How so many Iranian refugees got wealthy in Los Angeles

""If you cannot afford your rent, if you cannot pay for food, then you have nothing to lose," says Sarmen Gorjian, an insurance agency owner, who immigrated to the US from Iran in 2010."

""Especially in Los Angeles, a lot of Persians share that - It doesn't matter if you're a doctor, a lawyer, a dentist, you probably own four or five properties as well. And you have two under construction," says Shervin Roohparvar, a real estate developer."

""I think at least the Tehran that I remember was not very different from Los Angeles at the time. It was a really vibrant city. You had people from all over the world there all the time," said Bobby Samini, a celebrity lawyer."

In Iran, citizens struggle to afford basic necessities like meat and eggs, while many Iranians in Los Angeles have built successful real estate empires. The Iranian community in LA, known as Tehrangeles, emerged from refugees fleeing the 1979 revolution, avoiding the subsequent economic collapse in Iran. This community has become one of the most affluent immigrant groups in the U.S. Despite their success, the stark contrast between their lives and those of their compatriots in Iran highlights the ongoing struggles faced by many in their homeland.

Read at California Post