PAAIA, pronounced “pâ-yâ,” means “enduring” in Persian. The flame of our logo is actually the Persian spelling of PAAIA and it represents the many positive aspects of our Iranian heritage that have endured over millennia. The three dots under the flame represent our core missions of education, advocacy, and leadership.
PAAIA work to expand opportunities for the active participation of Iranian Americans in the democratic process at all levels of government and in public debate, provide opportunities for advancement for our next generation, educate the American public and policymakers on the Iranian American community and their opinions, and foster greater understanding between the people of Iran and the United States.
We envision a world in which Iranian Americans actively come together as a collaborative community in service to each other and to the society at large, to change our world, and particularly the world of our children, for the better. We see a future where Iranian American contributions to society are widely recognized and the community is seen as an important constituency in the eyes of U.S. policymakers.