Category: 2020

BY ALEEN ARSLANIAN

Hundreds of Glendale residents gathered at Doran Mini Park Sunday for a March for Black Lives. Organized by a coalition of organizations, individuals and groups, the peaceful protest was held to echo the current national outrage prompted by the May 25 killing of George Floyd and countless others who have died as a result of systemic injustice.

While most protesters came prepared with signs, extra masks, snacks, and water bottles, demonstrators who gathered at the park at 3 p.m. had the opportunity to make signs with supplies provided by Clark Magnet High School students.

The crowd of peaceful protesters marched from Doran Mini Park to Glendale City Hall. They chanted “No Justice, No Peace” and “Black Lives Matter” throughout the three-mile march. A number of Glendale community members and organizations, who were stationed along the protest route, showed their support by passing out water bottles to the demonstrators.

The Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region and the United Human Rights Council of the Armenian Youth Federation were among the many community organizations that were supporting the march. Members of the ANCA Glendale chapter had set up an information booth and water station on Brand Boulevard. “We’re here today in solidarity, to help in any shape or form. We stand by our community members and we definitely want to seek justice,” noted Lucy Petrossian, Chairperson of the ANCA Glendale chapter.

By 4 p.m., the Glendale City Hall courtyard was filled with hundreds of demonstrators holding signs and chanting. Candles were passed out to attendees for the vigil.

At city hall, representatives of various Glendale-based organizations shared their sentiments. Speakers included Clark Magnet High School students, CEO of YWCA Glendale Tara Peterson, Los Angeles County Democratic Party Central Committee member Elen Asatryan, Glendale Unified School District Board member Nayiri Nahabedian, and a number of community members. Fr. Vatche Hayrapetyan delivered a message on behalf of Western Primate Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, and Fr. Ghevont Kirazian spoke on behalf of Western Prelate Archbishop Moushegh Mardisrossian.

“We operate in a context of amnesia when we must operate in historical truth,” stated Nahabedian, who assisted the students in organizing the march. “Blacks were forcibly brought here as slaves. Only after a bloody civil war with many whites still opposing freedom, were blacks ‘emancipated’ — only 155 years ago. Then they had another 100 years of legal segregation and legal discrimination until 1964 — 56 years ago. That’s the math we are operating in. Not to mention long-term, deep attitudes that laws alone do not change. Enough is enough. We stand together for what is decent, right and humane,” she concluded.

Demonstrators lit their candles at 5:30 p.m. and held a moment of silence for George Floyd, and all the other black lives lost to police brutality.

“Inspired and empowered anew by thousands of youth and the most diverse gathering I have ever witnessed in our city — all banding together peacefully against police brutality, racial injustice, oppression and discrimination,” wrote Asatryan in a Facebook post reflecting on the day’s events.

“This movement will force policy changes that have been needed for far too long. When those changes come, and they will come, you will have made our communities a safer place, a more welcoming place for every marginalized community, and our country a better place for all. So have the courage to rise up, speak out and help shape a better world for our future generations,” she concluded.

Do you ever wonder how much history is corked inside a bottle of wine? Or how many secrets lurk in the wine you’re sipping? These are some of the questions that were on Vahan Zanoyan’s mind as he embarked on the adventure of writing his novel, Waking Noah’s Vines. Zanoyan presented his book in a Zoom session hosted by The Armenian National Committee of America’s Silicon Valley Chapter on May 31.

Previously scheduled to take place on March 28, the event was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.The event provided an opportunity for the community to gather in the face of the shelter-in-place order in effect at the time.

The presentation opened with remarks by Dr. Kengo Soghoyan, an ANCA Silicon Valley Chapter Executive member, who welcomed the participants and introduced the moderator, Raffi Kassarjian. Kassarjian is the CEO of Sensyan, a boutique advisory firm offering services to tech companies investing, operating, and launching in Armenia.

Kassarjian opened the program by acknowledging the current difficulties that humanity is facing all over the world and in the United States in particular. The program featured several special guests who are key players in the wine industry in Armenia, including Paul Hobbs. Hobbs is a visionary international vintner, owner and winemaker for California-based wineries. He is also the driving force behind international partnerships Viña Cobos of Argentina, Crocus of Cahors, Yacoubian-Hobbs of Armenia, and two projects in development: Alvaredos-Hobbs of Galicia, Spain and Hillick & Hobbs of the Finger Lakes.

It was noted that Hobbs served as an inspiration for one of the characters in Waking Noah’s Vines. Halle Butvin also joined the program. Butvin is the Director of Special Projects at the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage and the curator of Armenia: Creating Home program at the 2018 Smithsonian Folklife Festival.

The first portion of the presentation walked the audience through Zanoyan’s creative process, as well as a detailed account of the history of winemaking in the region, particularly in Armenia. The speakers took the audience on a journey through ancient spaces and times while discussing the history of winemaking in Armenia. At its heart, Waking Noah’s Vines is a novel about a group of adventurous vintners from around the world that embark on a wine-infused journey to revive the 6,000-year-old wine industry in Armenia after the country gained its independence from the Soviet Union. He also discussed the suitable microclimates in the region that contributed to the wine productions. Archaeological evidence suggests that wine production began in the region 9000 years ago, with further evidence showing that proper wine production started in Armenia about 6000 years ago. The winery in Areni, for example, is a complex wine producing setup that proves that Armenia was not only making wine but producing it too.

The second portion of the presentation consisted of an elegant tasting of hand-selected Armenian wines. The presenters discussed the wines and shared details about them with the audience. Zanoyan drew connections between moods and the types of wines. There are wines that enhance a celebratory mood and there are wines that pair well with a thoughtful mood. Each wine that they presented was produced in Armenia from 5 grapes that are
indigenous to the region.

Butvin mentioned here that the Smithsonian Institute will be planning “My Armenia Heritage Wine Tours” in 2021/2022. This will provide an opportunity to discover regions outside of Yerevan such as Vayots Dzor. The tours will include visits to wineries in the region, as well as meetings with the winemakers. More information will be available about this program soon.

Kassarjian concluded the presentation by paying tribute to the Armenian winemakers who invested in the Armenian wine-making industry, both reviving an ancient tradition and bringing Armenia back to the forefront of the wine world.

Thomas Chanian concluded the event with his closing remarks. Thomas is CEO & President of Knightsbridge Wireless Communications and an Executive Member of the ANCA of Silicon Valley. Thomas thanked the speakers for a captivating presentation and encouraged the audience to engage with ANCA locally.

Zanoyan is an author, traveler, global energy consultant and anti-trafficking advocate. He has published two volumes of poetry in Armenian (Վերադարձ in 2010 and Եզրէն Դուրս in 2011), and four novels in English. Inspired by a chance meeting with a young victim of sex trafficking, A Place Far Away was published in 2013. Its sequel, The Doves of Ohanavank, was published in 2014. His third novel, The Sacred Sands, reflects his personal experiences as an international energy consultant and was published in 2016. His latest novel, entitled Waking Noah’s Vines, was published in December 2019. Zanoyan currently divides his time between Southern California, Armenia and the Middle East.

The Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region is the largest and most influential Armenian American grassroots advocacy organization in the Western United States. Working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the Western United States and affiliated organizations around the country, the ANCA-WR advances the concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad range of issues.

BY GAREN YEGPARIAN

No Justice, No Peace.

Isn’t that what we, Armenians, have been saying, in one way or another for over a century?

Isn’t that what we “say” every year, at least once, on one infamous date? Not to mention all the other lobbying and other advocacy we do year round…

Isn’t that what we “said” when assassinating Turkish government representatives in the 1970s and 80s?

Isn’t that what we “said” with our first major outburst of protest in 1965?

Isn’t that what we “said” when we supported the Allies during World War II?

Isn’t that what we “said” when we worked with the Kurds in the 1920s and 30s helping them organize their rebellions and supporting them?

Isn’t that what we “said” at Sardarabad, Bash Abaran, and Ghara Kilisseh in May, 1918?

Isn’t that what we “said” through our examples of self-defense during the Genocide?

And, it’s definitely what we’re saying now with our expressions of support for those who have taken to the streets of cities across the U.S. demanding the cessation of the grotesque, disgusting, and utterly unjust phenomenon of black citizens of the country being murdered by those who are supposed to be protect them, again, and again, and again, and again, and again…

Let’s also clarify one other point. The “peace” in “No Justice, No Peace” does not necessarily imply the presence or use of violent tactics to achieve justice. Conversely, it preclude the use of violence which is obvious from some of the examples above or the struggles for liberation throughout history: the American and French revolutions, early struggles for labor rights, the numerous struggles in South America inspired by Simon Bolivar, and you can no doubt name countless others. The fetishization of non-violence is something that should stop.

The right way to interpret “No Justice, No Peace” is embodied in another saying that over the course of the past century has come to represent the role of the media: “comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable” which was first used satirically in 1902.

With that, let’s move on to the “why” of the protests. Initially, the distraction of some of the wanton (and even organized) looting and property destruction made events were more difficult to understand. But since it has become clear that a very small number of spoiled brats abused the current crisis to act out, it’s a little easier to explain.

When someone feels that their life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness (see the U.S. Declaration of Independence) is no longer reasonably attainable, let alone secure, it’s a simple next-step to developing the notion that “if I can’t have it, then no one will” and acting on it. Such a person or people become rightfully ANGRY. Hence, the property destruction which generates fear can arise, although it would be directed against government institutions, not private ones, in a situation like the one the U.S. is in today. The private property destruction is a dead-giveaway as to the misplaced, malign, intent of the looters who were sometimes challenged and asked what the heck they were doing.

If the “anger” aspect is unsatisfactory, consider this: How did Donald Trump get elected? It is very clear that a very significant portion of his votes (I do not mean, necessarily, the majority of them) came from people who were ANGRY. They were frustrated with their stagnating (if not worsening) economic status. They were at least very annoyed by societal changes they found unacceptable. The were suspicious of “elites” (though often mis-identifying who those elites were). They were ANGRY. And, out of that anger was born their vote which foisted this horrible presidency on the country and the world.

Let’s get behind our organizations, and even some police chiefs who have joined protesters, to support the basic human right to LIFE for our black fellow citizens. Let’s not forget that it was not so long ago when “Fresno Indians” (i.e. Armenians) were also heavily discriminated against with kids beaten up on the way to school.

GLENDALE—The Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region is concerned over Governor Gavin Newsom’s May Revision budget, which proposes significant cuts for local school districts and elimination of critical adult healthcare programs. To that end, the organization has actively engaged with State Legislators and the Governor’s office in addition to sending a letter to Governor Newsom to advocate for full funding of these essential programs.

“We have been closely monitoring and engaging on this matter to ensure that vital services which affect the most vulnerable segments of our community – particularly children and the elderly – are preserved,” remarked ANCA Western Region Chair Nora Hovsepian, Esq. “We are encouraged by the recent news that California lawmakers from both chambers have reached an agreement to maintain full funding for these programs, but our work isn’t done just yet. Our office will continue to actively engage with industry stakeholders as well as State legislators to effectively advocate on behalf of our community and its interests throughout the budget approval process.”

On June 3, Senate President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins, Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, and Budget Committee Chairs, Senator Holly J. Mitchell, and Assemblymember Phil Ting announced that an agreement was reached between the Senate and the Assembly on the proposed 2020-2021 state budget. The plan would use reserves to avoid overcutting now, while still keeping reserves on hand for the future, and ensuring full funding of K-14 schools, among other priority areas.

Last month, Governor Newsom released the latest draft of California’s budget for Fiscal Year 2020-2021. The budget draft calls for the elimination of two critical healthcare programs, the Multipurpose Senior Services Program (MSSP) and Community-Based Adult Services (CBAS), both of which provide alternative services to enable older adults from being placed in nursing homes and maintaining their optimal capacity for self-care. In addition, the proposed budget calls for a 10% reduction in funding for K-14 education, which would force many school districts to make painful decisions about maintaining critical staff and keeping vital services for children.

Despite the inevitable constraints imposed on our State by COVID19 and the financial repercussions that the State of California has to face, these shortcomings cannot and should not come at the cost of the most vulnerable citizens of our State. Eliminating adult healthcare programs — especially in the face of an ongoing pandemic — will be life-threatening for seniors, while cutting school funding can have a lasting negative impact on our children and our State in the years to come.

The Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region is the largest and most influential nonpartisan Armenian-American grassroots advocacy organization in the Western United States. Working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the Western United States and affiliated organizations around the country, the ANCA-WR advances the concerns of the Armenian-American community on a broad range of issues in pursuit of the Armenian Cause.

While millions of Americans take to the streets to demand racial justice, the Armenian National Committee of America – Glendale Chapter (ANCA Glendale) stands with activists protesting the brutal murders of George Floyd and many others as a result of police brutality.

The tragic deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and countless other people of color speak to the racist policies that have plagued this country in the same way they have defined the everyday realities of individuals who face intolerance, discrimination, and marginalization.

Solidarity for the Black Lives Matter movement needs to be demonstrated locally. Anti-racist policies and practices must be adopted by community leaders and city officials in order for Glendale to truly be a Jewel City. As residents of Glendale, we can neither forget our city’s dark past of sheltering white supremacy, nor can we be silent about racial injustice in our society today.

As a community-based organization devoted to justice, ANCA Glendale supports the ongoing peaceful demonstrations as well as people’s constitutional right to protest. By translating solidarity into concrete action, we meaningfully participate in the Black Lives Matter movement. Moving forward, ANCA Glendale remains committed to coordinate action with city stakeholders in the ongoing fight to confront racial inequities.

ANCA Glendale advocates for the social, economic, cultural, and political rights of the city’s Armenian-American community and promotes increased civic participation at the grassroots and public policy levels.