The First Iranian American

Mirza Mohammad Ali, better known as Hajj Sayyah (meaning the traveler), was born in 1836 in the town of Mahallat in Iran. His studies exposed him at a young age to modern and democratic ideas that were at the time spreading throughout parts of the world. The stark difference he observed between the treatment suffered by most Iranians under their autocratic rulers and the ideas he studied inspired him to see the rest of the world.

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PAAIA Organizing Support for Darius Shahinfar’s Candidacy for U.S. Congress

To date, no Americans of Iranian descent have served in the U.S. Congress. Thanks to what we hope will be broad community involvement and support for Darius Shahinfar, that maybe about to change. Mr. Shahinfar is a viable and credible candidate running for the U.S. House of Representatives from New York's 21st congressional district. Having met Mr. Shahinfar and discussed issues of interest to the Iranian American community with him, PAAIA looks forward to supporting his candidacy and encourages all Iranian Americans to do the same. To that end, we are currently planning a number of events in Washington DC and other locations across the country to introduce Mr. Shahinfar to members of the community and to raise funds for his campaign. Please contact us if you are interested in helping with this effort.

How does PAAIA complement other Iranian American organizations?

PAAIA believes the Iranian American community can most effectively advance its common interests if its many individuals and organizations act collectively and collaboratively.  PAAIA seeks to serve as a nexus for this collaboration, and has enunciated “community building” as one of the three pillars of its mission. 

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What you can do?

Become a Member

As a grassroots organization, we count on you to play an essential and indispensible role in determining the organization's direction. At its very core, PAAIA belongs to the Iranian American community.

Volunteer

We are always looking for committed local members who serve as PAAIA's representatives.

Tell Us What You Think

Let us know what you think about PAAIA and what issues you want PAAIA to focus on. We seek to represent your views as they pertain to matters of domestic interest or  concern for Iranian Americans.

To help guide Iranian Americans in their political engagement, PAAIA is pleased to announce the launch of its 2008 Presidential Election Guide.

To inform the public as to where members of Congress stand on issues of importance to the Iranian American community, PAAIA has compiled a Congressional Scorecard.

Register to Vote, make your voice heard!

We invite you to Become a Member of PAAIA and support this historic initiative to create an effective Iranian American voice that truly represents our community.