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Gina Nahia arrived in L.A. in 1977 and has seen how the Iranian Jews have influenced the area[/caption]
Gina Nahia, an Iranian Jew, arrived in Los Angeles in 1977 when she emigrated from Iran. In that year, Persians were relatively unknown to Americans, who couldn't tell the difference between Iran and Iraq, or Shiite from Sunni. They certainly hadn't ever come across an Iranian Jew; this was something new for them.
But all that changed over the course of only one year, as more Iranians settled in the neighborhood. The high-rise condos in Westwood, Los Angeles, were sold to Iranian clients who filled them to capacity. Americans soon realized that Iranians were indeed accustomed to many of the everyday things which Americans experience, such as driving through traffic, and not sitting on the back of a camel, as they suspected.
Iranian Jews have certainly altered the Los Angeles landscape, making it a far more interesting place to live. Nahia says that Beverly Hills was once a quiet village with not much to it. She describes the food there during the late 1970s, as rich and heavy on the stomach, and mentions that the department stores were not great either, catering mostly for the elderly. Furthermore, the air wasn't clean at all.
She adds that the Iranian Jews cannot take any credit for the improvement in the cleaner atmosphere. But since they came to the area, there was a sudden increase in the number of highly educated people. Many of them had a great influence on Los Angeles as a whole, as more Iranian Jews moved there.
Other ethnic groups inhabited areas in the State of California. Muslim immigrants in large numbers settled across California from San Diego all the way to Irvine and Palo Alto. The Armenians take the credit for rebuilding Glendale, while the Iranian Jews made an impact on the Jewish community in Los Angeles which was slowly diminishing.
The synagogues on the West Side and in the valley area had few members, and not many were attending their day schools, and Shabbat dinners were not that important to families.
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Persian Square - The heart of their business district[/caption]
Nowadays, Iranian Jews are well-established in many areas of Los Angeles, and the synagogues and schools are well-attended. They run many successful businesses, including restaurants, and their children are excellent scholars in their community. In fact, when Iranian Jews started purchasing property and businesses in an area, they bought almost everything within the vicinity. Persian square is one of the areas in L.A. where many businesses were established.
Their cultural traits are annoying to other L.A. residents, and they are not always the easiest people to be around. Many complain about the "big houses" which have been built all over certain areas in L.A. by Iranian Jews with big families. Furthermore, they enjoy socializing a lot at home, and neighbors find them to be rather loud, which is even more irritating because they prefer to start eating dinner at around nine in the evening, which is pretty late for Americans.
Nevertheless, Iranian Jews have had a major impact on Los Angeles, more positive than anything else, and did so in a very short time.
Gina Nahia arrived in L.A. in 1977 and has seen how the Iranian Jews have influenced the area[/caption]
Gina Nahia, an Iranian Jew, arrived in Los Angeles in 1977 when she emigrated from Iran. In that year, Persians were relatively unknown to Americans, who couldn't tell the difference between Iran and Iraq, or Shiite from Sunni. They certainly hadn't ever come across an Iranian Jew; this was something new for them.
But all that changed over the course of only one year, as more Iranians settled in the neighborhood. The high-rise condos in Westwood, Los Angeles, were sold to Iranian clients who filled them to capacity. Americans soon realized that Iranians were indeed accustomed to many of the everyday things which Americans experience, such as driving through traffic, and not sitting on the back of a camel, as they suspected.
Iranian Jews have certainly altered the Los Angeles landscape, making it a far more interesting place to live. Nahia says that Beverly Hills was once a quiet village with not much to it. She describes the food there during the late 1970s, as rich and heavy on the stomach, and mentions that the department stores were not great either, catering mostly for the elderly. Furthermore, the air wasn't clean at all.
She adds that the Iranian Jews cannot take any credit for the improvement in the cleaner atmosphere. But since they came to the area, there was a sudden increase in the number of highly educated people. Many of them had a great influence on Los Angeles as a whole, as more Iranian Jews moved there.
Other ethnic groups inhabited areas in the State of California. Muslim immigrants in large numbers settled across California from San Diego all the way to Irvine and Palo Alto. The Armenians take the credit for rebuilding Glendale, while the Iranian Jews made an impact on the Jewish community in Los Angeles which was slowly diminishing.
The synagogues on the West Side and in the valley area had few members, and not many were attending their day schools, and Shabbat dinners were not that important to families.
[caption id="attachment_2003" align="alignright" width="300"]
Persian Square - The heart of their business district[/caption]
Nowadays, Iranian Jews are well-established in many areas of Los Angeles, and the synagogues and schools are well-attended. They run many successful businesses, including restaurants, and their children are excellent scholars in their community. In fact, when Iranian Jews started purchasing property and businesses in an area, they bought almost everything within the vicinity. Persian square is one of the areas in L.A. where many businesses were established.
Their cultural traits are annoying to other L.A. residents, and they are not always the easiest people to be around. Many complain about the "big houses" which have been built all over certain areas in L.A. by Iranian Jews with big families. Furthermore, they enjoy socializing a lot at home, and neighbors find them to be rather loud, which is even more irritating because they prefer to start eating dinner at around nine in the evening, which is pretty late for Americans.
Nevertheless, Iranian Jews have had a major impact on Los Angeles, more positive than anything else, and did so in a very short time.