Émigré from Iran becomes US mayor
The highest-ranking Iranian-American in the US expresses his patriotism and outlines his priorities for Beverly Hills.
By Daniel B. Wood | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitorfrom the March 29, 2007 edition
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Outside the opulent city hall chambers where he now presides as America's highest-ranking Iranian-American, Jimmy Jamshid Delshad, the incoming mayor of Beverly Hills, Calif., is getting grilled by the media.
"Should Americans believe Iran is enriching uranium only for electricity?" asks a local TV reporter.
"What about the British sailors who are now being held by Iranian authorities?" asks another.
"How will you keep American-Iranian tensions low and keep your heritage from making this city an international terror target?" asks a third.
One by one, Mr. Delshad deflects the verbal arrows, answering calmly, articulately.
"I am in politics simply to make my local community better," he says, staring into glaring lights and protruding microphones. Saying his role is not to be a spokesman on international relations for Iranian-Americans, he is nonetheless unafraid to criticize the Iranian government. Iran's leadership is misguided on several fronts he tells reporters, but Americans should know that Iranian people love America – as he does. It's his way of trying to steer every conversation back to safer, common ground.
Delshad, a Jew, also noted the opportunities he's had since he immigrated to the US nearly 50 years ago. He came to America with about $100 in his pocket and went on to be a computer entrepreneur.
"I am here to give back to the country which made me rich from nothing, and show other minorities that America is indeed still the land of opportunity for all," he says. "Persians all over the world see pride in my becoming mayor ... a chance for something good to come into the news after all the negativity between the US and Iran."
Wearing a hand-tailored suit and purple silk tie, Delshad exhibits the same elegance and elan that won him election for the second time to the Beverly Hills City Council earlier this month. He then was formally selected as mayor. Some news reports say his election by a mere 171 votes heightened ethnic tensions in this wealthy conclave of 35,000, where many of the 8,000 Iranians who live here fled their native country in 1979 after the fall of the Shah.
But none of that is evident from crowd comments at his white-tent inauguration Tuesday.
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