| Following the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran, many Iran Politicians, scientists, scholars, professionals and military personnel left the country due to political and social conditions they found intolerable. Many settled in the United States, especially Southern California, where an estimated 500,000 Iranians now reside.;The study was exploratory and qualitative. A survey questionnaire included structured and unstructured questions and both open-ended and closed-ended questions. Using the stratified sample method, approximately 200 Iranian professionals participated in the study. The research findings are presented using percentages and frequency distributions. The survey results are profiled by occupational data, job match/mismatch of different professional categories, job attitudes, and specific job related problems.;Recommendations include undertaking further systematic research in this area. More effective infrastructure support in the form of professional and community-based organizations (political, religious, cultural) is also needed. Iranian professional associations could assume a more supportive role if they formalized their organizational structures. Further, more extensive collaboration between local government and Iranians is needed to support the training and education of the Iranian work force.;This study investigated mismatch between the educational background and the occupational opportunities in Southern California for members of the Iranian community. The research questions focused on the experiences that Iranian immigrant professionals have encountered in pursuing their careers, as well as the major causes of mismatches between education and experience and the jobs they hold. The study's theoretical framework was drawn from sociological theories and cultural studies related to the assimilation of subcultures. Literature was reviewed relevant to the merging of immigrant groups into the culture of the United States, and into the Southern California environment in particular. |
