Month: November 2023

Attendees of the Los Angeles Philharmonic reception. From left: Executive Vice Chairman Zaven Kazazian, Major Gifts Director Mary Khayat, Board of Governors Member Margaret Mgrublian, Board of Trustees Co-Treasurer Talin Yacoubian, Board of Trustees Member Dr. Nazareth Darakjian, Executive Chairman Berdj Karapetian, Executive Director Shant Sahakian

The Armenian American Museum and Cultural Center of California hosted a special reception at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in collaboration with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and its presentation of “Dudamel Leads Khachaturian” featuring Composer Aram Khachaturian’s internationally acclaimed and timeless musical compositions.

“It has been a wonderful evening of arts, culture, and community on a grand stage,” stated Board of Governors Member Margaret Mgrublian during her welcoming remarks. “The event serves as a reminder of how iconic venues such as the Walt Disney Concert Hall and soon-to-be Armenian American Museum play an important role in the work of cultural preservation and celebration.”

The Los Angeles Philharmonic is an internationally renowned orchestra that harnesses the transformative power of live music to build community, foster intellectual and artistic growth, and nurture the creative spirit. During the moving performance, Director Gustavo Dudamel led an exploration of Aram Khachaturian’s distinct voice first with a suite from his ballet “Spartacus” featuring the stirring Adagio followed by the intense and heroic Piano Concerto with the help of Jean-Yves Thibaudet.

The Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles

The museum hosted a special reception at the Walt Disney Concert Hall Founders Room following the musical performance. Attendees included Naming Opportunities, Benefactors, and Legacy Council donors of the museum. The event was sponsored by longtime supporters of the museum.

“We are excited to share that the Armenian American Museum will be rising to the horizon early next year with the installation of the museum’s structural steel,” announced Executive Chairman Berdj Karapetian to a roaring applause. “We are grateful to our generous donors for supporting the community’s vision for a landmark center that will be our gift to future generations.”

The Armenian American Museum is a world-class educational and cultural center that is currently under construction in the museum campus at Glendale Central Park. The first phase of construction featuring the museum parking garage and building foundation has been completed. The second phase of construction features the two-level 50,820 square foot museum superstructure. The museum will offer a wide range of public programming through the Permanent Exhibition, Temporary Exhibitions, Auditorium, Learning Center, Demonstration Kitchen, Archives Center, and more.

Learn more about the museum project by visiting the website.

Representatives of the ANCA-WR with L.A. City Councilmember Nithya Raman

Armenian Organizations Gather for Roundtable Addressing Urgent Community Needs

LOS ANGELES– The Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region announced its endorsement of incumbent Councilmember Nithya Raman for re-election to Los Angeles City Council District 4 for the 2024 primary election.

Councilmember Raman has served District 4 since she was first elected in 2020 when she unseated then-incumbent Councilmember David Ryu, marking at that point the first time in 17 years that a challenger had ousted a sitting Los Angeles City Councilmember.

Following her election, Councilmember Raman has taken the initiative to educate herself about issues that are important to her Armenian-American constituents and has participated in many events in our community, including a long-planned roundtable discussion with dozens of Armenian organizational leaders on November 7.

In response to Azerbaijan’s multiple attacks on Armenia and Artsakh since her election, Raman has been vocal with her support of the Armenian people in strongly condemning Azerbaijan’s unprovoked military aggression and genocidal acts of ethnic cleansing and calling on the Biden Administration to sanction the Aliyev regime.

ANCA-WR Board Chair Nora Hovsepian Esq. praised Raman for her strong and unwavering support for the Armenian community and for her commitment to human rights and justice.

L.A. Citycouncilmember Nithya Raman with ANCA-WR Board and staff members

“Councilmember Raman has consistently spoken out against Azerbaijan’s aggression and has worked to raise awareness of the plight of the Armenian people. On a local level, she has worked closely with us to amplify our issues and to safeguard and ensure the successful completion of the Armenian Cultural Foundation’s conversion of the firehouse in Encino to a much needed Armenian community center, a decade after the project was first initiated by Councilmember Paul Krekorian and former Councilmembers Eric Garcetti and Paul Koretz. We are proud to endorse her for re-election and look forward to continuing to work with her to advance our shared priorities,” Hovsepian explained.

“I am deeply honored to receive the endorsement of the Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region. Across the vibrant landscape of Council District 4, I take great pride in representing a vital portion of the Armenian American community in the southern San Fernando Valley, Los Feliz and portions of Hollywood, and their thriving institutions at Los Angeles City Hall,” said Councilmember Raman.

“I look forward to continuing to work closely with ANCA-WR and the many inspiring local leaders who are fighting to ensure that Armenian Americans have the support they need here in Los Angeles to sustain and support their community. Especially during this time of unfathomable tragedy in Artsakh, I remain committed to using my voice and platform to uplift the issues facing Armenians and to push for the strongest possible federal response against Azerbaijani aggression,” Raman added.

Los Angeles City Council District 4 ranges from parts of Silver Lake and Los Feliz to the Hollywood Hills, Sherman Oaks to Encino, and parts of Studio City, Van Nuys, and Reseda. The district is home to a large portion of San Fernando Valley’s Armenian-American population, situated in the neighborhoods of Sherman Oaks, Van Nuys, Encino, and Reseda. District 4 is home to several Armenian-American community institutions, such as Holy Martyrs Armenian Apostolic Church, Holy Martyrs Ferrahian High School, and the planned ACF community center in Encino.

A roundtable with Councilmember Raman allowed local community organizations to address issue of importance

Most recently, on November 7, the ANCA-WR, several of its local chapters, and dozens of leaders from major Armenian community organizations all participated in a roundtable discussion organized by ANCA-WR San Fernando Valley West with  Councilmember Raman.

The meeting offered a platform to delve into pressing issues faced by the local Armenian-American community, including exploring avenues through which the City of Los Angeles can tangibly support the 100,000 Artsakh refugees displaced by the humanitarian crisis caused by Azerbaijan’s ethnic cleansing of the region, ensuring Armenian-American community representation in CD4’s staffing and outreach efforts, and ways to counter growing Armenophobia and anti-Armenian sentiment which have emerged as a public safety concern for our community.

Raman expressed her unequivocal support and solidarity with the Armenian people and reaffirmed her commitment to continue to champion Armenian issues within the Los Angeles City Council.

On local issues, Raman also spoke with participating community representatives about pressing issues including homelessness, the rise in violence and property crimes, pathways for community organizations to pursue public grant opportunities, and other urgent public safety concerns.

Most significantly, Raman reiterated and reassured her ongoing support for the Armenian Cultural Foundation’s ongoing Firehouse construction project which upon completion will serve as a vitally important and much-needed Armenian community center in the Valley. Since her election, she has been instrumental in securing permits and funding for the project and is committed as a friend and ally to the Armenian-American community to continuing her efforts in this regard.

Raman began her political career as a Neighborhood Council member, tapping into her professional background as a Harvard and MIT-educated urban planner working to address the growing homeless population within her community. Galvanizing grassroots support, she demonstrated her commitment to making government systems work for the communities they are charged with serving.

To that end, as a member of Los Angeles City Council, Raman has more than tripled available housing programs in Council District 4 for the homeless, and offered plans to make housing more affordable for residents of CD4, including zoning reforms for more multi-family housing units that are more accessible to public transit and major roads, in order to make communities more affordable, accessible, and less congested.

ANCA WR local chapter leader Garo Kamarian expressed gratitude to Raman for her leadership on matters crucial to the Armenian-American community. The roundtable discussion concluded with an engaging question and answer session, during which Councilmember Raman addressed a variety of questions from attendees.

Participating organizations included representatives from the ANCA-WR, ANCA-San Fernando Valley West, ANCA-North Valley, ANCA-Pasadena, Armenian Youth Federation Sardarabad Chapter, Homenetmen Massis Chapter, the ARF Rosdom and Arshavir Shiragian Gomideh, Hamazkayin Cultural Association Barouyr Sevag Chapter, Holy Martyrs Armenian Church, Holy Martyrs Ferrahian School Board and Administration, Armenian Relief Society, and Armenian Relief Society Anahid Chapter.

Primary elections will take place on March 5th, 2024. The general election will be held on November 5th, 2024. Visit hyevotes.org for more voter information.

Citigroup discriminated against Armenian Americans, federal officials said

NEW YORK (Associated Press) — Citigroup intentionally discriminated against Armenian Americans when they applied for credit cards, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said Wednesday, as some bank employees argued internally that Armenians were more likely to commit fraud and referred to applicants as “bad guys” or affiliated with organized crime.

The CFPB found that Citi employees were trained to avoid approving applications with last names ending in “yan” or “ian” — the most common suffix to Armenian last names — as well applications that originated in Glendale, California, where roughly 15% of the country’s Armenian American population lives.

As part of the order, Citi will pay $24.5 million in fines as well as $1.4 million in remedies to impacted customers.

The origins of the case come as a result of some organized crime syndicates operating in Southern California that involve Armenian Americans. The leaders of the Armenian crime rings have been charged with identity theft and other financial crimes, including stealing COVID-19 financial relief funds in recent years.

Citi, based in New York, said a few employees were attempting to stop potential fraud due to this “well-documented Armenian fraud ring operating in certain parts of California.” However, in the bureau’s order, these Citi employees used identifiable information that broadly discriminated against Armenian Americans in general.

“We sincerely apologize to any applicant who was evaluated unfairly by the small number of employees who circumvented our fraud detection protocols,” the bank said in a statement. “Following an internal investigation, we have taken appropriate actions with those directly involved in this matter and we promptly put in place measures to prevent any recurrence of such conduct.”

In its investigation, the bureau found that Citi employees were instructed to single out applications that had Armenian last names, but then to conceal the real reason on why those applications were denied. These employees knew they were running afoul of bank laws that prohibit discrimination against national origin, and kept any decisions off recorded phone lines or writing it down.

“Citi stereotyped Armenians as prone to crime and fraud. In reality, Citi illegally fabricated documents to cover up its discrimination,” said Rohit Chopra, the director of the CFPB, in a statement.

CFPB officials said the case involves “hundreds of individuals” who were impacted by Citi’s discrimination, which is relatively small for a bank that has tens of millions of customers. However because the behavior was so egregious, the bureau’s fine against Citi is relatively high compared to the number of people impacted.

A scene from the immunogenetics of transplantation conference held in Sophia, Bulgaria on Nov. 3 and 4. Photo courtesy of the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry

The Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry on November 3 and 4 participated in a leading international medical and scientific conference, the European Federation of Immunogenetics’ Region 8 Balkan EPT Meeting.

Representing Armenia and ABMDR at the annual conference, which took place in Sofia, Bulgaria, were Dr. Frieda Jordan, president of ABMDR; and Dr. Sevak Avagyan, executive director of the organization.

As a featured speaker at the conference, Dr. Jordan made an in-depth presentation on the most recent achievements of ABMDR.

These include the pan-Armenian organization’s HLA-typing and many kinds of molecular-based testing at its lab in Yerevan; its stem cell-harvesting work, which facilitates life-saving transplantations for Armenian and non-Armenian patients alike — not just in Armenia, but throughout the world; its growing network of support groups in 44 countries on four continents; and its ongoing recruitment efforts for the goal of maintaining a robust registry of potential bone marrow stem cell donors.

Dr. Frieda Jordan during her presentation at the conference. Photo courtesy of the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry

Dr. Jordan’s presentation was titled “The Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry: a catalyst for life-saving transplantation in Armenia and beyond.”

“To date, we have facilitated 40 bone marrow transplants, and hope to facilitate our 41st very soon,” Dr. Jordan said. “ABMDR is a volunteer-run organization, and one that promotes a culture of grassroots volunteerism, particularly among the youth.”

Dr. Jordan is an official inspector with the European Federation of Immunogenetics, in charge of assessing the work of labs in various countries for EFI accreditation. ABMDR’s own HLA Typing Laboratory, in Yerevan, is the only one of its kind in the Caucasus, and the only EFI-accredited facility in the entire region.

During her presentation, Dr. Jordan also touched on the Artsakh war and the humanitarian catastrophe that has followed. “Among the more than 100,000 Artsakh citizens forcibly displaced from their homeland were 3,000 ABMDR stem cell donors,” Dr. Jordan said. “Today, these selfless individuals, each of whom can potentially save someone’s life, are desperately trying to rebuild their lives after becoming refugees.”

Dr. Jordan went on to express her condolences to colleagues in Israel and Palestine who have suffered great losses as a result of the current conflict, and conveyed ABMDR’s solidarity with all victims of the war.

Dr. Jordan, who also chaired one of the EFI conference’s scientific sessions, afterwards said, “It is profoundly gratifying to represent Armenia at such a prestigious event. And my colleague Dr. Avakian and I were absolutely thrilled to have many conference participants not only congratulate us on ABMDR’s accomplishments, but also seek our advice on best practices for their registries. It was all truly humbling.”

Established in 1999, ABMDR, a nonprofit organization, helps Armenians and non-Armenians worldwide survive life-threatening blood-related illnesses by recruiting and matching donors to those requiring bone marrow stem cell transplants. To date, the registry has recruited over 33,500 donors in 44 countries across four continents, identified over 9,000 patients, and facilitated 40 bone marrow transplants. For more information, call (323) 663-3609 or visit the website.