One king always stood taller than the others, revered as the most benevolent and compassionate of Iran’s leaders: Cyrus, the great king of the Achaemenid dynasty. As every schoolchild in Iran can tell you, Cyrus established the first great Persian Empire, which covered most of what is now the Middle East. In 539 BC, he conquered Babylon and freed the slaves captured from around Babylonia. He also allowed displaced Jewish people to return to their homeland and established a tolerant society that was multicultural, multi-faith, and multilingual.

Cyrus the Great was in power from 559 BC to 530 BC, and was the first king of Achaemenid dynasty that lasted about 200 years. Even after Alexander the Great invaded the Persian Empire, Cyrus’ principles of governance lived on. His dictums and decrees influenced Thomas Jefferson in his drafting of the U.S. Constitution. European political thinkers in the 18th century Enlightenment were aware of Cyrus’s ideas; many of those ideas became central tenets in constructing civil societies—in particular, tolerance for human rights and diversity.

As was the custom in the ancient Near East, many of Cyrus’s proclamations were written down on barrel-shaped, clay cylinders. They were distributed around the Achaemenid Empire, but were eventually dispersed and lost. In 1879, a cylinder that was about the size of a corncob—9 inches long and 2.5 inches in diameter—and covered in ancient cuneiform script was discovered in present-day Iraq and added to the British Museum’s permanent collection. A replica of the Cyrus Cylinder is displayed at the United Nations headquarters in New York.

As a child growing up in Iran, I had no knowledge of the Cyrus Cylinder. Though its text was translated into Farsi decades ago, its existence was not well-publicized.

The Cylinder is now near the end of a five-city tour of the United States through a collaboration of the Iran Heritage Foundation, the British Museum, and the Smithsonian’s Freer Sackler Gallery. My family and I were very excited to hear that the Cylinder would be in San Francisco and were geared up to travel for a close look at this symbol of our heritage. Then we learned we would have the opportunity to visit it closer to home, at the Getty Villa in Malibu. Los Angeles was a good choice to exhibit the Cylinder—so many Iranian immigrants have made the city their home in the past three decades that it’s sometimes referred to as Tehrangeles.

Tickets to the Getty Villa were sold out for many days, but we finally got four so that my husband and I could go with another couple. Many people I know went with much bigger groups, taking their very young children so they could pass on the same legacy that we were brought up with.

Seeing the Cylinder was quite an experience; the galleries were packed with fellow Iranians, young and old. While the exhibition had other ancient Iranian artifacts on display, the Cylinder was the star attraction. As I entered the dimly lit room, I was drawn to the illuminated glass case at the center. When I took an up-close look at this object with its cuneiform writing, I was awestruck—not by its artistry, but by its message. Iranian visitors flocked around the showcase, taking pictures from every conceivable angle. We wanted to document our deep connection to this iconic object and to the impressive history of our home country. Many people became somewhat emotional while looking at it. But my emotions were mixed. I was happy, as if I were meeting ancestors who made me hold my head up high with pride—and sad, too, for the collapse of such an advanced society and for its inability to sustain itself.

Though it is a small object, the Cylinder provided us with a precious, deep, and valuable declaration of humanity and justice that can guide Iranians for centuries to come. I found myself marveling at the foresight of Cyrus the Great. His vision more than 25 centuries ago was unique at a time when most regions of the world were under autocratic, totalitarian, and tyrannical rule, and there was so little consciousness about human rights.

Today, in the 21st century, the struggle to live up to the aspirations of the Cyrus Cylinder continues in every society, with varying degrees of success. It is refreshing to see an iconic symbol of ancient Persian civilization receiving so much media attention. The exhibition is educational for all of us, including those who see the Cylinder as a token of our proud heritage. It also makes me ponder why a great nation with an advanced rule of law was unable to sustain its empire. It’s disappointing to me that a nation as powerful and enlightened as the Great Persian Empire could revert back to autocratic systems and deprive its people of their basic human rights. It seems we still have something to learn from a humble clay cylinder that stands for so many important things.

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The panel discussion, “What Would a Persian Spring Mean for Los Angeles?” surveyed the state of the diverse Iranian community of some 700,000 people in L.A., home to the largest Iranian community outside of Iran. The panel of Iranian-Americans–including an academic, artist, philanthropist, and lawyer–charted the connections that have already been made.

“The foundation is there. Our community in Los Angeles, in Europe–we all poised for that day,” said Sharon S. Nazarian, an entrepreneur and philanthropist. “We’re all hungry to be able to collaborate.”

Shiva Falsafi, a lawyer and UCLA women’s studies lecturer who moderated the discussion, said that “even though there doesn’t seem to be any imminent sign of a change in Iran,” to discuss it is important because ” it allows us to broaden the debate on Iran; so many outlets in the country are specifically focused on the nuclear crisis.”

Nazarian, who runs her family’s foundation, said she saw signs of greater maturity in the community as Iranian Angelenos turned from the work of rebuilding lives and families to that of building their broader community. In response to an audience question, she said she thought the moment was ripe for Iranian Angelenos to become more involved in local politics. “We have very little voice, especially in the political arena,” Nazarian said. “I think it’s time.”

Amir Soltani, a filmmaker and co-creator of the graphic novel Zahra’s Paradise, said the arts–a field in which Iranians and Iranian-Americans have distinguished themselves–offer “a way of connecting Iranians back together again, connecting us back to America and back to Iran. The potential that offers is really extraordinary.”

M. Rahim Shayegan, director of UCLA’s Iranian Studies program, said that the hunger for course offerings in Persian language and other topics was so strong that it was impossible to satisfy it with existing resources. He described a similar hunger for connection among academics who study Iran and academics in Iran. To a great extent, Iranian-American intellectuals have created a community with civil discourse that could be a model for Iran. “In a small context we are basically creating the kind of democratic discourse that we are trying to have back in the country,” Shayegan said.

Shayegan said there also needs to be practical thinking about how to rebuild Iran, its economy, its energy infrastructure, its water systems, and its education system, and that Iranian-Americans were in a strong position to develop plans because they have the liberty to do so. Nazarian added that when she attends international conference, she has been struck by the camaraderie and collaboration between American and Iranian intellectuals.

The panelists all said that, despite the diversity and differences among Iranians, Iranian pride in the country’s history, particularly in its arts and culture, is strong. And doing more to preserve that heritage could provide a bond to build upon. Shayegan noted that the Los Angeles County Museum of Art had been particularly effective at reflecting the “collective memories” of Iranians in its exhibitions.

“Every nation, while rejuvenating itself, draws upon its past as well,” said Shayegan. “Its past has the impact and the influence. It can help us to navigate through moments of trouble and political turbulence.

One audience member, while posing a question, recalled that she had connected with a friend from Iran whom she hadn’t seen in 30 years–but it was disappointing, because they now had so little in common.

Nazarian, in reply, noted that Iranians in Iran can tell by the accent when they hear an Iranian-American. “Our identity as Iranian-Americans is vastly different and has evolved in a different way than those who stayed,” she said. But there remains goodwill. And those differences may be an advantage when there’s an opening up of the country, “not because we’re the same exact people but because we have a lot to give to each other.”

Soltani, the artist, said the current regime is already in trouble. “I think what’s happening is the implosion of something that’s fraudulent and illegitimate,” he said. “The question is: will we be able to hold this beautiful country and keep it from being shredded to pieces when that happens?”

Watch full video here.
See more photos here.
Read expert opinions on the impact of Iranian-Americans in Los Angeles as well as on the future of Iran here.

*Photos by Aaron Salcido.

The post Tehrangeles Stands At the Ready appeared first on Zócalo Public Square.

In the late 1970s, Iranians emigrated by the hundreds of thousands, and a sizeable proportion of them found their way to Los Angeles. Today, Los Angeles County is home to over half a million Iranian Americans. They have changed their new home, and their new home has changed them. In advance of the Zócalo event “What Would a Persian Spring Mean For L.A.?” we asked several Iranian Americans to answer the following question: How have Iranian-Americans shaped Los Angeles, and how might they shape the future of Iran?”

Iranian Americans have shaped L.A. greatly–and now they’re also feeling accepted

The maitre d’ approached us with a broad mustachioed smile, cherry-red menus tucked under his arm. “Befarmah,” he said, a Persian phrase that, in this context, meant “welcome and please follow me.” We followed, past a chipped, gurgling fountain of blue tile, the walls lined with images of Persepolis–the once glorious seat of Persian power sacked by Alexander the Great–and spiraling turquoise spires of Isfahan.

The maitre d’ wore a crisply pressed though ill-fitting burgundy waistcoat, a clean white shirt, and black bowtie. He bowed ever so slightly, one hand on his chest in the Persian way, as we sat down. “Khosh Amadeed,” he said. Welcome. He glided away, pointing the finger at a busboy who dutifully poured us water and brought forth the requisite plate of feta cheese, radishes, mint, and parsley, accompanied by a bowl of cucumber yogurt and the flat bread known as sangak.

The maitre d’ continued his command of the restaurant in that manner–light and welcoming to guests, firm and brusque with staff (particularly with the mostly Mexican busboys). I detected an accent in his Persian, but I could not place it. The “khosh amadeed” gave him away. The “Kh” sound–imagine a snore, or someone faking a snore–was the bane of non-Persian native speakers. It came out as a “K” as in “Komeini,” or an “H” as in, well, “Homeini.”

Back then, I was a journalist with the journalist’s license (or presumption) to ask questions, so I discreetly asked our waiter–a native Persian speaker–about the maitre d’. The waiter laughed: “Yes, he is Mexican, but here in Tehrangeles, even the Mexicans speak Farsi.” The waiter called him over. The maitre d’ smiled, his mustache widening across his face, and came over. He likely knew what was coming: a table full of Iranians and Iranian-Americans–both bemused and beaming–as the Mexican performed his tricks of Persian.

He put on a good show, amusing the table with his earnest efforts to speak a language known in the Middle East for its poetic flourishes, expressing his love of Persian cuisine, and even remarking on the beauty of Iranian women, noting with a wink that he was single. (That last part brought some wide smiles from the ladies and some playful tsk, tsk “they are a handful” and “don’t be so hasty” jokes from the men.)

What he likely did not know was this: for many at the table, a collection of recently arrived immigrants, others who have lived in the U.S. for decades, and visitors from Iran, listening to a Mexican speak Persian and praise the refinement of Persian cuisine and the beauty of Iranian women meant something deep and profound: it meant, at least at this moment, in this restaurant in Westwood, Iran was not equated with terrorism or revolutions or Ayatollah Khomeini or hostage-taking. It was the Iran they knew, the one they loved, the one they brought with them to Los Angeles, one that has carried on in the imported nostalgia of young Iranian-Americans for a country they never knew, and in the older generation, simultaneously adapting to their new lives, but still living in their memory in an idealized past.

Yes, the statistics will show that Iranian-Americans have made a tremendous impact on Los Angeles and the wider the United States. They create jobs, they build companies, they heal the sick, they teach our young. They are among the most highly educated and affluent ethnic groups. They are accomplished doctors, engineers, bankers, real estate developers, professors. But as I reflect on Iranian-Americans in Los Angeles, I cannot help but think of the Mexican maitre d’, an enterprising fellow who rose through the ranks as dishwasher, bartender, and eventually head waiter, his well-thumbed Persian phrasebook in his waist coast pocket, who brought a sense of relief and hope to a table full of Iranian-Americans in a kabob house in Tehrangeles one autumn afternoon.

Afshin Molavi is a senior research fellow at the New America Foundation, a former Tehran-based journalist for The Washington Post, the author of The Soul of Iran, and an Iranian-American. He wishes he could spend more time in Tehrangeles.

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Iranians have bonded with their new home–while staying involved with their old one

The first large wave of Iranians to migrate to Los Angeles in the 1980s were pioneers in multiple respects. Not only did they work to establish new communities as immigrants; they also were among the first to harness the possibilities of ethnic media and satellite television to address co-ethnics on an international scale. Some broadcasters hoped for political change back home, while others saw entrepreneurial opportunities in reaching Iranians far and wide. What they had in common, of course, was the use of satellite media as a method for maintaining connections to home and their fellow Iranians, many of whom were now living transnational lives. These connections were important for the sharing of both news and cultural forms that contributed to a continued sense of shared identity in the face of assimilation pressures, ongoing political hostilities, and at times an unwelcoming host society.

As Iranians gradually recognized their move to Los Angeles was a permanent one, they also recognized the need to invest culturally, politically, and economically in their new home. After establishing an ethnic enclave in Westwood (a.k.a. Tehrangeles), over the last 15 years Iranian American individuals and organizations have become more active in promoting Iranian culture and civic participation in greater Los Angeles.

Today, among L.A.’s more prominent citizens are Iranian-American real estate moguls, fashion designers, and plastic surgeons who have changed the literal and figurative face of Los Angeles. Iranians now celebrate Norooz (the New Year) in several of the city’s most important institutions and public spaces, including City Hall and LACMA, and trumpet the coming of spring on billboards and banners along the busiest streets of the city. Iranian Americans increasingly run for public office and serve as officers in the LAPD, as judges in L.A.’s immigration courts, and as educators in LAUSD schools. In doing so, they bring cultural diversity to public service while increasing public support for and awareness of Iranian communities.

At the same time, it would be a mistake to assume that, by virtue of their more focused engagement in American life, Iranian Angelenos are therefore disengaged from Iran and Iranians abroad. On the contrary, many L.A. Iranians continue to live transnational lives and to use various forms of media to create and maintain social, cultural, and political connections to Iran. The continuing influence of L.A.-based Iranian media producers suggests just one of many possible roles that Iranian Americans in Los Angeles can play in the future of Iran.

Amy Malek is a PhD Candidate in Anthropology at the University of California, Los Angeles and serves on the board of Iranian Alliances Across Borders (IAAB), a non-profit organization seeking to strengthen the Iranian diaspora community through leadership and educational programming.

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Iranians have brought scholarship and know-how to Los Angeles–and they seek to bring the same to Iran

Iran is an old nation that has existed for thousands of years. Iranians have made a countless number of great contributions to humanity and civilization. The Iranian culture is deep and rich. Therefore, anytime the people of such a nation emigrate to another land, they take with them a piece of their history, traditions, culture, and other virtues and achievements. At the same time, Iran is far from the United States and Los Angeles. It is not easy for an Iranian to move here. The vast majority of the Iranians that have moved to the United States, and in particular, to southern California, belong to one or both of two groups: the highly educated or the highly business-savvy (or both).

From the streets of Beverly Hills, Blair, and Santa Monica, to Westwood, Los Angeles, the Valley area, and Pasadena, one can easily see the imprints that the Iranians have left. We see Iranians deeply involved in some of the most sophisticated and future-looking scientific and technological projects–a trip by astronauts to the planet Mars, carrying out cutting-edge research at USC, UCLA, and Caltech. We see them running some of the most essential services of the city as engineers in such organizations as the Department of Water and Power. We see Iranians involved in charity. We even see them getting into Hollywood in ever-increasing numbers.

But that is not all. We also see the contributions of Iranians to passionate political debates about what is going on in Los Angeles, California, and the nation as a whole, as well as what is going on around the world. And it is here that the Iranians living in this area may contribute to a better future Iran with a more representative government. Iranians and Iranian-Americans deeply care about their native land. They are proud of their heritage, and they wish to help preserve the old land and its glories for future generations of Iranians. They would love to contribute to the development of Iran and build a bridge of friendship between their native land and their adopted country, the United States. But, for that to happen, a democratic political system must first emerge in Iran that is based on the rule of law, respect for the fundamental rights of all the citizens, regardless of their gender, religion, and ethnic background, and free and fair elections that allow the citizens to elect their leaders.

That is why Iranian Americans have over a dozen satellite television stations broadcasting into Iran. Iranians publish newspapers, magazines, and books, and prepare and publicize reports about what is happening within Iran, acting as the voice of those Iranians who cannot be heard. They are involved with advocacy groups at the national level, trying to influence the policy of the United States toward Iran in one way or another.

The views espoused by the activists differ widely, but most of them have one goal in mind: to contribute to a better Iran of the future, which in turn will help re-establish friendly relations between two of the greatest nations on earth, the United States of America and Iran.

Muhammad Sahimi is professor of Chemical Engineering & Materials Science and the NIOC Chair in Petroleum Engineering at the University of Southern California.

*Photo courtesy of HeyRocker.

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