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Iranians feel at home in U.S.
But terrorist image persists
May 23, 1997
Web posted at: 12:28 p.m. EDT (1628 GMT)In this story:
From Correspondent Jim HillLOS ANGELES (CNN) -- Southern California has the largest Iranian immigrant population in the United States -- about 300,000 people -- making it the biggest such concentration outside of Iran itself. But in many cases, Iranian-Americans don't fit the typical image of new arrivals.
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Iranian-born Steve Zand is one of them. A prominent Los Angeles attorney who has run for political office, Zand says Iranian-Americans are the most highly-educated immigrant group in the United States.
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The influx of educated, often wealthy Iranian immigrants to the United States began in 1979 as they fled the Islamic revolution led by the Ayatollah Khomeini.
In many respects it was a flight of Iran's best and the brightest. As one immigrant joked, "We left for the U.S. with business cards in one hand and first class plane tickets in the other."
'U.S. is the best place, after home'
Dr. Sadegh Namazikhah is an Iranian immigrant who continued his education in the United States and now teaches dentistry at the University of Southern California.
Los Angeles now feels "like home," says Namazikhah. "(Iranians) started moving from other cities to L.A."
As a result, there are an estimated 600 Iranian-American dentists and 1,000 physicians in Los Angeles.
So many Iranian-Americans are in business and the professions in Southern California, the local Iranian information center takes up to 1,500 calls a day and publishes a thick phone book in Farsi, the language of Iran.
"The United States is the best place, after home," said Bijan Khalili, who works at the center.
Terrorism is 'not what we are about'
Even the best place has problems, however. Iranian-American immigrants have struggled with the belief they are linked to terrorism. But that is "not what we are about," Zand said.
Namazikhah, too, has had unpleasant personal experience with the terrorist image. "As soon as I go to the airport and they see the Iranian passport," he said, "they take me aside and they search the whole thing."
While becoming part of the American melting pot, Iranian-Americans are also keeping their own identity. They produce their own television programming and have their own radio stations. Muslim religious services draw crowds on Islamic holidays.
The politics of Iran are not forgotten, either.
Some immigrants support the son of the deposed Shah and want Iran to return to monarchy. Others support a parliament in exile.
But Mahvash Attarzadeh, an Iranian-American activist, said she and other immigrants agree on one goal: "The biggest thing we want (is for) the people to have the democracy."
Some Iranian-Americans travel back and forth to their native country, but others have settled into Los Angeles for good.
In particular, the city's trendy West side continues to show the signs of Iranian-American influence: high in achievement, rich in culture and pride.
Related stories:
- High turnout in Iran's presidential election - May 22, 1997
- Children's paper closed as Iran vote nears - May 21, 1997
- Iranians look for economic help from Friday's election - May 19, 1997
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