When Iranian Americans are in office, our community wins
There is power in passing legislation at any level of government — just ask NIAC Action endorsee and Iranian American Bar Association (IABA) of Northern California board member, Nima Rahimi, who recently was successful in adopting a resolution endorsing the NO BAN Act in the California Democratic Party (CADEM).
According to Nima, “Resolutions like this are more than just value statements for the state Democratic Party. This resolution demonstrates grassroots support for the NO BAN Act, provides political support and/or cover for U.S. Senators and Congresspersons to vote for the bill, and creates a mechanism to hold elected and party officials accountable.”
The NO BAN Act was introduced in both chambers of Congress by Rep. Chu and Sen. Coons in April. This significant bill would end the Muslim Ban and prevent a future ban by amending the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) to prohibit religious discrimination.
Nima’s efforts are a manifestation of the success and influence the Iranian-American community can achieve when we have elected representation. As an Iranian-American CADEM Delegate for AD-17, Nima seized an opportunity to get his party to rally behind an issue that directly impacts his community. Nima has been working to repeal the Muslim Ban since day one from organizing protests at San Francisco International Airport to holding a press conference as a member of the San Francisco Immigrants Rights Commission after the Supreme Court decided to uphold the ban.
Nima’s resolution puts pressure on the California Congressional delegation to cosponsor and vote for the NO BAN Act. And this isn’t the first time an Iranian-American party delegate pushed forward a resolution and won. Yasmine Taeb, a delegate for the Democratic National Committee (DNC), worked to pass a resolution through the DNC that calls for the U.S. to return to the Iran nuclear deal. It’s no coincidence that not long after that resolution passed, we saw major Democratic presidential candidates publicly say they would return to the deal if elected President.
Both Nima and Yasmine’s leadership as party delegates demonstrates just how powerful holding elected office can be in advocating for our community. Just imagine if we had more Iranian Americans elected to state parties, or even appointed to city commissions. And if we think even bigger — in city council, state legislature, Congress, or even the Presidency!
Shirley Chisholm, the first black woman elected to Congress, once said, “If you don’t have a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.” Decisions are usually made by those with power and access — they are given the seats at the table. Electing more Iranian Americans to office is just one way for our community to bring a folding chair. But it’s not enough to just vote or donate to our candidates. We need more people running for office. So I challenge all of you who have ever even briefly thought about running for office to throw your name in a race and run for an elected at every level — and join the ranks of community leaders like Nima who are now poised to bring change to our community from the inside out.
