In discussing her novel 'Tehrangeles,' Porochista Khakpour shares insights into the Iranian-American experience and the challenges of cultural identity. She explores the prejudices and class divides that exist even within the Iranian community, as exemplified by her interactions with wealthy Iranian shoppers in LA who rejected her attempts at connection.
Khakpour discusses the nuances of Iranian-American identity and assimilation, from the ethnic masking her protagonist Roxana employs to Al's emotionally detached pursuit of the American Dream. Khakpour also touches on the nuances around Iranian-Americans being officially classified as "white" while often not being perceived as such. Through her characters, she aims to add depth and humanity to challenge stereotypical views of Iranian-American communities like the "Teirangelis" of Beverly Hills.
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Porochista Khakpour reflects on connecting and interacting with wealthy Iranian-American shoppers as an employee on Rodeo Drive. She expected camaraderie through their shared heritage, but instead faced aloofness and rejection, underscoring the class divides and prejudices within her own community, Khakpour says. Despite her feelings, she had to maintain a scripted, polished persona in line with the elite shopping experience.
Khakpour's novel explores identity and assimilation challenges through Roxana, who masks her Iranian background to avoid xenophobia and discrimination. Roxana denies her heritage, even telling others she's Italian, entering the fraught territory of "ethnic masking" to shield herself, according to Khakpour.
While officially categorized as white, Khakpour notes the disconnect many Iranian-Americans feel from this label, encountering situations that distinctly identify them as non-white based on societal perceptions. Some can "pass" as white, affording privileges but also navigating a delicate conditional acceptance dependent on context.
Al, the patriarch, singlemindedly pursues the American Dream through assimilation and establishing a snack food empire as an immigrant success story. However, Khakpour highlights Al's emotional distance from his family due to this intense drive to become fully Americanized.
The stereotype of wealthy Iranian-Americans in LA, dubbed "Teirangelis," portrays them as flashy and materialistic. While playing with this caricature in her novel, Khakpour aims to add empathy and depth to challenge superficial perceptions through her characters' humanity.
1-Page Summary
Porochista Khakpour reflects on her time working on Rodeo Drive and her attempts to connect with wealthy Iranian-American shoppers, who often met her with coldness and class prejudice.
Khakpour recalls initiating conversations with affluent Iranian customers at the luxury store where she worked, addressing them in Persian to establish a cultural connection. However, instead of the camaraderie she hoped for, these customers often responded negatively upon realizing she was an Iranian employed in a service position. To them, the physical divide of the shop counter also symbolized a definite class and social boundary.
Khakpour expected that her shared heritage would facilitate a warm interaction, but the reality was starkly different. The revelation of her Iranian identity coupled with her role as a service worker led to aloofness and rejection from the customers, highlighting the ingrained social hierarchies within her own community.
Porochista Khakpour's Personal Experiences as a Rodeo Drive Shop Girl
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Khakpour’s novel explores the nuanced themes of identity, assimilation, and the immigrant experience, particularly focusing on Iranian-Americans through the character of Roxana, who denies her Iranian heritage.
Roxana, a character in Khakpour’s novel, deals with the complex issues surrounding identity and the desire to assimilate into American culture due to fear of discrimination and xenophobia. In an attempt to conform and protect herself from these societal issues, Roxana goes to the extent of telling people that she is Italian rather than Iranian.
This denial and concealment of her true identity lead Roxana into the treacherous territory of "ethnic masking," where she must constantly navigate the complexities and psychological consequences o ...
Themes of Identity, Assimilation, and the Immigrant Experience for Iranian-Americans
The classification of Iranians in the United States as "white" is a topic of discourse that delves into the complexities of racial identity and the experiences of Iranian-Americans.
In official government categorizations, Iranians are classified as white, but this often does not align with the everyday experiences of Iranian-Americans. They frequently encounter situations that remind them of a racial distinction where they are treated distinctly as non-white. This disparity between bureaucratic labels and lived reality can lead to confusion and a sense of disconnection from the societal construct of whiteness.
The ability of some Iranian-Americans to "pass" as white is a nuanced situation with a myriad of socio-political implications. While this may affor ...
Navigating the Concept of Whiteness for Iranian-Americans
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From humble beginnings and his early days at a pizza shop, Al's obsession with assimilation at any cost paints the picture of a man chasing the embodiment of American identity.
Al's dedication to Americanization is mirrored in his ambition to achieve financial success as an immigrant, and this is embodied by his establishment of a snack food empire. His success in this venture serves as a symbol of achieving the American Dream, reinforcing the idea that hard work and dedication can lead to prosperity in America.
However, Al’s tireless pursuit comes at a personal cost, as his intense focus leads him to become an abs ...
The Pursuit of the American Dream by the Patriarch, Al
Khakpour delves into the common stereotypes surrounding Iranian-Americans in Los Angeles, often referred to as "Teirangelis," which portray them as materialistic and luxury-obsessed individuals.
She discusses the typical depiction of wealthy Iranian-Americans as invariably well-dressed, with a preference for high-end brands, embodying a stereotype of Iranians in Los Angeles as overly concerned with appearances and material possessions. This stereotype paints "Teirangelis" as embodying a flashy, even trashy sort of glamour, often imagined cruising in white BMWs or G-Wagons.
Despite the te ...
The Representation and Perception of "Teirangelis" in Los Angeles
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