As a reporter, you do your best to shake off all the bad things you have to write about. But this, about 2 couples who just got married in
#Iran
+ were among the victims of
#PS752
, really got me. They were just trying to get back to their lives. My latest:
California’s attorney general and chief elections officer demanded GOP campaign officials stop using private ballot collection containers marked as “official” drop-boxes, saying the boxes that have appeared in communities across the state are illegal
Two newlywed Iranian couples were among those killed in the plane crash in
#Iran
. “It’s hard to imagine losing someone like him. I really miss him, that’s all I can say. It feels good when I talk about him.”
This story is also a testament to the importance of diversity in newsrooms. We were able to read Persian social media and watch protest videos and translate them to add to our coverage. It’s not often you see two Iranian American women helming coverage of
#Iran
in a U.S. paper
I’m sure many JOC have been. “Go back to your country,” “go back to Iran,” “go back to where you came from” or something like that drops into my inbox anytime I write about identity, race, immigration or a similar topic. I’m from San Diego.
Life in the desert doesn’t always measure up to the Instagram desert-chic aesthetic of trendy bungalows or swinging in a hammock against a backdrop of Joshua trees. My latest looks at the pros/cons of desert living (driven, in many cases, by the pandemic)
Just found an old drawing a friend of mine did of me as
@neilhimself
’s Death. I love this sketch so much (maybe even more now that there’s also a Sandman show!)
Growing up, my parents told me I was white. I checked white on college applications. But that was at odds w/ my life experience. As I got older, I realized my story wasn’t unique. I explored these questions of identity in my latest for
@latimes
#2020census
I’m at an Iranians for Bernie event in Oakland. The room is full. Right now, a 20 y/o speaker is saying it’s important to be active and engage with “a broken electoral system.” “We live in a state where the sanctions don’t just impact Iran, they impact our family.”
People love to say that everyone’s leaving California. Yes, folks are moving. But the story of California migration is about more than an exodus. Where are people moving within the state? Why? I explore that + states Californians are eyeing in a new series
For Black women, Ketanji Brown Jackson hearing feels all too familiar: “This is just a master class in how Black women have to be patient, have to be fully composed in responding to things that are meant for destruction.”
I’ve been laid off from the
@latimes
. It’s been an honor to work at the paper for nearly a decade, launching a video game beat, helping to win Pulitzers, covering diverse communities. To my colleagues,
@latguild
, readers: Thank you.
sarahparvini[@]gmail
On today’s front page,
@marisagerber
,
@sic_sonja
+ I talk to the Iranian diaspora about what Suleimani’s death means to them. Many found themselves in a familiar position, straddling two worlds + wondering what will come next in this 4-decade chess match
Black men consistently earn less than white men, regardless of whether they’re raised poor or rich. No such income gap exists between black and white women raised in similar households.
I wrote about the fan mail I get telling me to "go back" to where I came from. Once, a reader told me “In America, we have a saying, ‘These colors don’t run.’” I agree. But to paraphrase The Princess Bride: I don’t think that means what you think it means
If you or your family were held/questioned at the US-Canada border while returning from Vancouver, please reach out: sarah.parvini
@latimes
.com -- I'm trying to get a sense of what is going on/happened overnight.
Probably not the best day to have a non-impeachment story run, but I wrote about Iranian graduate students who learned their visas had been revoked as they were getting ready for their flights to the U.S. Most of them were bound for UC schools.
State officials argue CA GOP's private ballot boxes are illegal. Law experts note GOP use of "official" drop-boxes is illegal; some say GOP's claim that this is like ballot collection is "ridiculous on its face." CA GOP disagrees. W/
@stephaniealai
Apologizing profusely, the writer assured Ginsburg that he had asked Rotary Club authorities to ban "sexist and scatological statements" at all meetings in the future.
Ginsburg read the fax silently. She then exclaimed, "Better bitch than mouse."
More than 1 million California ballots already cast, shattering records. Nearly half the mail-in ballots come from Los Angeles County, where about 435,00 voters have already sent in their ballots, according to the L.A. County registrar-recorder’s office
I have a friend who works at Equinox and he said at his branch they’ve lost count of how many people called to cancel their memberships. He added that they checked with other locations, and they’d lost track too.
This summer, I spent a lot of time speaking with Uighurs here in California about how the "re-education" camps in Xinjiang have affected them and their families. They said there isn't one among them who hasn't had a friend or family member “disappeared”
White people make up 57.8% of the total population, the largest ethnic group in the nation, but that group’s share of the overall populace declined from the previous census. In California, Latinos were the largest ethnic group, making up 39.4% of residents
Federal law has "required those seeking green cards to prove they will not be a burden and has taken into consideration the acceptance of cash benefits." But the gov't "has never before considered the use of other public benefits, like assistance for food"
Insta vs reality: The pandemic accelerated migration to the high desert, but the wave of Angelenos heading east was gaining steam before then. I talked to transplants about the pros/cons of desert life + heard from locals on newcomers’ impact (good + bad):
Tomorrow is my official last day at the
@latimes
after working there for nearly 1/3 of my life. Cleaned up my desk today. It’s been such a privilege to work here and learn from the best journalists and people in the biz. Looking forward to whatever my next adventure will be. -30-
A Federal Judge Just Ordered An End To Most Migrant Family Separations: “The facts set forth before the Court portray reactive governance—responses to address a chaotic circumstance of the Government’s own making.”
Checked into a hotel tonight in Ventura and the couple in front of me lost their Ojai ranch, their animals and their cars. Overheard that they're going to be at this hotel for two weeks. The wife burst into tears as they checked in. Wrenching.
#ThomasFire
The dispute marks the latest escalation of a national debate between Dems + the GOP over allegations of voter suppression + voter fraud before the election, a battle many political analysts fear is undermining public confidence in the election’s integrity
Our new owner is both an immigrant and a child of immigrants who fled their homeland during a time of conflict. It doesn’t get more Californian than that. Nice to see that our ownership represents the diverse experiences of our readers and our state.
Like my coworkers, I haven’t slept much this week. Small price to pay to be able to tell the stories of ppl who lost so much. Shirley said talking helped process her feelings. She thanked me for listening. I was happy to help, even if it was just a little
Rami Malek insisted on just one thing prior to accepting his role as the villain in Bond 25: that his character wouldn’t be an Arabic-speaking terrorist, or a villain who uses religion as justification for his crimes
I wrote about some of the nuanced differences between the Black activism we are seeing today from younger folks and what we’ve seen in the past. One change we’re seeing, scholars and organizers say, is the open rejection of respectability politics:
Oh,
@nytimes
, your inability to understand LA isn't cute. Carbo-phobia and anti-gluten mania? An unlikely bread haven? Clearly you've never heard of sangak, or seen the lines at Porto's. Or been to a Jewish bakery. Or paid attn to our immigrant communities
Today marks 7 years at
@latimes
! Not sure where the time went, but I’ve learned a lot. This job has given me the chance to report from all over the country (+ Argentina!) covering everything from 🔥 to faith + investigations. And we got
@latguild
along the way! Feeling grateful🙏🏽
I wrote about the growing wave of Jewish activism on immigration issues -- part of a long history of protesting in the community that dates as far back as Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882. "We’ve always been immigrants," one activist told me.
🚨 Some ~*personal*~ news,🚨 as they say. I’m heading over to Company Town from Metro to cover the video game industry for
@latimes
! I’ll be reporting on the industry’s growing importance to the business and culture of SoCal. So, what do you want to read?!
"When I think about USC, I don’t think of Lori Loughlin’s daughter, Olivia Jade Giannulli...I think of my student Jake Olson, a football player who lost his sight when he was 12 & shows up to class every week with his guide dog Quebec. He has never made an excuse.."
@ArashMarkazi
I graduated from USC. I currently teach at USC. Some of the best times of my life are tied to USC. It’s a special place and the country club atmosphere that has infested the athletic department isn’t indicative of the faculty and students I see regularly.
Im really disappointed that
@Etsy
would remove my mothers handmade Persian dolls made in America w/ fabrics and materials sourced in America and claim that the dolls infringe on the sanctions placed against Iran. These acts in light of everything going on shouldnt be tolerated
#Nowruz
pirouz to everyone celebrating! Things have been so crazy, I didn’t even get to set a haft seen this year. We celebrated by video calling my parents on WhatsApp. Not ideal, but perhaps this new year will bring brighter things for us all 💐
I went to Grossmont College in San Diego and transferred to UCSD. From there, I got into grad school at USC (I have the student loans to prove that no one bought my admission!). Now I work for the LA Times, and that’s pretty cool.
Did you go to a community college? Quote tweet this and say which community college you attended and what you're doing today. I'll retweet as many as I can. People who attend community colleges deserve to be as proud as people who attend Harvard.
Happy
#Yalda
! For generations, Persians have gathered + read poetry w/ loved ones as the sun set on the last day of fall, the longest + darkest night of the year. We eat red fruit (pomegranate, watermelon) symbolizing the dawn + life, waiting for the sun. Art by Mariam Tafsiri:
The cost to move a container from China to the U.S. West Coast is four times what it was a year ago, and more than 10 times what it was before the pandemic. Manufacturers have passed their higher costs on to consumers:
some ~*personal news*~: this
#Nowruz
, we’re forming the Iranian American Journalists Association to support journos of Iranian descent + promote better coverage of MENA issues in the diaspora. Show us your
#haftsin
on April 1 for our first virtual mixer!
One of my fondest memories is playing D&D as a kid. My big brother would DM and we'd play for hours. There's something special about the alchemy that morphs you into another person in another world. So I wrote about people turning to D&D during quarantine
California is way behind in testing and tracking coronavirus. It’s a big problem in a “fragmented landscape akin to an orchestra playing without a conductor”
One reason? The “peak millennial” turns 30 next year (hi 🙋🏽♀️) + at this pivotal moment they can’t find housing to put down roots + start families: “We need to make room for the young people or else we will turn into a retirement city by the sea.” Our story:
I’m looking for my next opportunity in writing and editing, or in communications broadly. I have more than a decade of experience in journalism, know a thing or two about building things from scratch and I love working on teams. Preferably in gaming but open to any good fit:
I’ve been laid off from the
@latimes
. It’s been an honor to work at the paper for nearly a decade, launching a video game beat, helping to win Pulitzers, covering diverse communities. To my colleagues,
@latguild
, readers: Thank you.
sarahparvini[@]gmail
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sunday significantly ramped up California’s response to the coronavirus, calling for the closure of all bars, nightclubs, wineries and brewpubs, and urging people 65 and older and those with chronic health conditions to stay indoors
We often only hear about Armenian Genocide recognition on one day in April, or when a resolution comes up in Congress. I wrote about how for many in the diaspora, the fight for recognition is a daily daily struggle — one that binds the community:
I’m on Bell Canyon road, where firefighters are fighting a flare up that i just saw spring up on both sides. Incredibly quick response and hustle here
#WoolsleyFire
This is why I support
@latguild
. Diversity and representation matter. Equal pay for minority journalists — and competitive pay/benefits in general — matter. It’s time to give ourselves a voice in the newsroom so we can foster an environment that allows everyone to thrive.
“Whether it’s tackling fires or investigations, it seems Times reporters can do it all,” reporter
@sarahparvini
says. “But the minority reporters who do that work are underpaid and underrepresented. We deserve a voice and better pay and benefits.”
Every Persian is about to buy this gear (also, the Mashti Malone's photo is *chef's kiss*): Yara Shahidi’s New Adidas Collection Is an Ode to Her Black and Iranian Roots
First stop: El Dorado County, where cheaper homes, more open space and the pandemic-driven ability to work from home, among other factors, have drawn people from big cities into more rural areas and smaller towns:
Ventura county sheriff PIO said there’s about 50-60 people in the center, family and friends. This is where people will find out whether a loved one was killed or injured in the
#borderlinebarshooting
I went to Dearborn, MI and wrote about growing civic engagement in the Arab American and Muslim community there. Four years ago, then-candidate Trump won this battleground state by fewer than 11,000 votes
L.A. County orders closure of indoor malls, shopping centers, non-essential retail businesses. You can find a copy of the order on the
@latimes
live blog. Here is a portion outlining essential businesses (there are more if you look at the actual document)
Just got off the phone with someone for a story about the Armenian community. Hanging up, she said, “that the
@latimes
should have diaspora reporters...we are absolutely beside ourselves.”
#RepresentationMatters
“We are horrified and upset and we want them to know we are thinking of them,” a Cantor from a nearby synagogue told me. “The message of the final day of Passover is to be looking forward to…the time when all the world will be at peace.”
Here are our three main investigations over the last year into misconduct at USC:
1. The secret life of a USC dean:
2. Second dean out amid revelations of sexual harassment claim
3: The USC gynecologist
Eide hamegi mobarak! Happy
#Nowruz
everyone! 💚 Hope your day is filled with properly sprouted wheat grass and delicious sabzi polo + mahi. I’m also open to eidi 😂
Why is California’s population growth now the slowest in recorded history? A decline in immigration from Mexico, an influx of immigration from Asia, people leaving California and higher education rates, to name a few reasons. w/
@jpanzar
I've wanted to write this story for a while. I spent time with an Afghan family who immigrated after helping the U.S. military. Naseema, a mother of two, cooks for
@miryslist
's supper club, where refugees share the breadcrumbs of their history over food
Pirouz Kavehpour, a UCLA engineering professor, who is also Iranian American, said he had repeatedly seen his Iranian students lose access to their bank accounts due to sanctions, derailing their research and education.
Staff writer
@sarahparvini
talks about how people of all faiths around Southern California are finding new ways to worship. Watch tonight on
#LATimesToday
at 7 and 10 p.m. on
@SpecNews1SoCal
.