Tehrangeles: How Iranians made part of LA their own

[Gerald]

Google maps recently recognised "Tehrangeles" as a neighbourhood of central Los Angeles. How did this upmarket part of LA become home to the largest community of Iranians outside Iran?

"We're on the map, I mean why shouldn't we be on the map?" says a girl at a hip Los Angeles cafe where young Iranians hang out.

"There's Koreatown, and Chinatown. Why shouldn't we have an area?"

Now they do.

Estimates show anywhere from 300,000 to over half a million Iranians in Southern California, with many living in Tehrangeles.

"Do not engage in any Iranian gossiping if you're not prepared to defend it," says Mahdis Keshavarz, who runs an LA PR agency. "Because everyone here speaks Farsi."

"The first time I came to LA as a student I was on campus and I heard Persian and I turned with that knee-jerk reaction, of 'Wow, cool, another Iranian,'" says Amy Malek, a PhD graduate at UCLA, who studies the Iranian diaspora.

"And the girl looked me up and down as if to say, 'Why are you staring at me, what's the big deal?'

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-19751370


Note: 29 September 2012 Last updated at 00:23 GMT

[JU_88]

Originally Posted by Vendor

Google maps recently recognised "Tehrangeles" as a neighbourhood of central Los Angeles. How did this upmarket part of LA become home to the largest community of Iranians outside Iran?





http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-19751370


Note: 29 September 2012 Last updated at 00:23 GMT

yeah I heard that since the crisis, LA & Califonia in gerneral is becoming this way (A migrant capitial), there are even videos on youtube about how many U.S nationals are up and leaving it - I hear they are doing this after losing their jobs and being unable keep up with morgage repayments etc, so they move somewhere more affordable. But if thats true I dont understand how the immigants are affording it? Renting i guess...

Im in london so I have no problem with a china town here or an arab town there - but there needs to be a line in the sand some where.
Im fine with multi cuturalsim to an extent, the trouble is that some pro muti culturalists fail to realise that when one particular nationalitiy take over a large enough area, its no longer 'multi-cultural' is it? Then you can start to feel abit alienated in your own town or city, thats not really fair.
These cultural melting pots are hit and miss, they are great when they work, but when they dont it can makes things pretty awful as you just get a bunch of segregated communities, which never makes for a nice enviroment to live in.
When people place too much of their idenity in their race, culture releigion or nationality, It tends to make them dumber and when they get in to groups - bad things start to happen as indervidual responisibily diminishes. Some people just dont know how to be an indervidual and be proud of that.
I wish we had two planets, one for nice calm people and one for obnoxious idiots

[Gerald]

In Sweden, a "relatively" large country, certainly with less population, an UK .. and it is quite clear that minorities are taking over parts of cities, segregation that result and widening gaps between rich and poor and growing barriers, with similar ethnic background.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by JU_88

yeah I heard that since the crisis, LA & Califonia in gerneral is becoming this way (A migrant capitial), there are even videos on youtube about how many U.S nationals are up and leaving it - I hear they are doing this after losing their jobs and being unable keep up with morgage repayments etc, so they move somewhere more affordable. But if thats true I dont understand how the immigants are affording it? Renting i guess...

Im in london so I have no problem with a china town here or an arab town there - but there needs to be a line in the sand some where.
Im fine with multi cuturalsim to an extent, the trouble is that some pro muti culturalists fail to realise that when one particular nationalitiy take over a large enough area, its no longer 'multi-cultural' is it? Then you can start to feel abit alienated in your own town or city, thats not really fair.
These cultural melting pots are hit and miss, they are great when they work, but when they dont it can makes things pretty awful as you just get a bunch of segregated communities, which never makes for a nice enviroment to live in.
When people place too much of their idenity in their race, culture releigion or nationality, It tends to make them dumber and when they get in to groups - bad things start to happen as indervidual responisibily diminishes. Some people just dont know how to be an indervidual and be proud of that.
I wish we had two planets, one for nice calm people and one for obnoxious idiots

Some of the best places to eat F....Chinatown in our cities

We have a lengthy road in my home town that is full of restaurants more ethnic groups such as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, China, Italy etc. and they are very popular. In fact we have a chain of local chippies owned by an Indian national

[Gargamel]

Are they here legally? Are they causing problems?

Then leave them alone

We're a country of immigrants. We pretty much wiped out the only natives we got.

Not sure why this is even a story.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Gargamel

Are they here legally? Are they causing problems?

Then leave them alone

We're a country of immigrants. We pretty much wiped out the only natives we got.

Not sure why this is even a story.

Best ask the OP but I could hazard a guess

[JU_88]

What in case they pick up arms against America? Fat chance
More likey it would happen the otherway around.

[Takeda Shingen]

Originally Posted by Gargamel

Are they here legally? Are they causing problems?

Then leave them alone

We're a country of immigrants. We pretty much wiped out the only natives we got.

Not sure why this is even a story.

Exactly. The US has always welcomed immigrants of the legal variety. Notice how they are not rioting in the streets.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Takeda Shingen

Exactly. The US has always welcomed immigrants of the legal variety. Notice how they are not rioting in the streets.

Pretty much the same in the UK...not too sure about the rioting recently though. I put that down to brainless youths of ALL nationalities and ethnicticites.

[JU_88]

Originally Posted by jimbuna

Pretty much the same in the UK...not too sure about the rioting recently though. I put that down to brainless youths of ALL nationalities and ethnicticites.

Yeah - that was just opportunistic, not politically motivated at all, which is in fact worse, as it points out that we (as a country) have really screwed up somewhere along the line, blame parents /schools /politicians as you will - but someones failed somewhere in order for those rioters to become that selfish, materialistic and stupid.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by JU_88

Yeah - that was just opportunistic, not politically motivated at all, which is in fact worse, as it points out that we (as a country) have really screwed up somewhere along the line, blame parents /schools /politicians as you will - but someones failed somewhere in order for those rioters to become that selfish, materialistic and stupid.

Rgr that

[Gerald]

Originally Posted by Gargamel

Are they here legally? Are they causing problems?

Then leave them alone

We're a country of immigrants. We pretty much wiped out the only natives we got.

Not sure why this is even a story.

Why this is a story? Simple, just because people have different views and see things in an impartial manner without being disqualified in his performance.

[MH]

Originally Posted by Vendor

In Sweden, a "relatively" large country, certainly with less population, an UK .. and it is quite clear that minorities are taking over parts of cities, segregation that result and widening gaps between rich and poor and growing barriers, with similar ethnic background.

Sweden seem to have lots of problems due to emigration from ME and north Africa but i doubt if the issue has anything to do with Iranian emigrants.

[Gerald]

Originally Posted by MH

Sweden seem to have lots of problems due to emigration from ME and north Africa but i doubt if the issue has anything to do with Iranian emigrants.

Sweden is generous in its immigration policies, we have opened the door for many refugees from other countries, such as those you describe ..... but to say that it has traced out completely is to take in, but in situations where there is concern must are adequate ways to go, who to accept people who really need it, here in Sweden, people with money come who can afford to flee,(sometimes occurs) a balance should be made so that it works for all parties,and not only unilaterally.

[Jimbuna]

Unaware of many refugees coming into the UK other than those who receive benefits.

Undoubtadly there will be some but they are definitely in the minority...that is the fundamental perception of UK citizens.