Iranian American/Shia Muslim Identity Issue

Name: Professor’s Name: Course: Date: How do they deal with their dual identity as “Iranian American” and “Shia Muslim”? Immigrants always grapple with the idea or issue of either adopting the values and beliefs of the host country or sticking to the old and conservative values. It takes time before people become accustomed to a new life. In the beginning, there is always the resistance which is typically evident in the way people refuse to live within or while observing the values of another people. However, as time goes by, people become comfortable in the way they perceive other people and their way of life. The above scenario perfectly applies to the Iranians living in the United States who were initially adamant in their ways. However, as Mostofi (681) notes, gradually, “a melding has ensued between “Iranianness” and “Americanness.”” One thing of note here is that living within the confines of two cultures brings about the idea of dual identity as one is forced to identify with either group. In the case of Iranians living in the US, the story is not any different in that immigrants who identify as Iranian-American tend to find a comfortable blend of these cultures. Mostofi (682) notes that “like many immigrants before them, Iranians in the United States construct a dual identity. This dualism combines a unique mixture that can only be termed Iranian-American, a mixture perpetually blended and brewed.” The latter bit of the above statement means that it takes time for the mixture of cultures to happen, but eventually, a mutual ground is achieved. One problem always seems to ensue when the above happens: how do th...