Reyhaneh Zamani speaks about being an Iranian immigrant in Los Angeles (Reyhaneh Zamani/LinkedIn)

Los Angeles county is one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse areas in the United States. According to the United States Census Bureau, about 50 percent of the population is Latino, more than 9 percent is African American and about 11 percent is Asian, making Los Angeles one of the few cities in which the white population is a minority. 

A less prominent, but still significant Iranian population exists as well.

The first major wave of Iranian immigration into the United States occurred during the 1980s because of the Islamic Revolution in Iran. A large portion of these immigrants settled in Los Angeles, Calif.—especially in Beverly Hills, Glendale, Newport Beach and Calabasas.

Even after the Iranian Revolution ended in 1979 and the first wave of immigrants sought a new life in the United States, many women continued to leave Iran in order to escape the social inequality they face on a daily basis.

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Saturday that gender equality is "one of the biggest mistakes of western thought," as he believes that women are inferior to men. Khamenei proceeded to clarify that he is not opposed to equal rights for women, but that women's rights should not interfere with their role in the "family environment and household."

Although more women have risen to prominent positions in Iranian society, they continue to leave Iran in favor of the increased work opportunities and better social equality available in the United States.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani addressed the gender discrimination issue by criticizing those who view women as a threat in Iranian society, and admitted that Iran had a "long way to go" before achieving gender equality. President Rouhani is attempting to transform Iran into a more progressive society and will not "accept the culture of sexual discrimination." Despite his intentions, the change is proving to be a slow process and women are continuing to seek better opportunities in other countries.

READ MORE: 20something: Iranian-American Struggles With Political Apathy

Reyhaneh Zamani, an Iranian immigrant from Tehran, moved to Los Angeles to pursue her master's degree in engineering management at California State University in Northridge (CSUN), "looking for bigger challenges and opportunities" outside of Iran. While Zamani believes that women's status in Iranian society is slowly improving, she still believes that "Iran has a conservative society."

"There are some restrictions for women, but some of the images do not match the realities in Iranian society," said Zamani. "Over half of students in Iranian Universities are now women. There are women as managers, engineers and doctors. Though there are many problems and inequalities, Iranian women still have more visible roles in comparison to the other countries in the Middle East. I think it's changing, but it takes time."

Zamani moved to the United States in 2009, where she had to "basically start a new life" with the help of her aunt's family. Persian culture values strong family ties, so it is not uncommon for immigrants to seek help from extended family members that are established in the area.

"Growing up in Iran, you care for your family more and your family cares for you in return... They would help you buy a car or pay your tuition. You can feel more supported and life can be easier for you [in Iran]," said Zamani. "But, I found out here in the U.S., people are more independent and they would take loans rather than getting help from family." 

Not only did Zamani have to adapt to the differences between the Iranian and American view of the family structure, she also had to learn an entirely new language on top of working towards her masters and looking for jobs.

"When I was pursuing my master's, I always had this in my mind that I would love to start my career working as an engineer for a great, well known company," Zamani said. But she found that "as an immigrant, the language barrier has been a challenge...[and] not all the companies are able to sponsor you for your work visa...Most of the companies weren’t that flexible."

Although Zamani's parents in Iran fully supported her desire to move to the United States, being thousands of miles away from her parents made adapting to the Los Angeles lifestyle even harder for her. "I think I was excided about starting a new life and meeting people. I really missed my lovely family and friends back home too," said Zamani. "As I got more adapted to the life here in California, I could overcome those hard feelings. I still miss my family and home sometimes."

After the adjustment period, "eventually everything fell into place," Zamani said. "I got this great internship opportunity at St. Jude Medical working as a manufacturing and operations co-op for 7 months. I have had the privileged opportunity to work as a process engineer at St. Jude Medical since August 2011.” 

READ MORE: Tension Back Home: SoCal's Iranian Community Feels The Heat

Adapting to American culture did not mean sacrificing her Persian roots for Zamani; rather, keeping in touch with her Persian roots has allowed her to cope with homesickness in order to best thrive personally and professionally. 

“I believe maintaining Persian culture is important," said Zamani. "It’s your roots, identity and where you came from. It shaped your core. If you know your own culture and maintain it, it would help you not be overwhelmed by a new culture. It would even help you balance yourself between two cultures and benefit from the advantages of both cultures.” 

Zamani makes sure to maintain key cultural practices, especially during the Persian New Year. During the New Year celebration, Zamani upholds the traditions of jumping over a bonfire to cleanse the soul of bad spirits and holding large family gatherings to mark the beginning of a new year. And living in Los Angeles makes it easier for Zamani to continue these traditions than in many other parts of the country.

“In California—especially Los Angeles, also known as Tehrangeles—it’s not that hard to maintain your Persian culture," Zamani said. "Living in the Westside, only three miles away from Westwood, the Persian Square, you have access to all Persian stores and restaurants. There is always an Iranian event going on that you can attend and there are many Persians to hang out with.”

While finding a group of fellow expats has been important, "I think the most important factor is knowing English," said Zamani. As far as advice goes, Zamani recommends, "know English, maintain your culture, be open to new adventures and be eager to grow.”

Reach Staff Reporter Niki Hashemi here and follow her on Twitter.