The keys to the garden: Capital, class, and the repurposing of Persian mystical poetry in Los Angeles
Zia Khoshsirat
Journal of Linguistic Anthropology December 1, 2026 DOI: 10.1111/jola.70076 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Ethnography Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Iranian diaspora in Los Angeles attending private erfān classes and mystical assemblies |
| Duration | 5 years of immersive ethnography |
| Key findings | Argues that Los Angeles Iranian diaspora mystical gatherings function as contemporary 'diasporic courts' where participants use medieval Persian poetry to convert economic capital into cultural capital and to draw internal class and ethnolinguistic boundaries, partly through an ideology of pre-Islamic purity. |
Abstract
Abstract: This article traces the social life of medieval Persian poetry as it is repurposed within Los Angeles's Iranian diaspora. Based on 5 years of immersive ethnography in private erfān classes and mystical assemblies, I argue these gatherings function as contemporary diasporic courts, mobilizing core texts within a spiritual marketplace structured by economic exclusion. While historical scholarship has shown how Persian poetry negotiated status in medieval courts, and anthropological work has grounded these traditions in social life, this study offers the first analysis of how diasporic Iranians monetize this heritage to redraw ethnolinguistic and class boundaries from within. Synthesizing Bourdieu's model of capital conversion with theories of diasporic temporality and the semiotic politics of language, I trace a dual process. Externally, participants leverage poetic mastery to convert economic capital into compound capital of refined civility, positioning the community within Los Angeles's racialized landscape. Internally, through ritualized performances of interpretation and an ideology of pre‐Islamic purity, they forge class boundaries and authenticate a distinct diasporic identity. Ultimately, it reveals how spiritual tradition enables the interconversion of capital through the performance of a purified past.