persian or iranian?

  why do you call yourselves persian sometimes?
what is the difference?
are you persian?
where is persia?
do you speak persian or iranian?
what is farsi? 

my friends from iran can relate - you must have been asked these questions or similar many times - i am going to tell you now what i think the answers to these questions are. please feel free to challenge me.

iran became "iran" when during the reign of reza Shah, father of the former shah of iran the name changed from "persia" to iran in 1935. Here is a more detailed article: "a brief history of names, by fouad kazem". Although I agree with certain historical facts in the article, there are certain points that kazem and I do not agree on. Namely the word farsi.

when i first left iran, anyone who asked me where i was from i said i was from "persia" so i could distance myself as much as possible from the craziness that i had left behind. i was correct to assume that iran only meant extremism, terrorism, hostage taking, war, wife beating, backwardness and in one word: trouble.

slowly, specially over the years once i began to come to terms with myself, and my past and my heritage, i began to wonder why i should run where i can confront.

now i openly speak farsi with my children in public, i try to make eye contact with other iranians i meet specially those clearly visiting from iran or who are new comers, and i welcome any questions i get from anyone that wonders "just what the hell is that language i am using ... that sounds like french but isn't ..."

this is what makes sense to me:

persia was the old name. it changed in mid thirties. whom ever uses it now is to distances him/herself from today's political landscape of iran and to show their affiliations. persians are a race like those who migrated to india centuries ago and now are known as parsi people. iran is a country of many races living in harmony and relative tolerance with each other: kurds, turks, afghans, arabs, turkmans, ghashghayees, baloochis, gilanis, etc ... and of course parsis. they all make up what is today known as iran. farsi is the name of our language that is the official language of iran. however, other iranian nationalities each have their own dialect. in general everyone lives under the flag of iran in harmony.

i have to admit though, it is so much more pleasant to say "i am persian", because sometimes i like the idea of being associated with romantic images of scheherazade telling stories and reciting hafez while reclining on a fine persian carpet, drinking shiraz and stroking a persian cat.

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a little clip on youtube - talended maz jobrani - on iranians, arabs and persians - and now that you are at it, here is another one.