This Flame Within: Iranian Revolutionaries in the United States

In This Flame Within, Manijeh Moradian challenges the conventional narrative of Iranian migration to the United States by highlighting the experiences of Iranian foreign students who joined a global movement against US imperialism in the 1960s and 1970s. She explores the "revolutionary affects" generated by experiences of repression and resistance in Iran, and how these affects facilitated Iranian student participation in antiracist and anticolonial movements. Moradian argues for a transnational feminist interpretation of the Iranian Student Associations legacy, demonstrating how the recognition of multiple sources of oppression can reorient Iranian diasporic politics today.

Format: Hardback
Length: 352 pages
Publication date: 01 September 2022
Publisher: Duke University Press

In her groundbreaking book, "This Flame Within: Manijeh Moradian Rewrites Conventional Histories of Iranian Migration to the United States," the author challenges the prevailing narrative of Iranian migration as a post-1979 phenomenon solely driven by the flight of pro-Shah Iranians from the Islamic Republic. Instead, Moradian delves into the experiences of Iranian foreign students who actively participated in a global movement against US imperialism during the 1960s and 1970s. Through meticulous archival research and in-depth interviews with members of the Iranian Students Association, Moradian uncovers the profound "revolutionary affects" that emerged from the collective experiences of repression and resistance in Iran. These affects, she argues, were not limited to the individual experiences of these students but were deeply embodied and transmitted through their interactions with empire and dictatorship.

Moradian's analysis extends beyond the realm of individual experiences and explores the ways in which these revolutionary affects facilitated the participation of Iranian students in a wide range of antiracist and anticolonial movements. She analyzes how the solidarity forged within these movements shaped the emergence of Third World feminism and how gendered manifestations of revolutionary affects played a significant role in this process. By advocating for a transnational feminist interpretation of the Iranian Student Associations legacy, Moradian demonstrates how the recognition of multiple sources of oppression in the West and in Iran can reorient Iranian diasporic politics today.

Through her meticulous research and compelling storytelling, "This Flame Within" offers a fresh perspective on the history of Iranian migration to the United States, challenging the dominant narratives and highlighting the profound impact of the experiences of Iranian foreign students on the global anti-imperialist movement. It is a must-read for scholars, activists, and anyone interested in understanding the complexities of migration, resistance, and the intersection of gender and politics.

Weight: 635g
Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781478016182