Im w. Kamau bell. This episode of united shades of america was filmed in late 2019, months before the covid19 pandemic swept the country, and also months before george floyd was killed by minneapolis police. And the wave of protests that followed. At the time, i was welcomed into peoples homes and i was able to have the kind of intimate conversations that have become impossible during the pandemic. Youll see handshakes, highfives and hugs. Now, im grateful to have had that opportunity, and i look forward to being able to do it again some day. I hope you enjoy this episode. When i was a kid, all i knew about iron was hostages, hijacked planes and jimmy carter wishing he remained a peanut farmer in georgia. As i grew up, not much changed. America saw iran as the enemy. States like these constitute an action an axis of evil. No matter how close we get to things looking like thigh they finally turned a corner once and for all let it end now. They dont. The United States is locked and loaded. Dag gummet. Son of a. New york city. Im here because like so many immigrant communities, this is where many iranianamericans landed when they first came to the u. S. Most did not stay. Making their way to california and settling in large numbers in los angeles. Roughly 20 of iranianamericans live there, which has led some to adopt the nickname tehrangeles. But new york is the city where immigrant story is rooted. And theres still large iranianamerican communities here. Not that youd be able to tell that from talking to most new yorkers. Do you have any interaction with the Persian Community . I love persian food. I had persian food in the city. Thats the way we bet into new cultures from food. Have you ever met a persian . I dont think so. Never came across. I could walk around new york city hoping to run into some iranian americans or turn to my friend. Iranian people get scared by this. I like to have fun with it. I like to sit in the front row of Nuclear Physics classes. You may remember her after her previous appearance on united shades to express her anxiety after donald trump was elected. And from everything thats happened since shs she had a point. Cheers to the end of the world. She had all the points. I got to cry on tv. How did that work out . So now i feel like theres this moment of checking in. Its almost exactly three years later. It was premuslim ban, pre ban of iranians. Stuff you were afraid of, you were right to be afraid. Yeah, because in iran, when regimes would come into power that were not favoring progressive values, usually people didnt take them sriously and then all of a sudden they were having all these unreasonable people that you cant have a conversation with at all, what happened, and wait a minute you know, you cant shrug it off. Yeah. When i met you, i didnt know there was a category of people that were called persian, and i didnt know that those people were also iranian. Oh. I thought persian was like, aladdin, you know what i mean . Not real thatsi agrabah. Its an ancient culture. The names become political. Do you say persian or iranian . Persian sounds exotic. From the orient. Rugs and potions. I get a lot of questions about who i am. This guy came up to me, whats a pesh persian, whats an iranian . Why do you have two things . I just have one thing. Im just an asshole. One is exotic, one says what it is. Why two names . Im confused. Everyone is against me. Can i trust the cia . And then he ran for president. I never grew up really feeling like a persian kid. I was brown kid in an affluent white School Representative of, like, everyone. Always in speech and debate, i was the dissent. And then i think when i went to college, i wanted to be persian. You know . I wanted to connect. And i joined the clubs and thats when i started doing comedy. My friend was, like, running the iranian student cultural organizations talent show at uc berkeley. Take your stories about your dad and string them together in a routine. And i did. And it totally killed. It was the first time i felt connected to my Persian Community. Yeah. But then, you know, i got a spot opening for, like, big iranian comic, and dead silence. Scowls. The scowls i get for not white passing. Literally because youre not white enough or just the way you act in the world or both . Both. The darker you are, the more respectable you should behave. Oh. I understand, like, we are under a lot of scrutiny. We could be going to war. So that that spotlights real and its scary. And the weight of presenting. But one of the things that has survived iranians is that regardless of what the politics are, regardless of what empire gets overthrown, what regime comes in, what new shah they have, the culture sustains, and people are about celebration. You dance, you drink, you cheer, celebrate. Call the holiday whatever you want to call it. Were going to still celebrate. Yeah. And thats i really admire that about persian culture. Mmhmm. So were going to spend some time in long island. Okay. Meet some new york persians. Is there a difference between new york persians and california persians, do you think . I guess well find out. Being an immigrant is hard. Being an immigrant to america is hard. And then you add being an immigrant in new york city. Oof. Moving to new york is hard, even if youre moving here from other parts of america. Hell, i lived here for two years before new york said you aint about this life. Take your soft butt back to the west coast, son. But aseem is tougher than me. By the time i got here, i was 23 years old. 83 in new york city was a tough place. I did pretty much what every immigrant would do, you put a Survival Gear on. Its a big deal in iran. Guests and hospitality gathering through food. People knock on your door and bring you an offering made with love. I was the first one to jump on the door. It means a lot of things for me. Culture, tradition, and all of that. That is all about community. And this is what i finally have made for myself here. That community. Most of persian food in america is kebabs. You want people to know more than that. Part of me was questioning, why nobody does our food in a real authentic way . We have such a rich culture from north to south of iran. The flavors, the kind of food, they remain so close to my heart. I was invited here by a couple of friends who love this place because it connects them to their good times in iran. So the first reaction before i left was from all my american friends who are like, you want to do what . Youre going to go where . James, an iranianamerican decided to move to america and work as a reporter for the washington post. He wrote what life is like for everyday iranians. Its not a country of extremist people. Thats definitely not the image that the news. Yeah, these are people who have been through so much tumult in the last 40 years and actually in the last 100 years. Never been in a place where ive seen more of an aversion to physical violence than i have in iran. He is an iranian journalist who was living in tehran when jason met, fell in love and got married. I wanted people to know that its a beautiful land. We have good people. We have good food. And the people are not very different from anywhere else. Yeah. Theres a lot of world things about it that have been in tact for hundreds of years. And, you know, for me, i chose to live there. With a plan to report from, you know, really ground level point of view. Mmhmm. I think if we could undo everything, wed probably still be living there. Absolutely, yes. But they cant live there anymore. Back in 2014, jason and yegi were living a good, happy life in iran when out of nowhere and with no evidence they were arrested on charges of espionage. Yegi spent just over two months in prison. Jason was in prison for 544 days. The arrest happened six weeks after they had filmed an episode of parts unknown with our mutual friend. Anthony bauourdain. Can we officially put to bed the rumor that your appearance on the show. Absolutely, 1,000 . It was a gamechanger for us in a good way. I decided to rewatch that episode. Just to sort of, like, put myself in the frame of mind and see also reconnect with who you guys were then. And just to see, like, if this was the moment before everything changed. Yeah. And it must be a lot for two to have a record of that moment. Yeah, its a lot. I mean, you know, some nights when youre flipping through cnn and it comes on, we can watch it for a few minutes. Some nights we cant. Yeah. Even in spite of that, this was this really interesting opening moment culturally in the country. You know, americans pouring in. Im glad that we were part of that record. Weirdly, part of that record is that Iranian State television clearly mad that jason got out, took his story, turned it into a tv show. They actually made him into the spy that he never was. Think the Bourne Identity meets what the [ bleep ]. Plenty of people watch that tv show and believe it. Its crazy. And only we know that because we were there. They have me chain smoking and literally eating constantly. Like, im putting something in my mouth constantly. I mean they didnt show the fact that you lost 40 pounds in 40 days. Thats what happens to people. When they go to prison. Especially an iranian prison. The food is so good. Its like this. And is this [ speaking Foreign Language ] why do you think they let you out, ultimately . Was it the pressure . More trouble than you were worth . No, no, it was very much, you know, a negotiated settlement between the u. S. And iran at a very precise moment. You know, when the nuclear deal was coming to fruition. You know, i credit my family, my employers, tony, really, you know, for raising the awareness to a level that it couldnt be ignored. Do you think youll be able to go back at some point, just to visit . Of course i want to go back. At least send my ashes when i die. I hope things change for better in a way that everyone can travel. vo with tmobile for business, your business has an easy choice. The largest 5g network. Awardwinning customer satisfaction. Insanely great value. Choose. Any. Three. Ready when you are. Webut you cant lose sight of your own wellbeing especially if you have a serious chronic medical condition. At aetna, were always here to help you focus on your health. Because its always time for care. [ speaking Foreign Language ] thats right, america. There are iranian americans who are jewish. Ill hold for you to take that in. And like jewish people everywhere, friday nights are all about shabbat dinner. And like all big family dinners, it is a time to connect with your traditions and customs, eat your peoples food and, of course, make fun of the new guy. Amen. Yes. We have to start over because his yarmulke fell off. My afro is not yarmulkefriendly. I didnt want to say that. Im glad you said it. I didnt want to ah, time for more of that sweet, sweet iranian hospitality, the jewish edition. So, to everyone, to all family, friends and guests, salamati. Again, thank you for having me. Senator anna kaplan was part of the 2018 democratic blue wave. She did her flipping in the new york state senate, and she did it all while being the first jewish iranian american citizen to do it. I was a political refugee who came to this country at age 13. As jews, we never voted in iran. We didnt really have a say, so there isnt a day i didnt feel blessed to do what i do. I didnt realize there was such a Large Population of iranian jews. If you compare that to the muslims of iran, were just 0. 1 . At one point in history, there were an estimated 150,000 jewish People Living in iran. The revolution and the creation of the Islamic State changed all that in an instant. My mom and sister escaped in the trunk of a car, knowing that if they got caught, they would kill them. Iranian jews fled in vast numbers. Many of them ended up here in long island, specifically great neck. So tell me about great neck. You said its an insular community. Its actually quite diverse. We have the ar ashkan. The reason everybody moves to great neck because great neck has always been known as a community that welcomes everyone. Im excited to know that america welcomed you all in. But its not the same now. Right. That was really one of the reasons i ran. I want to make sure that i can do whatever i can in my power. That the opportunities that have been available to me be available to others. Ironically, annas road to the senate was met with some serious resistance within her own community. Many of her fellow jewish iranian americans are conservatives. Im not talking about compassionates, im talking fullon maga. So many women have done their part for me to be able to come in and run for office and to win, and i need to do for the generations to come. I really try to do right by everyone. What do you like about living here in great neck . Usually, they envy each other. Competition. Competitions. Anybody needs help, everybodys there. Hes trying to tell me the real story. Youre trying to clean it up. Yeah. Hes always trying to do that. We got the politician over here. So i take it you all have been here before . We come here usually three times a month on saturday mornings. Its usually 10, 11 of us. Oh, wow. This is the starting lineup. Yeah. It started with this guy right here. Hes been coming here we were in synagogue and he told me, you know, i just went to dianes, i just had a cup of tea. I told him, okay, lets do it next week together. This guy came and that guy came. The coffee and the cake is the best in town. The best. What was it like to come here as an immigrant from iran . My older brother was here already, and i got here 6 00 in the morning, he wakes me up, lets go. So he takes me to a hpizzeria. They tell me you got to clean off the tables and wash the floors. 2. 75 an hour. I count all my hours that week. The paycheck comes, its not the amount that i want. So i tell the guy, whats going on . I work so many hours. He tells me uncle sam. I said, who the hell is uncle sam . All of us started as bus boys and waiters when we came here and work our way up, either go through school or business. America is the land of opportunity. It truly is that. Right now in america, theres a lot of talk, like, from the southern border people coming in claiming asylum, people coming in trying to find a better life. What do you think when you hear those stories . I think they should come legally to the United States like all of us have and look for opportunity, and not just walk in. Would you let somebody walk into your house . I mean, ifs somebody came to my house and said i need help, which legally youre able to cross any border asking for asylum. They came not because of political and lifethreatening situations. These people are coming for economic reasons. Some are having to get out of horrible you dont know how many people are on welfare now . I think all the studies ive read say immigrants open more businesses. They create jobs. Like some of you did. You know, time is different now. Before when i came to this country, they didnt need to check that much of what my background. But today i think if i come, they have to check my background. When we came here, america didnt have any enemy. There was not so much terrorists. You cannot compare this is a good point. Four years ago, 50 years ago to now. Before we wrap this up, im just going to say one word and then step back, trump. Hes good. Hes good. Hes been good for israel. So number one is israel . Number one is israel. Number two, hes not a politician. For sure. You know hes like a smart boy in the classroom. And this smart boy makes a lot of noise, but hes smart. And he does the job. Unfortunately, from my point of view, the president is exact opposite of what ive been teaching my son and most of the things that i believe that every person in life should be. Is he coming next week . Me and you will have our own table. Well be over here. Give us one example thats something that trump did that is wrong. Kamau, you can go now. All right, guys. Glad i broke up the 20year party. My job here is done. Behind every 2020 census takers mask is a friendly neighbor. Theyre teachers, retirees, vets, people committed to doing right by getting the count right. If you havent responded yet, theyll be stopping by to ask some simple questions that will inform how billions in federal funds are spent on local Services Every year for the next decade. So when they come knocking, say hi from a safe distance and do your part to support your community. Time is running out. Shape your future. Start here at 2020census. Gov. Plan matters more than ever. Unitedhealthcare Medicare Advantage plans have so much to take advantage of. See a doctor from the comfort and safety of home with zero copay. Call today to get more of the care you need. If youre gonna be an entrepreneur, itll be the hardest thing youve ever done in your life. We are six locations, about to be seven locations and 250 team members. Covid changed a lot of things. God willing, were gonna come out on the other side stronger as a company. But, it is not for the faint of heart. Its been a hell of a year. Iredefined the wordng thschool this year. Its been a hell of a year. Its why, at xfinity, were committed to helping kids keep learning through the summer. And help College Students studying at home stay connected through our university program. Were providing affordable Internet Access to low income families through our internet essentials program. And this summer, xfinity is creating a Virtual Summer camp for kids at home all on xfinity x1. Were committed to helping all families stay connected. Learn more at xfinity. Com education. Before we get too far into this, i think it the important to have a brief History Lesson about the tumultuous relationship between the u. S. And iran. Lets start with what many iranians feel is the original sin. Nope, not that one. In 1953, the u. S. And britain helped restore the monarchy of the shah by ousting the countrys democraticallyelected Prime Minister mohammafter he nationalized the countrys oil industry. 1957, the u. S. Helped start Irans Nuclear program. Yep, we did that. 1979, an antishah movement is coopted. Ayatollah khomeini returns from exile and the Islamic Republic of iran is named. Meantime, the shah is having a hard time finding a country letting him stay because iranian protesters were demanding him stay. President jimmy carter reluctantly let him into the u. S. Protesters back in iran, not very happy. A month later, students stormed the embassy and took 66 hostages capture ive. After 44 days in captivity, they were freed in january of 1981, the day of president reagans inauguration. And things have never really changed that much, except eicationl i turned to folks who were there. And when i say there, i mean there. The state department asked for volunteers to go work in iran and i rather foolishly, you know, ignored the very good advice of my military colleagues, which is never volunteer for anything. John was the Deputy Assistant secretary of state in iran in 1979. And was one of the 66 hostages taken when the protesters stormed the embassy. So what do you remember about that first day when youre taken hostage . Well, i think every almost every prisoner goes through the same stages. The first is, oh, this is all a mistake. Ill be out of here very soon. Somebody will come and fix this. You know, the adults in the room will get there. And am i going to have some good stories to tell. Oh. That, of course, dissipates over time. His wife also worked in foreign service, but was not at the embassy at the time. I was, myself, working at the american embassy. I was in consular work. And i had both children. It was very difficult. Very difficult. But i was worried for him. Mmhmm. And we didnt know what is going on. There were mock executions designed to, who knows what, but to frighten us, and they certainly did. People talk now a lot about solitary as a form of mistreatment. No, certainly a human rights violation. I can certainly testify to that. Part of the worst was the uncertainty. We didnt have a sentence to serve. Could have lasted one more day. It could have lasted one more year or we just didnt know. We just didnt know. So when i was doing research and watching interviews with you, i heard a phrase come up more than once. Talk about what that phrase means . Persia is full of phrases like that. Doing things by indirection. Making your point in a way that doesnt confront directly. That makes the point pretty strong. So that the person whose head is cut off never knows. Until his do i have that right . Yes. Thats right. At some point you met with the ayatollah. Well, i met with the current supreme leader. Okay. Khomeini. He was not an ayatollah at the time, but he was the friday prayer leader of tehran. Which is a position of responsibility. He was a few years older than us. In iran, a guest and a host have very specific roles and very specific obligations. You dont have to like them, but you cannot mistreat them. And so i took on the role of host, and he took on the role of guest. Almost without thinking about it. Mmhmm. This gets back to cutting off the head with cotton because i said, look, i know iranians are very hospitable people and they dont want their guests to leave, but what you have done to us goes far beyond hospitality. And has become annoying. Because we have been here long enough. And its time for us to leave. You have violated your own deepest national codes. So let me show you how its done. Wow. And he walked out of the room holding his own head covered in cotton. How did that happen . I mean, it was sure, it was tempting, you know, to call him names. Yes, of course. Yell at him. But there was no point in that. Id like to think that by doing this im practicing our profession. Which is diplomacy. During the president obama, it was getting close, but and was the nuclear deal a part of that . Yes, the nuclear deal was about that. Unfortunately, those thats out of favor these days. Its out of favor these days. And its not just on their side its out of favor. No, no, its out of favor on both sides. Started the relations. Not shout at each other. Not insult each other. Dont say, you know, we throw bomb on the country. Thats the worst thing they want to do. Throwing bomb kills who . Innocent people. Yeah. And the thing that i think that americans dont hear enough about is the people of iran who are suffering. Yeah. We think about sanctions against the country. Were not hurting the people at the top of the country. Yes, its the people. Poor people. They really suffering. Im jeff anderson. For 37 years we have been fighting for survivors of child sex abuse. Even in these uniquely challenging times were still fighting with dedication and devotion. California law gives survivors a chance to take legal action, but only for a limited time. If you were sexually abused by a priest, scout leader, coach or teacher contact us confidentially today. Its time. [ singing in Foreign Language ] bravo. Take out your notebooks. Pretty good. Pretty good. So who wants to start . Oh. Okay, were going to start here and then go around again. So, you. Immigrant communities always figure out ways to stay nebted connected to their culture. In new york city, this school is where iranian families bring their kids to learn about art, tradition, and most personality, the persian language. Say your name. These sisters are firstgeneration iranian american High Schoolers living the idyllic suburban life in long island, new york. Both attended farsi school and both are now teaching here. Its a lot of pressure. [ speaking Foreign Language ] can you Say Something . Say what . She wants oh, i have to say a joke. Tell a joke. Tell a joke. Tell a joke. Okay. What do you call a cool mushroom . What . A fun guy. I understand it but i dont think its funny. You know what . Kamau knows more jokes than me. I have a joke. I have a good joke. My first day of School Started at 10 00 a. M. , 2 1 2 hour drive every saturday. My dad would pack us breakfast, lunch and dinner. Oh, my god. And how long was school . From 10 00 to 2 00 p. M. So the whole days gone . The whole day, yeah. But it was the only time i actually felt, like, whole. Yeah, i agree. People that we met there still stay with us today. Yeah, those are all, like, even if i saw them again today, they would all still be my best friends. Talk about your teaching farsi to children. How did you decide to do that . When i was in farsi school, like, the 15, 16yearolds, and i think that theyre so big, and i always wanted to be like them and they knew so much about farsi. It would be a really cool experience for me to come and give back to kids like me when i was younger. Yeah. Using what we know and our mistakes weve encountered from farsi school to benefit them. [ speaking Foreign Language ] good. Im okay. Farsi. I live in you got to try. It just gets harder in your 30s. Did you ever as a kid not want to come . Oh, yes. Okay. My favorite tv show was the same time as farsi school and we were crying and just like, we dont want to go. We dont want to do it. I want to go play outside. Your hair is so soft. How does this happen . Is this natural . This is adorable and hilarious because every adult in the room was freaking out. Guys, stop touching his hair, please. Dont be confused, when you see me out in the streets, you are not allowed to do this. Im always happy when i leave, maybe tired, but always happy. Yeah, its a lot in here. I think also it can be a really fun time to be with little kids. I walk in, they give me hugs. You look like somebody from a tv show. You look like elsa. Elsa and anna. Thank you. When i was growing up, there was a lot of pressure to say, im white, im white, im white, and present that way and not distinguish myself. How do you identify yourself when you fill out one of those forms . Im white. I dont want to judge. Im definitely white, like, super pale, but i just feel like identifying as white doesnt take into account the rich culture that we have. How do you put, like, western european thats a very specific style of whiteness. Yeah, in the same category as middle eastern . How does that work . When people think white they think of, oh, the settlers that moved here, like, hundreds of years ago. British white. British white. But, like, the history is different. The culture is different. The language is different. The values are different. Characterizing ones self as white and having many, many countries be in that one place, i just dont think thats right or just it just doesnt seem to represent me as a person or even just a facet. I mean, americas racial categorization is nonsense. You know, and it the line moves. It doesnt mean anything. It doesnt mean anything, and also the line specifically moves around people from the middle east and whom we think middle eastern person, were thinking brownskinned person, and, tada. Its not even a solid line, even if youre from that area of the world, so i didnt know i wasnt white until you told me. I dont think i told you you werent white. I was surprised when you sort of identified. Like, oh, really . Okay. All these instances where people were horrible to me where i just thought it was just me. I was like, that was racism. Its not just me. As iranian americans, were not, like, the traditional American Kids at school, and were not the traditional iranian parents that were born in iran. To have people that also went through that with you, it kind of makes you stronger and feel like you have support. And though you may have lost sight of your own wellbeing, aetna never did. Were always here to help you focus on your health. Because its always, time for care. Thinking about your fi. So are we. Prudential helps 25 Million People with their financial needs. With over 90 years of investment experience, our thousands of Financial Professionals can help. Go to prudential. Com or talk to an advisor. In iran, theres always like this policeman in your head that you shouldnt say everything or, you know, there are these boundaries. Behind iranian literature and poetry, the symbolism and the use of metaphor and things like that is a great set of tools that you express yourself with. Sometimes boundaries are necessary. But at the service of whom . Or whats the purpose . I dont want to admire censorship and things like that, but if youre an artist and youre creating, you always find a way. I want the audience to spend more time with each work. Yeah. And try to find out whats going on. She is an artist from tehran who came to the u. S. Five years ago for grad school with dreams of becoming a painter. And now with a hit opening in a hip Lower East Side art gallery, the dream is a reality. Is that a bullet . These Little Things from far away you go, what a pretty picture and then up close youre like, oh, wait, i think this picture wants me to think about things. It seems like it features a lot of women or young or girls. Yeah. Almost in every painting. Because im thinking about myself. And people from my generation in iran. And im thinking about women issues. But i dont want to be too direct or loud, and i want to have a more subtler approach. And why why is that . When youre born under a system that dictates some boundaries, then you find a symbolic way to express your ideas. So so to say i didnt mean that. Its similar to black americans wrote negro spirituals about escaping slavery, but they sounded like you were talking about a chariot. Yes, exactly. Just singing about a chariot. But now that im here, i decided to have this sort of approach. Not that i have to. I talked to a lot of iranian immigrants this week who basically have been there for 30 years or more and still hold fast to the culture but dont want that to happen to you. I want to visit my family. Yes. As we all want to. We all want the right to. Being disconnected from the ones they love has become real life for so many iranian americans. Take it from our friends who are living it. People cant see their grandparents. Or siblings. No one deserved to be banned from going to where he or she belongs. It is so heart breaking. Iranians dont want to be through hardships. No one wants to go through sanctions. I sat down with iranian american businessmen. Most are immigrants after the revolution but some even before, who are hard core trump supporters. Oh, wow. One said in america its the land of opportunity. If you work hard, you can get everything you want. I think these people who are supportive of trump, supportive of sanctions in general, more than likely they dont have a lot of loved ones in iran. It is an interesting dichotomy. They want to maintain their culture and at the same time they want to be seen as assimilated part of this culture. Right . It is hard to have both. For a time, iranians, especially when the biggest wave came in the revolution in 1979, it wasnt like there was not a back lash against iranians. There was a big one. Even in spite of that, people got educated, started a business, they went into the sciences, law, accounting. One thing they didnt do is get into politics. Because of the revolution, everyone was somehow hurt by the revolution. Especially those you loved. So they didnt want their children to get involved in politics. But as we found out quickly, theyll come knocking on your door whether you like it or not. Tums versus mozzarella stick bell rings when heartburn hits fight back fast. With tums chewy bites. Beat heartburn fast tums chewy bites webut you cant lose sight of your own wellbeing especially if you have a serious chronic medical condition. At aetna, were always here to help you focus on your health. Because its always time for care. It started in my kitchen over this stew. When i moved to the United States, i kind of lost interest in my own culture that i stopped cooking iranian food, i stopped celebrating. I had just completely stopped. Why . Because i lived by myself and i didnt have anybody else. I didnt have a community of sorts. The notion of cooking for each other, and showing love in that way, celebrating this essence of being together. Especially with music. This is like therapy sessions for me, you know. Arya fled iran ten years ago. After a few years in new york he started disco tehran with his friend. More than a party, disco tehran is a celebration of the free and open spirit of pre revolution iran. This is a very specific style of persian that youre trying to conjure up. Its not like whats going on in 2019 in iran. Our parents had a night life in the 60s and 70s that we keep hearing about. Weve seen artifacts. But never had. What if you take that with the understanding that it is happening in contemporary new york city. We started inviting friends over that you would meet on the street. Artists and musicians. Not just persians . No, no. Iran is in the middle of the silk road. So since the beginning, a melting pot of everything. Toward the end of the night, we would throw in iranian pop music. Like really romantic lush pop songs. And i saw this one couple who are like super into it. They were not iranian. And that was so amazing. I fell so high. It just resonates with people. It stood up. Very much so. So thats like, kind of saved my life. I think thats an important moment. Even people born and raised in this country dont feel seen by this country. It is one thing for your culture to support it. To see people outside your culture, thats a big deal. Thats a big deal. We experience each other in the mirror of the other, right . That mirror did not exist. In a way disco tehran is that mirror for us to experience each other. We always say, we are proud of the past. We have to make our present, our current days more important to be proud of. Persians grow up thinking america is like this lands of opportunity and a place to succeed. There is a connection that most people dont realize. Iranians actually like america as a people, and idealize america. Well, look at the iranianamerican community here. Doctors, computer engineers, musicians, filmmakers, entrepreneurs. Loirz lawyers. We sit down and enjoy the persian music. Well tell to our kids, dont forget it. Try to keep alive. But you pass that. We are american