Desire, Language, and Legacy: Iranian Parents Reimagining Bilingual Futures Amid Sociopolitical Tensions

• In Event: Global Politics, Educational Self-Determination, and Intergenerational Learning in the Iranian Diaspora

Abstract

Purpose: Decades of political tensions between Iran and the U.S. have stigmatized Iranian Americans and shaped their identity and personhood. Events such as the Hostage Crisis, 9/11 (Fayyaz & Shirazi, 2013; Mobasher, 2012), and the “Muslim Ban” have fueled anti-Muslim racism, often targeting Middle Eastern people. Although Islam is often used as a proxy for race to justify discrimination against Iranians (Shirazi, 2019), Iranian communities are religiously diverse, with growing numbers identifying as non-religious (PAIIA, 2014; Tamimi Arab & Maleki, 2020). Iranians in the diaspora also hold diverse political and ideological views (Moezidis, 2025), as seen during the recent “12-day war” involving Israel, Iran, and the U.S., which illuminated divisions within the community (Morris & Donnison, 2025; Schultheis, 2025).

This presentation reports on a national study of Iranian parents from diverse political, socioeconomic, and religious backgrounds raising bilingual children in the U.S. In alignment with this year’s conference theme, we explore how these parents recall complex sociopolitical histories while envisioning futures for their children rooted in connection to Iran in nuanced ways.
Theoretical Framework: We draw on intersectionality (Collins, 2015) to understand the complex experiences of Iranian families, shaped by gendered, ethnic, linguistic, religious, and political identities. Though legally classified as “White,” Iranians often experience what Maghbouleh (2017) terms “racial loopholes,” contradictions between classification and lived racialization.

Methods: This presentation draws on interviews with 25 Iranian parents, both first-generation immigrants and second-generation U.S.-born, whose bilingual children attend K–12 schools and Persian-English community programs across the U.S. Grounded in a desire-based (Tuck, 2009) and counterstorytelling (Solórzano & Yosso, 2002) framework, we highlight the complexity, agency, and future-oriented practices of Iranian families. Interviews were thematically coded in two cycles (Saldaña, 2015).

Results: Despite varied immigration histories, religious affiliations, and political beliefs, parents shared a commitment to passing on Persian language and culture, rooted in a desire for their children to grow into critical thinkers and empathetic humans. Many expressed concern about losing cultural ties. A second-generation father shared that although his own connection to Iran feels distant, he sees it as his duty to teach his daughter Persian so she can form her own relationship with the country. Parents acknowledged political tensions in Iran but remained committed to honest conversations. A practicing Muslim father used Iranian textbooks to teach Persian while critically engaging with their narratives. Another parent, a mother and educator, taught her children about religious freedom in the U.S. and explained why Iranian women protested the hijab during the Women, Life, Freedom movement. Through bilingual education and intentional conversations, these parents equip their children with tools to make informed decisions about identity, language, and belonging while navigating complex histories and envisioning inclusive futures.

Scholarly Significance: This study contributes to education research on the social context of schooling by deepening understanding of how diasporic families navigate heritage language transmission amid racialized and political pressures. It expands bilingual education scholarship by showing how language learning connects with political awareness, cultural continuity, and intergenerational care across lines of difference. [497]

Authors

• Yalda M. Kaveh, Arizona State University

• Sepide Pazhouhi, Arizona State University

• Roya Fathalizadeh, Arizona State University