This article originally appeared on KQED.
As an Iranian American teenager born and raised in California, my immigrant parents searched tirelessly for anything that would tie me back to their homeland: poetry, music, art, stories and clothing. I grew up reading Rumi, listening to Googoosh, and hearing Persian folktales. Iranian pride runs strong when it comes to art, especially in times of political turmoil, because art has a way of conveying emotions when strategy and politics fall short. Firuzeh Mahmoudi, executive director of United For Iran, couldn’t agree more.