Funny in Farsi: A Memoir of Growing Up Iranian in America

Funny in Farsi. Firoozeh Dumas. New York: Random House, 2003. 198 pp. Firoozeh Dumas arrived in America when his father was assigned to a two-year rotation as an engineer in the Iranian National Oil Company (INOC). After a brief return to her native country, she and her family settled in the US. Funny in Farsi is a humorous memoir recounting stories about her childhood in Iran and her adolescent and adult life in her adopted country. The book is composed of short stories, often involving her father and mother and members of her extended family and with funny twists that take place in awkward situations. Dumas was seven years old when she first arrived in America. Her father had obtained her Masters degree in the US as a Fulbright scholar and worked for INOC in the town of Abadan in Iran. Upon arrival in California, he joyfully volunteered to be his family’s interpreter as they prepared to make the most out of this two-year assignment. He was very fast taken over by Dumas in this effort as his English proved to be limited to engineering phrases added upon the difficulties of his thick accent. The stories almost never follow a chronological order and in some of them, Dumas jumps from school years to her marriage and back to her years in Iran. However, I found this jumping around in time to be intellectually very stimulating as I wondered in each story what missing piece would fall into place in the puzzle called Dumas’s life. Over time, many of her extended family arrived in the US and settled within a half-an-hour-drive radius of where they live. The list includes her father’s sister, several of her uncles and their grown-up children. After the Iranian Revolution, the family started feeling the weight of quick labeling. Dumas and her family were vilified and sometimes faced direct hostility not only from strangers but also from previously friendly people. She makes it clear that the experience of the whole Iranian-American community was similar. After completing high school, Dumas studied humanities in UC Berkeley where she met her husband, a Frenchman. This added another interesting dimension as the rejection by her husband’s family contrasted sharply with the crowded meetings and close encounters with her own extended family. The book tells nice stories about how American culture is viewed by someone who recently arrived to the country. Hers are told with a specific angle, which is her native culture. This brings me to the added bonus of this book. Through these stories, we also get a good dose of introduction to the main characteristics of the Iranian culture. I found these characteristics quite interesting and sometimes downright fascinating. Her stories are hilarious, but not forced or exaggerated. They are sprinkled with short witty observations about peculiarities of both of these cultures. I turned the pages with anticipation and enjoyed the fact that most stories ended with a clever reference to an earlier off-hand remark inside the story. I enjoyed very much the light hearted comparisons between American and Iranian cultures and how Dumas presented having both as a gift. On the other hand, I thought she could be more forthcoming in talking around the Iranian Revolution and the decisions her family had to make at that time. I strongly recommend this book for all audiences, especially young adults who would benefit from the Dumas’s viewpoints on discrimination, prejudice and stereotyping. Challenges faced by immigrants can be enormous. This book avoids dramatizing these challenges and presents in a narrative that is at times humorous and always flows easily.

This was an enjoyable look at immigrant assimilation into America. Most often books on this subject are difficult and problematic. The author, instead, chooses to highlight the humorous side of her experiences.

I adored this book! Firoozeh Dumas’s recounting of her experiences growing up in California engaged me from start to finish, and I laughed out loud throughout my very enjoyable reading of her memoir! In fact, I devoured it as I simply didn’t want to put it down. She has such an intelligent and insightful commentary on human nature, and I love her droll sense of humor! I am recommending this book to all of my friends.

This book is a wonderful blend of humor and insights into human nature--and cultural differences. I laughed out loud many times, but also came away with great appreciation for Iranian loyalty to family and their vibrant relationships.

The book leaves almost the same taste as successful stand up comedies based on immigrant lives, like Russel Peters or Maz Jobrani shows. Most stories are excerpts of the life of an immigrant family confronting new situations in a comic way: Reaction to freebies and marketing, language problems in a restaurant, relationship with extended families, constant comparisons of everything (like prices) with homeland, etc. The striking aspect of this book is Firoozeh's honesty in talking about her family and friends. At some times, Firoozeh's picky contempt for people's around her seems like an imitation of TMZ, mean and candid about real people for the sake of being funny. This funniness sometimes leaves a bitter taste afterwards; like the image depicted of Mr Jazayeri (the father), this hard working man full of dreams leading to his immigration. I felt a punch in my stomach when Mr Jazayeri tells "OK, if it is important for the book" when asks Firoozeh about his discomfort with the "America the Land of Free" chapter. Her bitter criticism of things like plastic surgery, or beauty pageant, her uncles comment on using her maiden family name (she says the reason behind her uncle's comment is marketing for his son's plastic surgery practice), or uncle Neamatollah marriages, can only be digested if one treats the stories as episodes of a stand-up comedy. The problem is though, the book is about real people with real names. This reality makes helps the funny aspect of the book, but makes the reader wonder and sometimes uncomfortable about the reactions of the characters in the story. I guess even Firoozeh seems worried sometimes, for example when talking about reuniting with her in-laws. Some members of the family though are treated differently in the book than others. The father is the most picked upon, while there are not really any fun made of Francis, or Sean (Farshid) (except that Firoozeh complains that every decision in their family's been first consulted with Sean). It's a good read if you look for something funny.

A delightful read! I laughed out loud many times, but also learned something about Iran and its culture. The biggest lesson, however, is what an asset you have when your sense of humor is terrific!

I found this extremely funny, but partially because my husband's family comes from Iran (Jewish Iranians) and so much of it rang true - like the author's father's (my husband's) aversion to restaurants. I laughed out loud quite a lot as a read it. All in all a nice read showing a lot of the trials and tribulations of immigration to America in a humorous way and also a very nice tribute to America. The only thing that I didn't like is Dumas' attitude toward her mother. Dumas feels so superior to her mother, sometimes coming close to contempt. "I had regarded my mother as a mere source of entertainment. This was a woman whose English required translation to English..." Dumas is far more sympathetic toward her aunt, who had never had an opportunity to learn, than towards her own mother. Later in the book, she says that her mother asked her if she had included in the book the fact that she had never left her with a babysitter, how she always made sure to be there when her children came home from school. Dumas adds that "none of the above made it into the book." Why not? What's wrong with a little praise for a mother who devoted herself to raising her children. and why "mock her accent?" Isn't mocking a person's accent a rather ugly thing to do? Why is it acceptable when one is mocking one's own mother? The treatment of her mother lost her a star in my review.

My favorite autobiography.

Super divertido, curioso e instructivo. Narra la historia de una niña Iraní que con 7 años emigra a Estados Unidos. Un país tremendamente idealizado por su padre, el cual les ha estado contando durante años todas sus hazañas en dicho país y encumbrando todas las costumbres de los Norteamericanos. Cuando llegan allí, el choque con la realidad y el desconocimiento del país les hace aprender a todos un nuevo concepto de país que pronto les irá cautivando, de una forma alegre y graciosa.

A light, breezy, thoroughly enjoyable read. Highly recommended 😊👍

I read this book a few years ago. It took me away to another world that my daily life in England had made me forget. I loved it so much that I missed it and read it again recently. An English friend read it too and said she went through many different emotions but she laughed more than anything else. She commented that it was an insight into the lives of Iranians, especially those who live away from home. I thought it was a good representation of where I come from. Again, well written and very easy to read.

An iranian family comes to the USA without speaking a word of english.. and what a cultural clash it is ! It is written in a quite funny way.. but chapter after chapter it's a bit the same. I nearly didn't finish it because after some time it was just boriing and we don't learn more about iranain culture.

While working on my own memoir, A Home Far From Home, I was searching for Farsi or bilingual memoirs—and that’s how I found Funny in Farsi. What a gift it was! I laughed out loud so many times and also felt deeply moved. Your book reminded me of the life I once dreamed of—where my father would take us to a first-world country, something he had in mind but never followed through on. Reading about your father brought back so many memories. He reminded me so much of my own, and I couldn’t help but feel a deep longing. I miss him every day and wish he were alive to see how far I’ve come—he would have been so proud. Beyond the humor, what touched me most was the warmth of your supportive family and the peace I felt in your tone. It’s clear that your strength and the love surrounding you helped shape a beautiful life. Thank you, Firoozeh, for sharing your story with such honesty, grace, and wit. I resonated with so many of the situations in your book. You’ve made a lasting impression on me—not just as a fellow writer, but as a reader who felt seen, uplifted, and connected through your words.