The Iranian Revolution of 1979, Viewed from Los Angeles | Reza Aslan | Big Think | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

The content discusses the two waves of Iranians who fled the revolution and settled in the United States, specifically focusing on the differences between the wealthy, conservative community in Southern California and the middle-class, politically left-leaning community in Northern California.

Key Insights

• 👋 The Iranian diaspora in the United States came in two waves: the wealthy first wave and the middle-class second wave.
• 👋 The first wave settled in Southern California, creating an insulated and conservative community, while the second wave settled in Northern California with a more politically left-leaning ideology.
• 🫵 There is a stark difference between the Southern California Iranians and Northern California Iranians in terms of their political views towards Iran and the Middle East.
• 🖐️ Religion played a significant role in unifying Iranians during the revolution, transcending political and ideological differences.
• ✊ The transformative power of religion during the revolution piqued the narrator's academic interest in the study of religion.
• 🇮🇷 The Iranian diaspora community in Los Angeles harbors intense anger and hatred towards the regime in Iran, resulting in a neoconservative stance towards Iran and the larger Middle East.
• 🍃 The narrator's personal experience of leaving Iran during the revolution shaped their perception of religion and its ability to foster collective action.

Transcript

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Questions & Answers

Q: What were the main differences between the two waves of Iranians who fled the revolution?

The first wave consisted of wealthy individuals with political affiliations, while the second wave comprised middle-class individuals and intellectuals. The first wave settled in Southern California, while the second wave settled in Northern California.

Q: How did the Iranian diaspora communities in Southern and Northern California differ in their political ideologies?

The Southern California community is known for its hard-line approach towards the Islamic Republic of Iran and holds strong conservative political views. The Northern California community, although also critical of the regime, is more politically left-leaning and open-minded.

Q: What was the impact of religion during the Iranian revolution and the narrator's experience of leaving Iran?

Religion played a pivotal role in unifying disperate groups and fueling collective action during the revolution. The power of religion to unite and create a collective identity was a transformative experience for the narrator, leading to an academic interest in religion.

Q: What are the narrator's observations about the Iranian diaspora community in Los Angeles?

The narrator, after living in the Bay Area for 20 years, now resides in Los Angeles and has noticed the intense anger and hatred towards the regime in Iran among the older generation of Iranians. This has resulted in a more neoconservative position towards Iran and the Middle East.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The first wave of Iranians who left Iran consisted of wealthy individuals, aristocracy, and monarchists who were affiliated with the regime of Muhammad Shah P. They settled primarily in Southern California and created an insulated and conservative community.

• The second wave, which included the narrator, comprised middle-class individuals and intellectuals who left Iran later. They settled in Northern California and had a more politically left-leaning ideology.

• While the Southern California Iranian community holds strong animosity towards the regime in Iran and has a neoconservative approach towards the Middle East, the Northern California community is somewhat more open-minded.