2011 ACCOMPLISHMENTS
PAAIA began 2012 by providing numerous programs that were aimed at uniting our community, building our youth, and having our voice heard. Below we have provided a synopsis of some of the many programs we are offering in 2012.
Programs for the Next Generation
PAAIA’s programs for the next generation are focused on assisting our youth increase their career capabilities, achieve personal and professional growth, better understand their Iranian American heritage, and become more involved in the community.
NexGen – The NexGen National Organizing Committee (NOC) has developed a number of programs, such as the National Day of Service, that brings together the younger generation as they work together towards one goal. In addition, they sponsor local and national events, including educational forums and an annual retreat that allows for networking, socializing, and professional and personal development opportunities. If you are interested in participating in NexGen events, click here.
Mentorship Program – PAAIA will offer its signature Mentorship Program for the third year. This program matches and connects young Mentees with experienced Mentors for a dialogue around how to identify and pursue their desired career and professional goals. The program, open to PAAIA members for free, gives the younger generation access to industry leaders across the nation. If you are interested in becoming a mentor, applying as a mentee, or learning more about the Mentorship Program, click here.
Capitol Hill Internship Program (CHIP) – COMING SUMMER of 2012 – PAAIA’s CHIP is focused on serving young Iranian American college students/recent graduates who seek to increase their professional experiences in the legislative and political arena. Getting an internship on Capitol Hill is a great way to get started on a career in public service. Individuals who are selected for the program and matched with a Congressional Office will receive a monthly stipend from PAAIA. Stay tuned for the official announcement about this great new program.
Programs for the Community
In addition to becoming more involved in local chapters, PAAIA members can participate in or benefit from the many programs we offer for the communities in which we reside. Below are two such programs:
Passing the Torch of Success - An ongoing series of educational and inspirational events aimed primarily at youth and organized by members of the PAAIA Board and local Chapters, these events put the spotlight on highly accomplished Iranian Americans in different fields who share their career experiences and the secrets of their success with the audience from the stage. Previous Passing the Torch events have been presented to sold-out crowds in Los Angeles, Orange County, New York, Berkeley, and Washington DC. The next event will be held on January 29, 2012 in San Diego. For more information on and videos of the Passing the Torch of Success events, click here.
The Nowruz Project – The Nowruz Project began in 2011 and is being refined for the 2012 celebrations of this ancient Persian tradition. PAAIA has developed a set of resources aimed at elementary school children. Parents can download these resources from our website and use at their children’s schools to bring about awareness about Iran, Nowruz, and our culture. The program was used with over 700 children in the US during its debut year and we are certain that it will exceed that number this year. To use the Nowruz Project resources or learn more, click here.
If you are interested in participating in your local chapter, click here for a list of chapters and their contact information.
Programs that Help Build Our Influence
PAAIA works diligently to make sure that our voice is heard within the U.S. political environment. In 2012 we will be holding briefings regarding our 2011 Survey of Iranian Americans, which you can view here, to educate Congressional and Administration personnel on demographic and attitudinal information about the Iranian American community. We will continue our collaborations with policy makers, which resulted in the passing of the Nowruz Resolution in 2010 and the changing of the single-entry visa policy for Iranian students in 2011. In addition, we will continue to make contributions to candidates for public process who care about the domestic concerns of our community through PAAIA’s political action committee, IAPAC.
We strongly encourage you to become active in the U.S. democratic office by obtaining more information about IAPAC (click here) and learning about candidates who can be a voice for our community.
Highlighting our Accomplishments
As an organization of Iranian Americans, we are proud and will continue to highlight the accomplishments of our fellow Iranian Americans, such as
Shervin Lalezary, the young California deputy who caught the Hollywood arson suspect, whose story you can read here.
Cyrus Amir-Mokri, first Iranian American to be appointed as U.S. Treasury Assistant, whose story you can read here.
Gisou & Mojgan Hariri, sister architects who were recently featured in Architectural Digest’s New AD100, which you can view here.
Dr. Kaveh Alizadeh, President of Long Island Plastic Surgical Group, leads Mission: Restore to perform reconstructive plastic surgery in Iran, whose story you can read here.
Please know that we cannot accomplish our goals without your support and your involvement.
The financial support and active participation of our trustees, major donors, and members in ourlocal chapters helps us develop and implement programs that strengthen our community. Your assistance in building our membership and participation in the democratic process helps us have our voice heard and builds our influence. Your support and involvement in the programs we have developed for NexGen will help us pave the wave for the next generation of Iranian Americans and thus, our future, in this country.
2008 ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Since its public launch in April 2008 PAAIA has made significant strides towards accomplishing its mission. Some of the highlights are:
1. Nationwide Members, Chapters, and NexGen – In the 3 years since its public launch, PAAIA’s membership now exceeds 6,000 members, who are active through eight local PAAIA Chapters, and young volunteer groups called Nex/Gen, in cities with large concentrations of Iranian Americans, including LA, Orange County, San Diego, the Bay Area, Chicago, Houston, NY Tri-State, and DC Metropolitan.
2. National statistical surveys – In striving to become the leading source of accurate information about the Iranian American community, in 2008, PAAIA commissioned Zogby International, a nationally recognized pollster, to survey the community's attitudes on important issues, with a follow-up survey in 2009. These invaluable data were the first of their kind and have been presented to the United States Congress, the media, and the general public to wide acclaim.
3. Iranian American success stories – PAAIA has played a leading role in recognizing and celebrating the contributions of Iranian Americans. It has produced and disseminated high-quality video profiles, Profiles of Iranian Americans, and continues to feature them in a weekly newsletter online.
4. Passing the Torch of Success - PAAIA's board-driven signature event, Passing the Torch of Success, invites highly accomplished Iranian Americans to share their insights and experience with the audience from the stage. Following the inaugural event in Los Angeles in May 2009, Passing the Torch was hosted in Orange County, New York City, Berkeley, and Houston. The next events are being planned in Washington, D.C. in September of 2011 and San Diego, CA in January of 2012.
5. Mentoring the next generation – One of PAAIA’s core tenets is to serve as a bridge to the future. An example is the PAAIA Mentorship Program. Launched in spring 2010, this program matches students and early to mid-career professionals with PAAIA's board, trustees and other professional associates who volunteer to mentor the younger generation to help them shape and/or advance their academic and career goals.
6. Cultural events – PAAIA has supported and sponsored selective cultural events, including an unprecedented exhibition of contemporary Iranian and Iranian American artists at New York’s avant-garde Chelsea Museum titled, “Iran Inside-Out”, and “Iranian Sounds of Peace,” a groundbreaking, sold-out concert at the Carnegie Hall in New York that featured the legendary, innovative musicians, Shahram and Hafez Nazeri.
7. Collaboration – PAAIA welcomes collaboration to achieve greater impact. In March 2009, PAAIA entered into a partnership with the U.S. Census Bureau at the Bureau's initiative and coordinated efforts with a small coalition of organizations to secure an accurate count of Iranian Americans. By March 2010, the Iranians Count 2010 Census Coalition (ICCC) grew into an unprecedented 47-member partnership and produced a public awareness campaign that succeeded in reaching Iranian Americans across the U.S.
8. Political campaigns – Since the 2008 election cycle, IAPAC has contributed $141,000 to a bipartisan group of 30 members of Congress, all four congressional party committees, and 12 Iranian American candidates for public office. It has also helped raise an additional $2.5 million for its endorsed candidates and party committees by encouraging Iranian Americans to directly contribute to their campaign committees.
9. U.S. Congress & the Administration – PAAIA/IAPAC has proactively brought issues of interest to the Iranian American community before the U.S. Congress. Staff initiated discussions with, and met with over 30 members of Congress and/or their staff to help draft and build bipartisan support for the Nowruz Resolution, which passed both chambers of Congress in March 2010 with over 70 co-sponsors. Following an effort by several of its Board members and Trustees who had direct access to influential members of Congress and the Administration, PAAIA was proud to see the fruits of its direct appeal complement community efforts and helped bring change to the visa policy for Iranian students announced by the Obama Administration in May of 2011. PAAIA also organized a “Network of Iranian Americans in Public Service” and held four networking receptions in Washington, DC for Iranian Americans employed in Congress and the executive branch.
10. Promoting Iranian Culture & Giving Back to the Community – In 2011 PAAIA developed a set of resources aimed at elementary school children that were made available on our web site. PAAIA Chapters used the resources to spread Iranian culture and heritage to their communities by bringing Nowruz to their local elementary schools. In 2010 PAAIA chapters with the help of 18 sponsors from the community took food and clothing to eight shelters & crisis centers in California and received numerous positive feedbacks from the American community.
11. Defending Community Interests – In January of 2011, Stanford University’s president, Dr. John Hennessy, issued a statement to PAAIA assuring that controversial remarks about Iranians made by a retired faculty member does not reflect the university’s views or admission policies. In 2010, due to PAAIA’s efforts, the professional networking website LinkedIn placed Iran back on their education drop-down menu from where it had been removed and the American Values Network (AVN) dropped an anti-oil ad campaign that targeted Iran in favor of a new concept that promotes clean energy but shields innocent Iranians and Iranian Americans from a bad image.