Xuan Loh a Santee Alley shopkeeper, was asked what he thought about his neighboring kosher restaurant (Cohen). He replied, “I have never known what Iranian food was until I walked into the establishment by mistake earlier this year and tried there fried rice (taddeg) and beef skewer. I also noticed more Persian people coming into the downtown area lately in the past 10 years I have been here.” When asked if he has a relationship with any Iranians in the area, Loh replied “I like to keep to myself. I usually take care of my business and then go home. I don’t talk to people except my customers.”

Walking by the numerous shops in Santee many of the images become a blur as you see so many stores selling the same products. The mere amount of people creates a blur. One thing stands out when one is looking at the stores, a mezuzah on the right side of an alley shop. This grabbed our attention.  As we walked into the shop we saw Latin workers and failed to locate anyone that resembled being Jewish. We asked the shopkeeper if he was Jewish and he replied no. We then asked why he had a mezuzah, to which he replied, saying “it’s for good luck.” We asked him where he developed the idea that it was for good luck. He said his friend who works in a Jewish business told him that everyday the owner kisses the white box as he enters and leaves the business and the business prospers, so the shopkeeper associates it with luck.