The Persian Community in Albuquerque

Overview and Brief History:
The country known today as Iran – meaning land of the Aryans, or of noble origin – was referred to as Persia for centuries until 1935. Persia is the Greek translation of Pars, which is both the name of a province in southern Iran (Fars is the Arabicized version) and the name of one of the early tribes living in the region.

Ancient Persian Empire about 500 B.C.

Today, the mention of Persia and the mention of Iran often conjure very different ideas. Persia is associated with fine handmade carpets, beautiful music, architecture and poetry. Iran is associated with oil, Islam the 1980 hostage crisis, and with its war with neighboring Iraq. Iran, which lies just south of the Caspian Sea, is situated almost directly in the center of the ancient world. With Arabia and Africa to the west, Eastern Europe to the north, Asia and the Indian Subcontinent to the east, Iran became a major stop along many important trade routes.

The landscape of Iran is shoreline and mountains surrounding a central plateau. The “heartland” of Iran is its fertile northern coastal region along the Caspian Sea. Iran is currently home to many ethnic groups including the Kurds living in the Zagros mountains, Azerbaijanis living in the northwest, and Arabs living in the southwest, along with Ethnic Persians, who live primarily in urban areas in the north and the west. Iran is not the only country inhabited by Persians, who, because of the many border shifts and because of religious intolerance, live also in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India, Tajikistan, Azarbaijan, Turkmenistan, and Armenia. The history of Iran is complicated, and the region has one of the oldest cultures in the world.

Iran/Persia has a long history of monarchic rule. Persian dynasties at times ruled of parts of three continents, and at other times were invaded, conquered, and governed by outsiders. Persian history begins approximately 6000 years ago with the Elamites, whose central city was Susa, or Shush, located in the Southwestern part of the country. The city stood for five thousand years until it was destroyed by Mongols in the 13th century.

The Iranian landscape was rich in precious woods, stones, and ores, offering much more in natural resources than many of its close neighbors. Susa, early, became an important center for trade. In the second century BC, Indo-Europeans arrived to the region from Central Asia. The three major groups making this migration were the Medes, the Scythians, and the Persians (or Parsa). The modern city of Shiraz, in the province of Fars (Arabicized Pars), became the region in which the Persians settled. The Medes took control of the region from the Elamites, who were feuding with neighboring Assyrians and Babylonians, and ruled the region until the 6th century BC when the Persians gained control.

Documented Persian history begins with Cyrus the Great, ruler of the Achaemenian Dynasty. This dynasty created the first Persian Empire, which was one of the most extensive empires of the ancient world, a two-million square mile area that stretched from the Aegean coast to Afghanistan; from Egypt to India. The Achaemenids ruled until the latter part of the fourth century BC when they were conquered by Alexander the Great. During Alexander’s reign Greeks entered Iran and introduced a strong Hellenic influence into the region.

The Parthian Dynasty, which came into power in 253 BC and lasted for nearly 400 years, promoted itself as being descended from both Greeks and the earlier Achaemenids. The Parthian dynasty encouraged trade and it was during this time that a part of the Silk Road was established through Iran. This allowed not only the exchange of goods but also of ideas, technology, plant life and art forms. The Sassanid Dynasty ruled Persia from 224 until 637 AD when they lost control of the region to the Arabs.

The Arabs introduced Islam, and gave Iran a new alphabet. Muslims adopted many of the Sassanid administrative practices, and in many areas Iranian culture greatly influenced that of their conquerors. After the break up of the Islamic Empire, Iran and other neighboring regions experienced the rise and rather short reign of the Seljuk Turks during which there was a great renaissance in the arts and sciences. It was during this time that the observatory, in which Omar Khayyam did much of his research for a new calendar, was built.

Monglos led by Ghengis Khan took control of Iran in the early 13th Century. The Mongol invaders destroyed Iran’s complex irrigation system and left many settlements isolated, and without continuous water flow. Many Iranian men were killed and the Irani population was dramatically reduced. Later Mongol rule, however, supported the arts and agriculture, rebuilt the irrigation system, and improved trade.

After 1335, Persia continued to have a series of invading leaders until the Irani Safavid Dynasty 1502-1722. A militant Sufi order, the Safavids eventually adopted Shia Islam, and this was declared the state religion. The Safavid Shah Abbas built many mosques and seminaries but also supported commerce and the arts. Shah Abbas successfully expelled Portuguese colonizers with the assistance of the British and established trade with both Britain and Holland. Shah Abbas is still remembered fondly and his image still graces many Iranian objects.

From 1779 until the early 1920’s the Turkish Qajars (or Ghajars) ruled Iran. During 19th century, Iran lost quite a bit of territory to Russia and Britain’s imperial expansions. The Quajars made some concessions to the British, who were given the monopoly over Iran’s tobacco trade, opened the country’s first bank, and benefitted from the opening of the Karun river to foreign shipping. The concessions angered many Islamic clerics and merchants, as well as the general population.

The Constitutional Revolution of 1905 limited, at least on paper, the absolute power of the monarchy. An elected parliament, the Majlis, was also created by this constitution. Many of the promises of the constitution went unfulfilled, and peace continued to elude the region. Iran managed to remain neutral during WWI, but was partially occupied by the British to maintain the supply of oil. After the war Britain proposed an agreement that would have virtually turned Iran into a British protectorate. However, in 1921, Reza Khan, an officer in the Persian Cossacks Brigade, stormed Tehran and seized power.

The rise of Reza Khan showed the desire of the Iranian people to move toward economic growth and to adopt some of the new ideas being introduced by Europeans, but to do so autonomously, without the interference of outsiders. In April 1926 Reza Khan was crowned Reza Shah Pahlavi. Both this Shah and his son sought to create strong central government, to Westernize and modernize the country and to lessen the control of the clerical hierarchy. They did this through sometimes brutal repression, education, and economic and consumeristic expansion. Women were invited into schools and into the work force. European dress was encouraged to the extent that the wearing of the veil was abolished. But Reza Shah was also suspicious of foreign influence in Iran.

During WWII, Iran sought to remain neutral, but was invaded by both the Soviet Union and Britain. A resistance was mounted, but quickly collapsed. Reza Shah abdicated the throne to his son Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi in 1941. Both Britain and the Soviet Union eventually left Iran after the war.

Iran’s oil industry was under British control until 1951 when the country voted to nationalize it. Britain’s response was to impose a worldwide embargo on the purchase of Iranian oil. On the stated grounds that the Irani nationalism movement was linked to a probable communist takeover, Britain and the US overthrew the Prime Minister. The Shah was forced to agree to allow a European consortium of companies to run the Iranian oil industry. Simultaneously, religious clerics were becoming increasingly alienated by Westernization.

In 1973, the oil industry was returned to Iranian control, bringing economic improvement to the region. However, this did not ameliorate the rising opposition of the Islamic clerics to Westernization. Nor did the increased oil revenues affect the majority of Iranians. The Shah’s brutal internal security and intelligence service quelled the popular uprising and martial law was imposed in 1978. On January 16th, 1979, Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi fled the country and in February, the exiled Ayatollah Khomeini returned. Khomeini’s revolution turned Iran into an Islamic republic. Western influence was eradicated, and the county returned to traditional Islamic laws. Many of the pro-West elite left the country.

Iranian students seized the US embassy in Tehran in late 1979 and held it until January, 1981. Shortly after, Iran entered into a long and bloody war with its neighbor, Iraq that lasted until 1988. Ayatollah Khomeini died in June of 1989 and since his death Iran has since seen political reform and a lessening of repression.

During the time of, and immediately following, the Khomeini revolution many Iranian immigrants came to the United States. There is no census data specifically for persons of Iranian heritage in Albuquerque, but the total is estimated to be around 2,000.

History of Immigration to the US and Albuquerque:
Before 1965, there were as few as 15,000 Iranian immigrants in the United States. After the revolution of 1979 that number grew rapidly, and by 1990 there were roughly one million. The political and religious oppression that came after the revolution were the reasons that many Iranians stated for leaving their country. In addition, the Ayatollah Khomeini took much of Iran’s private wealth and gave it to the state, causing the mass departure of a large number of Iran’s professional class and elite. Women who were college graduates also found it necessary to leave Iran to be able to put their degrees to use.

Before the revolution, Iranian families, with the support of the government, often sent their children abroad for education. Of all the countries to send students to colleges and universities in the US, Iran had the highest number. After the revolution, many families joined their children. High unemployment caused many young Iranians to leave home looking for better financial opportunities elsewhere. There is often one member of a family living abroad, helping to support the family with money sent home. Some immigrants, believing they had left their countries only temporarily returned to Iran to find that the culture had changed so much that they could no longer create lives there. Sometimes these Iranians were “blacklisted” and told they could never return home again.

Many Iranian immigrants who came following the Revolution arrived in the United States in a different social position than earlier immigrants from other countries. They often had a substantial amount of money, were highly educated, already knew English, and had professional backgrounds. Many Iranian immigrants teach at universities or own their own businesses here in the US.

However, living the United States has not always been comfortable for Iranian immigrants. The hostage incident at the US Embassy, the first Gulf War and the September 11th attacks in 2001 have all challenged attempts to make the United States home. Iranian Americans have often been presented with the problems of bigotry and prejudice in the form of harassment, lost jobs, vandalism and sometimes violence. This has led some Iranian immigrants to hide the fact that they are from Iran, often describing themselves instead as being Persian. This is to separate themselves from what they see as the extremism of the current Iranian Islamic Republic. The fear of being discriminated against in some way forces language and other cultural traditions underground, and can cause accelerated cultural loss.

Albuquerque’s Iranian community has come to New Mexico for many of the same reasons that immigrants have come from Iran to the US as a whole. For educational opportunities, for employment (there are at least two professors at UNM from Iran), and for a less restricted life. Some members of the community have found it easy to feel comfortable in New Mexico because, as has been said, the natural environment looks like home.

Cultural Traditions:
Iran’s national language is known as Farsi, Parsi, or Persian. It belongs to the Indo-European language family. The words Persia and Persian are derived from the Hellenized, or Greek, form of the root word Pars. Farsi is the Arabicized version, and is the popular pronunciation. There are over 46 million Farsi speakers worldwide. The language is also spoken in Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Georgia, and parts of Uzbekistan, Pakistan and India. Only about half of the population of Iran speak Farsi as a first language. The many other languages spoken in Iran include Kurdish (which is also Indo-European), Arabic, Bakhtiari, and Turkmen.

The “Din Dabereh,” or Dindapirak, an alphabet that was first used during the Sassanian era, contains 34 consonants and 14 vowels. This alphabet was used to record Persian before the Arab conquest, after which Arabic script was adopted. Arabic was adapted to Farsi with the addition of four new letters to make possible the recording of four sounds that do not exist in the Arabic language. In Tajikistan, Farsi is written in Russian Cyrillic script.

Because trade was so extensive throughout Persian history, Persian words for trade items and activities became prevalent across trade routes, and many of these words have found their way to English – Lemon, orange, peach, spinach, asparagus, bazaar, shawl, sash, and turquoise are all Persian words now used in English.

Language is very important to the Persian community of Albuquerque. Farsi is often taught to children at home before they reach school age. There is, as of this writing, one native speaker who teaches Farsi to the community’s children, but no teacher for the adults. There was, at one time, a professor at UNM who taught Farsi, but this professor has retired.

Food is another important cultural tradition to Albuquerque’s Iranian community, and many members of the community are skilled cooks. Iranian food uses intricate spice combinations, and each region’s spices are unique. Pomegranate juice, cinnamon, dried lime, turmeric, sumac, and saffron are some of the seasonings used in Iranian cooking. An Iranian meal is usually served in the center of the table, and people serve themselves.

Cooking Persian cuisine is another way of passing culture on to children. Children learn to cook from parents, and Persian cookbooks are often gifts when children leave for school or for their own homes for the first time.

Some ingredients used in Persian cooking are available in Albuquerque at the Middle East Bakery, Istanbul Café, and at some of the local Asian markets. Many ingredients, however, have to be imported from Los Angeles. As of this writing, there is one Persian restaurant called Pars. There was also one Afghani restaurant, but it recently closed. Another one is reportedly preparing to open.

Members of the community have regular weekend gatherings. All the food brought to these events is Persian. The community gathers together to eat Persian food, to speak Farsi, and to be with friends.

Some of the holidays and special occasions celebrated by Iranians in Albuquerque have a strong component of food. One such is the Muslim month of fasting and prayer, Ramazan (Ramadan in Arabic). During the month, no food or drink is consumed from sunrise to sunset. There is an early meal before daybreak, and then the fast is broken after nightfall. On the 30th day of the month of Ramazan a feast, Eide-Fetr, is celebrated. This is not a day of fasting. Albuquerque’s Iranian Muslims come together on this day with other Muslims from all over the world to formally break the fasting of the month together. The feast is often held at UNM. People bring food from all of the many traditions. One common food tradition at this time is the consumption of dates.

No Ruz is the Persian New Year’s celebration. This is a pre-Islamic tradition, and is celebrated on the Spring Equinox. One ritual that is observed during this time is that of the Haft Seen, or Seven S’s. A table is set with seven items beginning in Farsi with the letter "s". Some of the items on the table include two kinds of sprouts, grown prior to No Ruz, and which will be thrown into running water on the last day of the celebration, a pudding made of sweetened wheat, garlic, apples, sumac, vinegar, Hyacinth flowers, and coins. Each of these things represents either the birth of the upcoming year or something that the family desires from the new year, things such as love, health, and good fortune. There are other other items on the table, such as pastries for sweetness, candles for enlightenment, a gold fish in a bowl representing life, and a copy of the Quran.

Traditional Persian weddings are another cultural practice that is maintained in Albuquerque. Sometimes the religious part of the ceremony is performed by a religious scholar rather than by a Muslim cleric, reflecting the apprehensiveness with which some members of the community regard the Muslim clergy after the revolution. There are two parts of the ceremony. The first is with close family and friends and occurs in the afternoon. Some wedding traditions differ by region in Iran. One tradition involves a scarf which is tied over the heads of both bride and groom. One common tradition is the rubbing together of two large pieces of sugar, which must be brought from Los Angeles. This is done to ensure sweetness for the couple’s life ahead.

The second part of the wedding ceremony is a reception that is held in a hotel or in a large home. More people from the community are in attendance for this celebration which is held in the evening. At this reception a large feast is offered. A mirror and candles are placed on the table. This is to reflect the light of the future. The center piece is a colorful design made of incense. Incense is burned to ward away the evil eye. On the table are eggs for fertility and baked sweets, again to ensure a sweet lifetime together.

Children in the Iranian community are raised to be productive members of society. They are raised with a sense of hard work, humility and honesty. With these tools they will be able to contribute greatly to whatever society they are living in. Young and old spend time together in Iranian culture – singing, reciting poetry and stories. There is a strong emphasis on family connection. One way in which respect for elders is shown is that younger Iranians stand when elders enter the room. But the relationship between generations is based on more than upward respect, it is based also on a true sense of love and appreciation. Iranian families remain close, often with many generations living under one roof or close-by.

Artistic Traditions:
While Persian art, literature, music, and architecture are distinctive they are also an eclectic mixture of all of the many cultures that conquered or were conquered by the Persians, or who crossed Iran on its extensive trade routes. For centuries Iran has been famous for its carpets, poetry, calligraphy and miniature paintings. Each introduction of a new culture brought influence on the arts. Tile architecture was introduced by the Mongols and calligraphy by the Arabs.

Persian carpets are the most widespread of Persian arts today, and the most well known around the world. The oldest known carpet made in the area was found in 1949 in Siberia in the frozen tomb of a Scythian chief. It is a knotted carpet that is from the fifth century BC. Persians herded goats and sheep and would have had high quality wool for the purpose of carpet making. Silk and cotton are materials that have been incorporated in subsequent years. The popularity of carpet making waxed and waned during the many dynasties, and the last quarter of the 19th century saw a rise that has lasted until current day. This rise brought European and American companies to Iran to set up businesses and factories to export carpets to western markets. Traditionally, Persian carpets are made by hand, but in the interest of business sometimes today these carpets are made by machine. Natural dyes create extremely vivid colors. Designs are often geometric and sometimes symbolic. There are many stores in Albuquerque where Persian rugs can be purchased but, as of this writing, there are no Persian carpet makers here.

Music is very important to the members of Albuquerque’s Iranian society. CDs are purchased here or in Los Angeles. Sometimes Persian musicians perform in venues in Albuquerque, or are brought in to play for holidays, or at special occasions such as weddings. One instrument integral to Persian music is the Santoor, or Persian hammered dulcimer. The instrument is a hollow closed trapezoidal box. The body is made of wood, often walnut. There are 72 bronze or copper (low register) and steel (high register) strings stretched from side to side. There are eighteen sets of four strings. Each set together plays one tone. The strings are struck with two light wooden hammers held in the hands. The instrument has a three octave register, and has a clear, high-pitched sound.

The Persian Santoor (there are somewhat similar versions of this instrument in Greece and India) originated in Iran, but has traveled to North Africa and Spain, through Eastern Europe and on to China, Korea and Japan. The santoor is a very old instrument. The word is derived from the ancient Aramaic. There is one accomplished santoor musician, who performs privately for the community, living in Albuquerque.

Annual Events and Celebrations:
One major holiday in Iran that is also celebrated here in Albuquerque is No Ruz, or New Year’s. This is a festival that has its roots in Iran’s pre-Islamic past. The celebration begins on March 21st, the Spring Equinox, and lasts for thirteen days. The rituals of No Ruz come from Zoroastrianism and was criticized by the Muslim mullahs, or clergy, but has survived and is still very popular. The Farsi word No means new, and Ruz means day. No Ruz is the celebration of the new life of Spring. The exact moment of No Ruz is the exact time of the Equinox, when the length of day and night are equal. Ancient Iranians celebrated two seasons, Zayana, or winter, and Hama, or summer. The festival of No Ruz announces the coming of Hama.

On the eve of the Wednesday before No Ruz, Iranian families gather together piles of wood and brush which is brought to a public place where bonfires are lit. Everyone leaps over the bonfires, singing to the flames to take away any paleness or lifelessness dealt by the previous year and to replace it with the fire’s warmth and vibrancy for the new year.

Spring cleaning is another ritual performed at this time, and it is custom to buy at least one new set of clothes. This is done in part to accentuate the birth of the new year, and also to impress the souls of the ancestors who visit their descendants at this time. The new clothes are worn on New Year’s Day to begin the 12 day celebration. Many family visits are made during this time, with the eldest of the family visited first, and then the rest of the family and then friends. On the thirteenth day families leave the home and spend the day outdoors.

Haft Seen is another celebration of the New Year. This comes from the Zoroastrian ritual offering to their god of creation Ahura Mazda. The tradition is celebrated today by the setting the table with seven (haft) items beginning with the letter S (Seen). Families gather around the table a few hours before New Year, reciting poetry and verses from the Quran. At the moment of the New Year coins are held in one hand, for financial prosperity, and rice in the other, for prosperity of the land. Candles are lit. After the moment of the New Year, the oldest member of the family gives hugs and well-wishes to other family members. Sweets, pastries and money are offered to younger members of the family.

The thirteenth day of the New Year represents a time of chaos. This celebration, Seezdah Bedar, comes from the belief that the twelve zodiac signs not only controlled the months of the year, but each ruled the universe for a thousand years, after which there would be a time of utter chaos. People avoid the order of their daily lives on this day, celebrating outside in nature with picnics and parties. Also on this day, the wheat sprouts, or sabzeh, that were grown for the Haft Seen table, and which have been collecting the unhappiness of the previous year, are thrown into running water. The water is the final step of removing the old years sadness to make way for the good energy of the new year.

No Ruz is a time when all Iranians in Albuquerque come together. The event is organized by the Iranian Cultural Society of New Mexico. This is a time when newly arrived Iranians have the opportunity to meet established members of the community. Some years Persian musicians and singers are brought in to help with the celebration. No Ruz is not always celebrated on the 21st of March in Albuquerque in order to accommodate schedules and to be able to secure a public location. The Society recently secured the parking lot of the observatory at the University of New Mexico, where they will be allowed to light the No Ruz bonfires. Haji Firooz, the herald of Spring and the No Ruz, is depicted by a member of the community at a party to mark the beginning of the celebration. Ammo No Ruz, or Uncle New Year’s, arrives to all households the day after No Ruz to give candy to the children. The sabzeh are thrown into the Rio Grande to mark the end of the No Ruz celebration.

Finally, there is a community feast to end Ramazan (Ramadan), the Muslim month of fasting and prayer, and there are private celebrations of both the birth of the prophet Mohammed and during Moharam, the month of mourning, to mark the day of the martyrdom of Hossein, the third Shi’ite Imam.

Conclusion:
The Persian community in Albuquerque is small, but quite cohesive. Members would like to have some sort of central location where they could offer language classes, house Farsi language literature, hold events and lectures, show Persian films, and disseminate community information. They would like the city’s cultural web site to offer a link to the website of the Iranian Cultural Society (www.icsnm.com). They would also like to see a grant program where members of various cultures could travel to larger cities, such as Los Angeles, to learn arts, music or dance and to then bring it back to the community. The community had an outlet to show their culture to the rest of Albuquerque during Middle Eastern night in Summerfest. They got to make their own food and share it with everyone who came. One year they were able to bring a Persian dance group for the event.

The year after the September 11th attacks there was no Middle Eastern night. And now there is no Summerfest. With the demise of Summerfest, there is a need for another such opportunity to share their culture with others. The community participates each year in the UNM International Food Festival, are appreciative of this opportunity, and would like to see the city sponsor others like it. The people of Iran, especially at this time, need an opportunity to share the totality of their culture with their Albuquerque neighbors.

There is a cultural organization called the Iranian Cultural Society of New Mexico which prints a newsletter in the Persian language of Farsi. There are Persians who have come to New Mexico from other countries, and the communities do celebrate on some occasions, but immigrants from these countries also have their own separate communities.

The internet has been a great help to American Iranians trying to stay connected to Iran and to their culture. The Iranian Cultural Society of New Mexico’s website and www.Persepolis.com, a web site dedicated to helping Iranians locate former high school friends, are two sites that work in this way. For more online on Persian history and culture, see also the Iranian Chamber Society.