As part of a preservation project of Armenian American heritage, the city Thursday launched a survey asking residents to help identify and provide information related to significant and meaningful sites to the Armenian community.
The Department of City Planning began working on the city’s Armenian American Historic Context Statement — which officials say may be the first city document across the nation to focus specifically on Armenian American heritage.
Historic context statements are “concise documents that help identify and evaluate historical resources by focusing on how geography, history and culture influenced a community’s development over time,” according to the planning department.
Residents and interested parties can participate in the survey at survey123.arcgis.com/share/eb41b066aa634e24991c4072f66a0438.
The final project is expected to become part of the Citywide Historic Context Statement, developed through SurveyLA, which serves as a primary planning tool for identifying, recording and evaluating historic properties and districts in Los Angeles.
Additionally, the initiative is expected to result in two new city landmark nominations associated with Armenian American history.
Work for this project will be added to several other citywide context statements addressing ethnic-cultural themes such as African American History, Latino Los Angeles, and the heritage associated with five of the city’s largest Asian American communities.
“The Armenian American Historic Context Statement is a welcome recognition of the significant role Armenian Americans have played in the making of modern Los Angeles,” City Councilman Adrin Nazarian said in a statement.
“For over a hundred years, Armenian immigrants and their descendants have made critical contributions to education, the arts and sciences, businesses and civic life in Los Angeles. The locations associated with their achievements should be recorded and celebrated,” said Nazarian, who is Armenian.
Vince Bertoni, director of planning for the city, said his team is honored to partner with the Armenian American community on the initiative.
“The project will enhance our department’s ongoing efforts to broaden public awareness of the city’s diverse cultural heritage, making the places and stories associated with underrepresented histories more visible and legible,” Bertoni said in a statement.
In addition to the survey, project team members will conduct in-person interviews with subject matter experts and residents to learn more about significant places to the local Armenian American community.
Experts from the USC Dornsife Institute of Armenian Studies are expected to participate in the project as well.
“As an institute focused on contemporary Armenian studies, with a particular emphasis on the diaspora in Los Angeles, we are uniquely positioned to contribute critical scholarly insight that reflects the depth, diversity and enduring impact of Armenian communities across the city,” Institute Director Shushan Karapetian said in a statement.
The project was made possible through a $170,000 grant initiated by former City Council President Paul Krekorian.
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