About Us
Arizona Persian Cultural Center (AZPCC) is a non-political, non-religious and non-profit organization. We join together to enrich the lives of Arizona residents by promoting an awareness of the Iranian culture, heritage, language, history and contributions through education, music, dance, theater, art, food and sense of community.
calendar of events
View our Calendar of Events
Who We Are and Our Values
We are an all volunteer-run non-profit organization. We are all ages, professions, backgrounds, and beliefs. We are unified by our dedication to Persian art, history, culture, literature, fostering an Iranian-American community and building bridges to the broader American community.
Our History
AZPCC began as Iranian American Society of Arizona (IASAz) in the year 2007; an association promoting cultural holidays and events. With the hardwork and dedication of the original board and volunteers, IASAz opened its first physical location- the Arizona Persian Cultural Center in 2017. In December 2021, AZPCC moved to a beautiful new home in North Scottsdale where it holds major holidays, events, classes workshops and more.
AZPCC Mission
At Arizona Persian Cultural Center (AZPCC), we strive to enrich the lives of Arizona residents by promoting an awareness of the Iranian culture, heritage, language, history and contributions through education, music, dance, theater, arts, food and sense of community. Our goal is to preserve, promote and encourage through education and charitable work, the richness of Iranian-American culture. We achieve this by organizing social, educational, recreational and other functions to promote better understanding and friendship both among the members of the organization and among individuals and organizations in Arizona who share an interest in Iranian culture.
AZPCC Vision Statement
The Center we envision is a central place to gather and create community, to connect generations, and to cultivate, promote, and share our cultural heritage together. It is a place that is not affiliated with any political or religious group. It is a place where we can provide support, mentorship, information and guidance to our youth, and where we can make contributions to the high standards of the Iranian community by offering important, reliable and indispensable information on social, legal and health related concerns. It is a place where we can organize and support literary, artistic and social presentations to the general public, and where we can build a comprehensive audio, visual, and literary library.
Volunteers should find it rewarding to give their time and energy to participate and contribute to different functions and activities held at the Center, our elderly should find it a comfortable and cordial environment for them to feel warmly welcomed, and our youth should be able to satisfy their curiosity about their heritage and Persian language. We also wish it to be a center of social gatherings for friends if they plan to meet and have a talk over a cup of tea or coffee. It should also serve as a place to entertain our non-Iranian friends with Persian food and to introduce them to Persian Culture.
And finally, it is a place wherein we all feel proud to be Iranians.
Board Members
Arshia Riahi
President and Chairman of the Board
Saman Golestan
Vice President
Shahrzad Khademadam
Chair of Education Programming
Nasrin Rouintan
Treasurer
Shahram Javidan
Neda Hassanzadeh
Siavash Moeini
Dr. Mahshid Mehdipour
Bylaws
Code of Conduct
Be patient and courteous, be even more patient and courteous in email, or text messages.
Be inclusive. We welcome and support people of all backgrounds and identities. This includes, but is not limited to members of any sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, race, ethnicity, culture, national origin, social and economic class, educational level, color, immigration status, sex, age, size, family status, political belief, religion, and mental and physical ability.
Be considerate. We all depend on each other to produce the best work we can as an organization. Keep public areas neat and clean – if the trash needs to [be] emptied, empty it. Your decisions will affect members, supporters and team-mates and you should take those consequences into account when making decisions.
Be respectful. We won’t all agree all the time, but disagreement is no excuse for disrespectful behavior. We will all experience frustration from time to time, but we cannot allow that frustration to become personal attacks and bullying. An environment where people feel uncomfortable or threatened is not a productive or creative one.
Choose your words carefully. Always conduct yourself professionally. Be kind to others. Do not shout, insult or put down others. Do not spread rumors, gossip. Harassment and exclusionary behavior aren’t acceptable. This includes, but is not limited to:
- Threats of violence.
- Discriminatory jokes and language.
- Sharing sexually explicit or violent material via electronic devices or other means.
- Personal insults, especially those using racist or sexist terms.
- Unwelcome sexual attention.
- Advocating for, or encouraging, any of the above behavior.
Do not harass others. Do not coerce and pressure others to subscribe to particular political, religious or [ideological] belief[s]. In general, if someone asks you to stop something, then stop. When we disagree, try to understand why. Differences of opinion and disagreements are mostly unavoidable. What is important is that we resolve disagreements and differing views constructively.
Consequences. Violators of these codes of conduct will be given a warning and repeating the same behavior will move the management to ask them to leave the center and not return.
Our differences can be our strengths. We can find strength in diversity. Different people have different perspectives on issues, and that can be valuable for solving problems or generating new ideas. Being unable to admit when one is wrong holds a viewpoint that doesn’t mean that they’re wrong. Don’t forget that we all make mistakes, and blaming each other doesn’t get us anywhere. Instead, focus on resolving issues and learning from mistakes.
The People Behind it All
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