Southern California's Iranian Americans, reclusive and apolitical since the U.S. hostage crisis two decades ago, are beginning to use their considerable numbers and wealth to influence policy inside and outside Iran.
No longer do they call themselves "Persian" or "Middle Eastern" to escape American animosity born when militant students laid siege to the U.S. Embassy in Tehran on Nov. 4, 1979.
For the Record
Los Angeles Times Friday July 21, 2000 Home Edition Part A Part A Page 3 Metro Desk 2 inches; 64 words Type of Material: Correction
Iranian Americans--A July 17 story on the growing clout of Iranian Americans in Southern California mentioned a proposed House bill by Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Sherman Oaks) to stop Iranian exports to the United States unless the Islamic government meets certain conditions. The article should have stated that many Iranian Americans here are opposed to Western sanctions under any circumstances against Iran, for humanitarian and/or business reasons.
Nor is this community of 600,000 willing to wait for others to reshape what members call a repressive theocracy that sent many of them fleeing.
In recent months, they have started using shortwave radio and satellite television to influence Iranians back home. They are also seeking help from lawmakers who represent them, such as Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Sherman Oaks).
If approved by the Senate, an amendment offered by Sherman that passed recently in the House would cut World Bank funding by $10 million to rap the agency's knuckles for deciding to resume lending to Iran.
Despite many religious, ethnic and political differences, Iranian Americans agree that, united, they could wield considerable influence, not only over American policies toward Iran, but also U.S. domestic politics. Their community in Southern California is two-thirds the size of the Cuban American population in south Florida.
"We have an opportunity to make change. And we should learn from other immigrant communities, like Cubans, Vietnamese, American Jews or Italians," said George Haroonian, coordinator of the Council of Iranian American Jewish Organizations here.
A traffic-stopping demonstration July 8 in front of the Federal Building in Westwood was a powerful reminder of the fact that the world's largest Iranian expatriate community lives in Southern California.
They have transformed parts of Westwood Boulevard in West Los Angeles and Ventura Boulevard in the San Fernando Valley into neighborhoods reminiscent of Tehran, complete with restaurants, shops and businesses labeled in cursive Persian script.
"Say it in English. No one understands you otherwise," protesters told each other as they later marched to UCLA to commemorate the Iranian student uprising a year earlier. Soon, chants of "Death to the Islamic Republic" in Persian became "United Nations, pay more attention!" in English.
Hoping to Help Iran's People
