1- Commentary
US State Department Slams Turkey
In its Annual Religious Freedom Report
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com
2- Genocide Memorial Vandalized in San Francisco
3 - Smithsonian Folklife Festival Featuring Armenian Culture Underway
4 - George Deukmejian: A Celebration of His Political, Armenian Life
5 - Commentary: Tip of the Spear
By Rostom Sarkissian
6 - Saint Stephen’s Fifth Grade Students Make Pilgrimage to Armenia
7- Linking Language: A Brief History of Armenian American Newspapers
By Rachel Barton
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1 - US State Department Slams Turkey
In its Annual Religious Freedom Report
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com
The U.S. State Department just issued its 2017 report on International
Religious Freedom in about 200 countries, including Turkey,
Azerbaijan, and Armenia. This week, we will focus our attention on the
section on Turkey.
In general, all religious groups that are not Sunni Muslim suffer from
discrimination and persecution in Turkey. Alevis, who constitute over
a quarter of Turkey’s population of 81 million, are viewed by the
state as “Heterodox Muslims” whose houses of worship are not
recognized. Anti-Semitic articles vilifying Jews are frequently
published in Turkish newspaper. Pres. Erdogan constantly provokes the
public by his Anti-Israel rhetoric.
The State Department reports that “Religious minorities said they
continued to experience difficulties obtaining exemptions from
mandatory [Islamic] religion classes in public schools, operating or
opening houses of worship, and in addressing land and property
disputes. The government restricted minority religious groups’ efforts
to train their clergy…. [Islamic] religion classes are two hours per
week for students in grades four through 12. Only students who marked
‘Christian’ or ‘Jewish’ on their national identity cards may apply for
an exemption from religion classes. Atheists, agnostics, Alevis or
other non-Sunni Muslims, Bahais, Yezidis, or those who left the
religion section blank on their national identity card may not be
exempted.”
Approximately 90,000 members of the Armenian Apostolic Church live in
Turkey, of which 60,000 are citizens and 30,000 are migrants from
Armenia without legal residence. The U.S. Report states that “children
of undocumented Armenian migrants and Armenian refugees from Syria”
could attend public schools. “Because the government legally
classified migrant and refugee children as ‘visitors,’ however, they
were ineligible to receive a diploma from these schools.”
The Turkish government, as required by the 1923 Lausanne Treaty,
grants a special status to “non-Muslim minorities” (Armenian Apostolic
Christians, Jews, and Greek Orthodox Christians). However, according
to the U.S. Religious Report, the government does not acknowledge “the
leadership or administrative structures of non-Muslim minorities, such
as the patriarchates and chief rabbinate, as legal entities, leaving
them unable to buy or hold title to property or to press claims in
court. These three groups, along with other minority religious
communities, had to rely on independent foundations they previously
organized, with separate governing boards, in order to hold and
control individual religious properties. The foundations remained
unable to hold elections to renew the membership of their governing
boards because the government, despite promises to do so, had still
not promulgated new regulations to replace those repealed in 2013 that
would have allowed the election of foundation board members.”
Nevertheless, “The Armenian Apostolic Patriarchate and the [Greek]
Ecumenical Patriarchate continued to seek legal recognition, and their
communities operated as conglomerations of individual religious
foundations. Because the patriarchates did not have legal personality,
associated foundations controlled by individual boards held all the
property of the religious communities, and the patriarchates had no
legal authority to direct the use of any assets or otherwise govern
their communities,” the U.S. Report states.
The Turkish government also obstructs the election of a new Patriarch
for the Armenian Church in Turkey to succeed the incapacitated
Patriarch. The U.S. Report states that “in March [2017] the Istanbul
governor’s office suspended a decision by the Spiritual Assembly of
the Armenian Patriarchate to elect a trustee to start the process for
the election of a new patriarch. Incumbent Patriarch Mesrob II
remained unable to perform his duties because of his medical
condition, and an acting patriarch continued to fill the position.
Some members of the community criticized the governorship’s
notification as interference in the internal affairs of the church.
Patriarchate sources said the government later recognized the March
election to elect a trustee. In July the elected trustee applied to
the government to hold the patriarchal election in December. At year’s
end, the community had not received a response from the government
about how to proceed with the patriarchal election.”
According to the U.S. Report, “Religious communities continued to
challenge the government’s 2016 expropriation of their properties
damaged in clashes between government security forces and the
terrorist group Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK). The government
expropriated those properties for their stated goal of ‘post-conflict
reconstruction.’ By the end of the year, the government had not
returned or completed repairs on any of the properties, including the
historic and ancient Sur District of Diyarbakir Province, Kursunlu
Mosque, Hasirli Mosque, Surp Giragos Armenian Church, Mar Petyun
Chaldean Church, Syriac Protestant Church, and the Armenian Catholic
Church. In April the Council of State, the top administrative court,
issued an interim decision to suspend the expropriation of Surp
Giragos Armenian Church.”
Armenian and other religious minority foundations had submitted 1,560
applications since 2011 for the return of their properties confiscated
decades ago. The government returned only 333 properties and paid
compensation for 21 others.
The U.S. Report also states that “various self-defined Islamist groups
continued to threaten and vandalize Christian places of worship. In
September an unidentified group threw stones at the Armenian Surp
Tateos Church in the Narlikapi neighborhood of Istanbul, breaking
windows. Some witnesses said the attackers shouted anti-Armenian
slogans while a baptismal ceremony took place inside. In September the
president of the Surp Giragos Armenian Church Foundation said
unidentified looters had burglarized the church in Diyarbakir multiple
times, despite a continuing curfew in the area.”
As expected, the Turkish Foreign Ministry rejected the U.S Report of
the violations of religious rights calling it “a repetition of certain
baseless claims.” However, the repetition confirms that there has not
been an improvement in the protection of the religious rights of
minorities. The Turkish government has continued to blatantly ignore
the rights of Armenian, Assyrian and Greek religious minorities, as
well as Jews and Alevis.
As an indication of the reign of terror prevailing in Turkey under
Pres. Erdogan, the religious leaders of the Jewish, Armenian
Apostolic, Armenian Catholic, and Syriac communities felt obligated to
issue congratulations last Sunday for the re-election of Erdogan, the
tyrant of Turkey!
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2- Genocide Memorial Vandalized in San Francisco
(PanArmenian)—San Francisco’s Mt. Davidson Memorial Cross—one of the
oldest landmarks in the city and a memorial to the 1.5 million victims
of the Armenian Genocide—was recently vandalized, SFGate reports.
As the conversation around the treatment of migrant children at the
border gets more heated, hostility toward the immigration-enforcement
arm of the U.S. government has become visible.
Someone appears to have spray-painted a message of solidarity with
immigrant families on the cross.
“No more violence. This blessing is for the families in detention
centers, for the families experiencing U.S. funded wars. Blessings for
the queers,” the red lettering reads. A visitor to the park, Toby
Morgan, photographed the graffiti.
The enormous concrete cross, which has stood atop San Francisco’s
highest hill since 1934, was erected to commemorate all those who were
killed in the Genocide under the Ottoman Empire.
A representative from the Council of Armenian American Organizations
of Northern California said they are “saddened” by the incident and
have reached out to law enforcement.
“We are notifying the police and will have it painted today,” a
representative said Friday. “We understand peoples need for
self-_expression_, vandalism such as this is never appropriate.”
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3 - Smithsonian Folklife Festival Featuring Armenian Culture Underway
Visitors to the National Mall Get a Taste of Unique Food, Craft and
Community Through the “Armenia: Creating Home” Program; Free Festival
June 27–July 1, July 4–8
The 2018 Smithsonian Folklife Festival explores the creativity,
hospitality and resilience of the Armenian people and its extensive
diaspora through a rich slate of vibrant programming that celebrates
the role handmade traditions can play in preserving culture and
supporting enterprise. Throughout the 10 days of the festival, dozens
of artisans, designers, cooks and performers share their skills and
stories through workshops, demonstrations, participatory experiences,
interactive installations and discussion sessions all highlighting the
importance of cultural-heritage enterprise in the face of change.
The Festival will be held June 27 to July 1, and July 4 to July 8 on
the National Mall between Seventh and 12th streets. Admission is free
and accessibility services are provided. Festival hours are from 11
a.m. to 5 p.m. each day, with evening concerts beginning at 6:30 p.m.
and a special fireworks display June 30. The Festival is co-sponsored
by the National Park Service.
“‘Armenia: Creating Home’ reflects the indomitable spirit of Armenians
to create home wherever they are,” said Halle Butvin, one of the
program’s curators. “Through sharing the traditions that have shaped
their cultural identity, like feasting, winemaking or craft, they
creatively carve new pathways for exchange both within Armenia and
across its many diasporas. They recognize and continually reinvent the
ways cultural heritage can have value as not just an economic
enterprise, but also a way to make meaning of who they are.”
Foodways and Wine: Because feasting is an important pillar of Armenian
culture, there will be ample opportunities at the Festival to observe
cooking demonstrations, participate in cooking classes and taste
regional specialties like Ghapama (stuffed pumpkin) and Gata (Armenian
cake) in between wine tastings and cheese-making classes. This year’s
festival also features special collaborations between notable local
and Armenian food experts, like renowned Armenian American Chef Carrie
Nahabedian and Washington, D.C.’s Zaytinya restaurant.
Innovation: Select signage at this year’s festival can be activated by
the Arloopa app, which will animate the subject to show artisans
actively at work in their environment in augmented reality. Two
immersive, 3D, virtual-reality tours give visitors unprecedented
access to two of Armenia’s most prominent historical sites, the
Areni-1 Cave Complex, site of the oldest evidence of winemaking, and
the Noravank Monastery.
Performance: There are 7 to 11 million people in the Armenian
diaspora, and the festival features a selection of musical groups that
span a diversity of musical styles from traditional to contemporary.
The Nur Qanon Ensemble, the Samvel Galstian Group and the MVF Band are
among the many groups performing, and two of the free evening concerts
on the Mall present Armenian chamber and jazz music performances.
Seven different groups comprise the The Handes Armenian Dance Summit
during the second weekend of the festival, which also showcases
wedding and celebration dances.
Craft: The revitalization of Armenian craft illuminates the
intersection between technology and handmade traditions. Workshops,
demonstrations and participatory experiences offer visitors the
opportunity to engage with artisans as they share their techniques
while getting hands-on experience designing, carving, carpet weaving,
embroidering, creating calligraphy and making jewelry and musical
instruments, among others.
Holiday: The final day of the festival, July 8, happens to fall on the
traditional holiday of Vardavar, which Armenians celebrate during the
hot summer season by throwing water on each other to cool off.
“Armenia: Creating Home” is produced by the Smithsonian’s Center for
Folklife and Cultural Heritage in partnership with the Institute of
Archaeology and Ethnography in the National Academy of Sciences of
Armenia, the My Armenia Cultural Heritage Tourism Program, funded by
USAID and implemented by the Smithsonian Institution, the U.S. Embassy
in Armenia and the Embassy of Armenia to the United States of America.
It is also produced with the support of sponsors: AGBU, Hovnanian
Foundation, HIKE Armenia, Birthright Armenia, Armenian Volunteer
Corps, ANCA Endowment Fund, Aurora Humanitarian Initiative, IDeA
Foundation, Armenia Tree Project and Armenian Assembly of America.
“The ANCA Endowment Fund is pleased to serve as a major sponsor of
this summer’s Smithsonian Folklife Festival’s Armenia: Creating Home
programs exploring the global role of cultural heritage, remembrance,
and rebirth in building resilience and ensuring survival in the wake
of genocide, war, and forced displacement,” said the ANCA Endowment’s
Aram Hamparian. “These universal themes speak powerfully to all those
around our world who – like the Armenians – have drawn heavily upon
cultural traditions to survive and thrive in new homes.” The ANCA
Endowment Fund #KeepThePromise initiative serves as a major sponsor of
the Folklife Festival and, along with the Aurora Humanitarian
Initiative, is supporting narrative sessions, presentations, and film
screenings around the theme of food, music, crafts, and the arts
contributing to cultural resilience and survival.
The Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly) and the Armenia Tree
Project (ATP) will sponsor the opening reception to welcome the
President of the Republic of Armenia, among other dignitaries.
“Having worked with the Smithsonian over the past year and more, it is
truly an honor and privilege to welcome President Armen Sarkissian on
his first official presidential visit to Washington, D.C. to be part
of this once-in-a-lifetime event,” said Assembly Co-Chair Anthony
Barsamian. “Armenia is celebrating a transformative moment in its
history and this is an exciting time to share Armenia’s rich culture
and hospitality on the world stage in Washington, D.C.”
For more information on the 2018 Smithsonian Folklife Festival, visit
https://folklife.si.edu/ and follow the festival on Facebook, Twitter,
Instagram and YouTube.
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4 - George Deukmejian: A Celebration of His Political, Armenian Life
The following were remarks made by Ken Khachigian, a longtime friend
of the late Governor George Deukmejian who also served as a senior
campaign strategist, at the memorial in honor of Deukmejian that was
held in Long Beach, Calif., on June 9.
Growing up, there was a very short list of famous Armenian-Americans.
We could cite William Saroyan, Ara Parseghian, Mike Connors and a just
a few others. But thanks to the Armenian newspapers, another Armenian
began achieving prominence—a young legislator named George Deukmejian.
It seemed like a week did not go by that they didn’t prominently
feature “the Duke” in one article or another. And for young Armenian
political junkies like me, the Duke was a role model. So, 50 years
ago, it was easy to recognize him sitting in front of me on a shuttle
ride to the Miami Republican Convention Hall, and I walked up and
tapped him on the shoulder to introduce myself.
Instead of brushing me off, George introduced me to Gloria and invited
me to breakfast with them.
None of that would have taken place without George connecting my
heritage to my political interests. It was my first insight into
George’s Armenian identity.
George’s parents immigrated to America escaping the genocide committed
against the Armenian people by the Ottoman Turks. The better and
secure life they found here—with hope and opportunity—gave passion to
his first inaugural address as Governor.
I strongly believe that George’s lifelong determination to fight crime
and injustice here at home was defined by his heritage—because of the
lawlessness, disorder, social chaos and terror that drove our families
from their homeland. It’s the belief that civilized society won’t
survive if its citizens cannot trust its government to protect them
from harm.
So, Duke’s career blossomed with his “tough on crime” positions and
thoughtful legislation…while his fellow Armenians played a prominent
role along the way.
But George carried far more than his civic duties. With his celebrity
status came requests to speak at Armenian charity picnics and dinners,
attend church dedications, oversee openings at the Old Folks’ Homes,
appear at meetings of youth groups, and serve as Master of Ceremonies
at dozens of assorted gatherings of his fellow Armenians. He almost
never said, “no.”
Now, like many of us first generation Armenian-Americans, George’s
native language skills were not exactly pristine. But, remember, his
first name is Courken, not George. So, because of that there were
times when he was surrounded by Armenians who were unaware of—let me
say…his linguistic challenges. And they would crowd around him
chattering away in our native tongue. Finally, George would hold up
his hand in protest, and then say—in perfect Armenian, “Hyerenes
sosgali tjvar gookah.” Which means: “My Armenian language comes
exceptionally difficult to me.”
It was a phrase he had memorized, and for a moment, they mistakenly
applauded his Armenian language skills as fluent. But then everyone
realized George was underscoring his limitations, and had a good laugh
and we went back to English. And he was appreciated all the more for
his honesty.
Unsurprisingly, each Duke campaign had a strong share of Armenian
contributors. But what happened in 1970 speaks a great deal about our
friend. His was a very long shot for Attorney General, since he was
still a little-known State Senator. Still, countless Armenians came
forward to contribute. George lost that race by a wide margin, but he
did something I have never known another politician to do. He refunded
his leftover campaign funds instead of keeping them for the next
election.
George was not consumed by ambition and never really intended to run
for Governor. When I broached the subject early in his Attorney
General career, he replied that being A.G. was the only job he ever
wanted. He only ran because his actions as A.G. were repeatedly
blocked by the Governor, the Courts, and the Legislature. And the only
way he could change this would be to run for Governor.
Once again, we turned to Armenians to raise a good part of our
financing—with a strong role played by our friend, Karl Samuelian.
Folks like Jimmy Kayian, the Parnagians and Richard Peters loaned us
their airplanes. George took great pride in the way all of them
stepped forward, along with the thousands of other loyal supporters.
But with three weeks to go, there was an explosion in our campaign
when we lost our campaign manager to unforeseen events. George was
behind, we had our backs to the wall, and we were short on money.
Karl set up a meeting for us with an elderly Armenian farmer in the
San Joaquin Valley. After visiting for an hour, the gentleman talked
about the bigoted attacks on his heritage which had deeply wounded him
as a young man. And then he quietly handed George a check for $50,000.
In today’s media and communications, that would be worth close to a
half million dollars, and it was critical to our success.
We barely won that election by just over 1 percent of the vote. George
once observed that the only reason the victory margin was so small was
because he managed to keep his charisma under control.
What a great celebration that first inauguration was in the Armenian
community! I think we had Shish Kebab at the inaugural ball!
There is an aftermath to the story of that election. I know it may
come as a surprise to many of you….but Armenians have a reputation for
being thrifty. Greg Kahwajian reminded me about someone coming up to
George after he was in office and saying: “Now, let me get this
straight. You just spent $8.5 million for a job that pays $48,500 a
year. Are you sure you’re Armenian?”
In 1983, I helped George arrange a visit for several prominent
Armenian-American leaders with President Reagan. As I led them into
the room, President Reagan practically knocked me over, saying:
“Where’s Duke?” George was his favorite governor. But more
importantly, that meeting provided a forum to help the President
understand the Armenian Genocide. It was done so through the poignant
memory of Genocide survivor, Archie Dickranian, who came with us that
day.
Now, a couple of anecdotes to share.
One of George’s most prominent traits was speaking his mind. Stu
Spencer told me the story that when George first contemplated
statewide office, Stu took George to Los Angeles to meet with a
political reporter. That particular reporter—a sort of loud mouth and
know-it-all—chattered away and lectured George. George listened very
politely, thanked him and left. When they got in the car, Stu said:
“What do you think.” George looked at him and said: “That guy is
nuts!”
Then there were those situations when George was displeased with
people. The Armenian word for being naughty is “char”. There were many
occasions when staff members or legislators crossed the line, or were,
in our language, “char.” Like Larry Thomas, Willie Brown, and my
brother. And when that happened, George often would not say a word,
and then only give them what we famously called: “The Armenian Head
Wag.” George just shook his head back and forth as if to say: “How
could you disappoint me like that?” There is more than one person in
this room who has received the “Armenian Head Wag. Some might be
sitting in the front row today!
As I look out in the audience I see hundreds of you whose careers were
literally transformed by George Deukmejian. But he gave you far more
than that. He called you to dedicate yourselves, as he said in his
First Inaugural Address, “to achieving a Common Sense Society—where
principle is not passe, and the qualities of truth, honor, honesty,
sacrifice, morality and hard work have meaning and respect.”
And that’s why what we said in the re-election campaign of 1986, will
always be his legacy: “Great State. Great Governor.”
Ken Khachigian is an Armenian-American political consultant,
speechwriter and attorney. He is best known for being a longtime aide
to President Richard Nixon and chief speechwriter to President Ronald
Reagan. ***************************************************************************************************
5 - Commentary: Tip of the Spear
By Rostom Sarkissian
On June 16, Armenia’s National Security Services raided the home and
summer residence of retired general Manvel Grigoryan on suspicion of
possessing illegal weapons and embezzling army supplies. What they
found shocked the Armenian Nation, not because of how much he had
supposedly plundered, but what he had stolen: guns, ammunition, rocket
launchers, SUVs, an ambulance, clothing and foodstuff that was meant
for the troops serving in Artsakh.
People were repulsed when the NSS raid uncovered that canned meat
meant for the soldiers on the front line was being fed to his tigers
and bears. Oh my! You can’t make this stuff up. The revulsion spread
across Armenian society—even to the initially disbelieving Republic
Party of Armenia which he belonged—as the NSS uncovered handwritten
letters accompanying the donated items from students across Armenia.
While these idealistic children thought they were contributing to
Armenia’s national defense, they were actually being robbed by one of
Armenia’s smaller oligarch thieves.
So, is Grigoryan’s arrest and subsequent lifting of his Parliamentary
immunity a one-off event meant to show the people of Armenia that
corruption is being confronted head on, or is it truly the opening act
to a longer struggle which will bring down the remnants of Armenia’s
pre-revolutionary oligarchic state and institutions? Was the NSS’
decision to go after an Echmiadzin based figure a coincidence as well,
or was it a dual message to the political and religious ruling elite
that corruption is unacceptable at any institution which should enjoy
the public trust?
When the Justice Department went after the politically connect and
diffusely organized mob in America, they did not start at the top.
They started by arresting people convicted of minor crimes like petty
theft and gambling and then got those people to provide insight and
evidence about the structure of the lager system and the criminals who
ranked above them. If Armenia is lucky, the NSS will employ a similar
approach with the arrest of Grigoryan, using him as the first piece of
a larger investigative effort.
As of this writing, Public Radio of Armenia is reporting that former
President Serzh Sargsyan’s brother, the infamously corrupt Alexander
“Sashik” Sargsyan has also been detained on suspicion of carrying
illegal weapons, the same charge that underlay the Grigoryan raid. Is
Sargsyan’s detention a coincidence as well, or is it a sign that the
spear is beginning to rip into the flesh of Armenia’s old, corrupt,
oligarchic regime? Stay tuned.
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6 - Saint Stephen’s Fifth Grade Students Make Pilgrimage to Armenia
This May, fifth grade students from St. Stephen’s Armenian Elementary
School (SSAES) traveled to Armenia for two weeks, in what most will
remember as the capstone of their Armenian school experience. This is
the fifteenth consecutive year that SSAES has taken graduating
students to Armenia to internalize their understanding of Armenian
history by experiencing their ancestral homeland, to connect with
fellow Armenian students, and to contribute to the development of
modern Armenia. “The trip to Armenia has become a significant part of
the SSAES experience for our families,” says principal Houry Boyamian.
“Students look forward to it from the time they start Kindergarten.”
Students experience the cultural and religious sites that many have
only seen in pictures: the Mamik and Babik monument in Artsakh, the
cathedral of Etchmiadzin, the Datev monastery, the battle site of
Sardarabad, the Genocide Memorial at Dzidzernagapert. “I think that
waking up the first morning in Yerevan and seeing Mt. Ararat looming
over them was one of the most memorable moments for each of my girls,”
shared Heather Krafian, a former SSAES parent and co-founder of the
annual SSAES Armenia trip. “The program cements an emotional bond
between the students and their homeland starting on Day 1.” Ardemis
Megerdichian, Armenian language and culture teacher for SSAES
elementary school, and the faculty leader for the SSAES Armenia trip
each of the last 15 years, emphasizes the power of the shared
experience on the students, as well: “Each student or parent has the
opportunity to go to Armenia or Artsakh separately, but being on
Armenian soil with one’s classmates has a totally different flavor.”
However, the program is not simply a tour of Armenian heritage sites.
While in Yerevan, SSAES students participate in music, robotics, and
other activities with local students at the Tumo Center for Creative
Technologies, an afternoon technology and recreation center. The
fifth-grade students also partner with the Avedisian School on a
project, including a Skype meeting prior to arrival. This year
students from both schools worked with the Armenia Tree Project (ATP),
a longtime partner of SSAES, on a joint environmental reforestation
project which incorporated Abaran, the resting place of General Dro,
in commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of the First Republic. At
the elementary school in Shushi, Artsakh, the students performed
songs, poems, and dances for each other as a symbol of diversity and
union in Armenian culture.
The idea of Armenia was not always so tangible for SSAES students.
From its inception, the SSAES Armenia trip has taken students to
Artsakh, allowing participants to witness the transformation of both
the town and the schools of Shushi. Megerdichian recalled of her first
time taking SSAES students to Shushi: “The city was dark and brooding,
but at the same time proud and free. The tank which stood at the
entrance to the city served as a reminder of those brave heroes who
liberated this historic Armenian land.” Adds Krafian, “The first years
there was only one hotel in Shushi, and it was two families to one
room. The local school looked nothing like the modern facility our
students visit today.” During the last fifteen years the impact of
SSAES partnership with ATP has also become visible, along the road
from Yerevan to Stepankert, for example. In recent years, SSAES has
begun a formal educational partnership with the Avedisian school in
Yerevan that extends beyond the annual fifth grade visit.
For many students, the SSAES Armenia trip sets the precedent for
taking the leap to travel to Armenia, not just to vacation, but to
engage with modern Armenia. Over time, many find ways to pair their
passions with their homeland. For Krafian, this impact has been
personal. Last year her daughter Nairi, a pre-veterinary student at
Tufts University, founded Oknooshoon, a nonprofit which leverages
animal therapy to improve the lives of people in Armenia, and
correspondingly educates the people about animals to improve the lives
of dogs in Armenia, as well. “For students formulating their Armenian
identity in a diaspora, what could be more powerful than reframing
their expectations of being Armenian, now that we have an independent
country. Our students learn that Armenia is an opportunity, not just a
dream.”
For more information, email [email protected].
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7- Linking Language: A Brief History of Armenian American Newspapers
By Rachel Barton
We create community in a variety of ways. A community can be the
familiar faces and houses you pass on your daily walk, or the swirl of
shared language in the air. Sometimes, it takes the form of ink on
paper. As physical communities are changed or taken away, communities
based on interpersonal connection and commonality are reinforced to
maintain a sense of home in a tumultuous world.
The first wave of Armenian immigration occurred in the 1890s. These
families, largely fleeing violence, settled mostly in the northeastern
United States, and many moved west to California. Shortly after that
wave, newspapers for Armenian Americans began publishing news and
covering community events. Most of the publications were connected to
political parties from the Diaspora or from Armenia for support and
funding. Although some have shut down, many of these publications are
still circulating today.
Most of these newspapers began publishing in Armenian, and a few
originated in English. The Armenian Mirror, founded in 1931 in
Watertown, Massachusetts, with the goal of bridging the generational
gap, became the first English-language Armenian newspaper in the
United States. It later merged with The Spectator in 1939 and
publishes today as The Armenian Mirror-Spectator.
For 35 years, editor Harut Sassounian has written weekly content for
The California Courier, founded in 1958 and originally published in
English as a way to connect the community.
“The California Courier was published in English for the simple reason
that there were no English-language newspapers for the Armenian
community in California in 1958,” he explained. “Since there were no
Armenian Day schools at the time, many Armenians did not know how to
read in Armenian.”
In fact, The California Courier emerged during a difficult time for
Armenian Americans. In order to escape discrimination, many
individuals Americanized their last names; even the Courier’s founder,
George Elmassian, changed his surname to Mason.
Of those papers that originated in Armenian, many have expanded to
include English-language sections or publications to address the
growing population of English-speaking Armenian Americans. Baikar
(meaning “the struggle”), founded in 1922, serves as a sister
publication to The Armenian Mirror-Spectator. Asbarez of Fresno began
as a wholly Armenian publication in 1908 but added an English section
in 1970 that has continued to grow in popularity. In 1981, Massis of
Pasadena began publishing in Armenian only, but added an English
section in order to connect to younger readers. As a bilingual
publication, most of Massis’s content is the same in both Armenian and
English, especially news items relating to political development in
Armenia. As readership for the English section increased, Massis added
an online publication, which is even more popular than the print
version. A similar process occurred on the east coast. Hairenik
(meaning “fatherland”), the first Armenian American newspaper founded
in 1899 in Watertown, launched an entirely English publication less
than two years after receiving a wave of positive feedback towards the
English column they began in 1932. However, the growth of the paper
and the inclusion of new readers can be traced to less positive
influences. In the 1930s, Armenian Americans were under tremendous
pressure to speak English and further assimilate into American life.
Many children simply wanted to fit in and strayed away from the
Armenian language, both written and spoken.
Rupen Janbazian, editor of the Armenian Weekly, can see these
influences in the results of a questionnaire from the time.
“Hairenik’s Questionnaire to the Armenian Youth of America” asked
questions like: Are you conscious in your daily life that you are an
Armenian? Do you read Armenian books, magazines, or newspapers? Do you
see the necessity of publishing an English paper, weekly or monthly,
for our young generation?
Overwhelmingly, the responses confirmed that the Armenian American
youth were interested in participating in Armenian life and news as
long as they could do so through the language they preferred—the
language that helped them fit in.
Nowadays, Armenian Americans consume their news in a variety of
languages. Many households identify themselves as multilingual,
speaking and reading in any combination of Armenian, English, French,
Arabic, Spanish, and Turkish. As Krikor Khodanian, chairman of the
Social Democratic Hunchakian Party that publishes Massis, explains,
his parents consumed media in Armenian, himself in English, Armenian,
and Arabic, and his children in English online.
As Armenian American newspapers and the communities they serve become
more linguistically diverse, some express concern for the language
being left behind.
“[The community] cannot ‘feel Armenian’ or ‘maintain Armenian spirit’
by merely speaking Armenian,” Janbazian said. “It is also essential to
be conscious of the necessity to keep the mother tongue alive as a
warranty of survival. It is through the Armenian language that
Armenian literature, culture, and identity are preserved and kept
alive.” In either language, the Armenian newspapers in America still
fulfill their original purpose of connecting the community, but they
have also stretched beyond our borders to reach Armenians and others
around the world.
Rachel Barton is a media intern at the Smithsonian Center for Folklife
and Cultural Heritage. She is a rising senior at Rowan University,
double majoring in English and writing arts.
This article appeared in The Smithsonian on June 15, 2018.
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