S3 E03: Dr. Manijeh Moradian on why Iran isn’t always considered part of Asia, and how the West may be misinterpreting what Iranians truly want out of...

If you’ve ever wondered why Iran sometimes is, sometimes isn’t considered part of Asia, this episode has the answer. Because of the revolution in Iran, I really wanted to talk to a woman from the Iranian American diaspora and had the privilege of talking to Women’s, Gender & Sexuality studies professor, Dr. Manijeh Moradian. Manijeh talks about how the U.S. - Iran relationship evolved over decades from the ‘50s to the ‘79 revolution, and beyond. She also shares her thoughts on Western involvement and media coverage of the current feminist Iranian revolution, and what the Iranian people really want.

GUEST BIO

Manijeh Moradian is assistant professor of Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies at Barnard College, Columbia University. Her book, This Flame Within: Iranian Revolutionaries in the United States, was published by Duke University Press in December 2022. She has published widely including in American Quarterly, Journal of Asian American Studies, Scholar & Feminist online, and Women’s Studies Quarterly. She is a founding member of the Raha Iranian Feminist Collective and on the editorial board of the Jadaliyya.com Iran Page.

DEFINITIONS

• Coup d'état, a.k.a coup, is an illegal and overt attempt by the military or other government elites to unseat the incumbent leader.
• Western hegemony: domination of the west over other countries through economic, political and military power. The
• While colonialism used direct military control or hegemony to control or influence a colony, neocolonialism uses economic, political, cultural, or other pressures to control or influence other countries, especially former colonies or
• dependencies.
• Shah:the leading figure (or king) of an Iranian monarchy
• Hijab: headcovering worn by Muslim women

MENTIONED

1. This Flame Within: Iranian Revolutionaries in the United States, by Manijeh Moradian
2. Ghosts of Revolution, by Shahla Talebi
3. Fesenjan recipe
4. Feminists for Jina

TAKEAWAYS

1. 1. Many of the stereotypes we know are more recent than we think and they happened quickly, seemingly overnight.
   2. Pitting minorities against each other is a common way for oppressors to keep the status quo. Iran distanced itself from Asia to avoid being subjugated by Europe.
   3. Instead of always working through our governments, we can think of ways to create solidarity between our local grassroots movements across borders.
   4. Asian Americans are Americans too, and our marketability should not be restricted to the Asian diaspora, but rather America at large.
   5. Women's liberation does not mean assimilating into western culture.
2. 
   

CONTACT

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Host: Lazou

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