History of ISAA
Tired of the apathy and the low level of consciousness regarding the Iranian identity, culture, community, and history amongst the UC Berkeley populace and especially Iranian students, a group of inspired Iranian students moved to create an environment where these important issues could be addressed. They built the Iranian Student Alliance in America in the fall of 2002.
Inexperienced, but motivated, these Iranians tested the waters for the 2002-2003 academic year. They sought to promote a better sense of identity and community and advocate a better understanding of Iran and its culture. What's more, they felt that Iranians lacked a presence on the historic campus of UC Berkeley with 32,000 students and worked to remedy it by being loud and organized. They organized poetry nights, movie nights, brought attention to the INS detainees by demonstrating in their support, a lecture series titled: "Iran and Iranians after September 11th," and launched a semester journal titled: Goftogoo: Dialogue on Iran and Iranians.
The group gained much experience after its first academic year in operation. Thus, over the summer of 2003, the active members revamped the entire organization. The following fall, ISAA exploded onto the scene as one of most organized and active student groups at UC Berkeley. ISAA had planned 24 events for the fall semester including, three poetry nights, four movie nights, an open forum, a music night, ten lectures and documentary screenings regarding Iranian history ranging from the Iran-Iraq War to the Iranian Revolution, an Iranian-American night celebrating the Iranian-American identity, a book signing by the author of "All The Shah's Men," Stephen Kinzer, and a lecture series pertaining to the CIA coup of 1953 in Iran, which drew an audience of 450 people. What's more, our publication, Goftogoo: Dialogue on Iran and Iranians, was published for its second semester and T-shirts and sweaters were made promoting the Iranian identity. At the end of the fall semester, ISAA was ranked the most popular and one of the most active student groups at UC Berkeley. In other words, ISAA and Iranians had a presence; they were loud and organized. This accomplishment was made in ISAA's third semester in existence.
Over the winter break, the tragic earthquake at Bam struck. Although ISAA members were on vacation, they constantly sent emails updating its viewers on the tragedy, relief efforts, and informing them of how they could help, all the while planning their own fundraiser for when the semester began. Therefore, on the first week of the semester, ISAA screened Tahmineh Milani's new film: "The Fifth Reaction," to an audience of 375 people. Afterwards, sister Maryam Milani who worked on the film gave a brief lecture on the women in Iran. The proceeds went to Bam as ISAA tried to do its part. ISAA sent the proceeds from the event to the Kahrizak Foundation.
In addition, ISAA organized over thirty events for the semester including three poetry nights, three movie nights, a backgammon tournament, which received front page exposure by UC Berkeley’s “The Daily Cal," a language night, two open forums, two music nights, two Iranian dance workshops, nine documentary screenings and lectures regarding issues ranging from the Iranian Revolution to drug addiction and minorities in Iran. What's more, ISAA coordinated a Multi-campus Iranian Awareness Week with more than eleven Iranian groups at various campuses ranging from MIT to UCLA participating. One of the events from the awareness week was a book signing by the author of "Funny in Farsi," Firoozeh Dumas, which was also covered by “The Daily Cal," The purpose of this book signing was to observe the Iranian immigrant experience through the eyes of the author of the book. What’s more, ISAA brought the famous Iranian singer, Dariush, to campus to speak about drug addiction in Iran and in the Iranian diaspora. The following day ISAA organized a private meeting with Dariush and other Iranian student leaders. The student group also printed its third edition of its publication: Goftogoo: Dialogue on Iran and Iranians.
To maintain a presence, ISAA tabled in front of Sproul Hall on behalf of our student group for the entire school year, with the exception of the rainy weeks. Additionally, we hung a huge banner from one of the most visible buildings on campus (MLK) bringing attention to our student group and proudly displaying an outline of Iran's geographic shape and national colors.
ISAA was once again acknowledged as the most popular student group at UC Berkeley, but this time, it was also noted as the most active, as opposed to being one of the most active! All in all, ISAA organized over 50 quality events for the 2003-2004 academic year (fall and spring). With the closure of the 2003-2004 academic school, ISAA was the recipient of two awards, one from UC Berkeley’s student government, the ASUC, honoring ISAA in the field of “Campus Presence" with the “Highest Excellency" notification. ISAA also was awarded a plaque from the Bay Area’s Payvand Cultural Center for ISAA’s “continued dedication and commitment to our community."
In the fall of 2004, under the leadership of the organization’s first women presidents, ISAA continued to thrive. The group organized over 25 events, of which was its fourth music night, fourth open forum with the theme: "Iranian dating and marriage," its seventh and eighth joint poetry nights, 11 documentary screenings and lectures ranging from the "NGO's Role in a Developing Society in Iran" to Iran’s student movement. ISAA also organized three movie nights, one of which was a screening of the popular Iranian film: Marmoolak (Lizard), a voter registration party to register Iranians to vote for the 2004 presidential elections, a second highly competitive backgammon tournament, its second Iranian-American Night, and its first Iranian cuisine night to celebrate the delicacies of Iranian cuisine. ISAA in collaboration with Art Vision also organized a world music concert at Wheeler Auditorium where prominent musicians blended the world’s musical cultures to make innovative sounds. The group continued to sell its famed shirt and sweaters that promote the Iranian identity and published its fourth edition of its magazine, Goftogoo: Dialogue on Iran and Iranians.
In its four editions of circulation, the magazine has covered a multitude of topics ranging from the Iranian-American immigrant experience, to being a religious minority in post-revolutionary Iran, to HIV and AIDS in Iran, to the causes of the Iran-Iraq War, to the way African and Korean Americans view Iran and Iranians. Articles on the influence of ideologue Dr. Ali Shariati and US coup in Iran were among many of the historical articles written.
Throughout the semesters, ISAA has actively worked to promote its mission statement, which supports the Iranian identity, establishment of the diaspora community, advocate awareness on Iran and Iranian issues, and to promote the preservation and knowledge of the Iranian culture. In the fall of 2004, after semesters of communication with various like-minded Iranian student groups, ISAA, in an effort to fulfill one of the pillars of its mission statement which promotes the establishment of the diaspora community, spearheaded a global campaign to formerly make a sisterhood of Iranian organizations with Iranian student groups in America, Canada, and Europe. The sisterhood was officially announced on November 7th, and its purpose was to promote unity through an official connection with Iranian student groups separated by regionalism, and to be able to work together on common issues. When the National Geographic was mistakenly called the Persian Gulf the "Arabian Gulf," the sisterhood was able to coordinate a mass emailing campaign to the National Geographic to urge them to correct the mistake.
ISAA looks forward to continuing to represent Iran and Iranians in America and in particular, at UC Berkeley. With continued involvement of the Iranian students and support from the campus community and the greater Iranian community, ISAA is confident that its message will continue to be one of excellence and importance!