Mehrsa Baradaran facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mehrsa Baradaran
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| Born | April 3, 1978 Orumieh, Imperial State of Iran
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| Education | Brigham Young University (BA) New York University (JD) |
| Employer | University of California, Irvine School of Law |
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Notable work
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How the Other Half Banks: Exclusion, Exploitation, and the Threat to Democracy The Color of Money: Black Banks and the Racial Wealth Gap |
Mehrsa Baradaran, born on April 3, 1978, is an American expert in law. She is well-known for her studies about how banks work. She teaches law at the University of California, Irvine. Baradaran believes that services like postal banking can help more people get access to financial help. She also talks about how important it is to close the gap in wealth between different groups of people.
Early Life and School
Mehrsa Baradaran was born in 1978 in a city called Orumieh in Iran. Her mother was held as a political prisoner in Iran for some years. In 1986, when Mehrsa was eight years old, her family moved to the United States. They settled in Los Angeles.
When Mehrsa and her younger sister, Shima, started elementary school, they did not know English. But they learned it very quickly, in just three months! Her family also changed their religion from Islam to Christianity and joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Mehrsa went to Brigham Young University. She graduated in 2002 with a degree in English literature. She then studied law at the New York University School of Law. She graduated in 2005. Before that, she spent 18 months helping Latino immigrants in Houston. This experience helped her become fluent in Spanish.
Her Career in Law
After finishing law school, Mehrsa Baradaran worked at a law firm in New York City. She focused on financial institutions. From 2009 to 2010, she was a special researcher at NYU School of Law. After that, she became a professor at Brigham Young University's law school.
In 2012, Baradaran joined the law faculty at the University of Georgia School of Law. There, she taught classes about contracts and banking law. Now, at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) School of Law, she teaches courses that look at how law, money, and fairness connect.
Working with Government
In November 2020, Mehrsa Baradaran was asked to help the team preparing for Joe Biden to become president. She helped with topics related to the Department of Treasury and the Federal Reserve. These are important parts of the U.S. government that deal with money and banking.
In 2021, some people thought Baradaran might be chosen for a big job called Comptroller of the Currency. This person oversees national banks. Many people who wanted to see changes in the Democratic Party supported her. However, another professor, Saule Omarova, was chosen instead. Since then, Baradaran has been mentioned as a possible candidate to serve on the Federal Reserve.
Personal Life and Views
In January 2017, Mehrsa Baradaran shared her story as a refugee from Iran in an article. She talked about how she was one of the "immigrants and refugees from 'terrorist countries' that soon will be banned by executive order from coming [to America]". She explained that her family left Iran because of its strong nationalism. She said that Iran's leaders had also said "Iran First," and they stopped people from speaking freely.
Baradaran ended her thoughts by saying that even with challenges, America is her home. She hopes for the best and continues to work to make America a great place.
