In our final two videos from NIAC founder Trita Parsi, he contends that the influx of Iranian-American culture is starting to help Americans better understand their alleged enemies (a recent Gallup poll found that 83% of Americans view Iran unfavorably – basically unchanged since the 1980s):
But he feels that Iranians understand Americans much better than the other way around:
Parsi’s previous videos are here. Our full interview archive is here. Speaking of American-Iranian relations, Parsi and NIAC just put out a press release responding to today’s diplomatic breakthrough:
We applaud the Presidents of the United States and Iran for the historic phone conversation, which reflects the strong mutual investment they are making into the diplomatic process. It is precisely this commitment to diplomacy that is needed to resolve the nuclear stand-off and open up the opportunity for greater reconciliation between the two countries. The institutionalized enmity that has estranged the two governments – but never the two peoples – for more than 34 years will not be undone overnight. … The Iranian-American community looks forward to this as the beginning of a brighter future that can be shared by both the American and the Iranian people.
The Dish 