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Armenian-Americans named among nominees of 2017 Ellis Island Medal of Honor

March 24, 2017 By administrator

May 17 will be a special day for eight Armenian-American who are slated to receive the Ellis Island Medal of Honor during an official ceremony at the iconic and historic gateway for hundreds of thousands who were welcomed into the United States by the Statue of Liberty and made America their home.

From successful businessmen, to a pioneering physician, to artists who enrich our lives through art and music and those who dedicate their lives to the advancement of our community through philanthropy, service to church and our organizations, the eight Armenians represent a cross-section of our ever-expanding reality, Asbarez reports.
The National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations, which awards the medals, announced that Varant Frank Melkonian, Dr. Garo M. Tertzakian, Ara Tekian, Joan Agajanian Quinn, Lucine Mardirosian, Harvey, Andy Andranik Madadian, Ruth Bedevian and Kurken Yetvart Berksanlar will receive medals of honor.
According to the NECO website, “the Ellis Island Medals of Honor embody the spirit of America in their celebration of patriotism, tolerance, brotherhood and diversity. They recognize individuals who have made it their mission to share with those less fortunate their wealth of knowledge, indomitable courage, boundless compassion, unique talents and selfless generosity; all while maintaining the traditions of their ethnic heritage as they uphold the ideals and spirit of America. As always, NECO remains dedicated to the maintenance and restoration of America’s greatest symbol of its immigrant history, Ellis Island.”
Past Armenian-American Ellis Island Medal recipient s include, Harry Nadjarian, Mike Sarian, Vahe Karapetian, Elizabeth Aghbabian, Maria Mehranian, Dalida Keuroghlian and Christopher Atamian among dozens of others.

Filed Under: News Tagged With: Armenian-Americans, Ellis Island, honor, Medal

Armenian Americans urge US administration to condemn attacks against Garo Paylan

May 3, 2016 By administrator

GaroPrior to Hrant Dink’s 2007 murder on the streets of Istanbul, the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) repeatedly – but, ultimately, unsuccessfully – called on the U.S. government to condemn the political prosecution, persecution and threats directed against this courageous Armenian journalist for his “crime” of speaking honestly about the Armenian Genocide, ANCA Executive Director Aram Hambarian said in a statement.

His statement came after threats voiced against Armenian MP from the Kurdish Party Garo Paylan who spoke about the Armenian Genocide in Turkish parliament. The video published on Monday showed a scuffle that broke out in the Turkish parliament. Paylan struggled with his fists against the attacking Turkish MPs until his party members hurried for help.

Mr. Hambarian emphasized that American presidents like calling for a “full, frank and just acknowledgement of the facts,” as long as they’re not the ones doing the acknowledging.

“It was Hrant – living under Erdogan’s dagger – who demonstrated the courage that U.S. leaders lacked,” he said.

“Despite all our efforts and the clear facts on the ground, the U.S. Department of State and The White House could not find their way to utter even one public word in his defense. One expression of concern. One word on his behalf. That is, until his death.

It was only after Hrant Dink was murdered in cold blood that the U.S. government found its voice, condemning a murder it did nothing to prevent.

Let us work to ensure that the same fate does not befall Garo Paylan – a truth teller and peace maker who deserves the support, not the silence, of the elected representatives of the American people.”

Filed Under: News Tagged With: Armenian-Americans, condemn, Turkey, urge, us administrator

Armenian Americans rally in Glendale to protest weekend of violence in Nagorno-Karabakh

April 5, 2016 By administrator

tn-gnp-me-nagorno-20160405-001

The mother of Karabakh military officer Armenak Urfanyan grieves at a coffin with the body of her son who was killed in fighting around Nagorno-Karabakh, during a funeral ceremony in a church in Yerevan, Armenia, Tuesday, April 5, 2016. Azerbaijani and Armenian forces had been engaged in fighting around Karabakh since Saturday. (Aram Kirakosyan / AP)

BY Brian ParkContact Reporter

n response to the deadly clash between Armenian and Azerbaijani troops in the separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh this past weekend, members of the Armenian-American community rallied in downtown Glendale Monday night to protest the violence.

An estimated 500 people attended the demonstration, according to Glendale Police Sgt. Robert William.

The impromptu protest, which was loosely organized on social media, took place along West Lexington Drive, beside the Consulate General of Armenia. Traffic was closed on Lexington at North Central Avenue, as police watched over the “peaceful demonstration.”

“There were a few people that were upset about the situation and wanted to make a statement that the Armenian community isn’t just standing by,” said Aran Manoukian of the Armenian Youth Federation, one of a handful of organizations that was present.

A video of the gathering uploaded on YouTube shows people waving the Armenian flag and shouting slogans. Signs, written in English and Armenian, were hung on the fence of the consulate office, calling for peace and prayers in the region, which is largely occupied by ethnic Armenians.

At least 30 soldiers — 18 Armenians and 12 Azerbaijanis — and a boy were reportedly killed when fighting broke out Saturday in the disputed territory, according to the Associated Press.

Nagorno-Karabakh, a region located in Azerbaijan, has been under the control of local ethnic Armenian forces and the Armenian military for over two decades. Small clashes have occurred along the demilitarization zones that buffer the area, but Saturday’s fighting was the most violent clash since all-out war concluded in 1994.

Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry on Sunday announced a unilateral cease fire, but Nagorno-Karabakh officials disputed the report, saying that attacks have persisted.

A similar protest is being planned by the Armenian Youth Federation at 1 p.m. on Friday in front of the Azerbaijani Consulate General in Los Angeles.

“We want to tell the world it’s not OK to commit these atrocious crimes, and we demand justice,” Manoukian said.

Source: latimes.com

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: against azerbaijan, Armenian-Americans, attack, Gendale, Karabakh, rally

Armenian-Americans blame Turkey for Kassab invasion

April 9, 2014 By administrator

By Pinar Tremblay,

On March 30, Kim Kardashian, an American television personality of Armenian descent, posted two tweets with the hashtag #SaveKessab, which was retweeted over 6,000 times and generated dozens of articles in the English-US celebrity Kim Kardashian (C) sits betlanguage press. Another Twitter user commented, “Kim Kardashian is tweeting about #Kassab. [Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip] Erdogan is in trouble now.”

Kardashian’s Kassab tweets were followed by other celebrities, such as the Armenian-American singer Cher. Regardless of how controversial these messages are, we must acknowledge they have reached millions who would otherwise be clueless about the historic Armenian coastal town of Kassab. Located in the northwest of Syria’s beautiful Latakia region, Kassab is a tourist desination situated near the Turkish border

Kassab has seen significant immigration from other towns with large Armenian populations, such as Aleppo and Homs, since the start of Syrian civil war in March 2011. Though comprising only 1% of the Syrian population, Armenians are Syria’s seventh-largest ethnic group. The fall of Kassab could be costly for Turkey.

The Armenian diaspora has launched several protest movements all around the world. On March 27, a protest was held in the Armenian city of Yerevan. On March 28, hundreds gathered in front of the Turkish consulate in Los Angeles with “Save Kassab” signs. Harut Sassounian, publisher of the California Courier, told Al-Monitor he was present at the protest. Sassounian added, “I hold the United States, United Kingdom, France, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar fully responsible for the atrocities committed against Christians and Armenians in Syria, because they are the ones training, arming and supporting the so-called rebels. The civilized world must reject the murderers who are masquerading under the guise of regime change to impose their radical rule in Syria. The Syrian people deserve a democratic government. However, I fear that the foreign fighters who have infiltrated Syria are far more brutal than the Assad regime. I believe that regime change should come through peaceful negotiations, not beheadings and suicide bombings.”

Several other protests took place in front of Turkish embassies and consulates from Moscow to Beirut. Yeni Safak covered protests in Sydney, Australia, reporting, “Turks gave an answer to the Armenians.” The news suggested that as the group gathered in front of the consulate with chants of “Turkey get out of Kassab,” it was met by another group of protesters with Turkish flags in their hands. It is a fair, yet sad, observation that the diverse and quaint town of Kassab has brought up centuries-old enmities thousands of miles away.

Different delegations representing the Armenian diaspora have met with US State Department officials, urging them to “take immediate action to end the vicious onslaught on the historically Armenian town of Kassab, Syria, which was overrun by al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorists in an attack launched from Turkey on March 21.” The same day, March 28, State Department Deputy spokesperson Marie Harf spoke on the crisis in Kassab, stating, “We are deeply troubled by recent fighting and violence that is endangering the Armenian community in Kassab, Syria and has forced many to flee.” Several members of Congress have condemned the attacks in Kassab while a petition has been launched to recognize the atrocities occurring in Kassab on the White House website.

The concerns of Armenian-Americans are strongly shared by a small but resilient minority of reporters and citizens, particularly those living in the border towns of Turkey. Although rarely reported in the mainstream media, Turkish people have protested the government’s actions in Syria multiple times. Public-opinion surveys have consistently shown that support by the Turkish public for any military involvement in Syria is low. Even among Justice and Development Party loyalists, only 32% are supportive of such action. It would be fair to assess many Turks as not knowing what really is happening in Kassab as the Twitter and YouTube bans continue.

The same cannot be said for many Armenian-Americans, as many of them have relatives in Kassab and the region. Indeed, the crisis hits close to home for thousands of Angelinos. One of my best students, George Doctorian, happens to be one of them. He told Al-Monitor, “My great-uncle was asleep when he was suddenly awoken at 5 a.m. by the sound of gunshots. His son rushed into the room and told him that their town was under attack. Their neighbor had a car and they quickly jumped in and drove to Latakia. They left everything behind — passports, money, pictures, etc. My great-uncle left without a shirt. Everything they own has been left behind. They have been trying to get new passports and documentation, but it is almost impossible due to the ongoing conflict. My great-uncle believes that if they had waited a little longer to get their paperwork, they surely would not have made it out in time.”

He added, “Our family back in Kassab fears the worst. Churches have been destroyed and there are reports that even the cemeteries have been desecrated. Many reports show that the Turkish government has funded these rebel groups, primarily Jabat al-Nusra, and this is evidenced by the fact that these rebels were able to enter Kassab through the Turkish border.”

I hope for Doctorian’s commentary to be taken seriously by all parties. He said, “The events that are occurring in Kassab are horrific and should not occur in the 21st century, when the international community stresses the importance of religious freedom and basic human rights. I would, however, caution Armenians to stop using the word ‘genocide’ when describing the events that are taking place in Kassab. The word ‘genocide’ entails many requirements [in regard to what] was perpetrated by the Young Turks in the first world war. Using the word ‘genocide’ [for] the events in Kassab is wrong and does a disservice to our ancestors who went through the genocide.”

It is understandable that the younger generations of Armenians fear further persecution of their relatives in Syria. It is also understandable that Armenian youths from different parts of the world yearn to go to Syria to fight in defense of their relatives. With this background analysis, news about Los Angeles gang members going to Syria to take up arms in pro-Assad militias is not surprising.

The Turkish government denies any involvement in the events of Kassab, and Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu’s statement that Turkey’s door is open to Kassab’s Armenians has only further escalated tensions, as Armenian pundits consider Davutoglu’s comments a “mockery of the international community.”

Davutoglu has failed to answer the simple question: How did these armed militants enter the town of Kassab, if not through the Turkish border? The alleged leaks from a meeting between Davutoglu and high-level intelligence, military and Foreign Ministry representatives have been interpreted as a Turkish willingness to engage in war with Syria. To top this all off, during his March 30 victory speech, Erdogan declared, “We are in a state of war with Syria.” Since the Turkish government’s pleas for a no-fly zone have not found support in NATO, some in Turkey now ask: With an overwhelming electoral victory, would the Turkish government establish a de facto no-fly zone on its own?

Erdogan is now well-known for his recent obsession with “lobbies.” Although I have doubts about the “robot lobby” and “interest-rate lobby,” I know the Armenian lobby in the United States is real and legitimate. Will Erdogan criticize the Armenian lobby, as well? Most importantly, will the efforts of concerned Armenians and others around the world help deter further escalation of the Syrian civil war and save innocent lives?

Pinar Tremblay
Contributor, Turkey Pulse

Pinar Tremblay is a doctoral candidate in political science at University of California, Los Angeles, and an adjunct faculty member at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. She has previously been published in

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Armenian-Americans, Kessab, Syria, Turkey

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