‘Tehrangeles’ author: ‘We don’t want Iran bombed. We don’t want the regime to be there’
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Even before President Trump thrust the U.S. into Israel’s campaign to destroy Iran’s nuclear enrichment program over the weekend, news outlets descended on Westwood Boulevard to take the temperature of so-called Tehrangeles.
California is home to hundreds of thousands of Iranian refugees, their descendants and others whose roots and relatives remain there. As my colleague Lauren Ng saw at Azizam this weekend, plenty of Iranian Angelenos are seeking comfort and community right now.
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But the local diaspora is split by class, ethnicity, religion, politics and even what they call themselves. About half of Iranian Americans backed Trump in the 2024 election. Some still support the family of the shah, the U.S.-backed leader deposed during the 1979 revolution that brought the current ruling clergy to power.
Meanwhile, L.A.’s tens of thousands of Persian Jews are more likely to have cousins hiding from bombs in Tel Aviv than Tehran. About the only thing everybody agrees on is that Raffi’s Place is amazing.
I asked Iranian American novelist and “Tehrangeles” author Porochista Khakpour her thoughts about the war right now. Our conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
You’ve been a chronicler of the L.A. Iranian diaspora for decades. What do you think when you read dispatches from the community?
This is the first time in my life that I actually started dodging a lot of reporters who contacted me. I was so frustrated — not with the media but mostly with the Iranians who I knew were going to take up a lot of space in these discussions.
They’ve been pro-bombing Iran for several decades. I can’t imagine being so morally decrepit that you’re willing to have your loved ones die for a fantasy of regime change.
We have these really horrific divides. Part of it is that Iran’s a huge country. It’s like the U.S. Another big issue that reporters have really missed is that Iran is made up of many ethnic minorities. These divides exist in Iran, and they play out in really strange ways here.
It’s very uncomfortable. We’re in this position where it looks like we’re fighting ourselves nonstop. It’s like walking into a dysfunctional family fight. We’re at a high point of dysfunction, because so much after “Women, Life, Freedom” was unresolved.
Do you feel like other progressive friends don’t really understand that?
People have started to get uncomfortable supporting [Iranians] because they don’t know who the “good guys” are. And you have a general phobia of Iran that’s been ingrained in Americans since the [1979] hostage crisis.
A lot of Iranians’ view of the U.S. [bombing] depends on exactly when they came to this country and what their circumstances were. Lots of people with different traumas are all clashing. It really tests your patience sometimes.
What would you tell Angelenos who want to understand the diaspora better?
Try to talk to people who are really connected to ordinary people. These 1% Iranians that I wrote about in my book, they don’t represent the diaspora, and they certainly don’t represent Iran.
The vast majority of us do believe in the same things. We don’t want Iran bombed. We don’t want the regime to be there. We might not know how to get rid of it. But it’s all the other stuff that’s divided us to such a point that we can barely trust each other.
Where’s your Tehrangeles?
The one I wrote about is Westwood, Brentwood, Beverly Hills. But I feel Tehrangeles shouldn’t be seen like that. If I could redraw and reimagine Tehrangeles, it shouldn’t be for the 1%, it should be for all of us.
Read more: L.A.’s Iranian community has ‘mixed and complicated’ feelings about U.S. attack
Today’s top stories
Federal troops in L.A. aren’t all thrilled
- Spokespeople for six veterans’ advocacy organizations told The Times that many troops were troubled by their L.A. deployment, which they viewed as overtly political and as pitting them against fellow Americans.
- The legality of Trump deploying troops against the wishes of California officials is still being litigated in court.
Wall Street’s big Eaton fire bet
- Wall Street hedge funds are offering to buy claims that insurers may have against Edison if the utility is found liable for causing the devastating Eaton fire in Altadena.
- Speaking of the fires, the jacaranda trees they burned are making a slow comeback.
Israel and Iran ceasefire
- Trump says Israel-Iran ceasefire is in effect after the deal initially faltered.
- Hours earlier, Iran had launched missile attacks on a U.S. base in Qatar.
- Go inside Europe’s campaign of public praise and private pressure to steer Trump from a wider war.
- The L.A. County Sheriff’s Department said this weekend on its social media channels that “our hearts go out” to Iranian “victims.” The post sparked quick backlash — and an apology followed.
Immigration raids
- Threatened with deportation, these L.A. workers keep doing their jobs.
- An Afghan national who worked as a translator for U.S. troops and entered the U.S. legally was arrested during an asylum hearing in San Diego.
- An immigrant father of three Marines was violently detained and injured by federal agents, his son says.
What else is going on
- Trump sued to end college tuition benefits for undocumented students. Could California be next?
- LAPD sergeant among two killed in 405 Freeway crash that shut down southbound lanes.
- Now that Shohei Ohtani is again pitching in live-game action, new questions are lingering about where his build-up will go from here.
- Another big company is moving its headquarters from California to Texas.
- Looming raises for L.A. County employees could cost $2 billion, CEO says.
- The wife in a deadly love triangle with a racquetball coach and her hair-mogul husband gets life sentence.
- A dog trainer and his girlfriend covered up deaths of at least 11 dogs, police say. They face felony charges.
Commentary and opinions
- The power of federal lawmakers such as Judy Chu to provide oversight and answers is even more crucial than ever— and threatened, writes columnist Anita Chabria.
- ‘We’re all just a bunch of Josés’: JD Vance’s dig at Padilla is a new low, argues columnist Gustavo Arellano.
- Columnist Bill Shaikin writes about what Mark Walter’s ownership might mean for local fans watching the Dodgers and Lakers.
- Claiming a historic gain in blue-collar wage growth, Trump shows how to use statistics to mislead, argues columnist Michael Hiltzik.
This morning’s must reads
Animator-turned-ceramist Rami Kim brings whimsical characters to life. She also turns beloved pets into figurines in her Los Angeles garage studio.
Other must reads
- Evicted from her apartment at 68, an artist starts anew in a sunny L.A. fourplex.
For your downtime
Going out
- Movies: Pixar had its worst opening weekend ever with ‘Elio.’ What happened?
- Shopping: The Hollywood sign and … Erewhon? How the luxury grocery store became an L.A. tourist destination.
Staying in
- Television: Steph Tolev is crowned comedy’s ‘Filth Queen’ in a new Netflix special.
- Raising kids: Parents, chill: Here’s why you don’t need to teach your 3-year-old to read.
- Recipes: Here’s a recipe for Salted Chicken With Ginger-Mint Sauce and Sautéed Lettuce.
- ✏️ Get our free daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and arcade games.
And finally ... your photo of the day
After the weeks-long Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids and protests, a peaceful show of unity was led by people on horseback riding from Paramount to Compton in support of immigrants. L.A. Times photographer Carlin Stiehl captured the ride.
Have a great day, from the Essential California team
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Andrew Campa, Sunday writer
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters
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