Niki Sotoodeh Reflects on her Ansari Fellowship Experience with the Superior Court of California
PAAIA’s 2025 Ansari Fellow, Niki Sotoodeh, is a law student at UC Berkeley School of Law. This summer, she interned at the Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara, under Judge Nahal Iravani-Sani, where
Remembering and Honoring Akbar Lari
Washington, D.C. – PAAIA mourns the passing of a cherished member of our community: founding member and long-serving Board Member Akbar Lari. Akbar Lari embodied vision, generosity, and a steadfast commitment to uplifting others. Through his
PAAIA Announces Summer 2025 Ansari Fellows
Washington, D.C. — PAAIA is excited to announce our summer 2025 Ansari Fellows: Farid Hadj and Niki Sotoodeh. The Ansari Fellowship, a Civic Leadership Program initiative generously funded by PAAIA member Bijan Ansari, was founded to encourage and
PAAIA statement on Israel’s strikes on Iran
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In response to the increasing number of innocent civilian deaths resulting from Israel’s attacks on Iran, PAAIA reaffirms its commitment to supporting earnest U.S. diplomacy, civilian protection, and the rights of Iranian
PAAIA’s statement on Israel’s June 12th strikes on Iran
Washington, D.C. – We at the Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans (PAAIA) are deeply distressed and alarmed that Israel has launched military strikes on Iran that hit civilian infrastructure. As Iranian Americans, many of us
PAAIA Statement on President Trump’s Reinstated Travel Ban
Washington, D.C. – The Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans (PAAIA) opposes President Trump’s reinstated Travel Ban. Enacted through Executive Order, this Presidential Proclamation revives the 2017 visa restrictions that denied immigrant and non-immigrant visas
Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans Statement on the Passing of Congressman Gerald E. Connolly
Washington, D.C. – With profound sadness, we mourn the passing of Congressman Gerald E. Connolly, a dedicated public servant and a steadfast ally of the Iranian American community. His decades of service in Congress —
Always the Persian Gulf: Preserving the Name of a Historic and Cultural Landmark
Washington, D.C. – President Donald Trump has indicated that he will decide during his upcoming trip to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates whether the U.S. government will officially refer to the Persian Gulf
Public Service Announcement from PAAIA – Know Your Rights When Traveling
Washington, D.C. — The Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans (PAAIA) has received concerning reports from Iranian American travelers who — upon returning to the United States, including from Europe — have experienced prolonged or repeated questioning
PAAIA’s 2025 Capitol Hill Days: Advocating for the Iranian American Community on Capitol Hill
From April 2nd to April 4th, 2025, members of the Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans (PAAIA) gathered in Washington, D.C., for our annual Capitol Hill Day (CHD) events and meetings. Iranian American leaders from
Donate to PAAIA’s IA-100 to continue our hard work in reuniting families
PAAIA is working towards passing the TFVA which will create a new visa category that will allow the family members of U.S. citizens and permanent residents to visit from abroad. Currently, family members must apply to visit their relatives in the U.S. through B-2 visas which results in an unnecessarily high denial rate due to presumptions that the applicants intend to immigrate. The new visa category created by the TFVA will provide an opportunity for family members to visit their U.S. relatives without the worry of visa overstays.