Amir Hassanpour wurde 1943 in Mahabad (Mehabad, Mukríyan Provinz im Kurdistan) geboren, wo er auch zur Schule ging. Sein letztes Jahr verbrachte er an der Sekundärschule Dar-ol-Fonun in Tehran, wo er 1961 seinen Schulabschluss machte. Darauffolgend begann er Volkswirtschaft an der Universität Teheran (1961) zu studieren und beendete ein B.A. in der englischen Sprache 1964.

1968 fing er an Linguistik an der Universität Teheran (M.A., 1970) zu studieren und beendete seine Doktorarbeit (ABD, 1972), währenddessen unterrichtete er für ein Jahr an der Universität von Teheran. Danach ging er zur Universität von Illinois und setzte sein Studium zur Soziolinguistik und zeitgenössische mittlere östliche Geschichte dort fort.

Dr. Hassanpour flüchtete 1986 nach Kanada, und lehrt seitdem an der Universität Windsor und Concordia der Universität in Montreal. Er ist jetzt ein behilflicher Professor an der Abteilung der nahen und mittleren östlichen Zivilisationen der Universität von Toronto. Seine Forschung und Unterrichtsinteressen schließen internationale Kommunikation, kanadische Kommunikation und Kultur, übertragende Politik, Informationstheorie und mittlere östliche und kurdische Politik und Kultur ein.

Er ist eine Autorität in Sachen Nationalismus und Sprachen in Kurdistan, 1918-1985 (San Francisco: Mellen Forschung Universitätspresse, 1992). Er hat zahlreiche Beiträge zu den akademischen Journalen, zur Enzyklopädie des Fernsehens und zur Enzyklopädie Iranica geleistet.

Publikationen 

• 2001: The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, London, Macmillan (with S. Blum)
  -"Kamkars," Vol. 13, p. 343.
  -"Said Ali Asghar Kurdistani," Vol. 14, pp. 41-42.
  -"Mihammad Mamili," Vol. 15, p. 718.
  -"Miryam Khan," Vol. 16, p. 752.
  -"Shivan Perwer," Vol. 19, p. 477.
  -"Naser Razzazi," Vol. 20, p. 890.
• "The (re)production of patriarchy in the Kurdish language," in Mojab, Shahrzad (ed.), Women of a Non-State Nation: The Kurds, Costa Mesa, CA, Mazda Publishers, pp. 227-63.
• Homeland and Hostland: Iranian press in Canada," ISIM [International Institute for the Study of Islam in the Modern World] Newsletter, No. 8, Sept, pp. 1, 34.
• "The regional and international context: Are peace and cooperation possible?" Federations, Special Issue on Afghanistan, October, pp.13-14 [also, on-line www.ciff.on.ca/Publications/Afghan]
• 2000: "The politics of a-political linguistics: Linguists and linguicide," in Robert Phillipson (ed.), Rights to Language: Equity, Power and Education, Mahawi, New Jersey, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, In., Publishers, pp. 33-39.
• 1999: (with Jim Winter), "Why the media speak the language of business and government," in Bohdan Szuchewycz and Jeannette Sloniowski (eds.), Canadian Communications: Issues in Contemporary Media and Culture. Scarborough, Ontario, Prentice Hall Allyn and Bacon Canada, pp. 83-92.
• "Language rights in the emerging world linguistic order: The state, the market and communication technologies," in M. Kontra, R. Phillipson & T. Skutnabb-Kangas (eds.), Language: A Right and a Resource: Approaching Linguistic Human Rights. Budapest, Central European University Press, pp. 223-41.
• "Berengarí barí baw bún: AwiÍLk le jiyaní E'bdul Rehmaní Zebíhí 'ulema' (1920-1980")" [Resisting the "status quo": A look at the life of Abdul Rahman Zabihi "Ulama" (1920-1980)], in Ali Kerimi (ed.), Jiyan ú Beserhatí 'Ebdul Rehmaní Zebíhí ''Mamosta 'Ulema," Göteborg, Sweden, Zagros Media, pp. 15-51.
• "Berbangí zimaní kurdí berbiden!" [Leave the Kurdish language alone!], in Ali Kerimi (ed.), Jiyan ú Beserhatí 'Ebdul Rehmaní Zebíhí ''Mamosta 'Ulema" Göteborg, Sweden, Zagros Media, pp. 447-63.
• "Modernity, popular sovereignty and the Kurdish question: A rejoinder to Argun," Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs, Vol. 19, No. 1, 1999, pp. 105-114.
• 1998: "The identity of Hewrami speakers: Reflections on the theory and ideology of comparative philology," in Anthology of Gorani Kurdish Poetry, edited by A. Soltani, London, Soane Trust for Kurdistan, pp. 35-49.
• "Satellite footprints as national borders: Med-TV and the extraterritoriality of state sovereignty," Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs, Vol. 18, No. 1, 1998, pp. 53-72.
• 1997: "Med-TV, Großbritannien und der türkische staat: Die suche einer staatenlosen nation nach souveränität am äther" (MED-TV, Britain and the Turkish state: A stateless nation's quest for sovereignty in the sky), in Ethnizität, Nationalismus, Religion und Politik in Kurdistan, edited by C. Brock, E. Savelsberg and S. Hajo, Münster, Germany, Lit Verlag, 1997, pp. 239-78.
• "Edeb," Encyclopædia Iranica, Vol. VIII, Fascicle 2, p. 174.
• Encyclopedia of Television, H. Newcomb (ed.), Chicago, Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers. -"Captioning," Vol. 1, pp. 310-311
  -"Dubbing," Vol. 1, p. 533
  -"Language and television," Vol. 2, pp. 923-26
  -"Subtitling," Vol. 3, pp. 1590-91
  -"Voice-over," Vol. 3, p. 1775.
• 1996: "The creation of Kurdish media culture," in P. Kreyenbrock & C. Allison (eds.), Kurdish Culture and Identity, London, Zed Books Ltd, pp. 48-84.
• (with S. Blum), "'The morning of freedom rose up': Kurdish popular songs and the exigencies of cultural survival," Popular Music, Vol. 15, No. 3, pp. 325-43.
• 1995: (with J. Winter), "Building Babel," in A. Nelson & A. Fleras (eds.), Social Problems in Canada Reader, Scarborough, Ontario, Prentice-Hall Canada, pp. 451-63.
• (with Sh. Mojab), "The politics of nationality and ethnic diversity," in S. Rahnema and S. Behdad (eds.), Iran after the Revolution: Crisis of an Islamic State, London, I. B. Tauris, pp. 229-50.
• "Dimdim," Encyclopædia Iranica, Vol. VII, Costa Mesa, California, Mazda Publishers, pp. 404-405.
• (with T. Skutnabb-Kangas & M. Chyet), "The non-education of the Kurds," International Review of Education (special issue: "Education of Minorities"), Vol. 42, No. 4, pp. 367-379.
• 1992: Nationalism and Language in Kurdistan, 1918-1985, San Francisco: Mellen Research University Press.