One of PAAIA’s principal missions is to advocate and advance policies and legislation at the local, state and national levels on matters of interest or concern to Iranian Americans and in furtherance of the best interests of our community. As an inclusive, grassroots membership organization, PAAIA is intent on doing so by representing and reflecting the prevailing interests, concerns and views of the Iranian American community at large.
To credibly represent the Iranian American voice on domestic issues that are important to our community, we must first identify these issues, and determine the community's prevailing views and perspectives on them. To that end, PAAIA has commissioned a nationwide Survey of Iranian Americans, one of the purposes of which is to determine the opinions of Iranian Americans about important domestic issues that impact their lives. The results of this survey are expected to be available before the end of May.
Having determined the domestic issues that are of interest or concern to our community, PAAIA will undertake to serve as a resource to inform and educate Iranian Americans about such issues and related policy developments. PAAIA will also work with qualified legal and policy experts to formulate policy positions on such matters that are consistent with the prevailing views in the Iranian American community. PAAIA's advocacy on behalf of the Iranian American community will be on the basis of these policy positions.
Based on recent experience, we expect the following issues to be among those that PAAIA will be involved with on behalf of the Iranian American community.
Individual rights and freedoms that are guaranteed and protected by the U.S. Constitution constitute our civil rights and include a prohibition on discrimination on the basis of ethnicity, national origin or religion.
Ease visa restrictions to facilitate family visitation without endangering U.S. national security.
PAAIA is focused on domestic U.S. affairs as they relate to the Iranian American community, and is not a platform for promoting foreign policy or influencing the domestic politics of any country other than the U.S. However, based on input from our constituency, PAAIA may possibly address certain aspects of U.S. foreign policy toward Iran if and to the extent such policies adversely impact the Iranian American community.
While PAAIA's focus is strictly on domestic issues in the United States, based on input from our constituency, it may possibly address certain aspects of U.S.-Iran sanctions if and to the extent such aspects unnecessarily and adversely impact the Iranian American community.
Let Us Know What Is Important To You
If there are other domestic issues that are important to you and fall within the scope of PAAIA's mission as stated under the section "Our Purpose," we want to hear about it. We also would like to hear from you about specific instances of civil rights violations involving Iranian Americans or the implementation of policies that in your view have an unreasonably disproportionate and adverse affect on Iranian Americans. Please feel free to Contact Us with your thoughts. |
