growing up in Kenya, I was lucky enough to learn the history of Iran 🇮🇷 and other countries under more objective circumstances than the Western media was projecting at the time. Thank you so much for introducing us to the rich culture, history, struggle and joys of Iranian Americans 🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿

I cried. Thank you for this beautiful story. It filled my heart.

Great story! Thank you!!!! I was born in the US to Italian parents. I grew up with the best of both worlds. I can identify with so much of your life story. God bless

Beautiful family and amazing story, thanks for sharing!

Hey Yara, I've already saw your early Iranian - American videos. But this one with your family was beautiful, I think it's gonna touch every Iranian - American deep at their hearts. Great family bro!!! All the best for further videos.

Your father put every hardworking and honest immigrant's thoughts into beautiful words. Kudos!

Yara, thank you for posting your story, and thank you and your family for being so vulnerable and transparent...I cried with your father and you in the end and I could feel and empathize the stuggle and hardship your mom faced in the second half of her life so far. I hope your mom is not alone and you are always visiting her and I hope she has a partner who loves her and makes her feel special. My name is Faysal, and I am Iraqi; born in Baghdad Iraq. Luckily, I was born in a family of doctors and teachers who brought us up believing that all people are meant to be respected, and if someone asks you for help you help them as best as you can. My family never taught us to be bias or racist or prejudice. We learned to cherish our similarity and respect and tolerate our differences. We learned that discussions in religion and politics were sensitive and could cause hatred if one was not careful. I learned that in many cultures and places around the world politics and religious arguments could be challenged and tested if misused and misunderstood. People with bad intentions could use the difference to create hatred and conflict for selfish hurtful reasons. My family an I decided always to treat all others like we wanted to be treated and to forgive and forget if their was any misunderstanding. Today I am glad to say that I have close friends from Iran and I learn a lot from them about history, culture, art, literature, sciences. Thank you again for your work. I wish you the best and I wish you safety and easiness with your continued success. Your neighbor and peaceful friend

You’re the best and tanks for sharing our culture, hamin 🙏🏻

I am crying as I watch your father cr.ies This how African-Americans often feel, too....I look forward to your next film on your culture. This was very touching.

Aww, My heart goes out to your dad and may God bless him and bless your family

This is really touching yara....I am an Indian Muslim..blessed exactly like you...but I"m glad that you have the guts to show that side of your family that I never can't...! Good Luck to you

My parents came from the Caribbean to the UK both under 8yrs. I identify as Black British Caribbean or African British Caribbean, I love all parts of my upbringing and the chaos too. When your dad cried I cried too. 2yrs you made this series,but still so impactful.

When his dad started crying ....man I died....I'm waching this at work. Such a sweet heart! From a American Tajik. Keep up the good work

God bless your Dad's vulnerability. Iranians have so much pain that is buried. As a fellow Iranian-American, I resonate with this so much. I'm am aspiring filmmaker who wants to help strengthen/normalize this exact movement. Thank you Yara jan.

Thanks for sharing your story about your beautiful family. I was really touched by your father's reaction to accepting America as his new home. It made me see how much I take for granted.

I identified so much your story, especially as my parents also thought we would go back to Iran when we first came to America. After Khomeini died in 1989 and the mullahs stayed in power, we realized that there was no home to go back to anymore and we had to shift to making America our home. Thank you for sharing!

I love this. This is my first time watching your videos and I just watched each of the first 3. I am AFrican American and I have just started to research my background with Ancestry DNA. Much love to you and your family and thank you for this beautiful and amazing content.

Thanks for sharing. My parents spent some time in Iran in the early 1970s, so it has always been a bit a part of my family's story even though we're all Canadian. I think that it was particularly impactful as they were so young and sheltered when they moved there that it really opened their eyes and changed their world view. I'm really grateful that they had that experience, as their stories gave me a critical perspective on nationalism and identity from a young age. My brother and I have a very warm spot in our hearts for Persian culture. My brother, for instance, is a film historian and recently wrote a very personal essay about the influence of Iranian cinema on his life. We all have a lot to learn about and celebrate in each other.

As an Iranian/Italian/Canadian I’m always asked what I relate to the most. It’s so hard to answer bc all are inextricably part of me. I loved this series and this video in particular - the end made me bawl! 😭❤️❤️

Cried so much. Big respect to our parents generation that migrated here.

Such a beautiful story. I feel the exact same as an Iranian Canadian. I left Iran at the age of 13, now I’m 55 years old. What your mom and dad said brought tears to my eyes. 💕💕💕

Excellent work, Yara , as an Iranian this is the best documentary i ever seen , good luck

When his dad talked about his identity I thought my soul was weeping. That was beautiful and also tragic. I feel for him. His parents, the Iranian community, everyone who had endured what it’s like to be an other are so beautiful

His father made an excellent point there at the end, which made me cry..

This video series brilliantly reflects my experience growing up as an Iranian-American in Orange County. A fantastic mix cultural awareness, historical context, emotion depiction, and authentic experiences that has widely been untold until now. It was easy and self-affirming to embrace this realistic representation that taps into the nuances of lived experiences for young Iranian-Americans.

You made me into tears , and those dad hugs were heart melting, I wish I had such father, morally and emotionally intertwined

Very brave and lovely to see him out his family and their story to light.

i'm half Persian half African American ... i know that's odd but i live in new york and i've been to Tehrangeles for like hundred times and everybody was looking at me and asking themselves : is he gonna shoplift or something ? cause what a black dude wants in a Persian store ? i have three identities i have to cut both of my arms to be known as a fellow AMERICAN and the part that you visited your family in Iran kinna brought me to tears cause i really miss them so much .

the end was extermly hard to watch i too have to live with more than one identities i lived 10 years in iraq and 6 years in cyprus 6 years and still in germany and i feel divided i dont know where home is anymore all iraqi people tell me i dont speak or act iraqi and i for sure do not feel like a cypriot or german so i understand how you feel in a way

Right on my brotha!! I'm mexican american born in america.. 4th generation here living in northern ca.. I love checking out your videos they're hella smooth... One love my brotha...

yara's father's story is very much my father's story. he came to the us for an education and only stayed here because he met my mother. he got a master's degree but had a difficult time finding a job in his field because of racism and islamophobia, so he operates a small business. i was born in the us, but here, i always feel ~too ethnic~ and whenever i'm around my iranian cousins, i always feel so american and out of place. it's definitely a stressful experience at times but i do appreciate both aspects of my identity. iranian-americans don't often get talked about in the mainstream, so i loved watching this series and seeing a story unfold that i felt like i could really connect to.

Wherever in this world, if you stay for a period of time learn and speak the local language, you're hooked for life, that's the best human attribute.

Yara, I am in awe of people who come from other countries and do not speak the English language. I can only imagine how difficult it would be for me to learn another language and live in a foreign country and environment. Thank you for sharing your Iranian heritage with all of us. My father came from Sicily, Italy, when four years old and I am a second-generation Italian-American. My Italian grandparents spoke no English at home. I consider myself American first and Italian/Irish second. I like being a blend of the American/Italian/Irish heritage and love America like you, your Mom, and Dad does. Like your parents, my father was an asset and honorable citizen to the country who adopted him as their own. Again, much thanks and appreciation.

I just viewed this episode...so beautiful! We immigrants, children of immigrants and for that matter all minorities, including black Americans live in two identities and to cut one off is to lose one of your arms....as expressed by your father. Beautiful. Thank you.

Wow! the part where your parents are so moved when they were torn between their homeland Iran, to their new adopted home America..The love they have for America was so beautiful, it brought tears to my eyes..Just shows yes America is not perfect, it has some ups and downs to it..But with all immigrants that come here really do appreciate this country..There really is no better place in this world to make a good living if you want and to live a better life here in America..Yara you have such wonderful parents, you are so blessed..I'm glad your parents made that hard decision to leave their country they love to start a new in a country they didn't know..But America was good to them and they stayed, and now they love and embrace America...I love stories like this, thanks for informing us with your videos.

Keep these episodes coming

It was honestly a very well-made and moving video. Thank you, sir. I wonder whether the Persians in America interact much with the Jews here. Both are such ancient cultures....

I’m a first American born Indian (South Asia) on my dads side of the family I’m second generation American born Indian on my mom side of the family, since she was actual born in Ethiopia and Indian. Just like you I’ve had the same kind of experience (minus the living back in the motherland) for me this what I define which is which India is my motherland - that’s where my ancestors , culture, heritage, traditions, and second languages I can speak come from America is my homeland - here is where I was born, grew up, and went to school. For me when people say where home is I tell them Chicago my home, and I have certain traditions and culture here and language as well. Both have two different places in my life

LONG LIVE IRAN

Thank you for making this series, I watched all four of them and my favorite one is your family ! I would love to cook with your Mom and get to eat the food and talk with your dad his heart is in all the right places ! I just simply love your family! Thanks again you did a great job on this ! Best wishes to you always !

Got me right in the feels when your dad started crying, god bless. I'm Scottish and sometimes have an identity crisis because we are also British. Some people are unionists some nationalists and it can get annoying. Have a good day :)

AWWWWW your parents are so precious and sweet. Thanks for sharing them with us the audience :)

I have similar feeling like your dad, A Vietnamese - American, I love America so much, and I think this is my country and this is my home, but in me I am a Vietnamese. Your dad has great soul.

Awesome story! Thanks for sharing, Yala.

Great documentary! As an immigrant I feel the same way as his dad said..... Brought tears into my eyes.

What your father said hit me hard, Yara. I understand why he's so emotional over the choice. Your family is Iranian-American, and that's beautiful and amazing. All cultures add to what it means to be American and make us all better. Well, not all, but most ;) I look forward to more stories!

Pause it @ 8:54 that moment. Just filled my heart. There is so much in this still. I notice the both are wearing the same colors in style for their generation Young, old , generational and the emotion between father and son.

Great Series, Yara! Kudos from IranianAmerican living in Japan!

Iranians are great people.

I love that your dad married out his nationality. I hope and pray one day I married a Iranian , why because that's just what I like. I love this!!!!!

Beautiful work Yara. My father is Iranian (from Tehran too) and my mother is Russian, yet I was born here in Los Angeles. This hit so close to home. I feel the exact same way... torn at times. But I've learned that there is no need to be 100% anything, nobody is a pure 100%.

Hello! The video was very beautiful and touching. I am Brazilian and My Iranian sweetheart is very important to me. I really want the best for him. He studied in Brazil for many years. That's why we met. My father was a history professor so I remember that when I was a child he used to explain many things about different cultures to me. Destiny made me meet an Iranian man and love his country, his culture and his family. God bless all of you. Greetings from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil!

God bless you and your family. Thank you for sharing your history.

Thank you for sharing your story with us

Oh Yara... it was such a touching, emotional video... just lo0o0ved it & will keep watching all other videos... well done!

GREAT CONTENT 🙌🙌

Another great new video. Thank you for sharing your story. What really matters is how you are inside no matter where you are born.

I love these types of documentaries. I 😭 when your beautiful father was explaining how he felt. Bless you and your family.

Hi Awesome video , super emotional , as an Iranian who lived several years at a foreign country, I just got what your father was talking about, but for me ,Iran is somewhere that i will 💯 percent regret not living in it if i migrate permanently. Nice job bro موفق باشي

Your mother is sooo beautiful!

Good job Tara! It's sth we all struggle with as Iranians outside Iran. No matter you live in America, Europe or Canada. We kind of 'feel home no where but also feeling home everywhere'.

Thanks Yara for depicting this, really valuable and informative.

What a beautiful video..!! all 3 of them.. I'm Mexican American and I can totally relate..!! I could not help crying when I listened to your parents speak..! My best friend Farzeen is from Iran. continue making excellent videos they are so intriguing..! P.S. I will try the Persian Ice cream next time I'm in L.A. Saludos..! Jaime

Great job Yara! I saw your dad’s tear and I couldn’t help it either.

Hi Yara, I'm Dutch Iranian, I enjoyed your doc. The best wishes for you and your family. ✌

Hi Yara!! I was born in LA; my best friend in HS was from Tajrish and foresaw Westwood becoming Tehrangeles, because the weather was just like Maidane Tajrish! And that was in 1973! I went to Tehran to study in 1975 and in my heart, never really left there. My first boyfriend was killed in Evin by SAVAK, some of my colleagues died during the Iraqi war and the civil war in the early days after the revolution. Ive ended up on the other side of the world, but I so long for both LA and Iran. Iran and Iranian’s both swallowed me in a blanket of acceptance and love, there is no better place on earth. I became fluent in speaking Persian and even worked and lived in Tehrangeles during the 1990s. I only hope that one day I can go back home, to LA and Tehran both. Great series!

Amazing story for us who need better tomorrow but can't find it in Iran. shad-o salamat bashi.

As a child of Cambodian Refugees. I can relate so much. Thank you for sharing. I teared up thinking of my parents while watching this.

Beautiful, your father made my cry. Be happy , you are not 50-50. You are 100% Iranian and 100% American ♥️

Yara's good looks will make things easier for him in America. Great videos!

Your parents are beautiful.. bless them. Bless you. I hope you know how lucky you are to have such a large extended family in Iran. It is so important.