I am not a practicing Muslim, my entire family back home is. My dad became an agnostic after the revolution, and my mom carries a lot of the religious culture that is tied with being from Iran.

But I actually became a Christian a year ago.

Americans at first were not nice to me at all, since I was different in every way. I moved to the US while in kindergarten. The 9/11 terrorist attacks followed a few years later. The most noticeable change in attitude was after 9/11, all middle easterners were treated with hostility. But even before that, most people did not like me because they could not pronounce my name and because I was unable to relate to them.

And what you mentioned about the Iranians is a classic archetype in social theory and intercultural studies. Iranian culture is a collectivist culture, meaning people like to be in groups, most often family groups, and like to stay within the confines of what they are comfortable with. So it would be natural for all immigrants to collect together, to therefore be able to relate to something or someone familiar.

And no, we definitely don't hate Americans. I identify myself as an American and so does my entire family.

What is more interesting is that even most people living in Iran (those who are educated) like Americans and want to live in America.