I was born in the USA to Iranian immigrants. Growing up, my parents made sure that I learned everything about our culture, especially the language. Every Saturday for six years I went to Persian grammar school where I learned how to speak, read, and write Farsi. I’ve had extensive teachings on ancient Persian history and poetry too. My dad is also Iranian Azerbaijani and so the Azeri culture was a big part of my upbringing as well. I’m very proud to be part of a culture with such rich history dating back thousands and thousands of years.