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The Guardian
11 hours ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Israeli strikes on Iran stir anxiety in LA's ‘Tehrangeles': ‘We're worried 24 hours a day'
In uncertain times in Persian Square, in the Iranian enclave on the west side of Los Angeles, there is always hope – and ice cream. Farbod 'Freddy' Papen is happy to dole out scoops of cucumber ice cream at Saffron and Rose, just as his grandfather once did in the same neighborhood affectionately known by many nicknames: Little Tehran, Tehrangeles, or Little Persia. But for a week now, the joy of serving colorful Persian dessert has been tempered by a sense of dread over the growing devastation in the Papen family's homeland of Iran. Every morning since Israel launched its attack on Iran, Papen, 38, has been scanning the headlines, anxious for updates on the escalating hostilities between both countries. So far, his family members in Iran are safe. 'Who knows what's going to happen tomorrow?' said Papen. Papen's family established roots in Los Angeles before the 1979 Iranian Revolution led to a significant growth in the Iranian American population, he said. His mother has long dreamed of returning to Iran. 'God forbid something bigger escalates from where we stand now,' he said. 'She might not ever get that chance to see her cousins that she grew up with, and nieces, and nephews.' Southern California is home to the largest Iranian diaspora in the world, and in this West Los Angeles neighborhood, Iranian Americans have built a tight-knit community. One of the main thoroughfares, Westwood Boulevard, is lined with Persian grocery stores, bakeries and restaurants that preserve the tastes and traditions of a faraway homeland. For residents and community members, it's more than a place – it's a cultural hub and a meeting point of diverse identities and histories. The Iranian diaspora in the US is diverse. After the Iranian revolution led to the establishment of an Islamic Republic in 1979, a wave of Iranians fled to the US. They, and the subsequent generations of Iranian Americans, have varying levels of connection to their ancestral homeland, said Kevan Harris, a historical sociologist and author of A Social Revolution: Politics and the Welfare State in Iran. Today, a third of Iranian Americans in the US today are first-generation who grew up under the Islamic Republic, Harris added. A diverse diaspora means a multiplicity of opinions about the escalating conflict – in addition to the anxiety over the threats to their homelands, some Iranian American community members expressed hope for a regime change. Others are worried about potential backlash or scapegoating of their community if the US enters the conflict. 'I think everyone's pretty much glued to their TVs and their news media to figure out what's going to happen next,' said Sean Tabibian, 53. For many of the neighborhood's residents, the uncertainty is amplified by the complexities of intersecting identities – Tabibian has family members living in Iran and in Israel. On Wednesday, while Donald Trump was still undecided on the possibility of the US joining Israel's assault, he said he was hoping for regime change in Iran. One business owner, who asked to remain anonymous out of fear of reprisal by the Iranian regime, asked an existential question: 'Who do you root for?' She is Persian and Jewish and has family members who live in Israel, so she worries about the possibility of Iran launching a nuclear attack on Israel – the place that her other family members also call home. 'You're worried about this side. You're worried about that side. We're just worried 24 hours a day,' she said. Harris, the sociologist, said that while many Iranian Americans supported the anti-government protests sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini in 2022, the backdrop to the conflict between Israel and Iran is different, and the community is less united in its hopes for the future. 'Israel's air campaign and the possibility of US direct attack on Iran frame not only the government but the national territory [as] a target of foreign attack,' said Harris. 'Some in the diaspora rally around Iran's right to defend its territory – even though they claim to loathe the regime – while others outside dream that foreign coercion will hasten internal regime change.' Amid the heightened anxiety, Rabbi Refael Cohen, the senior rabbi at Sephardic Temple Tifereth Israel, a synagogue in the Westwood neighborhood, said he and his members have been praying for peace and stability for Israel. At the same time, he wants to see Iranian people live freely. 'I think there is a mutual understanding that the same anxiety and the same fear that the civilian people feel in Iran, in this time, is the same feeling that the civilian people feel in Israel in this time,' said Cohen, 53. 'Both of them are suffering.' A few blocks away from the Saffron and Rose ice cream shop, marines are stationed in front of a federal building as part of Trump's order to protect immigration agents. For Papen, it's another signifier of uncertainty. Through all the difficulties, he just opened a new ice cream shop location in Del Mar, California. 'What are the odds of this?' Papen said wryly. 'The timing of our new store opening up right when what looks to be a full-blown war is starting.' But he must keep the ice cream moving, just like his grandfather once did – while keeping vigilance over the rapid developments in the Middle East. 'For me, it doesn't make a difference whether a bomb gets dropped in Tehran or gets dropped in Tel Aviv,' said Papen. 'These are people's lives that are being sacrificed.'
CTV News
a day ago
- Politics
- CTV News
Canada Day parade cancelled for second consecutive year
Members of the Iranian community entertain the crowd during the annual Canada Day parade in Montreal, Tuesday, July 1, 2014. (Graham Hughes / THE CANADIAN PRESS) The Canada Day parade has been cancelled for the second year in a row, with an organizer citing 'ongoing planning disruptions' and the city workers' strikes as reasons behind the decision. In a media release, the parade's main organizer, Nicholas Cowen, also pointed to strained relations with City of Montreal departments as another factor. Last year, Cowen also cancelled the event, saying there was too much red tape when dealing with the city. However, at the time, the City of Montreal said that they never received a request for a permit. The Canada Day parade began in 1977 and has welcomed thousands of spectators annually, according to Cowen. Calling the decision 'difficult,' Cowen said it has become increasingly challenging to organize the event without disruptions in recent years. 'Safety is our number one priority when it comes to large events such as the Montreal Canada Day Parade,' Cowen said. 'When different city departments of workers do disruptions, you no longer just have to focus on the safety of the public but the functional aspect of the event. If something was planned, are they going to do their jobs to the best of their abilities? This is a concern.' He noted that disruptions have increased over time, particularly after the COVID-19 pandemic, and have become more unpredictable and difficult to manage. 'I do understand where the City of Montreal workers are coming from. Everything in recent years has gone up in price. The city workers do multiple minor disruptions to bring those to the negotiating table,' the organizer explained. 'While the mayor's office had previously assured the organizer that these issues would be resolved, no meaningful or lasting solution has been implemented.' He added that he hopes the relationship with the city will improve in the years to come. 'This event is for the people, not for profit. I truly hope we can one day return to the streets of Montreal with a parade that unites us, not divides us,' Cowen said. CTV News reached out to the City of Montreal for comment but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
New York Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- New York Times
In ‘Tehrangeles,' Iranian Americans Anxiously Watch War Unfold From Afar
The afternoon sunshine set Westwood Boulevard aglow. It was an incongruous setting for Masud Valipour, as he sat inside his West Los Angeles bookshop on Tuesday and contemplated the destruction being unleashed more than 7,500 miles away in his native Iran. 'Somebody attacked my country,' Mr. Valipour said of Israel's airstrikes on Iran that began on Friday. Inside the Ketabsara bookshop, thick leather-bound books rose high off the shelves. Framed Persian calligraphy on the walls evoked a timelessness. Mr. Valipour said he opposes the Iranian regime. But he did not want to see his home country bombed. Mr. Valipour, a U.S. citizen, has resigned himself to the possibility that the United States could join Israel's war against Iran. It wouldn't be a question of allegiances for Mr. Valipour. 'If there is fighting between parents, mom and dad, do I choose a side or say, 'OK, I'm going to talk to them to find a resolution?'' he said. On Tuesday, in one of the most vibrant Iranian American communities in the United States, uncertainty and anxiety lingered among residents, as Iran and Israel continued another day of fierce fighting. Westwood, a neighborhood on the west side of Los Angeles near the U.C.L.A. campus, is home to the largest Iranian community outside of Iran. It has taken on many names, including Persian Square, Little Persia, Little Tehran and Tehrangeles, a combination of Tehran and Los Angeles. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Wall Street Journal
3 days ago
- Politics
- Wall Street Journal
Iranian Exiles Watch Israel's Attacks With Joy Tainted by Fear
BERLIN—Expatriates flock to the Hedayat bookstore, a hub of Iranian culture on Berlin's busy Kantstrasse, to sample saffron lemonade and sticky pistachio cake, read Persian poetry and criticize the Islamic Republic. But Israel's strikes on the regime and its nuclear program have driven a wedge into Germany's 300,000-strong Iranian community, exposing a spectrum of hopes and fears for Iran's future.
CBS News
3 days ago
- Politics
- CBS News
Iranian in Massachusetts worried about family in Tehran, says evacuation is "impossible"
Iranian communities in Massachusetts are devastated by the escalating conflict in the Middle East. A grocery store owner fears for his family who lives in Tehran. At Cafe Vanak in Belmont, Massachusetts, the shelves are as eclectic as the customers. "Food geography of the Middle East. We have Israeli salad, Lebanese hummus. We have the Turkish, stuffed grape leaves," said manager Poya Sohrabi, describing the different foods displayed in a front case. Sohrabi, who was born in Iran, says his friends are also a diverse group of people from the Middle East. All of them, Sohrabi says, were shaken by news of bombs flying between Israel and Iran. "I have friends from Israel here. I have friends from Lebanon. I have friends from Afghanistan, and we are all close together," Sohrabi said. "We are on the news every night and we are working every day so it's like 24-7 working and stressing." Trying to stay in contact with family Sohrabi has been monitoring the situation in Iran closely and trying to get in contact with his sister and niece in Tehran as the country experiences an internet blackout. "She's describing it as the war with Iraq and all those bombings and sheltering things and like huge massive sounds," he said. He also scoffs at the idea of evacuating Tehran, a city of nearly 10 million people, saying "it's impossible." "There are long lines of cars waiting in the gas stations. Even the evacuation takes like a week. And then, where do they go?" he said. From the safety of his store, Sohrabi would personally support the regime change of Iran's authoritarian government, if the change is driven by the people of Iran. "I'm not living there. It's up to them if they decided to overthrow or peaceful transition, or anything that they want or anyone that they want to rule them," he said. First, Sohrabi says, there must be peace. "At least no war. At least," he said.
