Category: 2020

LOS ANGELES—The Armenian National Committee of America-Professional Network (ANCA-PN) teamed up with the Natural History Museum, to provide a Virtual Tour of Dinosaurs available in both Eastern and Western Armenian. Although, the doors of the museum are closed due to COVID-19, the museum is inviting dinosaur enthusiasts and future paleontologists to step inside the award-winning Dinosaur Hall to explore the history of these prehistoric reptiles in their native language.

In an email sent by NHM to its subscribers, the museum said that the initiative celebrates LA’s vibrant and diverse community. The virtual tour was launched earlier this week as Los Angeles wraps up Armenian History Month. Armenian students and adults can discover the Age of Dinosaurs and learn how museum scientists study the ancient past through a variety of fossils and even get an up-close look at a one-of-a-kind T-Rex growth series.

“On behalf of the ANCA-PN board, I’d like to thank the Natural History Museum of LA County for engaging the Armenian community and working diligently to complete this project” said Chairperson, Shaunt Kevork. “The translation of this audio tour serves as another example of our community’s strong presence in Los Angeles, and we look forward to further developing our relationship with the Natural History Museum and other the city’s other notable institutions” he continued.

The project was made possible in partnership with the ANCA-PN, Asbarez Daily Newspaper, and the Los Angeles Natural History Museum. Emmy award-winning anchor Araksya Karapetyan who anchors the morning newscasts on FOX 11’s Good Day LA in Los Angeles is heard narrating the virtual tour in Eastern Armenian. The Western Armenian video is narrated by recording artist and songwriter whose indie-pop band Capital Cities has toured five continents, Sebu Simonian. The virtual tours are already available on the NHM Website along with fossil activities that complement the tour – suitable for families, school-age children, and learners of all ages.

The ANCA-PN is an association that connects thousands of Armenian American professionals and develops the next generation of leaders through social, educational, and community engagement programs and events. ANCA-PN is an initiative of the ANCA Western Region, 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.

BY CATHERINE YESAYAN

Over the years it has been such a privilege for me to be able to travel and explore Armenian communities around the world. The experience has given me a deeper appreciation of how we Armenians have kept our language and the traditions alive.

During my travels, wherever I meet Armenians, the sage words of our beloved poet, William Saroyan rings true. He says, “…For when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a new Armenia.”

Yes, since the Genocide happened, we’ve come together and have built thousands of small “Armenias.” Here in the Los Angeles metropolitan area, we have the largest population of Armenians outside of our motherland and we truly have created a new Armenia.

Today April 24, because of the Coronavirus lockdown, I alongside of thousands of Armenians are home and we are going to mark the 105th year of the genocide in a different kind of way than before. This year there won’t be any public gatherings, no public vigils and no marches. This year is more about inner reflections.

This takes my mind to five years ago on April of 24, on the commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Genocide. On that day, I had the great opportunity to walk along side of 160,000 people in the streets of Los Angeles, to demand justice. That was a very unique demonstration. It created an intense feeling and I’m glad I could participate on that march and have had an immense satisfaction. The timing of that huge commemoration was so perfect—there was no Coronavirus, and the weather was so accommodating, with a comfortable overcast. Nothing like today with the temperature hovering in the 90s

This year at home, I watched the slew of programs streaming on numerous Armenian TV channels in LA area, dedicated to the Genocide. By all accounts, two TV programs stood up for me. One was the movie “Mayrig” made by French-American filmmaker Henry Verneuil in 1991. I never had the chance to watch that movie, which is a semi-autobiographical film written and directed by Verneuil himself. The film’s principal cast includes Omar Sharif and Claudia Cardinale. The movie is about the struggle of an Armenian family that emigrated to France from Turkey after the Armenian Genocide of 1915.

The other one was a documentary by Michael Hagopian, a survivor of the Armenian Genocide, who came to the United Sates from Turkey after World War I. He studied filmmaking and has made series of documentaries based on interviews of the genocide survivors.
I also listened to many concerts and heard the recorded messages of our representatives for the commemoration of the Genocide.

A meaningful program this year, as an alternative commemorative event, was to serve 1.5 million meals to needy people. However the committee which was undertaking the project could raise enough funds to feed 3 million meals.

The coronavirus lock down has created a unique opportunity for me to teach my grandchildren to speak Armenian. Each day, after they’ve done their school work, I have the chance to study with them on line, for about a half an hour. Today I had planned to tell them little stories about what had happened to our forefathers in Turkey. They already knew a little bit of our past history.

I told them the story of how the American government, during the days of the Genocide, starting in 1915, had created a charity organization, called Near East Relief, which was able to save many Armenians from their dooms. And how the organization made many orphanages in Turkey, Syria and Lebanon to save the lives of thousands of Armenian children. It seemed my grandkids were pretty interested to hear that story and it resonated with them.

Then I told them another personal story, that it had happened to an American friend of mine, Katherine Yamada, who is sort of a historian for our city of Glendale. One day when she was visiting Portland, Oregon, at an Antique shop, a tiny glass bottle, filled with rice, catches her attention. She picks up and reads the label which said, “…the daily ration of rice for a child is less than 7/8 per ounce…” She buys the bottle not knowing that it was a promotional item for the Near East Relief to raise funds for the Armenian orphans. Today that bottle has traveled from Oregon to Yerevan and has found its home on the shelves of the Genocide museum—the Dzidzernagapert.

With sharing these stories, I thought I was able to accomplish a tiny part of my obligations to pass a small slice of our history to my grandkids.

Sending Aid to Families in Need in Armenia

Times of crisis bring out either the best or worst in us. Thankfully, the best in us is shining through. The current situation in Armenia has sparked Armenian Educational Foundation members and volunteers to step in to support students and families in need of food and supplies. With citizens unable to move freely, families have found themselves in hopeless situations, losing the ability to take care of their own needs.

An initiative, led by AEF student Halmet Khkoyan and other AEF student volunteers, have distributed food and assistance to the needy in Yerevan, Gyumri, and the villages of Berdik, Azatavan, Lernagog, Nalbandyan, Kharberd, Sasunik and Oshakan. AEF members in support of these students’ charity work, contributed over $18,000 to provide needed funds for the volunteers to deliver food to over 1000 families. Each of the food boxes contain essential food and supplies that will feed a family of 3-4 people for 10-14 days.

Besides purchasing food from super markets, the group is also getting certain items donated. In an initiative to also aid farmers who are unable to transport and sell their products to Yerevan – the group is driving out to villages and purchasing fruits and vegetables. For example, after buying 200 Kg of apples, the farmer even donated another 200 kg.

“Experience has shown that people living in the city live in much worse conditions than in the villages. In the beginning, whoever was able to contribute did so voluntarily, from money to their own products: noodles, dried fruits, tea, apples, boxes, napkins, toilet paper, etc. At first, the team consisted of four people planning to help 5-10 families. Then we started to increase, helping hundreds of families. The number of people joining us was increasing every hour, and those who provided assistance were participating in the work in various ways,” Khnkoyan states.

While state measures certainly help people, the money provided reaches citizens very late, posing an immediate problem for families in need now. Thus, even with a global pandemic and an ocean of separation, AEF members and students have established a connection and continue to assist the most vulnerable populations in Armenia.

AEF Board Member Rafik Khatchaturian expressed immense pride and support for the initiative, describing AEF students as “soldiers in a humanitarian army.”

If you are interested in making a contribution to the initiative or in becoming a member of AEF, please visit our website at aefweb.org or email [email protected].