Tehran to Glendale

 

My grandfather, Levon Babayan, was born in Tehran, Iran currently residing in Glendale, California. Levon is currently seventy-six years old. Back in Iran, he spent most of his life living in Tehran in a very wealthy life style. During the time of Khomeini’s rule, he was forced to give up some of his many luxuries in his life. Luxuries such as homes, cars, and money. They took his money from him because they needed it in time of the revolution. Although Levon has had many challenges in his life because of the war, he lives his life day to day happily in Glendale with the rest of his family.

The revolution started in 1979. I was about fifty years old when Khomeini came to Iran and tried to take over. The government system was like a monarchy. The king had full power over the lower class politicians. There were also no right of freedom of speech and press. If you had something bad to say about Khomeini they would come and arrest you. Although Khomeini was not the actual ruler of Iran, he was more like the Revolutionaries general. Everything he said was done, and if it wasn’t, he would get very mad. The army under Khomeini’s rule was not like him at all. I don’t remember ever speaking or coming in contact with them. Although they made me give my house by the Caspian sea to them, that was for war reasons so I had to agree or else I would be arrested. Although there were elections for the government, it was always over ruled. Sometimes, the politicians advisors would come o you and bribe you in-favor of their vote. They told me I would receive this amount of money if I did. But I think if they had payed you and you have not had voted for them, they would arrest you and do something.

During the war, the days were very much like normal. The prices of everything were taken up due to need of money. I remember one time we went to buy groceries and we came out with barely any money left over. But I am very glad things are back to normal in Iran now. At night time, I remember I could hear the bombs and gunshots fired in cities surrounding Iran. You weren’t even allowed to leave your house at night. After they had stopped firing shots for that moment, my ears buzzed. Even during the war, you weren’t allowed to own any weapons because the Monarchy did not allow it. But I was thinking of buying a weapon such as a gun from a private seller for my families protection if anything should have happened. My family never had a hard time dealing with the war. The first day Khomeini got to Iran, I sent my family out of the country. My son had gone to England for his school work and my daughter and wife had come to America. Later, my son came to America after he had graduated. My daughter was about sixteen years old when we had come to America. And my son was eighteen. 

My daughter went to an American school established in Tehran, and my son went to school in England. He visited once every semester. After my son graduated, he moved to America because there was no need in coming back. When my son was in Iran, he went to an all boys private school. Due to the amount of non-coed schools, I couldn’t send my children to a school that was the same, so I had to travel twice as much to pick up my children. Although I was still in Iran when he graduated, I told him I would meet him in Glendale. Education was a number one priority during Monarchy. All public schools were free and everyone was allowed to join. There was both private and public schools. Although there were colleges there, I didn’t send my kids there because it was very costly. Instead they came here and applied to college.

During the war, most of the time, you would never see an unemployed person. Although now there are a lot of unemployed people in Iran, there didn’t used to be. I think if we still had a Monarchy there things would be better. Earning money is always hard. But back in Tehran I had a very good and well paying job. Now it is very hard earning money because everything thing in America is different. Women were never denied a job. In fact, my wife was an accountant for an International school. Anybody could have a job and get paid and the salary amount weren’t different either. Women got the same amount of money as men did. The bad thing was that women had a different dress standard than men. But the dress standard came in during the time of Khomeini’s rule. During the time of monarchy, I remember I used to see men and women together, just walking down to the beach. Now its almost impossible to be a woman and walk out of your house without your hair covered. You would be guaranteed a ticket. Even if the dress standard these days was absolute, I wouldn’t want to live there right now. I like it here a lot better.

Now, everything is better. Everything is free, but still expensive. This makes me want to stay here longer. Although I still have to go back, look out for my sister and all that important stuff, my life here will be permanent along with my sister very soon.

Interviewed by Artin Babayan