The Rejection of Origin
Iranians of African Descent’s Social Identity Negotiation in Iran
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Abstract
In James Baldwin’s famous words, ‘we [Black Africans] cannot escape our origins, however hard we try; those origins contain the key—could we but find it—to all that we later become’. In the Iranian context, however, individuals of African descent often reject their origins outright, embracing new identities in pursuit of social acceptance. Despite the profound implications of this phenomenon, scholarly analyses of their identity negotiations remain scarce, leaving critical nuances underexplored. This study draws on 30 semistructured qualitative interviews conducted in 2023 with Afro-Iranians across several cities in southern and northern Iran. Drawing on these interviews, this paper examines the foundation of ‘Iranian’ national identity from the perspective of Afro-Iranians. It underscores that, for most participants, Iranian national identity is primarily rooted in civic values rather than racial or ethnic markers, fostering a strong sense of belonging to Iranian national and local identities.
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The Rejection of Origin
Iranians of African Descent’s Social Identity Negotiation in Iran
In: Diaspora StudiesSearch for other papers by Reza Bagheri in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Atefeh Toghyani in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Abstract
In James Baldwin’s famous words, ‘we [Black Africans] cannot escape our origins, however hard we try; those origins contain the key—could we but find it—to all that we later become’. In the Iranian context, however, individuals of African descent often reject their origins outright, embracing new identities in pursuit of social acceptance. Despite the profound implications of this phenomenon, scholarly analyses of their identity negotiations remain scarce, leaving critical nuances underexplored. This study draws on 30 semistructured qualitative interviews conducted in 2023 with Afro-Iranians across several cities in southern and northern Iran. Drawing on these interviews, this paper examines the foundation of ‘Iranian’ national identity from the perspective of Afro-Iranians. It underscores that, for most participants, Iranian national identity is primarily rooted in civic values rather than racial or ethnic markers, fostering a strong sense of belonging to Iranian national and local identities.
| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 209 | 209 | 38 |
| Full Text Views | 11 | 11 | 1 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 17 | 17 | 0 |
