From successful entrepreneurs to world-renowned scientists and leading academics, Iranian Americans come to America for one reason above all: freedom.
Today, the United States is home to over a million people with Iranian ancestry or citizenship. Around half of all working Iranian Americans are in professional and managerial occupations — more than any other group in the U.S. Iranian Americans comprise one of the most educated and influential ethnic groups in the country, ranking among the top 20 immigrant groups in terms of business ownership.
Despite these contributions to the American economy, however, politicians on both sides have failed to take action towards a healthy, diplomatic relationship with Iran, letting down this industrious demographic.
Given the perilous relationships between Washington and Tehran, it should not be surprising that most Iranian Americans consider foreign policy their most important issue. Even though many disagree with the actions of the Iranian government, they favor better relations between Tehran and Washington and dismiss the dangerous rhetoric of war hawks like John Bolton, Hillary Clinton, and Sen. Lindsey Graham.
In 2016, Donald Trump ran for president on a platform of cutting taxes and ending the wars in the Middle East, both policies largely favored by Iranian Americans. Since then, however, policies like Executive Order 13769, or “Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States,” have alienated many Iranian Americans. Around 76% of Iranian Americans opposed the travel ban, which now bars Iranian citizens from obtaining U.S. visas or inviting family members to visit. This also creates obstacles for Iranian students who want to pursue higher education in the U.S. While the blame for this ban ultimately lies on the White House, it has faced little to no resistance from Congress.
Unfortunately, former President Barack Obama has been the only president in recent history to recognize the Iranian community, while other elected officials have called for more policies that would negatively affect Iranian Americans. For this reason, many Iranian Americans have fallen into the hands of the Democratic Party, succumbing to the illusion that the Democrats are on their side.
On the contrary, Congress is full of Democrats with anti-Iranian inclinations. Massachusetts Democratic Rep. Seth Moulton, for example, has called Iran “a major threat to our national security.” New Jersey Democratic Sen. Cory Booker has also insisted that the U.S. “be more vigilant than ever in fighting Iranian aggression.” California Democratic Rep. Brad Sherman, who represents San Fernando Valley (home to one of the largest Iranian American communities), has been outspoken about tightening sanctions on Iran. He also supports increased cooperation with Saudi Arabia, Iran’s biggest geopolitical rival.
With the 2020 election cycle, it seems that the Democratic candidates’ only concern in this area is to reintroduce Obama’s nuclear agreement, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. None of them have brought up the possibility of lifting the travel ban or relaxing sanctions on Iran in order to build trust.
But hope is not yet lost for Iranian Americans. Several officials throughout the House and Senate are looking at ways of improving U.S.-Iranian relations. In November 2016, Kentucky Republican Rep. Thomas Massie voted against an extension of U.S. sanctions against Iran, being the only member of the House to do so. The following year, Massie joined independent Michigan Rep. Justin Amash and Tennessee Republican Rep. John Duncan Jr. to vote against the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, a bill imposing new economic sanctions against Russia, Iran, and North Korea.
Meanwhile, Republican Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul has criticized the Trump administration for escalating tensions with Iran. In an interview with Fox News earlier this year, Paul said, “One of the things I like about [Trump] is that he said the Iraq War was a mistake. I think an Iran war would be an even bigger mistake.”
Both parties have done their part to damage U.S.-Iranian relations and alienate the Iranian American population. Iranian Americans’ voices will be heard only if they participate in the political area and support fiscally conservative candidates who stand by the Constitution and work toward ending militancy and trade wars.
Tahmineh Dehbozorgi is the former California state chairwoman at Young Americans for Liberty. She now serves as campus correspondent at Campus Reform.
