UPDATE: Iran Sanctions in the 111th Congress

December 15, 2009, Washington, D.C. – Today the House of Representatives passed the Iran Refined Petroleum Act of 2009 (H.R. 2194) by a vote of 412 yeas to 12 nays. Introduced in April of this year by Congressman Howard Berman (D-CA/28th), the Act allows U.S. sanctions against foreign companies that provide Iran with refined petroleum, among other things. The bill garnered immense bipartisan support and at the time of its passing included 343 cosponsors.

Click here to read more

January 17th Event in Orange County

Passing the Torch of Success 2010

Nearly 2000 Iranian Americans gathered for the historic “Passing the Torch of Success” event at UCLA’s Royce Hall on May 10, 2009. “Thank you for an amazing event at UCLA”, said Mehrnoosh, in attendance, “it has really inspired me as an Iranian American.” Also in attendance, Amir added “[This was] the best advice I had ever gotten in my life.”

Following the success of this unprecedented event and by popular demand, PAAIA is pleased to bring a similarly inspiring gathering of extraordinary Iranian Americans to Orange County. This event will be hosted by the illustrious Rudi Bakhtiar and the charismatic comedian K-Von and will feature a new, diverse group of Iranian Americans who have paved a path of excellence and will bring with them unique experiences and inspirational messages.


Click here to view the event details

First Comprehensive Immigration Reform Bill Introduced in 111th Congress

December 17, 2009, Washington, D.C. ¬ On Tuesday of this week, Congressman Luis Gutierrez (D-IL/4th) filed the first comprehensive immigration reform bill of the 111th Congress. Known as the Comprehensive Immigration Reform for America’s Security and Prosperity Act of 2009 (CIR ASAP), the bill includes provisions to enhance border security, such as creating a Southern Border Security Task Force, as well as giving amnesty to undocumented immigrants.
 

Click here to learn more

Amir Oveissi Launches Social Networking Site for Politicos

December 16, 2009, Washington, D.C. – In today’s fast paced world, it seems no profession or industry has been left unbitten by the social networking bug. Enter DistrictFile, an exclusive social networking site targeting those working in politics. Created by Oveissi in September 2008, the site has gained notoriety in the political sphere not only for its notable membership but also by the fact that membership is based on invitation only. According to Oveissi, the end goal of DistrictFile is to transform itself into something like the “U.N. of social networking.”

Click here to read more

Dr. David Samadi: Transforming Surgery Through Robotics

Dr. David Samadi is the Chief of Robotics and Minimally Invasive Surgery at The Mount Sinai Medical Center. A board-certified urologist, he treats prostate cancer with a focus on minimally invasive techniques.
By virtue of more than a thousand procedures, Dr. Samadi is one of only a handful of surgeons trained in open, laparoscopic and robotic techniques and  has established himself as a pre-eminent surgeon in the field of robotics.

Click here to watch a video of Dr. Samadi’s work

Iranian American Foundation Driven to Protect Celebrators During Holidays

The Lev Foundation is a nonprofit organization that is providing free taxi vouchers in memory of Iranian American Daniel Levian who was killed in a drunk driving accident in 2008. The foundation was started by family and friends after Levian's death as a way of turning tragedy into something positive during the holiday season. Organizers say the promotion is their way of honoring Levian's memory and preventing other youth from suffering a similar fate.

Click here to read the full LA Times article