Outside of Iran, Southern California is home to the largest Persian community with population estimates between 200,000 and 500,000 people, and therefore it should come as no real surprise that the opinions of this large and diverse group greatly differ on the nuclear deal.
“My American friends tell me how much they want to go as tourists and explore the country,” says Bita Milanian, who moved to Los Angeles in 1989 but hasn’t returned to her home country. “I’m truly hopeful that this will be another element of the cultural exchange that has been missing the last 20-plus years.”
And on the other end of the spectrum, Sam Yebri says many Iranian-Americans have “deep concerns” because “they “understand who is across the negotiating table.”
