Kurdish Heritage Foundation of America

The Kurdish Heritage Foundation of America was a cultural organization based in Brooklyn, New York, devoted to documenting and presenting Kurdish heritage. It was also known as the Kurdish Library and Museum. The organization assembled books, research materials, cultural objects, artworks, and handicrafts relating to Kurdish culture, literature, and history, making these materials available through a specialist library and museum-oriented collection. The foundation was established in 1981 by Vera Beaudin Saeedpour, who was the widow of Homayoun Saeedpour, a Kurd from Sanandaj, Iran. Saeedpour’s work created a dedicated institutional setting for Kurdish cultural preservation in the United States at a time when Kurdish studies and Kurdish cultural materials were comparatively difficult to access in American public and academic collections. A library component was established in 1986. Its holdings included approximately 3,000 volumes concerning Kurdish-related subjects, giving the organization a specialized documentary role in addition to its public-cultural activities. The library also published two scholarly research periodicals, the International Journal of Kurdish Studies and Kurdish Life. These publications extended the organization’s work beyond collecting by supporting research and discussion concerning Kurdish history, society, language, and culture. The museum opened in 1988 and focused on Kurdish art and handicrafts. Together, the library and museum presented complementary aspects of Kurdish heritage: the library preserved written and scholarly resources, while the museum displayed material culture and artistic traditions. The organization therefore functioned as a heritage archive, research resource, and cultural exhibition venue rather than as a commercial brand offering consumer products. Vera Beaudin Saeedpour died in 2010. Following her death, the contents of the museum were donated to Binghamton University. The available reference material does not establish whether the foundation continued operating under its original name after the transfer, nor does it identify a current website, leadership team, or successor institution. Its documented legacy rests on the preservation of a substantial Kurdish-focused library, the operation of a museum collection, and the publication of research journals supporting Kurdish cultural and academic visibility in the United States.

The Kurdish Heritage Foundation of America was founded in 1981 by Vera Beaudin Saeedpour in Brooklyn, New York. Saeedpour was the widow of Homayoun Saeedpour, a Kurd from Sanandaj, Iran. The foundation was created as a cultural organization concerned with the preservation and presentation of Kurdish heritage in the United States, including Kurdish literature, history, art, and handicrafts. The organization developed two principal institutional components. Its library was established in 1986 and assembled approximately 3,000 volumes on Kurdish-related subjects. This collection gave the foundation a specialized role as a research resource for readers and scholars interested in Kurdish history, culture, and related fields. The library also published the International Journal of Kurdish Studies and Kurdish Life, two research-oriented journals that supported the circulation of scholarship and cultural information about Kurdish communities and Kurdish studies. The museum opened in 1988. Its focus was Kurdish art and handicrafts, complementing the library’s documentary holdings with objects and artistic materials representing Kurdish cultural traditions. Under the combined identity of the Kurdish Heritage Foundation of America and the Kurdish Library and Museum, the institution served as both an archive and a public-facing cultural venue. Saeedpour died in 2010. After her death, the contents of the museum were donated to Binghamton University. The available sources do not provide enough information to determine the foundation’s legal status after the donation, whether its library and publishing activities continued, or whether its collections were transferred in full or only the museum contents. No current leadership, operating website, or commercial parent organization is identified in the available material.

• 2010

  Museum contents donated after founder's death

  [1]Kurdish Heritage Foundation of Americaen.wikipedia.org

  After Vera Beaudin Saeedpour died, the contents of the museum were donated to Binghamton University.

• 1988

  Museum opened

  [1]Kurdish Heritage Foundation of Americaen.wikipedia.org

  The museum opened with a focus on Kurdish art and handicrafts.

• 1986

  Library established

  [1]Kurdish Heritage Foundation of Americaen.wikipedia.org

  The organization established its library, which grew to approximately 3,000 volumes concerning Kurdish subjects.

• 1981

  Foundation established

  [1]Kurdish Heritage Foundation of Americaen.wikipedia.org

  Vera Beaudin Saeedpour founded the Kurdish Heritage Foundation of America as a cultural organization dedicated to Kurdish heritage in the United States.

A nonprofit cultural-preservation and research institution centered on Kurdish literature, history, art, handicrafts, and heritage materials in the United States.

• Library and research collection · 1986

  Kurdish Library

  The library was established in 1986 as a specialist collection devoted to Kurdish-related subjects. It contained approximately 3,000 volumes covering Kurdish culture, literature, history, and associated research topics. In addition to preserving books and documentary resources, the library supported the organization’s scholarly mission through the publication of research journals.

• Museum and cultural collection · 1988

  Kurdish Museum

  Opened in 1988, the museum presented Kurdish art and handicrafts. It formed the public exhibition side of the Kurdish Library and Museum identity, complementing the library’s written materials with objects representing Kurdish artistic and material traditions. The museum contents were later donated to Binghamton University following the death of founder Vera Beaudin Saeedpour.

• Scholarly journal

  International Journal of Kurdish Studies

  A research journal published by the library as part of the foundation’s scholarly and documentary activities. The publication focused on Kurdish studies and helped circulate academic work related to Kurdish history, culture, language, and society.

• Cultural and research journal

  Kurdish Life

  A periodical published by the organization’s library. It formed part of the foundation’s publishing activity and supported wider cultural and research engagement with Kurdish life and heritage.

1. 1Kurdish Heritage Foundation of Americaen.wikipedia.org