Anahita Panahi
Anahita Panahi is the Deputy Director of Refugee Affairs at the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), where she manages campaigns advocating for the wellbeing of refugees and newcomers in California. Serving as a safeguard for human rights, Panahi has been inspired from her direct experience as an immigrant. Being the product of refugees from Iran, she is privy to the unique problems new Americans face, and important qualities they bring to their adopted countries. After studying at San Diego State University, her advocacy work has led her to Turkey, Iran, and Spain. In 2019, she started her role as a Refugee Organizer with We Are All America, where she built grassroots support, convened various stakeholders and fostered welcoming practices for refugees’ rights and needs in California. An impassioned organizer and activist, she has also served as the Vice Chair of the Refugee Forum of Los Angeles (RFLA) for two consecutive years. Panahi, who speaks English, Farsi, and Spanish, received her bachelor’s degree in International Security and Conflict Resolution at San Diego State University and an M.A. in Political Science at the Autonomous University of Barcelona.