Los Angeles is home to the largest community of Iranians outside of Iran. But what are the origins of this slice of Iran in America, aka “Tehrangeles”?
When the 1979 Iran Hostage Crisis happened, Iranians in the United States endured a period of immense anti-Iranian sentiment. They were protested, beaten – even their immigration status was threatened.
Special Thanks:
Amy Malek, Neda Maghbouleh, Kevan Harris, Persis Karim
Resources:
Neda Maghbouleh – “The Limits of Whiteness: Iranian Americans and the Everyday Politics of Race” (2017)
Amy Malek – “Claiming Space: Documenting Second-Generation Iranian Americans in Los Angeles” (2015)
Hamid Naficy – “A Social History of Iranian Cinema Vol. 4” (2012)
Anita Colby, Jonathan Friedlander, Ron Kelley – “Irangeles: Iranians in Los Angeles” (1993)
Music tracks courtesy of APM, Audio Networks and West One Music.
Footage and images courtesy of Getty, AP, AFP, Reuters and Shutterstock.
Archival: Library of Congress, NBCUniversal Archives, “Best in the West” by Maryam Kashani, Anne Knudsen/Herald-Examiner Collection/Los Angeles Public Library.