Is it easy for Iranians to go to America?

It's not easy! Since Iran established the Islamic Republic based on Shia teachings, Iran has rapidly moved towards the road of "anti-American and anti-Western", and the relationship between the United States and Iran has become worse and worse. 1979 Iranian hostage crisis even caused the United States to break off diplomatic relations with Iran directly. The United States has been trying to overthrow the current Iranian government by various means, using almost all means except direct war. Iran is not afraid of American pressure. There was a big fight between the two sides

After the Islamic Revolution broke out in Iran, the American Embassy in Iran was occupied, and 66 American diplomats and civilians were taken hostage.

However, a large number of Iranians live in the United States. They are either first-generation immigrants or their grandparents have lived in the United States for generations. Today, at least 654.38+0.5 billion Iranians have settled in the United States, and this figure only represents Iranians who were born in Iran and immigrated to the United States within a certain period of time. If you add Iranians born in the United States and Americans of Iranian descent, there will be more. The United States has become the country with the second largest number of Iranians in the world.

What charm does the United States have for Iranians? Why do Iranians immigrate to the "hostile" United States in large numbers?

Geopark FM-47 1

Audio:

00:0008:35

The time when Iranians immigrated to the United States in large numbers can be traced back to the 20th century. At that time, Iran was under the Pahlavi dynasty, and its relationship with the United States was not bad, and it even became a solid ally. After the end of World War II, the United States became the world's largest power and began to wipe out the power of the old colonial empire on a large scale. Under the intervention of the United States, the forces of Britain and the Soviet Union completely withdrew from Iran. The United States unilaterally controlled Iran under the Pahlavi dynasty, and Iran became an important ally of the United States in the Middle East.

Pahlavi and then US President Carter.

Based on the friendly relations between Iran and the United States at that time, and Iran became a relatively rich country through oil trade at that time, it was not difficult for Iranians to go to the United States. At that time, English has become a global language, and the United States is a big education country, so many families with conditions will choose to let their children study in the United States and receive American higher education. By the mid-1970s, nearly half of Iranian students were studying in the United States. From 1975 to 1978, there are more Iranian students studying in American universities than in any other country.

1968 a group of female doctors standing in front of the atomic furnace of Tehran university.

Because the immigration policy of the United States is relatively open, and the living conditions in the United States are far from Iran. So many Iranian students found better opportunities in the United States after graduation, so they chose to stay in the United States and get married in the United States. Iranian immigrants in this period are usually just one person, not the whole family. Before the outbreak of the Islamic Revolution in Iran, Iranians who settled in the United States had formed a certain scale. Because these people are mainly students, most of them have received good education and high cultural literacy, and they soon penetrated into all fields of the United States, and they can be seen in scientific research, art and culture.

From 65438 to 0979, after the Islamic Revolution broke out, many students who didn't finish their studies and didn't want to return to Iran applied to stay in the United States as refugees. In addition to students, a large number of rich Iranians and intellectuals also immigrated to the United States, which is also the original source of Iranian-Americans.

From 65438 to 0979, the Islamic Revolution broke out in Iran, the pro-American Pahlavi dynasty was overthrown, the last king Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi went into exile in the United States, Iran established the Islamic Republic, and Khomeini became the supreme spiritual leader of Iran. After the establishment of the new regime, a large number of forces of the old regime immediately began to be purged. The upper-class aristocrats, government officials and relatives of the royal family of Pahlavi Dynasty were worried that the new regime would be unfavorable to them, so they chose to follow in the footsteps of Pahlavi King and immigrate to the United States with their families after the Islamic Revolution.

Khomeini returned to Iran after his exile.

After the cleric class came to power, Iran became a country with a combination of politics and religion, and Islamic law was strictly enforced throughout the country. All western-style bars and nightclubs have been closed, and women need to wear headscarves and robes when they go out. Women have become men's "accessories". Iran has suddenly changed from a secular and open country to a completely religious country. Many people choose to emigrate to western countries because they can't adapt to such a huge gap, and continue their western-style life, especially families with daughters have become the main force of immigration, and the United States has become one of their choices.

Comparison of Iranian women before and after the Islamic Revolution.

In addition, after Khomeini took office, he vigorously promoted "Islamic fundamentalism", severely suppressed dissidents (especially those who opposed the integration of politics and religion), and persecuted all opposition organizations such as the left and the Muslim Brotherhood. Under Khomeini's high-handed policy, a large number of political refugees appeared. Because the arm can't beat the thigh, I can only choose to leave my hometown and escape from the rule of Khomeini government. Among them, a large number of people have immigrated to the United States. In addition to domestic political factors, the Iran-Iraq war that broke out in 1980 also became a "booster" for a large number of Iranians to immigrate to the United States. Most of them are middle class. In order to avoid the war and protect their property, they choose to leave their homes.

The United States also welcomes the arrival of these people and opens the door for them. On the one hand, the relationship between the United States and the current Iranian regime is very bad, and these people are also people who strongly oppose the current Iranian regime. As the saying goes, "the enemy of my enemy is my friend", these "opponents" can definitely be used by the United States when they come to the United States, and the United States can "attack" the current Iranian government through these people.

They raised the Iranian flag of Pahlavi period and opposed the current Iranian authorities. Image source. Pexels

In addition, the status of these American immigrants in Iran is not low. Many of them used to be officials of the old regime, and rich people like big business owners have accumulated huge wealth. After these people immigrate to the United States, they will undoubtedly transfer all their assets to the United States, from which the United States can earn a lot of income. Similarly, most Iranians who immigrate to the United States are highly educated intellectuals. Their immigration to the United States is equivalent to sending a large number of talents to the United States and making contributions to the social development of the United States. For various reasons, during this period, the American government did little to stop Iranian immigrants, and even gave generous subsidies, thus attracting more and more Iranian immigrants.

According to the U.S. 1980 census, at least1230,000 Iranians became American citizens at this stage. Between 1980 and 1990, the number of Iranians born in the United States increased by about 74%. The great changes in Iranian society and the generous treatment given by the United States to Iranian immigrants have become the main reasons why many Iranians immigrate to the United States with their families.

After Khomeini's death, his successor Khamenei did not make any changes, which led to a higher degree of religiousization in Iran. Moreover, because of its long-term bad relations with the United States, Iran has been severely sanctioned and blocked by western countries that take the United States as a defense. Iran's economic situation has gone from bad to worse, and its living standards have even deteriorated. A large number of desperate Iranians choose to leave Iran and go to other countries to find a better way out. Many Iranians who have relatives in the United States will try to immigrate to the United States through their relatives in the United States.

20 1 1 American community survey shows that there were at least 47034 1 Iranian American citizens in the United States at that time, and this data only included the Persian, the mainstream ethnic group in Iran. In addition to Persians, there are a large number of Iranian minorities who immigrated to the United States, such as Iranian Armenians, Iranian Jews, Iranian Kurds and so on. Iranian immigrants mainly gather in cities belonging to California such as Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco, forming many Iranian communities.