Parvin Koohgilani never imagined her 76-year-old father rioting in the streets of Tehran. After all, this was the man who, during the 1979 revolution, tried to protect his daughter by telling her to remain uninvolved: "This is not your fight," he had said. "Stay out of it. Stay safe."

But during a recent phone call to her family in Iran, the Garland resident learned that her father was one of thousands protesting Iran's disputed June 12 election results.

Koohgilani hasn't slept much since. She found out that her college-age niece and nephew were beaten by police while protesting last week. Her father ultimately had to leave the scene because of his heart condition.

The protests have only become more perilous: Koohgilani's sister attended Saturday's demonstrations, in which police clashed with protesters, using tear gas, water cannons and police batons. During sleepless nights, Koohgilani is increasingly consumed by both concern and happiness.

She is excited by what she sees as an insurgence. For democracy, one must "pay the price. ... But like everyone else, I am very afraid that the number of people who are being killed is rising," said Koohgilani, 50, editor and managing director of the U.S. edition of Shahrvand, an Iranian opposition newspaper published here and in Canada.

"We want a change, but we don't want a bloody change."

Koohgilani and other local Iranians worry about the safety of loved ones. This weekend, they stayed glued to news outlets and social networking Web sites for updates. But as protesters persist even in the face of escalating violence, local Iranians have become more certain that their homeland is on the precipice of an important change.

The effects extend beyond Iran to the United States. The conflict has unified local Iranians, and many of them believe it also will change Americans' perception of Iran. An estimated 25,000 to 30,000 Iranians live in North Texas.

For many Americans, Iran has become synonymous with government oppression and fundamentalist ideology.

For Koohgilani, who lived there until she moved to India for college, Iran is much more. It is where she spent Tuesday nights at the movies and played at the park with her large family; where her grandmother combed her hair while telling elaborate fairy tales. It is her first home.

It is this nostalgic connection, and familial bond, that keep many Iranian-born people dedicated to improving Iran's political climate.

"The people don't deserve this," Koohgilani said. "They deserve better."

Across Texas, local Iranians have seen a change in dynamic among local organizations.

Hooman Hedayati, a 23-year-old University of Texas at Austin graduate, said there are two distinct groups among Iranians: those who believe the government will not change, and those who think a community uprising can transform the system.

But both groups agree that the Iranian people did not see a fair election. Many believe that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's victory over reform candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi was falsified by the Iranian government.

"It was the first time I've seen organizations in the Iranian community who were united and came together," Hedayati said.

Mohammad Ghanoonparvar, 66, a professor at University of Texas at Austin, said the protests highlight the distinction between the Iranian government and its people.

"More Americans are going to be conscious of the fact that the general public in Iran does not want to be affiliated directly with the government," he said. "I think that's going to have some positive effect on American public opinion."

Iranians have waited years for a public outcry to usher in a true democracy. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader, has the final say over all major political decisions. A presidential candidate cannot run without being approved by the Guardian Council – a group of 12 people who also certify election results. Half of the council is picked by the supreme leader, who also has the power to veto the other selections.

"Mousavi is just someone, just a person chosen by the Guardian Council," Koohgilani said of the reform candidate. "The movement is much more than Mousavi. They want a real change, to get rid of this government."

Hedayati came to the United States with his family when he was 15. He said he is "inspired" by the uprising in Iran – which "is showing that people can stand up for themselves and ask for a democratic society. I don't think you can impose a democracy on a country, but it should be something that people within a country can ask for."

He and others are keeping up on recent developments any way possible: frequent phone calls, e-mail, Facebook, Twitter and live blogs. Those in the midst of riots are posting videos on YouTube. The videos then are being reposted on blogs and social networking Web sites.

For many, the scene is reminiscent of the 1979 revolution, when Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi was overthrown by the Iranian people.

Shane Koohi, 49, director of public relations at the Texas Persian Cultural Center in Richardson, recalls seeing friends and family killed in the protests.

"The Iranians are proud of the people who are standing up for having their votes counted," said Koohi, whose mother and three siblings are in Iran. "But just like anyone else who's worried about their family, I am, too."

After college, Koohgilani moved to Toronto in 1985, where she met members of the Shahrvand newspaper staff. She moved to the Dallas area in 1998 and started the U.S. edition of the publication. She says traveling back to Iran would be dangerous for her, given the newspaper's stance.

"I'm here, but it feels [like] I never left," she said of her remaining connection to the country.

For now, Koohgilani plans to attend a protest Tuesday afternoon at Dallas City Hall. The rally is being organized by local activists and Iranian student groups from North Texas universities. She hopes it will attract a large crowd.

And she will hope for the safety of the Iranian people.

"I'm worried about my family, yes, but everyone else's family, as well," she said. "Someone's child, brother, sister – we just want to show them that we care here."