Being Iranian Makes Me a “Good American”
By James Hanson
What does it mean to be a good American? I have found myself confronting this question internally and in debates with my peers numerous times since the presidential elections in 2016. We are in the midst of one of the most divisive eras of American history, and yet, people of radically opposing views lay claim to the same fundamental values upon which our country was built. Two centuries ago, Alexis de Tocqueville identified these American values as equality, tolerance, hard work, opportunity, and liberty. How does a “good American” uphold and practice these values? Time and again I return to a source some may consider un-American in many ways, but that is a large part of who I am and the way I perceive the world. That source is my Iranian heritage, more specifically my mother’s life as an Iranian immigrant.
My mother was born in Mashhad, Iran. Political tensions in her early life grew heavy, with a new revolution on the rise to install a religious, Islamic regime. My mother was forced to flee and find a new life as an immigrant in England. She didn’t understand or speak English but was thrown into primary school and told to catch up. Despite being teased and bullied by her classmates for her lack of understanding English, she was motivated to learn. Eventually, she became fluent in English and attained the highest reading level in her class, earning the respect of her prior bullies, who were now her friends. By high school, my mother found herself a “brown” woman in the middle of the skinhead era of neo-Nazis and radical British conservatism. She was harassed, called names like “Paki,” told to go back to her own country, and threatened with violence on the streets. She remembers not being allowed into friends’ households as their parents didn’t want a foreigner inside their home. These experiences ignited a passion in her to earn a law degree and help minorities like herself. My mother worked hard for what she accomplished in life. She learned through personal experiences with racism to treat everyone with equal respect, and through her family’s suffering under a totalitarian regime that her personal freedoms were non-negotiable. Her life as a Persian immigrant coincides perfectly with the values we uniformly hold as crucial to being an American, a set of values embedded in the immigrant way of life: opportunity, equality, hard work, tolerance, and liberty. 
These are all values that I learned from my mother’s stories and try to emulate in my own life. I strive to be the best version of myself. Whether it’s giving it my all in sports and motivating my teammates even when we are losing, or persevering through a difficult anxiety disorder, I never give up. I practice equality through listening to both sides of an argument and presenting myself as a mediator for conflicts I’m exposed to. I have worked hard to make it onto four different varsity teams while earning honor roll GPA throughout high school and making notable personal growth. I pride myself on being tolerant of others even if I disagree with them. I try to understand why people act the way they do instead of simply judging them on their actions. This has been quite advantageous for me throughout the recent political strife. Instead of ostracizing people for their political beliefs, I have been more discerning about politicians seeking power by dividing us.
Since 2016, I have realized the reason radical conservatives view people like my mom as un-American is the same reason I perceive my mom as a true American, and the same reason that I have the proper foundation to be the best American I can be. Because I am Iranian American.
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James Hanson is is a former student of Iranian School of San Diego (ISSD). This submission is derived from James’ college application essays.
