"Horror Movie!": 90 Day Fiancé's Mahdi's Dealing With Culture Shock (His Experience In America Explained)

90 Day Fiancé's Mahdi spent his first few days in America experiencing shock and awe. Mahdi moved to the United States to be with his fiancé, Stevi, in Mississippi. Cultures colliding is nothing new for the 90 Day Fiancé franchise, as most couples come from vastly different backgrounds. While cultural differences are common, it is not common for a fiancé to come from a country as restrictive as Iran.

The couple met online when Stevi was Mahdi's English tutor. The pair got to know each other and traveled to Turkey to meet in person, as it would be difficult for Stevi to travel to meet Mahdi in his home country of Iran. Mahdi eventually decided to move to America to be with Stevi; however, this was not an easy choice, as leaving Iran could mean he is not able to return home, if things don't work out. This leaves fans to wonder what life was really like for Mahdi back in Iran.

Mahdi Came To America From Iran

Iran Has Had An Ultra-Restrictive Culture Since 1979

Mahdi is from Tehran, Iran. Iran has been an Islamic republic since 1979, following the Iranian Revolution. The political system is described by Britanica as "theocratic authoritarianism." This means the law is based upon the religion of Islam, and the majority of power is held by one leader, the ayatollah. Because Islamic law prevails, many aspects of everyday life in Iran are tightly controlled. For example, modest clothing must be worn at all times in public, and men and women attend separate schools.

montage of 90 Day Fiancé Season 11's Mahdi with a map

90 Day Fiancé Season 11: Where Is Mahdi Originally From? (How Did He Meet Stevi Nichole From Hattiesburg, Mississippi?)

90 Day Fiancé star Mahdi met Stevi online. He has moved to the U.S. in season 11 to get married to her. What to know about where Mahdi is from.

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While visiting New Orleans with Stevi, Mahdi pointed out several things that would not happen in Iran. Due to modesty, Iran would not have mannequins wearing lingerie in display windows. While this observation is not surprising to Stevi, it was surprising when Mahdi explained that you would be unlikely to see a dog in public, as pets are not permitted city streets in Iran. However, the surprises were not limited to the big city.

For Mahdi, American Life Is An Adventure

Every New Experience Is Either Scary Or Exciting

After leaving New Orleans, Mahdi and Stevi headed to her hometown of Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Once they arrived, Mahdi sees Stevi's paintings, which were abstract nudes. This shocked Mahdi, as Stevi did not tell him about her style of painting. This revelation, combined with the design of her home, caused Mahdi to say it reminds him of a "horror movie." It is understandable that Mahdi feels this way, not only due to the cultural difference, but from Stevi's lack of communication.

While many encounters have been scary for 90 Day Fiancé's Mahdi, there are some aspects of American culture that he is embracing. When the couple had dinner with Stevi's family, Mahdi declined to eat pork, but he seemed very excited about the macaroni and cheese. During their visit to Stevi's father's house, they encountered the pet cat. Mahdi and Stevi were delighted to find that both American and Iranian culture consider black cats bad luck, which must have been comforting. Hopefully, Mahdi can find more excitement and commonalities with his culture, as his 90 days continue.