"Most Iranians are conservative, Republicans. They don’t even support the Democrats let alone the Green Party. But I didn’t look like the typical Green Party that they imagined. I looked like them, a professional woman, and talked about the real issues. That’s how I could get their votes."

     "If I were to be in a crowd of Iranian people of other religions, Iranian Moslems or Iranian Christians, I would have way more in common with them, than I would have in common with American Jews. I think language is a much bigger deal than we realize."

     "I’m used to it (the veil) now. The first year when we came here it was harder for me. I was the only one. Now I’m used to it. I see a lot of Moslems wearing it. It’s the belief that’s important. It doesn’t matter to me if my friend wears it or not."

Shahram

     "When they ask me where are you from, I say I don’t know. If I go to Iran they might say oh you are an American guy, get out of here. And here, there are some who look at me as a foreigner, and you know, as a terrorist."

   “I want to go back to Iran, I’m tired of it here. Because we’re living in the country of thugs here or there ­ what’s the difference?… I won’t be missed here, back home I am missed."

   “When the children are born here or go to school here, they learn the language very quickly. When they turn 15 or 16, the problem of these families is that they don’t understand each other.”