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USU and Point Four in Iran: Life in Iran

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Life in Iran

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Beggars in an unfinished jail in Tabriz [Click image to enlarge]
(MSS 284, Box 26, Folder 4)
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Observations on Iranian people and customs: [Click image to enlarge]
(MSS 284, Box 26, Folder 4)

Life in Iran was a significant culture shock for the visiting Utahns. The country‘s population was predominantly poor, yet there was a significant wealth disparity between the common people and government officials. Their customs seemed very strange to the Americans and the locals were wary of the newcomers. The Utah families lived together in relatively closed communities, preventing them from ever truly integrating into the Iranian population.

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Church at the Roskelley‘s in Tehran
(P0429 02:08:45)

Most of the families were members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and found Church to be their primary social interaction. The division between the Utahns and locals was further compounded by the Iranian government‘s strict laws against preaching to the Muslim population. Thus, the camaraderie between the Utah families became so powerful that other U.S. federal employees stationed in Iran expressed their resentment at the tight-knit community’s exclusivity.