Research Bio

Ida Yalzadeh an interdisciplinary historian who thinks about the relationship between race and empire. Yalzadeh engages in the fields of diplomatic history, Asian American Studies, and Critical SWANA Studies, and more specifically, Iranian Diaspora Studies.

Yalzadeh is currently at work on a book project that focuses on the racialized experience of Iranian foreign nationals from 1953 to 2001. Bridging diplomatic history and Asian American Studies, it makes the case for understanding racial projects as transnational, imperial processes with lingering legacies. Folks interested in learning more about the manuscript’s arguments and significance can consult Yalzadeh's article, “After the Battle of Beverly Hills: U.S. Government Surveillance of Iranian International Students in the Cold War,” which will form part of the project.

Research Expertise and Interest

Asian American studies, critical SWANA studies, Iranian diaspora studies