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PRESS RELEASE
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
AGBU Hye Geen Sponsors Conference on "The Status of Armenian Communities
Living in the United States"
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On Saturday, April 28, 2007, the Kennedy Library of California State
University, Los Angeles (CSULA) was teeming with Armenian academics, who
had come to exchange ideas about the Armenian community. The seminar,
spearheaded by AGBU’s Hye Geen/Forum for Armenian Cultural and Social
Studies (FACSS) and Armenian Social Work Caucus at CSULA, was the second
event of its kind after its debut in 2006, and the successful turnout
promised to make it an annual tradition.
This year’s discussions focused on connecting Diaspora Armenians and
understanding the issues facing them, including assimilation, language,
identity, philosophy, and religious practice.
After opening remarks made by principal event organizer Nellie
Yeretsian-Yacoubian (MPA) and Dr. Karin A. Elliott-Brown, Professor at
the School of Social Work at CSULA, Hye Geen Chairperson Sona Yacoubian
introduced Dr. Lyudmila Harutyunyan, Dean of the Sociology Department at
Yerevan State University, who had especially flown in from Yerevan to
deliver her message.
Dr. Harutyunyan called for the creation of an "Armenian Universe" that
integrates the Motherland and the dispersed communities around the
globe. Despite the end of the 20th century marking the birth of an
independent Armenian state, major problems remain. In particular,
Armenia and the Diaspora are segregated. Dr. Harutyunyan stressed that
only by networking within the "Armenian Universe" can the brain drain
from Armenia be turned into a brain gain, when the departed
professionals return with higher qualifications to deal with the
economic and political shortcomings of Armenia, particularly with regard
to human rights issues.
The speech was followed by a panel presentation on challenges of
Armenian life in the Diaspora, moderated by Dr. Ellie Andreassian, Ed.D.
The panelists included Ph.D. candidate Arsineh Ararat, Dr. Chiara
Hayganush Megighian-Zenati, Ms. Talin Sesetyan, M.A., and Dr. Matthew
Jendian. Respectively, they presented their research on the effect of
the Genocide on the mental health of Armenians across generations, a
morphogenetic approach to dealing with post-Genocide trauma called The
Systemic Approach of Family Constellations, trends in inter-ethnic
marriage, and factors contributing to the extent to which an individual
considers him or herself Armenian.
After the discussion, there was a brief video presentation on the
discovery of Tigranakert buried under rubble in Karabakh.
Ms. Sona Zeitlian, well-known author of "The Armenians in Egypt,"
moderated the second panel.
Dr. Lisa Arslanian, Psy.D., clarified misconceptions pervading the
Armenian community about psychological disorders. Armineh Lulejian,
candidate for Ed. D., shared her findings of a study she conducted on
the health of Armenian elderly in America. Dr. Sara Karakainen-Terian,
Ph.D., discussed the religious divide among Armenians who advocate
shorter services and accessible language and those who insist on
maintaining the use of classical language to preserve the
religious-cultural aspect of the Armenian Church.
Professor Osheen Keshishian, M. Ed., talked about the Armenian
experience in America, which began as far back as 1556 when, according
to the earliest available records, George the Armenian introduced
tobacco to Virginia. He called the Armenian Experience in the United
States an "arduous journey." Despite discrimination, social injustices
and harassment, the Armenian-American community today boasts high rates
of affluence and education levels. At present, said Professor
Keshishian, the need for maintaining the ethnic identity is high on the
agenda as retention of the Armenian language is dwindling.
Finally, Dr. Jack Der-Sarkissian, M.D., a family practitioner in
Hollywood, California’s "Little Armenia" neighborhood, who has a great
interest in education, spearheaded the Round Table Discussion about the
pros and cons of instituting charter schools for Armenian students.
At present, close to ninety-five percent of ethnic Armenian children do
not attend private Armenian schools because of the prohibitive cost and
other factors. The average annual expenses per student are around
$7,000.
Dr. Nadya Sarafian, Ed. D., retired Principal of AGBU Alex and Marie
Manoogian private school in Southfield, Michigan, which was accredited
as a charter in 1995 due to her efforts, expounded on the benefits of
converting from private to charter status. Charter schools are not
limited by district, they are allocated funds like public schools,
religion is taught without objection, and non-Armenians are expected to
follow the mandated courses. As a result, school registration readily
increased, and Armenian culture was introduced to non-Armenian students,
making it overall a positive experience.
Dr. Minas Kojayan, Ph. D., Chairman of the Armenian Department in the
AGBU Manoogian-Demirjian School in Canoga Park, author, columnist, and
teacher, argued that the juxtaposition of Armenian and non-Armenian
students would undermine efforts for the preservation of the Armenian
identity. He believes in the traditional segregation of Armenians from
others to preserve the purity of the Armenian character.
Medea Kalognomos, who holds a master’s degree in Pupil Personnel
Services and is a retired teacher and guidance counselor of the Glendale
Unified School District, said that, in public schools, Armenian children
learn to respect other ethnicities, exchange information, get acquainted
with civic duties, and learn about the system of government. Approval
for teaching specialized courses, like Armenian, can be obtained where a
high concentration of Armenian students justifies doing so, as has
happened in places like Hollywood or Glendale.
Overall, the conference helped shed light on several dynamics of the
Armenian community in the United States, stimulating thought and
discussion and the anticipation for next year’s seminar.
Part of the AGBU Southern California District, AGBU Hye Geen preserves
and honors the achievements of Armenian women around the world, promotes
the role of women in family and society through research, education and
advocacy and provides overall support for the empowerment of women as
guardians of the Armenian heritage. For more information on AGBU Hye
Geen, please call the AGBU Pasadena Center at (626) 794-7942.
For more information on AGBU and its worldwide chapters, please visit
This article has been prepared with material from Mary Terzian
().