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How could our parents have ever imagined that someday we would end up in a country where monosyllabic names reign supreme, a land where “William” is shortened to “Bill,” where “Susan” becomes “Sue,” and “Richard” somehow evolves into “Dick”? America is a great country, but nobody without a mask and a cape has a z in his name.These notes were contributed by members of the GradeSaver community. All of us immigrants knew that moving to America would be fraught with challenges, but none of us thought that our names would be such an obstacle.

“The “F Word” My cousin’s name, Farbod, means “Greatness.” When he moved to America, all the kids called him “Farthead.” My brother Farshid (“He Who Enlightens”) became “Fartshit.” The name of my friend Neggar means “Beloved,” although it can be more accurately translated as “She Whose Name Almost Incites Riots.” Her brother Arash (“Giver”) initially couldn’t understand why every time he’d say his name, people would laugh and ask him if it itched. In the midst of my thoughtfulness, I heard my father continue, “And when you’re older, Firoozeh, I’ll have you try something really delicious: grilled lobster.”įunny In Farsi: A Memoir Of Growing Up Iranian In America My father’s words felt scandalous, yet utterly and completely true. That’s the only thing that matters, and that’s the only detail God cares about.” I was six years old and I knew that I had just been made privy to something very big and important, something far larger than the jewels in the Shah’s crown, something larger than my little life in Abadan. You have to look and see what’s in their hearts. Just because someone is Muslim, Jewish, or Christian doesn’t mean a thing. There are good and bad people in every religion. As you grow older, you’ll find that people of every religion think they’re the best, but that’s not true. But now, people know how to prepare ham safely, so if the Prophet were alive today, he would change that rule.” He continued, “It’s not what we eat or don’t eat that makes us good people it’s how we treat one another. The Prophet, who was a kind and gentle man, wanted to protect people from harm, so he did what made sense at the time.

Once my father saw my tears, he sat down with me and said, “Firoozeh, when the Prophet Muhammad forbade ham, it was because people did not know how to cook it properly and many people became sick as a result of eating it. “As soon as my father’s car turned into our driveway, I ran out and told him of the unpleasant future that awaited him, forever.

Funny in farsi book