Sholeh (Sedigheh) Karimi

Partial Transcript: Hi there, I wanted to thank you for taking the time

Segment Synopsis: Basic biographical information of the interviewee and location of the interview.

Keywords: Iranian Americans

Subjects: Iranian Americans

Partial Transcript: Would you tell me a little bit about your family in Iran growing up? Close family, brothers and sisters

Segment Synopsis: Sholeh talks about growing up in Iran and gives a general overview of some early childhood memories.

Keywords: Iran 1960s; Iranian Americans; Iranian culture; Iranian families; Islam; Religion

Subjects: Children--Islamic countries; Children--Islamic countries--Social conditions; Iranian Americans; Iranian Americans--Social life and customs; Iranians--Family relationships; Islam

Partial Transcript: How about a little bit about your education in school? How would you describe the education you received as a child?

Segment Synopsis: Sholeh discusses her early education in Iran, including the gender divide between different schools at different ages. Additionally, she reflects on differing education experiences between boys and girls.

Keywords: Iranian American; Iranian Students; education in Iran

Subjects: Iran--Education; Iranian Americans; Iranian Americans--Education; Iranian Students; Iranians--Social conditions

Partial Transcript: Okay. So moving forward here, I am going to ask you about some of the steps that led you to the United States.

Segment Synopsis: Sholeh discusses what she thought about America, how she perceived the nation and American culture, prior to the first time she moved to the U.S.

Keywords: American culture; American films in Iran; Immigrant; Immigrating to the United States; Iranian American; Iranian culture; Iranian opinions of America; cultural awareness; cultural knowledge; cultural understanding; expectations of America; immigrant experiences; immigrant opinions of America; influence of films

Subjects: American culture; Americans--public opinion; Cultural awareness; Immigrants--America; Iranian Americans--United States; United States--Emigration & Immigration; United States--Foreign Public Opinion, Iranian; cultural exchange; cultural identity

Partial Transcript: Alright. So jumping forward

Segment Synopsis: Sholeh first moved to the US in 1979 with her husband. She discusses how they met and moved to America, and the ease with which she secured a visa. She moved back to Iran in 1984 with her two children, and discusses life back in Iran after 5 years in a different country. She mentions valuing the family closeness and bond she had in Iran.

Keywords: Emigrating from Iran; Emigrating from the United States; Immigrant; Immigrating to America; Immigrating to the United States; Immigration; Iranian American; Iranian American Immigrant; Iranian Americans return to Iran; Iranian immigrant; immigrant conditions; immigrant experiences; immigrant social conditions

Subjects: Emigration & Immigration--United States; Iran--Emigration and immigration; Iranian Americans; Iranian Americans--United States; United States--Emigration and immigration

Partial Transcript: Alright. And tell me about your return to the United States

Segment Synopsis: After 5 years in Iran, Sholeh moved back to the US with her two children. She also goes into some detail about how her daughter struggled with the return to the US, as well as how she (her daughter) had to learn English when they returned.

Keywords: Immigrant; Iranian American; Iranian American immigrant; Persian Language; cultural assimilation; farsi; second generation Iranian Americans; teaching farsi

Subjects: Children of immigrants--Language; English language--Study and teaching as a second language; English language--Study and teaching--Iran; First-generation children; Iranian Americans; Iranian Americans--Cultural Assimilation; Persian language-study and teaching; cultural identity

Partial Transcript: So long have you lived in your location where we are now? You said that you live in New Port Richey

Segment Synopsis: Sholeh discusses where she lives in Florida and where she lived in Florida prior to settling in New Port Richey. She and her husband both continued their education here in the US, and she goes into specifics about that. She discusses finding shared Iranian heritage and culture with a customer of hers, at her restaurant.

Keywords: Education in America; Higher education in America; Immigrant experiences; Iranian American community; Iranian american; Iranian culture; Iranian heritage; Iranian immigrant; immigrant communities; immigrant community

Subjects: Iranian Americans--Education; Iranian Americans--community; Iranian americans; cultural exchange; cultural identity

Partial Transcript: So have you traveled back to Iran since you came here with your children? Yes, yes, I've been back about three times.

Segment Synopsis: Sholeh visited Iran only three times since coming back to the US in 1994, and the last visit was in 2007. She acknowledges how her perception of Iran changed after so much time away, as well as how the visits made her realize how she had made the US her home.

Keywords: American and Iranian relations; Emigrating from Iran; Immigrant; Immigrant experience; Immigrants in the United States; Iranian American; Iranian immigrant; Iranian opinions of America; Visiting Iran; Visiting Tehran; emigre returning to Iran; immigrant opinions of America

Subjects: Americans--Travel--Iran; Immigrants--America; Iran--Description and travel; Iran--Emigration and immigration--Social aspects; Iranian American; Iranian American--Ethnic Identity

Partial Transcript: How long have you been a duel citizen of Iran and to be able to make the trips back there and have a US passport as well.

Segment Synopsis: Sholeh's husband became a US citizen in 1993, but she didn't return to the states until 1994, and didn't get citizenship until 2002. She was unable to return to the US due to the war in Iran, and there wasn't an American embassy in Iran either. Because her husband was a citizen, she was able to easily come to the US and obtain citizenship (albeit by going through another country first). It was pressures after 9/11 that pushed her to seek citizenship, and fears over spontaneous deportation of Muslims. Additionally, she describes how becoming an American citizen made her reconsider her identity as an Iranian American, and really look at America as her home. Sholeh describes herself as American Iranian.

Keywords: Iranian American; Iranian immigrant; cultural alienation; cultural awarness; immigrant experiences; immigrant opinions of America; immigrants and sense of belonging; prejudice in America; racism in America; xenophobia

Subjects: Cultural awareness; Iranian American; Iranian Americans--Ethnic Identity; Iranian Americans--cultural assimilation; Iranian Americans--social life and customs; Prejudice--United States; Racism--United States; Xenophobia--United States

Partial Transcript: I know you've mentioned a little bit ago about the children speaking Farsi. So do you have opportunities now where you as a family

Segment Synopsis: Sholeh typically only speaks Farsi when conversing with her friends, she only speaks English in public or in any professional settings. Her children grew up speaking Farsi, but it's not a language she or her family use with anyone other than each other.

Keywords: Farsi; Immigrant experience; Immigrant identity; Iranian American; Iranian Immigrant; speaking Farsi

Subjects: Farsi language; Iranian Americans; Iranian Americans--Social conditions; Iranian Americans--Social life and customs

Partial Transcript: Have people ever mistaken you of being from a different background than Iranian? Oh yea, they always speak to me in Spanish

Segment Synopsis: Sholeh mentions that living in Florida, she is frequently spoken to in Spanish, having been mistaken for Latina.

Keywords: Immigrant experiences; Iranian American; Iranian American immigrant; ethnic ambiguity; ethnicity; ethnicity perceived wrongly; perceived ethnicity; prejudice in America; racism in America; xenophobia

Subjects: Immigrants--American; Iranian American; Iranian Americans--Social Conditions; Iranians--Foreign Countries; Prejudice--United States

Partial Transcript: Alright. How important is religion in your life, both as growing up and what your parents told you and how you actually treat religion

Segment Synopsis: Growing up, Sholeh's parents didn't push her or her siblings into any particular faith, despite growing up in a Muslim country. Her mother was more religious than her father, and the children were free to do what they pleased with their faith. They weren't expected to wear a hijab or avoid boys, having been given the trust and respect of their parents to make their own choices. When asked about whether or not her family was political, Sholeh gives a firm "no." Growing up neither she nor her family were political, and today she regards politics as something that exists only to divide neighbors.

Keywords: Iranian American experience; Iranian Americans attitudes toward religion; Iranian opinions of America; Iranian politics; casual attitudes toward Islam; opinions on Iranian government; political participation

Subjects: Iran--Foreign relations--United States; Iranian Americans--Cultural assimilation; Iranian Americans--Political Activity--United States; Iranian Americans--Social conditions; Islam

Partial Transcript: So let me go into part B before I ask part A. I'm going to ask you a question. It might refer to current issues

Segment Synopsis: When asked if the current events in Iran affect her, Sholeh says that they absolutely do, and she is saddened by the things she sees happening in Iran.

Keywords: Immigrant experiences; Impact of current events; Iranian American; Iranian American immigrant; Iranian immigrant; cultural separation; opinions on Iranian government

Subjects: Iran--Foreign Relations--United States; Iranian Americans; Iranian Americans--political activity--United States; Iranian Americans-public opinion; Iranian Americans-social conditions; United States--Foreign public opinion, Iranian; cultural awareness

Partial Transcript: So has you had mentioned earlier, we are in you business and your restaurant. Could you tell us a little about your husband and your restaurant.

Segment Synopsis: Sholeh discusses how she started her restaurant, disliking being the boss, and how over time things got easier and the family pitched in, working together, and building a long-lasting business.

Keywords: Iranian American; Iranian American Immigrant; Iranian American business; family business; opening a restaurant

Subjects: Iranian Americans; Iranian Americans--Cultural assimilation; Iranian Americans--Social conditions; Iranians--Family relationships; Iranians--United States

Partial Transcript: Was there ever a time, when you opened the restaurant did you wanted to serve what I will refer to as traditional Iranian meals. Or have you just not headed in that direction?

Segment Synopsis: Sholeh describes how difficult it is to make good Iranian food, but that she has found some very good Persian food in Florida that is fit for a king. She also describes the popularity of American food in Iran, specifically cheeseburgers and pizza.

Keywords: American food; Iranian American; Iranian Immigrant experiences; Iranian food; Persian food

Subjects: Iranian American; Iranian Americans--Social conditions; Persian Food; Persian culture

Partial Transcript: So I guess in the form of wrapping up our discussion here, what does it mean to you as a person to have an opportunity to share

Segment Synopsis: While Sholeh feels that her specific story might not be interesting, she likes that there is a project that seeks to show the full range of Iranian American (or, in her case American Iranian) experiences and identities.

Keywords: Iranian American experience; Iranian American interview; Iranian American oral histories; Iranian opinions of America; Michigan Iranian American Oral History Project; oral history interview; oral history projects

Subjects: Iranian Americans--Interviews; Oral history interview; Oral history--Florida; Oral history--Iran