Farzad 🇺🇸 🇮🇷
I came to the United States in 1999 as a 12 year old boy. My parents, who are Iranian immigrants that fled the 1979 Revolution, settled in Spain around that time. I was born in Spain in 1987. 12 years later, my family came to America to live out the American dream. Spains economy was in shambles. My family was desperate for a better life. 2 years after we moved to the States, in 2001, 9/11 happened. My already unstable world from the massive move suddenly became less stable. Then, in 2008, my family almost lost everything due to the financial crisis. It took my family years to rebuild. Then, in 2016, I was told that America had elected the most evil person in the world, Donald Trump. A true racist. I questioned the motives of the American public. If Media is telling me this, it must be true. How can something so large be wrong about this story? Then, in 2020, COVID. During this entire time, I've had to fight an uphill battle against pessimism. I've had to fight constant reminders that the world is broken. That governments are corrupt. That massive positive change is impossible. Now, in 2024, this is the first time since I can remember where feeling positive about the future feels effortless. This is the first time, ever, that I feel like the world can be a better place. That wrongs can be righted. That prosperity is possible for the many, not the few. It's been way too long. We are due.