ABSTRACT
This chapter addresses the influence of internal ethnicity on the ethnic economy developed by Iranian immigrants in Los Angeles, whose large ethnic economy is internally heterogeneous. In contrast to an ‘ethnic enclave economy’, which is a territorial concentration of ethnic-owned firms in a locality, the term ethnic economy refers to all ethnic-owned business firms and their co-ethnic personnel, irrespective of geographical location. The Iranian community in Los Angeles therefore encompasses three major ethno-religious minorities who simultaneously have national and minority ethnic identities. These are Armenians, Baha’is, and Jews. If an Iranian ethnic economy, rather than four semi-independent ethnoreligious sub-economies, existed in Los Angeles County, then Iranians of one ethno-religious identity ought to work and cooperate as frequently with other Iranians as with Iranian co-religionists. Coethnicity in partnerships and co-ownerships means a tendency of self-employed Iranians to select Iranian co-religionists for these important business affiliations.
