Mahasti Afshar Appointed as PAAIA's New Executive Director

The Board of Directors of PAAIA is very pleased to announce the appointment of Ms. Mahasti Afshar as the organization’s next Executive Director.
 

A Harvard Ph.D. in Sanskrit and Indo-European Folklore and Mythology, Mahasti brings two decades of experience in top management roles at the Getty Conservation Institute, ARCH Foundation/Austria, the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, X PRIZE Foundation, and most recently, the National Geographic Society.
 
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Ross Mirkarimi Urges Iranian Americans to Participate in the 2010 Census

January 15, 2010, Washington, DC- San Francisco City Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi speaks about the importance of the 2010 Census and urges Iranian Americans to participate and be counted. “Many categories of populations are counted, but there are many more categories that do not exist… For example, the Iranian American community. We are telling people to put in the ‘Other’ column: ‘We are Iranian, and we want to be counted…we are not just simply put into the general category of Caucasian”. Mirkarimi has recently introduced legislation mandating that census workers be admitted into notoriously hard-to-access Single Room Occupancy hotels so residents can more easily be counted in the 2010 census.


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Urge Your Member of Congress to Oppose the STEP Act

Congressman Reintroduces Legislation Barring Travel from Iran

January 13th, 2010, Washington, D.C. - Congressman J. Gresham Barrett (R-SC/3rd) introduced the Stop Terrorists Entry Program Act (STEP) into the House of Representatives, a bill he originally introduced back in 2003. The STEP Act would bar the entry of individuals to the United States from Iran and other countries that are “State Sponsors of Terrorism”, as well as Yemen. 

If enacted, the proposed legislation could effectively forbid all Iranians from immigrating, visiting, or studying in the United States. Individuals seeking political or religious asylum as well as those requiring emergency medical treatment may be exempt from the provisions of the Act.
 
Click here to read the text of the STEP Act.
 

PAAIA Urges You to Take Action!
 
Ask your member of Congress to oppose the STEP Act!

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