Protest rally against the Iran-Iraq war after the escalation of the "war of the cities." March 1988. Iranians in Los Angeles Edited by RON KELLEY JONATHAN FRIEDLANDER, CO-EDITOR ANITA COLBY, ASSOCIATE EDITOR PHOTOGRAPHY BY RON KELLEY Gustave E. von Grunebaum Center for Near Eastern Studies International Studies and Overseas Programs University of California at Los Angeles UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS BERKELEY LOS ANGELES OXFORD University of California Press Berkeley and Los Angeles, California University of California Press, Ltd. Oxford, England © 1993 by The Regents of the University of California Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Irangeles : Iranians in Los Angeles / edited by Ron Kelley ; Jonathan Friedlander, co-editor ; Anita Colby, associate editor ; photography by Ron Kelley. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-520-08008-4 (cloth : alk. paper). — ISBN 0-520-08009-2 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Iranian Americans—California—Los Angeles—Ethnic identity. 2. Iranian Americans— California—Los Angeles—Social conditions. 3. Iranians—California—Los Angeles—Ethnic identity. 4. Iranians—California—Los Angeles—Social conditions. I. Kelley, Ron. II. Friedlander, Jonathan. III. Colby, Anita. 979-4'9+°°49i5—dc20 92-26401 Printed in the United States of America 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 21 The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1984. © The publisher gratefully acknowledges the contribution provided by the General Endowment Fund of the Associates of the University of California Press. The photographs in this book are intended as an exploration, not of individuals, but of Iranian culture as a whole. No person's character, actions, motivation, relationships, worldview, values, or personal qualities should be construed from any photograph herein. Those photographed at political demonstrations and other gatherings should not be presumed members—or even supporters—of any organization. Nor should it be assumed that everyone in the photographs is Iranian. CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ix INTRODUCTION xi Ron Kelley and Jonathan Friedlander I. PRELUDE TO MIGRATION NATIONALISM AND SOCIAL CHANGE IN CONTEMPORARY IRAN 5 Mehrdad Amanat CHRONOLOGY OF THE PAHLAVI ERA AND THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC 8 Ron Kelley Interview with Maryam, Former Political Prisoner 31 Interview with Farhad Rashidian, Kurdish Political Refugee 43 Interview with Sue Kelly, Volunteer Resource Coordinator, 47 Refugee and Resettlement Program II. IDENTITY AND DIVERSITY BEYOND NATIONALITY: RELIGIO-ETHNIC DIVERSITY 59 Mehdi Bozorgmehr, Georges Sabagh, and Claudia Der-Martirosian ETHNIC AND RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES FROM IRAN IN LOS ANGELES 8 I Ron Kelley MUSLIMS 81 Interview with Venus and Soheil, Practicing Muslims 82 Interview with Pari, Practicing Muslim 93 JEWS 99 Interview with a Jewish Woman Who Escaped from Iran 108 ARMENIANS 115 Excerpt from an Interview with Emit Arzoo of the Iran 116 Armenian Society BAHA'IS 125 ASSYRIANS 133 ZOROASTRIANS 141 KURDS 151 in. FAMILY, GENDER, AND SOCIAL Interview with Homa Mahmoudi, Clinical Psychologist 162 RELATIONS IRANIAN WOMEN AND GENDER RELATIONS IN LOS ANGELES 175 Nayereh Tohidi Interview with Homa Sarshar, Journalist, Part 1 184 Interview with Fariba Khaledan, United Farm Workers Organizer, 218 Part 1 CAUGHT BETWEEN TWO CULTURES: YOUNG IRANIAN WOMEN 223 IN LOS ANGELES Shideh Hanassab Interview with Homa Sarshar, Part 2 224 iv. WEALTH AND ECONOMICS Interview with Sia Kalhor, Real Estate Developer 233 Interview with Sam Amir-Ebrahami, Financial Consultant 242 WEALTH AND ILLUSIONS OF WEALTH IN THE LOS ANGELES 247 IRANIAN COMMUNITY Ron Kelley Interview with Homa Sarshar, Part 3 248 WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS: THREE CASE STUDIES OF SMALL BUSINESSES 274 ARLENE DALLALFAR INTERVIEW WITH ROSHAN KERMANI, BUSINESSWOMAN 279 INTERVIEW WITH FARIBA KHALEDAN, PART 2 293 V. POLITICAL LIFE IRANIAN PROTEST DEMONSTRATIONS IN LOS ANGELES 299 RON KELLEY VI. POPULAR CULTURE POPULAR CULTURE OF IRANIAN EXILES IN LOS ANGELES 325 HAMID NAFICY VII. THE PHOTOGRAPHY OF IRUNGELES'. PHOTOGRAPHIC CONTEXTS 367 IRANGELES RON KELLEY ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTORS 379 INDEX 38L A large number of people cooperated with us in the formation of this volume. Much thanks to all those cited in the text and/or photographed, many of whom offered considerable help and hospitality. The editors would like to acknowledge the steadfast support and commitment to the project at UCLA by Georges Sabagh, Director, Center for Near Eastern Studies, and John Hawkins, Dean, International Studies and Overseas Programs. A grant from the Cultural Affairs Department of the City of Los Angeles provided partial support for the preparation of the photo- graphs. Special thanks to Lynne Withey, Stephanie Fay, and the University of California Press. The following individuals are among those who shared their knowledge, lent their advice, or provided important support: Ali and Mindy, Behzad Allahyar, Elizabeth Dourley-Ashabi, Maziar Behrooz, Jane Bitar, Carolisa Brenner, John Brumfield, Isaac Cohen, Bob and Azar Edinger, Sholeh Ehtesham, Germán Esparza, Payam Farrahi and family, Steve Gold, Latifeh Hagigi, Richard Hovannisian, Lisa Janti, Nikki Ked- die, Manoot Khodabakshian, Azadé Kian, Tony Lee, Pari Mirhashem, Michael Morony, Mary Murrell, Mohsen Naderi, Youram Nassir, Ab- dullah Nazemi, Mahmoud Omidsalar, Jacqueline Orozco, Sia Ostovany, Glaiol Panbechi, Rubina Peroomian, Alice Petrossian, Sheila Pinkel, Ka- mash Pourki, Marina Preussner, Mashyat Ramani, Sohrab Riahi at Sayeh Film, Yona Sabar, Ramin Sadr, Shirley Schwartz, the Tabatabai family, Barbod Taheri, Shohreh Zandieh, Hossein Ziai, Sherifa Zuhur, and others who prefer to remain unnamed.