Long Term effects of the Iranian Hostage Crisis

The current US - Iranian political relations as well as the American perception of Iran as a whole is still influenced by the events of the 1979 Hostage Crisis.

On November 4th of 1979, students stormed the American Embassy in Tehran in order to send a message to the US that the Shah was not wanted. The images of suffering hostages coupled with the violent and radical nature of the event began 40 years of tension between the two nations and a darkened view of Iran that has heavily impacted the lives of Iranian Americans.

Iranian-American's who came during the second wave of Iranian immigration to the United States lived through the tumultuous period for US-Iran relations that began with the hostage crisis and was prolonged by Western media's depiction of hardliners and the Iranian Revolution. "Just don't talk about it" Richard Frye, Harvard Professor, advised his Iranian students "Don't advertise the fact that you are Iranian. You might get beaten." Advise like Professor Frye's lead to the Iranian American community to begin to identify as Persian as it was more closely associated with carpets and cats, as opposed to radicals and hostages.

President Carter's action taken to resolve the Hostage crisis ended up harming Iranian-Americans and prospective citizens coming from Iran. By imposing sanctions and invalidating visas granted to Iranians, an estimated 150,000 visa holders were unsure of their fate : stay in a troubled Iran or try to enter the US and get deported. During the late 70's and early 80's no foreign country sent over more college students to study in the US than Iran. The visa issue impacted tens of thousands of students who were either unable to get their higher education.

Life for Iranian-Americans during the time following the Hostage Crisis became difficult. Due to American's Anti-Iranian disposition, there was a great deal of hostility towards members of the Iranian American community, but returning to the Regime governed Iran would be risky. Students at the University of Pennsylvania held a protest chanting "Nuke Iran, Maim Iranians". My mom recounts after having just come from Iran, seeing the soda machine at her new school defaced with the statement "Go home Irainian!"

While there is now a large part of the Iranian diaspora in America, Anti-Iranian sentiments can still be seen through current politics and media portrayals which have trickled down and remained in the minds of Americans.