From: aref@Tehran.Stanford.EDU (Modda'iyeh har hAzer va Vakileh har ghAyeb)
Subject: Re: Counting Heads (REPORT REPOST :-)
Organization: VezArateh Keshvar 
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 1992 19:29:42 GMT

This report was posted on SCI back in April 1992. I am reposting it
FYI on this thread (with minor changes).

------------------------------------------------------------------------

 
The following statistics are from a presentation on April 4, 1992,
sponsored by the Center for Middle Eastern Studies (CMES), University of
California, Berkeley, and several other organizations, including
the California Council for the Humanities, the Society of Iranian
Professionals, the Iranian Students Cultural Organization, and
International and Area Studies, UC Berkeley. The announcement of
this event was posted a while ago on SCI.

Paragraphs denoted by a "**" are commentaries by presenters.
Paragraphs denoted by a "*" are commentaries/assumptions/perceptions
by yours truly.

Presenters:
Dr. Arlene Dallalfar, Sociologist, University of California, Los Angeles,
and Research Associate, CMES.

Dr. Hamid Naficy, Dept. of Film and Television, Univ. of California, 
Los Angeles, CA

Dr. Nezhat Farnoodi, Social Psychologist, Ravan-beh Institute,
Los Angeles, CA

Mr. Ali Sadeghi, Psychologist and Cultural Anthropologist, Ravan-beh Inst.,
Los Angeles, CA


The notes I have were taken throughout a period of 4-5 hours. 
Therefore I am not quite sure which speaker is responsible for
any particular point. However, the information, collectively was
given by the aforementioned presenters. 

*****************************************************************************

** US Immigration and Naturalization Service estimates from 1986 about the
   Iranian population in the United States:

        - Between 240,000 and 350,000
        - About half in Los Angeles Basin

        ** Very Low Estimate. Likely to be much higher at this time.
        *  Extremely Low Estimate

        ** Recent Los Angeles Times informal count: About 800,000
           in Southern California. (No date for the paper was given)

        ** True number, is probably somewhere in the middle.

        ** A San Francisco Bay Area Iranian Social Activist (United Way)
           claimed a population of about 400,000 in the San Francisco Bay Area

* A total of about 1 million in California seems reasonable since:
        - The Iranians residing outside of San Francisco/Los Angeles
          metropolitan areas were not counted; ie Central Valley, Northern
          California rural counties, etc.

        - No study was done on the Armenian and Assyrian population in the
          San Joaquin Valley cities of Fresno, Modesto, etc. where a large
          population of the above groups reside. It is difficult to
          distinguish between Iranian-Armenians, Lebanes-Armenians, Iraqi-
          Assyrians, Iranian-Assyrians and so on.


** In Los Angeles Metropolitan Area:

        - 7 distinct subgroups in order of size:

                -- Farsi Speaking Moslems
                -- Jewish Iranians
                -- Armenians/Assyrians
                -- BahAi's 
                -- Zoroastrians
                -- Iranian Kurds
                -- Iranian AzarbAijAnis

                * They also mentioned something about Baluchis, as I remember.
                  I don't have anything written down in my notes.

** The Iranian population of California is extremely varied in terms of
   following categories:

        -       Political (Royalists, Religious, etc.)
        -       Professions (This is just a count: Exceptions do exist!!)
        -       More Moslems in Professional/Administrative/Managerial 
                positions       
        -       More Jewish Iranians in Trade and Business
        -       More BahAii's in service sectors such as financial 
                and insurance
                                                                                      -       Mixed groups of Political Refugees/Immigrants/Ex-Students who
                chose to stay

        -       More balanced in terms of gender, age, and ethnic/religious
                minorities.

        -       Distinct characteristics between Northern California and
                Southern California.
                North: More professionals / better educated
                South: More busines oriented
 
** 2 distinct waves of Immigration to the US:

        -       1st wave: Beginning in early 1950's, primarily students
        -       In 1980, 1 out of every 6 foreign students in the US
                was Iranian. That number has dwindled rapidly ever since.

        -       2nd wave: Since the revolution of 1979 in Iran.
        -       Families, refugees, immigrants, all ages, with all levels
                of education and wealth.
** General characteristic of the Iranian population in the US: HIGHLY educated.

** Psychological issues caused by the immigration/exile and cultural
   differences: (US=American, IR=Iranian)

        -       Self-esteem based on what you can do for yourself (US)
                Self-esteem based on what you can do for your family (IR)

        -       Privacy of sons/daughters lives, ie: Sexual/social habits (US)
                Involvement of parents in all aspects of the children's 
                lives (IR)

                                                                                    -        High percentage of divorce due to differences, assumptions, 
               and confusion associated with cultural displacement.

** Television Programming:
        -       Extremely high volume of advertising for Iranian owned
                businesses, or those catering to the Iranian market, from
                basmati rice to luxury automobiles.

		*[WISEGUY COMMENTARY:

			khAnoom (along with her son): 
			mAlo manAl avordim, dokhtaretoono
			bordeem.

			hAj AghA (along with his daughter): 
			mAlo manAl arzooneh, 
			dokhtar nemidam behetoon.

			khAnoom: 
			berenjeh pari avordeem, dokhtaretoono
			bordeem. 

			hAj AghA: (eyes lit up, gives away dokhtar with
			a huge smile in exchange for 2 gooni berenjeh pari.

                  END WISEGUY COMMENTARY]				

        -       Highest number of hours for television programs produced
                *locally* in California, ignoring English and Spanish 
                programs.

 Please note LOCALLY. A lot of other ethnic groups "import" their
 Television programs from the home country, e.g. Japanese programs
 produced in Tokyo.


* Other
        -       No specific count of cows, mashdi's or other SCI species
                were made. :-)

DISCLAIMER: I might or might not have made mistakes taking notes. 
            Please correct any errors, if you have reliable information.

Aref