40 comments

1. Great job team Iranican. it is really funny and informative.

2. dametoon garm bacheha! Well done and congrats on doing such a great service for the community. Much love to Maz as well.

   can’t wait for the rest.

3. Humorous! But I am not sold on this Iranian-American thing. Just as I am not a fan of any sort of hyphenated Americanism.
   Perhaps the next movie made should succinctly explain why Iranians need to become a minority, while many other Olive skin ethnic groups living in this country dating back to the late 1800’s, like Greeks, Armenians, all Balkan cultures, Turks and even Arabs never tried for that status? While some greedy Iranians may think that being minority will facilitate their ability to tap into minority entitlement programs or allow them to sue every redneck who dares to make derogatory remark against their beloved country, but there is a huge downside price to pay in branding ourselves a non-white minority that will haunt our children in this country forever.

4. Dude… this was hilarious.

5. This gets funnier and funnier every time I watch it. And I think there should be a poll for favorite character! Because I would vote Kami all the way.

6. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! This clip portrays the perfect Iranian man in so many characters…I love it!! It gets the point across that we need to take the census seriously so that we can be counted and it shows that it can allow us to gain benefits eventually from filling it out and not writing “Italian” but rather Iranian-American. Two thumbs up to Maz Jobrani-as usual of course!!

7. I vote for Dr. Daneshmand Mohem with a very typical iranian suspicious approach :)))))))))))

8. Cyrus, Iranians aren’t white, maybe a few torks with blue eyes might pass, but for the most part nobody in the US sees an Iranian and thinks white person. And if Jim crow comes back in the us, were are screwed anyway.

9. love the video but only one problem… Iranian is a nationality not a race. Ther are many ethnicities within Iran … eg Persian, Kurdish, Azeri etc

   As Maz has said elsewhere, I am Persian, like the cat, miaou!

10. Sounds like we could have our next Iranican Live show about this topic

    @Cyrus: I understand where you’re coming from. After all, Iranian people living in the US are one of the most successful immigrant groups here, and many Iranians have assimilated well into this country, without as much of the discrimination as other ethnic minorities. Yet I think one needs to be careful how ‘assimilated’ you get into a society: with our vast history, culture, traditions, and connections, we as a group have something unique to contribute to this society (and the world’s society as well), and it would behoove us to understand this and unify together so that the great parts of our culture and traditions aren’t forgotten by the next generation, and that there will always be a safe environment in which those of us that don’t want to ‘assimilate’ fully can do so.

    The Arab-American community is, in fact, attempting the same push as us to make sure those with an ethnically Arab background get uniquely counted as well. (same with Taiwanese-Americans, Chinese-Americans, Japanese-Americans, etc) When a group does this, it doesn’t mean we don’t want to be a part of the American social fabric. Far from that. We just want to protect and share the things that make us unique has a group.

    @Soraya: Totally true. Iranian is not a race. Many would say we are White/Aryan. And definitely we have Iranians from various ethnicities as you mentioned. The question of how best to identify ourselves as a group is something that can be argued endlessly, because these are just labels after all. But I guess for the purpose of the Census, the reason it’s asked to put down ‘Iranian’ or ‘Iranian-American’ is because we KNOW that if everyone puts down their own ethnicity or put down ‘white’ for race, then we will not be counted and therefore our identity as a community will be diminished. Right now its said that there are only 338,000 Iranians living in the US. Question is: do you think you got counted in that number or not? -ZEiman out

11. We should be counted.
    Please write others and add Iranian or Iranian-America.
    Encourage your family and freinds.
    Let’s have a voice
    Thanks

12. I love you Maz

13. Cyrus,
    Census really is a simple process of counting people with their actual descriptive and applicable reality.
    When I apply for a job that has a race question, I must put Caucasian or white. Because, people whose ancestors come from Europe, Mid East or North Africa are considered white. But if I get fired because my boss is pissed about something that Ahmadi Nejad or other Mullahs have said, I have no protection. Because in my application, I had declared that I was white and never brought up my national origin. So, how can a white male be discriminated against?
    But wait a minute, people in the street look at me and think that I am something other than ordinary white. May be Mexican or Middle Eastern.
    Which means ARAB, Camel Jockey, Towel head and other derogatory remarks.
    So, what good is it being white on the paper but perceptively something other than ordinary white?
    That is what we call “CHOOB dou sar najes” in Persian.
    We get all the discriminatory grief of the other minorities, but none of the benefits of the affirmative action.

    By showing to the elected officials that we are nearly 2 million strong
    and demonstrating our power of affluence, education and usefulness to our communities, we can enact legislations that will provide for a minority status called protected sub-race of white.
    In these tumulus times of near cold war between US and IR, it is imperative that we Iranian- Americans protect ourselves from discrimination triggered by American’s resentment of IR government.

    If you are like me, you are Persian and have a few speeding tickets.
    Check those tickets and see if the Highway patrol officer wrote White for race.
    I will bet you anything that he did not. He probably wrote a big O for other.
    It is painful enough to pay a huge fine but further annoying to be called “other.” Wouldn’t you rather be identified as something that you really are like “Iranian?”

    Please write Iranian-American on your census sheet and let us achieve this goal of getting counted correctly together.

14. سلام…اینو برایه ماز جبرانی جو زده نوشتم…یعنی میفهممش، طرف فقط تو لوس انجلس چرخیده و خوب، اونجا آدمای ایتالیایی نما زیاده…همه عاشق فیلمای ال پاچینو هستن….هر کی‌ میره تو بورلی هیلز دنبال خرید کفش کیف ایتلیایی رفته..سالوادر برگامو، گوچی،ورساچی،نخودچی، و از این چیزا… یعنی‌ مازی جان هم حتما، اینجوری فکر کردن که به سمت تولید برایه ایتالیا کشیده شدن…از کوزه همان تراود رو منظورم بود….مازی جان، اینم پیغام من به جامعه کالیفرنیا…..قبول…؟

    .من خلج هستم….پدرم آشتیانی مادرم نیم گرکانی و نیم شمیرانی…من همهٔ وجودم، مال ایران است…آنجا که مادها اولین شاهنشاهی ایرانی را بر اساس آیین زرتشت اهورایی بر نهادند….من ایرانیم، آنجا که کورش بر خاکش خوابیده است، آنجا که کمبوجیه پادشاهش، هم جگر شیر و پلنگ ایران زمین است، من ایرانیم، آنجا که ایوان مدأئن و بیستونش بر تخت زر کوبیده شده است….من اهل ایرانم، که بو علی سینا شرف الحق از بطن مامش صورت به خاک و گلاب مام وطن نهاد است، من ایرانیم، آنجا که ابو ریحان محمد ابن احمد بیرونی همه زمین را به مقیاس پرگار گذارده است، من ایرانیم، همان جا که طاهر ذول یمینین شمشیر بر فرق دشمن ایران پاره میکرد است…من نه لرم، نه کرد، نه بلوچ،نه بختیاری، نه قشقائی، نه پارسی،نه خلج، نه هیچکدامشان…من همشان با هم هستم….من همشان با خود ایران هستم…مثل میرزا تقی خان، مثل شهریار،مثل فرزند توس، مثل باغچه بان، مثل قاسملو،مثل همه ایرانیان دیگر…مثل شما، من هم ایرانیم

15. Funny video. That’s about all. Now stop with all your opinions. Just live life to its max and stop worrying about the future. This is only a temporary life after all.

16. A funny and encouraging clip. great way to motivate our fellow Iranians to take action

17. I think the iranian should be minarity. Because there is a lot of them in america and they can do a lot when they are recognized as minority.
    Thanks

18. My hope for this census is to open the eyes of the our government. To show that there is a strong Iranian-American community in the United States, and that it puts pressure on them (US government) to assist our fellow Iranians in Iran that are victims of great injustices. Politically speaking, why would the US do anything for the innocent Iranian citizens? They don’t feel a big threat (yet). Our current census doesn’t show our numbers for support. If our numbers were higher…who knows, it could help. Maybe as Iranian descendants, we could complete the census, not for ourselves, but for the sake of those that don’t have an option or opportunity.

19. First let’s get counted. We will have 10 whole years to bicker about what to be called before the next census! I think of myself as Persian for 3 good reasons. (1- Iran was called Persia, the name change was to remind the Nazis that we are of the Arian race, 2- I am not in agreement with the current Iranian government and I like dating myself back to the Persian empire, 3- Iranian tends to get associated with threatening things, like the Iranian Hostage Situation, while Persian gets associated with non-threatening things, like rugs and cats.) However, several organizations put the time and effort to organize all 2 million of us and decided on Iranian. Too late to change that this time around. Kudos to the very funny Maz in the meantime.

20. Mr. Maz that was very funny. As for Iranian-American, I’m not so sure. Do Italians write “Italian-American” on the form? Can Iranian be counted as a race? Why are we insisting on this? We can practice our culture and tradition as we wish in this country. Isn’t that good enough? We need to debate on this so we all can be informed as why Iranian-American is important.

21. @Shahrzad: I thought “Iran” was the original name and “Persia” was the name given to us by outsiders (Alexander and the Greeks). So “Iranian” is authentic if that short representation of history is accurate.

    @Sirous – What you say about the tickets is interesting. I have always thought Iranians were perceived as white when it comes to interacting with white Americans – in other words, accepted. But I think it’s more complicated than that.

    @Sirous – Did you notice that your list of insults consists of “Arab, Camel JOckey, Towel Head” What I mean is that you seem to equate Arab with the other insults…I would avoid that.

    @Everyone – In legal terms, I am not sure what benefits accrue to being of a minority other than the loans and affirmative action. But YES, list yourself as Iranian.

    @Everyone – Don’t forget the next generation. They may feel more Iranian-American if they are born here. And they may actually BE Iranian-American if they have one Iranian and one American parent.

22. my favorite would be “dotore”
    they call me dotore:)))))))

23. This is to Shahrzad, who gives her reasons for preferring to be called Persian
    1)Iran was always Iran. Greeks and Romans started the name Persia, because their contacts were with the Achaemeids and Sasanians, who were from Parsa, hence the name. It is not fair that an entire country still be called after the name of one area. Furthermore, the name of the country was not “changed”. Reza Shah just asked the international community to call it by the name its people had always known it by. Also, this had nothing to do with the Nazis. The name “change” was done in 1926; the Nazis did not come to real power until half a decade later. One had nothing to do with the other. Furthermore, the name Iran comes from the word “Eranvej” which means the land of the Aryans. If anyone can have claim to being Aryan it is Iranian (though I do not believe in race and by now with all the invasions and rapes and marriages, there is nothing left of the “Aryan” race). I suggest you review your history.

    2) I am not in agreement with the current government either. That does not mean I have to change what and who I am. The last “great” Persian Empire died some 1400 years ago. Join the 21st century. Hiding under the dust of history will not make you a better person, but will show that you are in total denial. You are who you are. Wake up and smell the reality.

    3) It is exactly because Iranian is associated with threatening things that we or those who are “good” need to stand and voice their opinion. We should let the world know that not all that is associated with Iran is bad, that we have produced artists, scholars, philosophers, etc. of global reknown. It is attitudes like yours that allows the Arabs to call Avicenna (Bu-Ali-Sina), Khayyam, Farabi, Razi, Bastami and many others as theirs, and Turks to claim Rumi, though he did not write one line of poetry in Turkish. We owe it to our children to stand proud and to say that we ARE Iranians, IN SPITE of all the negative things that today comes out of Iran and is associated with Iran. This is our legacy. There are now over close to a thousand technocrats, business officials and scholars of high standards who are Iranian. I think this will negate anything bad coming out of Iran.

24. Bibi I completely agree with you. I don’t know who you were saying this to but it is so true. we really need to stand up for who we really are and our culture. It really breaks my heart to see kids with both Iranian parents who don’t know anything about Iran and how great it is and always has been. I wish there was something we could do, but personally I don’t know what to do about all these ignorant Iranians.

25. I HATE kami type people!!!! -___-

26. Bibi, thank you for your brilliant and informative response.

27. AHAHHAHHAH @ ~1:12 .. “I don’t know about dat von” LOL!

    reminds me of: http://www.whiteboypersianaccent.com

    I will absolutely be putting Iranian American now — great video, thank you!

28. @Bibi – Thanks for your factual info and analysis. But, khahesh daram. Asabanee naboshid. Teach with kindness, don’t rant at people because you know some facts that they don’t or they got them wrong. It reads to me like you and Sharhzad are actually in agreement.

29. Love the PSA because it’s hilarious. Not sure if the message you want to get across in the end is “fill in Italian.”

    on the issue of race, Iranians are White. End of story.

    If we want to be “counted” this isn’t the venue to do it. The Federal government doesn’t provide minority status to ethnic groups. They do it for racial groups and Native Americans and Hispanics because there’s so many of them and historical significance.

    Localities are the ones that are responsive to the needs of ethnic groups.

    Lets be counted without appearing to be less than informed. The question is race. not nationality, not ethnicity. It seems silly to give the wrong answer to the question being asked, especially because even the PSA is acknowledging it.

30. Taraneh jaan,

    Here’s my 2 cents. Yes, most Iranians are white, but its definitely not the end of the story.

    The way I look at this is that Question #9, just by itself, is a terrible question to ask in the first place. Why? Because it assumes that minority issues such as discrimination and representation only occur in race groups. But as one can easily attest to in the last century, discrimination happens to more than a race. It happens to religious groups and ethnic groups as well. And simply asking a question about race ignores that huge issues this country has in regards to protecting minority ethnic groups and religious groups.

    So, in fact, putting ‘Iranian’ or ‘Iranian-American’ IS the most informed answer one can give here, because the QUESTION is ill-informed in the first place. And there are millions upon millions of other ethnic and religious minorities that are going do the same thing when they mail in their Census forms on April 1st.

31. kamy alafzadi is the bestttttttttttttttttttt

32. According to Wikipedia the Definition of whiteness in the United States is discussed as follows:

    The current U.S. Census definition includes white “people having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East or North Africa.[113] The U.S. Department of Justice Federal Bureau of Investigation describes white people as “having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa through racial categories used in the UCR Program adopted from the Statistical Policy Handbook (1978) and published by the Office of Federal Statistical Policy and Standards, U.S. Department of Commerce.[114]

    The cultural boundaries separating white Americans from other racial or ethnic categories are contested and always changing. According to John Tehranian, among those not considered white at some points in American history have been: the Irish, Germans, Jews, Italians, Spaniards, Hispanics, Slavs, and Greeks.[115]
    Studies have found that while current parameters officially encompassed Arabs as part of the White American racial category, many Arab Americans from places other than the Levant feel they are not white and are not perceived as white by American society.”[116]

    This last sentence should also include Iranian people of all sorts, like
    Persians, Lores, Azeri, Gilaki, Balochi, Kurd etc. Because the same applies to us as well.

    I think Sirous is spot on about this issue. If we insist on being white
    we are only kidding ourselves. If we make it known that we are Iranian-American and there 2 million of us around. We have the power and then we can show the reason for demanding respect and equality.
    If a lot of us check the white box per definition, we are only hurting ourselves. By being added to the pile of white people, we will be dissolved in the general melting pot without really being part of it or being accepted in actuality.

33. This is a fraudulent act, no matter what bullshit rationalizations you employ to make yourself feel better about it.

    Lying on the census for your own gain only corrupts the system. And for a people who fled a particularly corrupt government, you’d think you’d want to start a new life in a new country by leaving that type of thinking behind.

    This is about as moral as the scientologists claiming religious status for the tax breaks. “Iranian” is somehow now a “race” for the purposes of getting money for you and yours.

34. Hey Michael……Wake up and stop the puritan nonsense…We live in a capitalist state therefore we need to play by its rules to yes gain for the larger Iranian-American community. and please avoid talking about morality in politics…There is non…remember the invasion of Iraq by a devout church going U.S. president on a deceitful premise.

35. I’m not convinced this will benefit us. Ignoring the legal benefits of being a minority (if there are any), I believe being “white” is a state of mind, regardless the color of your skin. If you go around and call yourself a minority, then guess what, you will treated as one. Historically, this society has not been kind to minorities! Many of us are here to stay for many generations to come, as I don’t see an end to the mulahs’ control in Iran anytime soon. So, what’s wrong with being “white” while at the same time we continue to celebrate our heritage, focus on being successful (as we have been), and become politically involved. We can enjoy more benefits from being part of the white community than having a minority label. I am afraid that a “legal” Iranian-American status, in the current middle-east-phobic environment will drive a wedge between us and the mainstream U.S. In short, any potential reward will be dwarfed by the racial isolation we may experience.

36. Kambiz is the best one!!! Hilarious!

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