The awakening of Tehrangelinos

Editorial By Shawn Sedaghat

On a daily basis, we hear about acts of desperation by the Iranian government, struggling to hold on to power. By now, we have come to accept and expect mass arrests, harassment of those who dare to question the actions of the ruling class, and bullying of other countries in the region by the mullahs in Iran. But as the threat to the regime increases, so does the violence with which those in power in Iran react. Photojournalist Zahra Kazemi made the mistake of photographing the notorious Evin prison, and if the allegations are true, was beaten to death and buried in the hurried manner of a criminal covering his tracks moments before getting caught. Journalists who work in Iran, have always risked imprisonment if their words did not fit the straight jacket of the Islamic government’s censorship, but they should now also fear being beaten to death.

The United State, now seemingly bogged down in Iran, seems less than enthusiastic about a regime change there. Iran arrested 4000 citizens in early July but Mr. Bush and his colleagues remained largely silent on the issue. Colin Powell even called the situation a “family fight”, which the U.S. should stay out of.

But for those who long for a free Iran, the news have not been all bad. The Iranian expatriate community in Los Angeles seems to have awakened politically at the most opportune moment. The community long known for selfish infighting seems to have galvanized under one goal, a referendum in Iran. Politically minded entrepreneurs in the community have started various television stations that beam anti-regime programming into Iran by satellite around the clock. Recently, this programming was jammed by what is widely believed to be the orders of the clerics in Iran. The daily barrage of programming calling for street unrest, abdication of the Supreme Religious Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, and countrywide referendum must have been successful if the government has gone through the trouble of using a location in Cuba to disrupt the signals. If politics is anything like a duel, the Mullahs have just flinched.

The Iranian community of Los Angeles, otherwise known as Tehrangelinos, has come together on two occasions lately to protest and let their voices be heard throughout the world. First, when the immigration authorities started apprehending Iranian immigrants who were legally out of status, the community came together like never before and within days, not only were those arrested being released but the INS changed the entire program and virtually stopped arresting other nationals who offered themselves to the scrutiny of the government. The community also came together on the lawn of the Federal Building in Westwood on the anniversary of the 1999 student unrest in Iran. Numbering between eight to ten thousand, the gathering was notable because it had brought together an otherwise flailing community under the banner of a call for referendum.

Tehrangelinos have offered quite a lot to the tapestry of life in the United States and in particular to Los Angeles. Venture into an institute of higher learning, a hospital or a courthouse and you will be hard pressed not to come across some of the most qualified professors, doctors or lawyers who are Iranian-Americans. Go to any high tech business and you will meet owners, directors, and managers who are Iranian-Americans. We are soccer moms, housewives, engineers, accountants and realtors. To us all, Los Angeles is Tehrangeles because more than any city west of the Zagros mountain range, this city holds our aspirations for the future and our frustrations from the past. As Tehrangelinos, we are haunted by the mistakes of the past that led to our mass immigration but hopeful about a future that we are helping to create as a community.

SUBSCRIPTION COUPON