The square within a square

Yesterday afternoon, I drove my trusty 1984 Honda Accord to Heritage Plaza, about a mile away in North Irvine. One of the better malls around town, Heritage is probably the largest in Irvine. Yet it sports a rather low-key, beige-colored, wood frame appearance. Nothing too kitschy or loud. The look hasn't changed much over the past two decades, though of course stores come and go. On the main "strip" is Ralph's, Savon Drugs, ACE Hardware, and Lamppost Pizza, plus a variety of stationary and jewelry stores, hair salons, and small restaurants. Jutting out at the strip's end is a complex of offices, doctors, chiropractors, and such. North of the main strip is a smaller quad which in the past decade has filled with the ethnic stores. I had lunch at Wendy's, withdrew some cash from BofA, got a haircut from one of the many salons, picked up contact solution at Savon Drugs, bought two inner tubes at Jax Bicycle, and a few grocery items at Super Irvine.

Super Irvine is the Persian market in the "ethnic" square, or maybe I should say Persian square. Five of the stores now bear Arabic script, while Chinese and Korean appear on three others. The largest building houses the Caspian restaurant. In the mid-1980s it held Pavilion, then Irvine's only Chinese restaurant. I remember the waiter brought our rice in individual bowls. How weird, I thought! Anyways, the Chinese businesses have moved on to other squares. But I shop at Super Irvine sometimes, because it's close, they have good pita bread, and I can honor the Southern California grocery workers strike.

The current issue Food and Wine had some neat Mediterranean recipes, and I wanted to make Citrus-Scented Lamb Stew, a Feta, Tomato, and Red Onion Salad, and perhaps some Spinach Pastries. Not only does Super Irvine have lamb but it's also hahal. That means the animal is slaughtered by a believer who recites the Muslim prayer, and the meat is kept free of contamination from "other" products, and the process is certified by a religious authority. Of course, certain meat products are always haram (not halal), like pork or blood - as with kosher laws.

I bought some lamb shoulder, carrots, an onion, ground cinnamon, bread, dried pineapple, and pomegranate juice. I forgot the feta cheese, which I'll pick up this afternoon. Vicky's coming back from LA today, so it's a good day to get back in the spirit of cooking.

The square within a square exudes a welcome atmosphere. Most folks seem quite secular and stylish (in a 80s sort of way). After all, my Persian neighbors were fleeing a theocracy when they came here. And the few headscarves mixed with bottle blondes speaks of cultural pluralism. Like Chinese Americans, they've become part of the natural fabric of far suburbia: engineers and doctors, soccer and science fairs, lawns and nice sedans. Irvine's "live and let live" lifestyle fits natives and immigrants just fine. language schools for the kids, cultural festivals for the families, and sports competitions for the teens.

So I was surprised to read that controversy erupted just a stone's throw from my house, all because of a soccer tournament thrown by the Muslim Football League in Irvine. Some players selected team names like "Mujahedeen" and "Intifadas". Last month's news, but the League continues to organize tournaments.

You wonder if these critics are the same people who laugh when Native American groups complain about the Washington Redskins or Cleveland Indians. Is warrior imagery fine if "we" exploit a racial minority, but not if members of the minority promote their identity?

After the brouhaha, the teams who had chosen politically-charged names changed them, except for the "Intifadas", a word that has a broader meaning than the one most Americans know. That seemed to satisfy the protestors, except for a middle-aged blond woman waving an American flag. I saw her picture in the January 5th Orange County Register. Her name was Shelley Rubin. She was the wife of a terrorist.

Of course, the Register failed to note this little detail. They just described her as the widow of Irv Rubin.
Rubin was arrested two years ago for plotting to bomb a mosque in Culver City, as well as the office of Congressman Darrell Issa. Issa, a Republican best known for launching the recall election, is of Lebanese descent. While awaiting trial on the charges of conspiracy and terrorism, Rubin committed suicide in jail. Last week, his associate Earl Krugel pleaded guilty to the charges.

Make no mistake, Irv Rubin was an American terrorist. For Shelley Rubin to protest the football tournament while waving an American flag is the epitome of chutzpah. But it's her right to wrap herself in the red white and blue, because free expression - especially political expression - is what our country stands for. Too bad Shelley Rubin doesn't understand that free expression is not hers alone.

I woke up today to find that "The future's Orange County". Heralding this prediction was no self-promoting local rag whose name I won't mention, but rather the Guardian UK. Nearly three million people, yet no public hospitals or law schools to serve them. Billions on toll roads, not one cent for affordable housing. Countless gated "neighborhoods", but no downtown. Yes, if privatization, segregation, and alienation figure in our national destiny, then OC is the future.

But fortunately, the Guardian was not talking about OC, but "The OC", a show about which I have many good things to say. Is the drama flamboyant and hyperbolic? Sure. But if only the exaggerations are true, as Adorno once said of psychoanalysis, then much rings true about the OC. Especially the greed, insecurity, insincerity, hypocrisy - well I could go on. And I will.

But there's a lot behind the "Orange Curtain" to incite those sins. Beauty. Wealth. Sunshine. Space. Promise. My family moved here almost 28 years ago, and it's been the landscape for our American Dream. I've seen it change too much not to miss what "progress" and "planning" have destroyed, and not to cherish what is still left, and not to praise what it still could be. For better or worse, Orange County is my community. It does not belong to the John Birch Society, or Donald Bren, or the despotic homeowner's associations, or to the ironically named freedom.com. They don't own it, as long as we tell our experience and share our vision of how things ought to be.

OC belongs to all of us - to strive, to speak, to fight, and to resist.