The
Los Angeles metropolitan area
Greater Los Angeles is the second-largest metropolitan region in the United States with a population of 18.5 million in 2021, encompassing five counties in Southern California extending from Ventura County in the west to San Bernardino Coun ...
has a significant
Armenian American
Armenian Americans ( hy, ամերիկահայեր, ''amerikahayer'') are citizens or residents of the United States who have total or partial Armenian ancestry. They form the second largest community of the Armenian diaspora after Armenians in ...
population. As of 1990, this single area holds the largest Armenian American community in the United States as well as the largest
population of Armenians in the world outside
Armenia
Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ''Ox ...
.
[Bozorgmehr, Der-Martirosian, Sabagh, "Middle Easterners: A New Kind of Immigrant," p]
352
Anny P. Bakalian, the author of ''Armenian-Americans: From Being to Feeling Armenian'', wrote that "Los Angeles has become a sort of
Mecca
Mecca (; officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, commonly shortened to Makkah ()) is a city and administrative center of the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia, and the Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red ...
for traditional Armenianness."
[Bakalian, p]
429
Since 1965 and as of 1993, the majority of immigration of ethnic Armenians from Iran or the former Soviet Union have gone to the Los Angeles area.
[ Armenians in Los Angeles are plentiful and make up a large part of the local Middle Eastern population.
]
History
Early and mid 20th Century
The first Armenian families began to settle in the Los Angeles area starting in the late 19th century. Aram Yeretzian, a social worker and Protestant Christian minister who wrote a 1923 University of Southern California
The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in C ...
thesis on the Armenians of Los Angeles, stated that the first Armenian in Los Angeles arrived in around 1900. According to Yeretzian, the first Armenian was a student who left the East Coast
East Coast may refer to:
Entertainment
* East Coast hip hop, a subgenre of hip hop
* East Coast (ASAP Ferg song), "East Coast" (ASAP Ferg song), 2017
* East Coast (Saves the Day song), "East Coast" (Saves the Day song), 2004
* East Coast FM, a ra ...
due to health concerns. Yeretzian stated that the second Armenian was a vendor of Oriental rugs
An oriental rug is a heavy textile made for a wide variety of utilitarian and symbolic purposes and produced in " Oriental countries" for home use, local sale, and export.
Oriental carpets can be pile woven or flat woven without pile, using v ...
.[Bakalian, p]
15
The first significant wave of Armenian immigration occurred from western Armenia, due to the Armenian genocide
The Armenian genocide was the systematic destruction of the Armenians in the Ottoman Empire, Armenian people and identity in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. Spearheaded by the ruling Committee of Union and Progress (CUP), it was ...
during the violent disruption and break-up of the Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
.[Der-Martirosian, Sabagh, and Bozorgmehr, p]
247
Most of the early Armenian settlers in Los Angeles were from Western Armenia
Western Armenia (Western Armenian: Արեւմտեան Հայաստան, ''Arevmdian Hayasdan'') is a term to refer to the eastern parts of Turkey (formerly the Ottoman Empire) that are part of the historical homeland of the Armenians. Weste ...
- a territory located in modern-day eastern Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
.[Der-Martirosian, Sabagh, and Bozorgmehr, "Subethnicity: Armenians in Los Angeles," p]
250
Circa 1923 there were an estimated 2,500 to 3,000 Armenians in the city.[ By the mid-1920s more ]Armenians
Armenians ( hy, հայեր, ''hayer'' ) are an ethnic group native to the Armenian highlands of Western Asia. Armenians constitute the main population of Armenia and the ''de facto'' independent Artsakh. There is a wide-ranging diaspora ...
were settling in the Pasadena area. In 1924 the Varoujan Club was founded by 20 young Armenians to organize Armenian cultural and social events. During this period, the Armenian General Benevolent Union
The Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU, Eastern Armenian: Հայկական Բարեգործական Ընդհանուր Միություն, ՀԲԸՄ, ''Haykakan Baregortsakan Endhanur Miutyun'', or hyw, Հայ Բարեգործական Ընդ ...
(AGBU) and the Compatriotic Reconstruction Union of Hadjin
Saimbeyli, alternatively known as Hadjin ( hy, Հաճըն, translit=Hajěn), is a township and a district in the Adana Province, Turkey. The township is located at the Taurus mountains of Cilicia region, 157 km north of the city of Adana. The dist ...
were founded. By 1933 there were 120 Armenian families in Pasadena. Nearly all of these immigrants were from the Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
; very few were from the Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...
. The Pasadena Armenians settled in the area of Allen Avenue and Washington Boulevard, near the Church of the Nazarene, which was used by the Protestant Armenians.
Another wave of immigration to Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
occurred in the 1940s. Most Armenians then settled in Little Armenia in Hollywood
Hollywood usually refers to:
* Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California
* Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States
Hollywood may also refer to:
Places United States
* Hollywood District (disambiguation)
* Hollywood, ...
.[Texeira, Erin P. "Ethnic Friction Disturbs Peace of Glendale." '']Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
''. June 25, 2000. p
1
Retrieved on March 24, 2014. "Armenians fleeing violence and oppression at home began arriving in Los Angeles around the 1940s. Most settled in Hollywood--once called "Little Armenia"--and aspired to homes in Glendale, among other cities." The Montebello Genocide Memorial
The Armenian Genocide Martyrs Monument, better known as Montebello Genocide Memorial, is a monument in Montebello, California in the Los Angeles metropolitan area, dedicated to the victims of the Armenian genocide of 1915. The monument, opened i ...
opened in Montebello in 1968.
Late 20th century
The Lebanese Civil War
The Lebanese Civil War ( ar, الحرب الأهلية اللبنانية, translit=Al-Ḥarb al-Ahliyyah al-Libnāniyyah) was a multifaceted armed conflict that took place from 1975 to 1990. It resulted in an estimated 120,000 fatalities a ...
beginning in 1975 resulted in Lebanese Armenians
The Armenians in Lebanon ( hy, Լիբանանահայեր, translit=Libananahayer; ar, الأرمن في لبنان; french: Arméniens du Liban) are Lebanese people, Lebanese citizens of Armenians, Armenian descent. There has been an Armenian pre ...
immigrating here.[ Other political conflicts around the same time were catalysts for ]Iranian Armenians
Iranian-Armenians ( hy, իրանահայեր ''iranahayer''), also known as Persian-Armenians ( hy, պարսկահայեր ''parskahayer''), are Iranians of Armenian ethnicity who may speak Armenian as their first language. Estimates of thei ...
and Egyptian Armenians
Armenians in Egypt are a community with a long history. They are a minority with their own language, churches, and social institutions. The number of Armenians in Egypt has decreased due to migrations to other countries and integration into the ...
to settle in Los Angeles as well. Armenians from Fresno
Fresno () is a major city in the San Joaquin Valley of California, United States. It is the county seat of Fresno County and the largest city in the greater Central Valley region. It covers about and had a population of 542,107 in 2020, maki ...
and the East Coast
East Coast may refer to:
Entertainment
* East Coast hip hop, a subgenre of hip hop
* East Coast (ASAP Ferg song), "East Coast" (ASAP Ferg song), 2017
* East Coast (Saves the Day song), "East Coast" (Saves the Day song), 2004
* East Coast FM, a ra ...
also moved to Los Angeles because of the large community there.[
Approximately 9,500 Armenians came to the United States in 1979 and 1980, and most settled in ]Hollywood
Hollywood usually refers to:
* Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California
* Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States
Hollywood may also refer to:
Places United States
* Hollywood District (disambiguation)
* Hollywood, ...
. In August 1987, as part of ''glasnost
''Glasnost'' (; russian: link=no, гласность, ) has several general and specific meanings – a policy of maximum openness in the activities of state institutions and freedom of information, the inadmissibility of hushing up problems, ...
'', the Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
began approving for exit visas for Armenians wishing to emigrate to the United States to reunite with relatives. As a result, from October 1987 through March 1988, 2,000 Armenians arrived in Los Angeles County
Los Angeles County, officially the County of Los Angeles, and sometimes abbreviated as L.A. County, is the most populous county in the United States and in the U.S. state of California, with 9,861,224 residents estimated as of 2022. It is the ...
. That March, county officials were expecting an additional 8,000 Armenians to arrive. The county officials stated that the expected immigration of 10,000 Armenians from the Soviet Union was the single largest arrival of an ethnic group after the late 1970s Vietnamese immigration.[Arax, Mark and Esther Schrader. "County Braces for Sudden Influx of Soviet Armenians." ''Los Angeles Times''. March 8, 1988]
online page 1
Print: Vol.107, p.1. Available from Cengage Learning, Inc. Retrieved on July 2, 2014. Some Los Angeles-area Armenian leaders believed that increased settlement in the United States would dilute the Armenian presence in the Soviet Union and area around Armenia, and therefore felt ambivalence.[ This wave of immigration eventually established Little Armenia in ]Hollywood
Hollywood usually refers to:
* Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California
* Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States
Hollywood may also refer to:
Places United States
* Hollywood District (disambiguation)
* Hollywood, ...
.[
In 1988, up to 3,000 ]Iranian Armenians
Iranian-Armenians ( hy, իրանահայեր ''iranahayer''), also known as Persian-Armenians ( hy, պարսկահայեր ''parskahayer''), are Iranians of Armenian ethnicity who may speak Armenian as their first language. Estimates of thei ...
were scheduled to arrive in the Los Angeles area.[ From 1987 to 1989, 90% of Armenians leaving the Soviet Union settled in Los Angeles.][Schrader, Esther.]
Undertow: LA copes with the flood of Soviet emigres.
''The New Republic
''The New Republic'' is an American magazine of commentary on politics, contemporary culture, and the arts. Founded in 1914 by several leaders of the progressive movement, it attempted to find a balance between "a liberalism centered in hum ...
''. December 4, 1989. Vol.201(23), p.11(2). . "for many years home to the largest community of Armenians outside Yerevan. ... Nine out of ten Armenians leaving the Soviet Union in the past two years have come here, joining relatives and friends." By the 1990s political conflict in the former Soviet Union caused more Armenians in that area to move to Los Angeles.[
In 1993, Anny Bakalian, author of ''Armenian-Americans: From Being to Feeling Armenian'', wrote that many poorer Armenians, especially low income refugees from the former Soviet Union and the Middle East who arrived in the 1980s, had been forced to take an Armenian identity.][ He argued that many of the poor are not familiar with American customs and are uneducated, this therefore "risks increasing prejudice and discrimination against group members."][ Bakalian stated her belief that "Los Angeles is not representative of Armenian-Americans or the Armenian-American community."][ By 1996, longtime ]Anglo
Anglo is a prefix indicating a relation to, or descent from, the Angles, England, English culture, the English people or the English language, such as in the term '' Anglosphere''. It is often used alone, somewhat loosely, to refer to people ...
residents, largely fueled by anti-Armenian sentiment
Anti-Armenian sentiment, also known as anti-Armenianism and Armenophobia, is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against towards Armenians, Armenia, and Armenian culture.
Historically, anti-Armenianism has manifested in several wa ...
, decried the increased density in South Glendale Glendale is the anglicised version of the Gaelic Gleann Dail, which means ''valley of fertile, low-lying arable land''.
It may refer to:
Places Australia
* Glendale, New South Wales
** Stockland Glendale, a shopping centre
*Glendale, Queensland, ...
.
21st Century
In 2010, Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bean Bryant ( ; August 23, 1978 – January 26, 2020) was an American professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he spent his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely r ...
of the Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...
signed a two-year endorsement with Turkish Airlines
Turkish Airlines ( Turkish: ''Türk Hava Yolları'') is the national flag carrier airline of Turkey. , it operates scheduled services to 340 destinations in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas, making it the largest mainline carrier in the w ...
. Because the company is owned by the Turkish government, which Armenians hold responsible for the unacknowledged 1915 genocide, Armenians in the Los Angeles area and US protested, asking him to give up the contract.
By 2014, the Los Angeles area had received additional Armenian refugees from Egypt and Syria. The ongoing Syrian civil war is responsible for the recent wave in refugee arrival.
The 2015 Armenian March for Justice The March for Justice on April 24, 2015 was a six-mile march of over 130,000 participants from the neighborhood designated as Little Armenia in Hollywood to the Turkish consulate of Los Angeles, demanding recognition of the Armenian genocide, which ...
saw over 130,000 people march from the Little Armenia neighborhood of Hollywood to the Turkish Consulate of Los Angeles to demand recognition and justice for the Armenian Genocide
The Armenian genocide was the systematic destruction of the Armenians in the Ottoman Empire, Armenian people and identity in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. Spearheaded by the ruling Committee of Union and Progress (CUP), it was ...
on the centennial anniversary of the tragedy.
An Armenian Genocide memorial opened in Grand Park
Grand Park is a park located in the civic center of Los Angeles, California. First developed in 1966 as the 'Civic Center Mall' with plazas, fountains and a Court of Flags, it is now a part of the larger redevelopment known as the Grand Avenue ...
in September 2016.
Geographic distribution
The Burbank/Glendale Glendale is the anglicised version of the Gaelic Gleann Dail, which means ''valley of fertile, low-lying arable land''.
It may refer to:
Places Australia
* Glendale, New South Wales
** Stockland Glendale, a shopping centre
*Glendale, Queensland, ...
, East Hollywood
East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth.
Etymology
As in other languages, the word is formed from the fa ...
, Montebello, and Pasadena
Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commercial district.
Its ...
areas are the primary settlement points of Armenians, according to the 1980 U.S. Census
The United States census of 1980, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States to be 226,545,805, an increase of 11.4 percent over the 203,184,772 persons enumerated during the 1970 census. It was th ...
; as of that census, Armenians in the areas together made up 90% of Armenians in Los Angeles County
Los Angeles County, officially the County of Los Angeles, and sometimes abbreviated as L.A. County, is the most populous county in the United States and in the U.S. state of California, with 9,861,224 residents estimated as of 2022. It is the ...
.[ Together, Armenians have created one of the largest sub ethnicities in the United States within Los Angeles. As of 1991 the established Armenian communities in the area included Encino and Hollywood in Los Angeles as well as the cities of Montebello and Pasadena. The Burbank/Glendale settlement is newer.][Clifford, Frank and Anne C. Roark. "Racial Lines in County Blur but Could Return: Population: Times study of census finds communities far more mixed. Some experts fear new ethnic divisions." ''Los Angeles Times''. May 6, 1991. p]
2
Retrieved on March 24, 2014.
The Little Armenia in Hollywood historically had Armenians from Armenia. In 1980, Armenians in East Hollywood made up 56% of Armenians in Los Angeles County.[ In 1988, Mark Arax and Esther Schrader wrote that Hollywood "has become something of a port of entry for the Soviet refugees."] In 1989 Vered Amit Talai wrote that "the Soviet Armenian emigrants form a very visible community in Hollywood".[Talai, Vered Amit. "Armenians in London: The Management of Social Boundaries" (Issue 4 of ''Anthropological Studies of Britain''/Armenian Research Center collection/Volume 4 of Studies on East Asia). ]Manchester University Press
Manchester University Press is the university press of the University of Manchester, England and a publisher of academic books and journals. Manchester University Press has developed into an international publisher. It maintains its links with th ...
, 1989. , 9780719029271. p
93
In 1988 the Los Angeles-area chairperson of the Hunchak Party, Harry Diramarian, stated "'Going to Hollywood, going to Hollywood.' You hear it all the time on the streets of Yerevan
Yerevan ( , , hy, Երևան , sometimes spelled Erevan) is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest continuously inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Y ...
." In 1988, Little Armenia, had many Armenian residents operating bakeries and living in apartments above the businesses. Zankou Chicken had opened in Hollywood in 1984. In 1989 Talai wrote that Armenians in Hollywood had a negative effect on the Armenian reputation in California because they were "visible" and "indigent" but that the indigent status is "unusual" relative to the overall Armenian diaspora.[
In the 1980 U.S. Census, Armenians in Glendale comprised 25% of Armenians in Los Angeles County.][ In the ]Glendale Unified School District
The Glendale Unified School District is a school district based in Glendale, California, United States.
The school district serves the city of Glendale, portions of the city of La Cañada Flintridge and the unincorporated communities of Montr ...
, by 1988 Armenians along with students from the Middle East had become the largest ethnic group in the public schools, having a larger number than the Latinos. Alice Petrossian, the GUSD director of intercultural education, stated that Burbank lies within the middle of other Armenian communities, so it attracted more Armenians.[ Levon Marashlian, an Armenian history teacher at Glendale Community College, stated that Glendale's Armenian population became larger than Hollywood's by the early 1990s.][ As the ]2000 U.S. Census
The United States census of 2000, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2 percent over the 248,709,873 people enumerated during the 1990 cen ...
, 30% of the residents of Glendale were Armenian.[Pang, Kevin.]
Glendale Unified May Add Armenian Holiday
" ''Los Angeles Times''. February 8, 2004. Retrieved on July 2, 2014. By 2000 Glendale had the largest Armenian population outside of Yerevan
Yerevan ( , , hy, Երևան , sometimes spelled Erevan) is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest continuously inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Y ...
.[
Historically many U.S.-born Armenians settled Montebello and Pasadena. In 1980, Armenians in Pasadena were 9% of the county's total number of Armenians.][ By 1989, the makeup of the Armenian community in Pasadena had changed: of Armenians in Pasadena, 33% were born in Lebanon, 17% were U.S.-born, 16% were born in Armenia, 12% were born in Syria, and the remainder were born in other places. The city government had gathered the data through a special census.][Der-Martirosian, Sabagh, and Bozorgmehr, "Subethnicity: Armenians in Los Angeles," p]
251
By 1988 many Armenians were moving from Hollywood to suburban Glendale Glendale is the anglicised version of the Gaelic Gleann Dail, which means ''valley of fertile, low-lying arable land''.
It may refer to:
Places Australia
* Glendale, New South Wales
** Stockland Glendale, a shopping centre
*Glendale, Queensland, ...
, Burbank, and other areas. By that time, some immigrants settled directly in Glendale and Burbank. Historically many of the Glendale Armenians were from Iran.
On October 6, 2000, the community in East Hollywood was named Little Armenia by the Los Angeles City Council
The Los Angeles City Council is the legislative body of the Los Angeles, City of Los Angeles in California.
The council is composed of 15 members elected from single-member districts for four-year terms. The President of the Los Angeles City Counc ...
. The city council noted that "the area contains a high concentration of Armenian businesses and residents and social and cultural institutions including schools, churches, social and athletic organizations."
Culture
The Armenian American Museum is under construction in Glendale Glendale is the anglicised version of the Gaelic Gleann Dail, which means ''valley of fertile, low-lying arable land''.
It may refer to:
Places Australia
* Glendale, New South Wales
** Stockland Glendale, a shopping centre
*Glendale, Queensland, ...
. The nearly 60,000-square-foot museum was designed by Glendale's Alajajian-Marcoosi Architects. The heavily engraved facade simultaneously references both Mount Ararat
Mount Ararat or , ''Ararat''; or is a snow-capped and dormant compound volcano in the extreme east of Turkey. It consists of two major volcanic cones: Greater Ararat and Little Ararat. Greater Ararat is the highest peak in Turkey and th ...
, as well as the Verdugo Mountains
The Verdugo Mountains, also known as the Verdugo Hills or simply The Verdugos, are a small, rugged mountain range of the Transverse Ranges system in Los Angeles County, California. Located just south of the western San Gabriel Mountains, the Ver ...
surrounding the city of Glendale. The two-story museum will include an indoor auditorium and a demonstration kitchen.
Religion
Armenian Apostolicism
In 1994, Karekin II
Catholicos Karekin II ( hy, Գարեգին Բ, also spelled Garegin; born 21 August 1951) is the current Catholicos of All Armenians, the supreme head of the Armenian Apostolic Church. In 2013 he was unanimously elected the Oriental Orthodox hea ...
, Catholicos of the Holy See of Cilicia
The Armenian Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia ( hy, Կաթողիկոսութիւն Հայոց Մեծի Տանն Կիլիկիոյ) is an autocephalous Oriental Orthodox church. Since 1930, the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilic ...
, visited Los Angeles. At the time, an estimated 300,000 Armenians in Southern California were associated with either wing of the Armenian Apostolic Church
, native_name_lang = hy
, icon = Armenian Apostolic Church logo.svg
, icon_width = 100px
, icon_alt =
, image = Էջմիածնի_Մայր_Տաճար.jpg
, imagewidth = 250px
, a ...
.
In 2005, both Karekin II
Catholicos Karekin II ( hy, Գարեգին Բ, also spelled Garegin; born 21 August 1951) is the current Catholicos of All Armenians, the supreme head of the Armenian Apostolic Church. In 2013 he was unanimously elected the Oriental Orthodox hea ...
, Catholicos of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin
Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin ( hy, Մայր Աթոռ Սուրբ Էջմիածին, translit=Mayr At’oř Surb Ēĵmiatsin), known in Armenian as simply the Mother See (Մայր Աթոռ, ''Mayr At’oř''), is the governing body of the Armen ...
and Aram I
Aram I ( hy, Արամ Ա. Քեշիշեան; born Bedros Keshishian 8 March 1947), has been the head of the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia since 1995 and he resides in Antelias, Lebanon.
Bibliography
Aram I has written the followin ...
, Catholicos of the Holy See of Cilicia
The Armenian Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia ( hy, Կաթողիկոսութիւն Հայոց Մեծի Տանն Կիլիկիոյ) is an autocephalous Oriental Orthodox church. Since 1930, the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilic ...
, visited Los Angeles. In an interview, Aram II stated that although he hoped for greater collaboration between the two sees, he believed the existence of two Catholicosates has turned out to be a blessing. “Two-headed eagle is stronger,” he said, pointing to a gold seal with a double-headed eagle on a gold chain around his neck.
Catholicism
In 1951, Cardinal Gregorio Pietro Agagianian
Gregorio Pietro XV Agagianian (; anglicized: ''Gregory Peter''; Western hy, Գրիգոր Պետրոս ԺԵ. Աղաճանեան, ''Krikor Bedros ŽĒ. Aghajanian''; born Ghazaros Aghajanian, 15 September 1895 – 16 May 1971) was an Armeni ...
, the Patriarch of Cilicia, was invited to visit Los Angeles by Cardinal James Francis McIntyre
James Francis Aloysius McIntyre (June 25, 1886 – July 16, 1979) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Los Angeles from 1948 to 1970, and was created a cardinal in 1953. He was a highly successful buil ...
, the Archbishop of Los Angeles
The Archdiocese of Los Angeles ( la, Archidiœcesis Angelorum in California, es, Arquidiócesis de Los Ángeles) is an ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church (Catholic particular churches and liturgical rites, particularly ...
. That same year, Mekhitarist
, image =
, image_size =
, caption =
, abbreviation = C.A.M.
, nickname = Mechitarists
, established =
, founder = Abbot Mekhitar of Sebaste, C.A.M.
, foundin ...
priest Michael Akian arrived in Los Angeles to assist with establishing a local Armenian parish. Founded in Boyle Heights
Boyle is an English, Irish and Scottish surname of Gaelic, Anglo-Saxon or Norman origin. In the northwest of Ireland it is one of the most common family names. Notable people with the surname include:
Disambiguation
*Adam Boyle (disambiguation), ...
in 1952, Our Lady Queen of Martyrs became the enter of Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
Armenian life in Los Angeles, but most of its parishioners have since died or moved to more affluent neighborhoods. Since 2001, the church's prominence has been overshadowed by St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Glendale.
Demographics
The Armenian population is subdivided according to their countries of birth, where groups had developed distinctly different cultures. In addition to those born in Armenia, these include those born in the United States, Iranian Armenians
Iranian-Armenians ( hy, իրանահայեր ''iranahayer''), also known as Persian-Armenians ( hy, պարսկահայեր ''parskahayer''), are Iranians of Armenian ethnicity who may speak Armenian as their first language. Estimates of thei ...
, Lebanese Armenians
The Armenians in Lebanon ( hy, Լիբանանահայեր, translit=Libananahayer; ar, الأرمن في لبنان; french: Arméniens du Liban) are Lebanese people, Lebanese citizens of Armenians, Armenian descent. There has been an Armenian pre ...
, and Turkish Armenians
Armenians in Turkey ( tr, Türkiye Ermenileri; hy, Թուրքահայեր, also Թրքահայեր, "Turkish Armenians"), one of the indigenous peoples of Turkey, have an estimated population of 50,000 to 70,000, down from a population of over 2 ...
,[Der-Martirosian, Sabagh, and Bozorgmehr, "Subethnicity: Armenians in Los Angeles," p]
246
as well as those from elsewhere in the former Soviet Union
The post-Soviet states, also known as the former Soviet Union (FSU), the former Soviet Republics and in Russia as the near abroad (russian: links=no, ближнее зарубежье, blizhneye zarubezhye), are the 15 sovereign states that wer ...
and the Middle East
The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...
.[Der-Martirosian, Sabagh, and Bozorgmehr, "Subethnicity: Armenians in Los Angeles," p]
248
Aram Yeretzian's 1923 University of Southern California
The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in C ...
study found that there were around 2,500 to 3,000 Armenians in the city of Los Angeles. 12 Armenian men had married women from several backgrounds including American and Spanish, and three Armenian women had married American men. At the time the majority of Armenians were Turkish Armenians
Armenians in Turkey ( tr, Türkiye Ermenileri; hy, Թուրքահայեր, also Թրքահայեր, "Turkish Armenians"), one of the indigenous peoples of Turkey, have an estimated population of 50,000 to 70,000, down from a population of over 2 ...
while some came from what was Russia at the time.[ The main push factor for Armenians was the ]Armenian genocide
The Armenian genocide was the systematic destruction of the Armenians in the Ottoman Empire, Armenian people and identity in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. Spearheaded by the ruling Committee of Union and Progress (CUP), it was ...
—however, most Armenians ended up dispersed in countries such as Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
, Syria
Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
, Lebanon
Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...
and Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
.
With turbulent situations in Lebanon, Egypt and Iran during the 1970s, many Armenians came to the U.S. via family reunification channels.
Immigration had been heavy in the 1970s. As of 1980 about 66% of Armenian immigrants overall, 70% of immigrants from the former Soviet Union, Iran, and Lebanon, and 60% of Armenians from Turkey, had arrived between 1975 and 1980.[
As of 1980 the median age of U.S.-born Armenians in Los Angeles was 25. The median age for Turkish Armenians was 64; they had resided in the U.S. the longest. The median ages for other Armenians born outside of the U.S. ranged from 26 to 36.][
By the ]1980 U.S. Census
The United States census of 1980, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States to be 226,545,805, an increase of 11.4 percent over the 203,184,772 persons enumerated during the 1970 census. It was th ...
, there were 52,400 Armenians in Los Angeles.[ Citing a 1988 work by Lieberson and Waters, Bakalian wrote, "scholars find that these statistics from the 1980 census underestimate the actual number of Armenians in Los Angeles, and elsewhere in the U.S. for that matter".][ Of these Armenians, foreign-born made up more than twice the number of native-born: 14,700 were born in the United States and 37,700 were born outside of the United States. Of those born in the U.S., 10,200 were born in California and 4,500 were born elsewhere. Of those born outside of the U.S., 7,700 came from Iran, 7,500 from the former Soviet Union, 6,000 from Lebanon, 5,100 from Turkey, 6,200 from elsewhere in the Middle East, and 5,200 from other countries.][
As of the 1990 U.S. Census, there were 115,000 Armenians in the Los Angeles region, making up 37% of the total number of Armenians in the country.][
]
Politics
Due to the lack of recognition that exists across the globe in reference to the Armenian genocide
The Armenian genocide was the systematic destruction of the Armenians in the Ottoman Empire, Armenian people and identity in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. Spearheaded by the ruling Committee of Union and Progress (CUP), it was ...
, many of the new generation of Armenian Americans are pursuing a career in politics. One of their accomplishments, the recognition of the beginning of the Genocide, April 24, as a day of remembrance of "mans inhumanity to man". Together with the Jewish-American lobby, they have sponsored exhibitions, publications, and conferences.
In 2006
File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...
, Paul Krekorian
Paul Krekorian (born March 24, 1960) is an American politician, currently serving as the 26th president of the Los Angeles City Council since October 18, 2022. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he has represent ...
was elected to the 43rd district of the California State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature, the upper house being the California State Senate. The Assembly convenes, along with the State Senate, at the California State Capitol in Sacramento.
The A ...
. In 2009, Krekorian won a seat on the Los Angeles City Council
The Los Angeles City Council is the legislative body of the Los Angeles, City of Los Angeles in California.
The council is composed of 15 members elected from single-member districts for four-year terms. The President of the Los Angeles City Counc ...
, representing Los Angeles City Council District 2
Los Angeles City Council District 2 is one of the 15 districts of the Los Angeles City Council. The 2nd District began its existence in the Hollywood area but now covers much of the far eastern and southeastern portions of the San Fernando Valle ...
. On October 18, 2022, Krekorian was elected the president of the Los Angeles City Council following the resignation of former council president Nury Martinez
Nury Martinez (born July 9, 1973) is a Mexican-American politician who served as a member of the Los Angeles City Council for the 6th district from 2013 until her resignation in 2022. A member of the Democratic Party, Martinez became president o ...
.
As of 2023, three-fifths of Glendale Glendale is the anglicised version of the Gaelic Gleann Dail, which means ''valley of fertile, low-lying arable land''.
It may refer to:
Places Australia
* Glendale, New South Wales
** Stockland Glendale, a shopping centre
*Glendale, Queensland, ...
's City Council members are of Armenian descent: Ardy Kassakhian, Elen Asatryan
Glendale is a city in the San Fernando Valley and Verdugo Mountains regions of Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, California, United States. At the 2020 United States Census, 2020 U.S. Census the population was 196,543, up from ...
, and Ara Najarian
Ara James Najarian (born September 11, 1960) is a Council member and four-time Mayor of Glendale, California. Najarian lost his 2016 primary race running for Board of County Supervisors during which he had the endorsement of the League of Conse ...
.
Economy
Armenians in Los Angeles consist of a large group of entrepreneurs. As of 1996, the self-employment rate of Armenian managers and professionals in Los Angeles is over 66%.[Bozorgmehr, Der-Martirosian, Sabagh, "Middle Easterners: A New Kind of Immigrant," p]
353
As of 1980, of the total number Armenian men 16 and older, 25% worked as executives and professionals.[Der-Martirosian, Sabagh, and Bozorgmehr, "Subethnicity: Armenians in Los Angeles," p]
252
Of the same total, 44% were craftsmen and operators. As of that year, 32% of U.S.-born Armenian and Iranian-born Armenian men worked as executives and professionals, and about 33% of the same group worked as craftsmen and operators.[Der-Martirosian, Sabagh, and Bozorgmehr, "Subethnicity: Armenians in Los Angeles," p]
253
As of the same year, 15% of Armenian men from Armenia worked as executives and professionals,[Der-Martirosian, Sabagh, and Bozorgmehr, "Subethnicity: Armenians in Los Angeles," p]
252253
and about 66% of the same group worked as craftsmen and operators.[
The 1980 self-employment rate of Armenians in total was 18%. Of the ]Turkish Armenians
Armenians in Turkey ( tr, Türkiye Ermenileri; hy, Թուրքահայեր, also Թրքահայեր, "Turkish Armenians"), one of the indigenous peoples of Turkey, have an estimated population of 50,000 to 70,000, down from a population of over 2 ...
the rate was 32%. The other Armenian groups had self-employment rates close to 18%. Armenia-born Armenians had an 11% self-employment rate. Der-Martirosian, Sabagh, and Bozorgmehr wrote that the Armenia-born Armenians were less likely to start their own businesses compared to other groups because "the tradition of entrepreneurship may not have been as strong in the Soviet socialist economy as it remained in Middle Eastern market economies."[ In addition, this group had arrived with no or very little capital and the members were not permitted to take money out of the former Soviet Union. The 1980 percentage of general employment of the general Los Angeles population was 9%.][
According to Yeretzian's 1923 study, 39.5% of Los Angeles Armenians were skilled laborers, 23.5% were agricultural laborers, 2.3% were professionals, and the remainder worked in other occupations as laborers.][Bakalian, p]
16
Media
As of 2013, Glendale was home to eight Armenian-American television stations and no fewer than ten Armenian-American newspapers.
* ''Asbarez
''Asbarez'' ( hy, Ասպարէզ "Arena") is an Armenian-American bilingual daily newspaper published in Armenian and English in Los Angeles, California, formerly by the Western USA Central Committee of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation. As ...
'' ( hy, Ասպարէզ , meaning "Arena") is a bilingual daily newspaper
A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background.
Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as politics, business, sports a ...
published in Armenian and English in Little Armenia.
* ''The California Courier
''The California Courier'' is an English-language Armenian weekly newspaper published since 1958 in the United States. Its publisher is Harut Sassounian.
History
In 1958, ''The California Courier'' was founded in Fresno, California by George J. ...
'' has been published in Glendale on a weekly basis since the 1980s.[
* ''Massis Weekly'' ( hy, Մասիս Շաբաթաթերթ) is an official publication of the ]Social Democrat Hunchakian Party
The Social Democrat Hunchakian Party (SDHP) ( hy, Սոցիալ Դեմոկրատ Հնչակյան Կուսակցություն; ՍԴՀԿ, translit=Sots’ial Demokrat Hnch’akyan Kusakts’ut’yun), is the oldest continuously-operating Armenian ...
of the Western Region of the United States of America, published in Pasadena.
* ''Nor Hayastan'' ( hy, Նոր Հայաստան, meaning "New Armenia") is an independent Armenian language daily newspaper published in Glendale.
* ''Nor Or
Nor Or (Նոր Օր 'New Day''in Armenian) is an Armenian American bilingual newspaper. It was established originally in Fresno, California and first issue published on 20 October 1922 and the first editor in chief was Aram Amirkhanian. It is ...
'' ( hy, Նոր Օր, meaning "New Day") is an independent Armenian language weekly newspaper published in Altadena
Altadena () ("Alta", Spanish for "Upper", and "dena" from Pasadena) is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in the Verdugo Mountains region of Los Angeles County, California, approximately 14 miles (23 km) from the downtown ...
.
Other notable Armenian media in Los Angeles include:
* Horizon Armenian Television is the first 24-hour Armenian language television network in America.
* In 2012 PanArmenian Media Group created Panarmenian TV for the Armenian American
Armenian Americans ( hy, ամերիկահայեր, ''amerikahayer'') are citizens or residents of the United States who have total or partial Armenian ancestry. They form the second largest community of the Armenian diaspora after Armenians in ...
audience.
* In 2014, USArmenia began airing '' Glendale Life,'' a reality TV show about Armenians in Glendale. Critics of the show started a Facebook
Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin M ...
page called "Stop ‘Glendale Life’ Show" and a change.org
Change.org is a worldwide nonprofit petition website, based in California, US, operated by the San Francisco-based company of the same name, which has over 400 million users and offers the public the ability to promote the petitions they care abo ...
petition. In a two-week span, the petition received over 1,600 signatures and the Facebook page got almost 6,000 likes.
* KLOS-HD3 airs Armenian music
The music of Armenia ( hy, հայկական երաժշտություն ''haykakan yerazhshtut’yun'') has its origins in the Armenian highlands, dating back to the 3rd millennium BCE, and is a long-standing musical tradition that encompasse ...
and is branded as "SoCal Armenian".
Education
Claudia Der-Martirosian, Georges Sabagh, and Mehdi Bozorgmehr, authors of "Subethnicity: Armenians in Los Angeles," wrote that in 1980 "the general level of education among all Armenians in Los Angeles was fairly high."[ Different subgroups of Armenian immigrants had differing levels of education. As of 1980, almost no U.S.-born Armenian men, and fewer of one out of ten Armenian-born Armenians and ]Iranian Armenians
Iranian-Armenians ( hy, իրանահայեր ''iranahayer''), also known as Persian-Armenians ( hy, պարսկահայեր ''parskahayer''), are Iranians of Armenian ethnicity who may speak Armenian as their first language. Estimates of thei ...
had low levels of education; these groups had the highest modal education category, with men achieving university degrees and women not having university degrees. Almost half of Turkish Armenian
Armenians in Turkey ( tr, Türkiye Ermenileri; hy, Թուրքահայեր, also Թրքահայեր, "Turkish Armenians"), one of the indigenous peoples of Turkey, have an estimated population of 50,000 to 70,000, down from a population of over 2 ...
men, who were older compared to other Armenians, had some elementary school education. The modal education category of Turkish Armenians was the lowest, with both men and women having elementary education. Almost one quarter of Lebanese Armenian
The Armenians in Lebanon ( hy, Լիբանանահայեր, translit=Libananahayer; ar, الأرمن في لبنان; french: Arméniens du Liban) are Lebanese citizens of Armenian descent. There has been an Armenian presence in Lebanon for centu ...
men and Armenian men from elsewhere in the Middle East had a limited elementary school education. Der-Martirosian, Sabagh, and Bozorgmehr wrote that "Although women, generally, had a lower educational achievement than did men, internal differences among subgroups were comparable to those of the Armenian men."[ Because of the presence of uneducated Armenians, overall there were fewer Los Angeles Armenians with a postgraduate university education compared to those who had only an elementary level education.][
In June 2021, ]Adrin Nazarian
Adrin Nazarian ( hy, Ադրին Նազարեան; born March 19, 1973) is an American politician of Armenian descent who served in the California State Assembly until 2022. A Democrat, he represented the 46th Assembly District which encompasses ...
announced $9 million in state funding to establish a location of TUMO Center for Creative Technologies
The TUMO Center for Creative Technologies ( hy, Թումո ստեղծարար տեխնոլոգիաների կենտրոն) is a free education program for teenagers aged 12–18 specializing in technology and design, with education being provided ...
in the southeast San Fernando Valley
The San Fernando Valley, known locally as the Valley, is an urbanized valley in Los Angeles County, California. Located to the north of the Los Angeles Basin, it contains a large portion of the City of Los Angeles, as well as unincorporated ar ...
. Serj Tankian
Serj Tankian (born August 21, 1967) is an Armenian-American singer, musician, songwriter, political activist and entrepreneur. He is best known as the lead vocalist, primary lyricist, keyboardist, and occasional rhythm guitarist of heavy metal ...
, a member of TUMO's Advisory Board, has stated that the Los Angeles center will be located in North Hollywood
North Hollywood is a neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, located in the San Fernando Valley. The neighborhood contains the NoHo Arts District, the El Portal Theatre, several art galleries, and the Academy of TV Arts and Sciences. The North ...
. He has emphasized "the fact that it's in L.A., we can get actors, we can get filmmakers. I think the creative side, especially the entertainment creative side of the TUMO L.A, is gonna have a VIP list. I'm gonna get hassled to hassle people basically, for the next couple of years.
Institutions
Public schools
As of 1990, the largest immigrant group speaking an ethnic home language in the Glendale Unified School District
The Glendale Unified School District is a school district based in Glendale, California, United States.
The school district serves the city of Glendale, portions of the city of La Cañada Flintridge and the unincorporated communities of Montr ...
was Armenians.[Der-Martirosian, Sabagh, and Bozorgmehr, "Subethnicity: Armenians in Los Angeles," p]
250251
In 1987 the district had eight Armenian-speaking teachers and teaching aides, and that year had hired five additional Armenian-speaking teachers and teacher aides.[ By 2004 over 33% of the Glendale district students were Armenian. That year, due to high levels of student absence around the Armenian Christmas the Glendale district considered making Armenian holidays school holidays.][ In 2016 it also began having no school on April 24, known as the anniversary of the start of the ]Armenian genocide
The Armenian genocide was the systematic destruction of the Armenians in the Ottoman Empire, Armenian people and identity in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. Spearheaded by the ruling Committee of Union and Progress (CUP), it was ...
(Red Sunday
The deportation of Armenian intellectuals is conventionally held to mark the beginning of the Armenian genocide. Leaders of the Armenian community in the Ottoman capital of Constantinople (now Istanbul), and later other locations, were arreste ...
); it was the first American school district to do this.
As of 2010 20% of the students at Grant High School in Valley Glen
Valley Glen is a neighborhood in southeastern section of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles, California. Once part of Van Nuys and North Hollywood, it became a separate neighborhood in 1998. Valley Glen is home to Los Angeles Valley College an ...
(Los Angeles USD
Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) is a public school district in Los Angeles, California, United States. It is the largest public school system in California in terms of number of students and the 2nd largest public school district in ...
) were Armenian.[Aghajanian, Liana.]
Culture Clash: Armenian and Hispanic Relations in the Past, Present and Future
Archive
. ''Ararat Quarterly
''Ararat Quarterly'' (1959–2008) was an international quarterly of literature, history, popular culture and the arts published in English
The quarterly was published by the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) in New York
New York most co ...
''. July 6, 2010. Retrieved on January 5, 2016.
Armenian schools
As of 1993 there were twelve Armenian day schools in the Los Angeles area, with five of them being high schools. These Los Angeles-area Armenian day schools are the majority of Armenian day schools in the United States.[ ]Ferrahian Armenian School
Holy Martyrs Armenian Elementary and Ferrahian High School ( hy, ՍՐԲՈՑ ՆԱՀԱՏԱԿԱՑ ԱԶԳԱՅԻՆ ՆԱԽԱԿՐԹԱՐԱՆ ՖԵՐԱՀԵԱՆ ԵՐԿՐՈՐԴԱԿԱՆ ՎԱՐԺԱՐԱՆ) is an Armenian-American private school located in the Sa ...
in Encino, Los Angeles
Encino (Spanish for "oak") is a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California.
History
In 1769, the Spanish Portolá expedition, first Europeans to see inland areas of California, traveled north through Sepulveda P ...
in the San Fernando Valley
The San Fernando Valley, known locally as the Valley, is an urbanized valley in Los Angeles County, California. Located to the north of the Los Angeles Basin, it contains a large portion of the City of Los Angeles, as well as unincorporated ar ...
is the first Armenian day school in the United States, opening in 1964.
* The Rose and Alex Pilibos Armenian School
Rose and Alex Pilibos Armenian School ( hy, Լոս Անջելեսի Ռոզ և Ալեքս Փիլիպոս ազգային վարժարան) is a K-12 Armenian school in the neighborhood of Little Armenia in Los Angeles, California. It was founded by ...
and the TCA Arshag Dickranian Armenian School
Tekeyan Cultural Association Arshag Dickranian Armenian School ( hy, Արշակ Տիգրանյան վարժարան) was a private K-12 Armenian school in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
California is a state in the Western United Sta ...
are located in Little Armenia in Hollywood
Hollywood usually refers to:
* Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California
* Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States
Hollywood may also refer to:
Places United States
* Hollywood District (disambiguation)
* Hollywood, ...
.
* Armenian schools in the San Fernando Valley
The San Fernando Valley, known locally as the Valley, is an urbanized valley in Los Angeles County, California. Located to the north of the Los Angeles Basin, it contains a large portion of the City of Los Angeles, as well as unincorporated ar ...
include the AGBU Manoogian-Demirdjian School
AGBU Manoogian-Demirdjian School ( hy, ՀԲԸՄ Մանուկեան-Տէմիրճեան վարժարան) is an Armenian-American private school located in Winnetka, Los Angeles, California, United States. Located in the heart of the San Fernando ...
in Winnetka, the Ferrahian Armenian School in Encino and North Hills.
* Armenian schools in Pasadena
Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commercial district.
Its ...
include AGBU Vatche and Tamar Manoukian High School
AGBU Vatche & Tamar Manoukian High School was a private Armenian-American school located in Pasadena, California, United States, which opened its doors in September 2006 and closed in 2020. The campus is owned and operated by the Armenian General ...
.
* The PK-12 Armenian Mesrobian School
The Armenian Mesrobian School is a K-12 Armenian school located in Pico Rivera, California, in the Los Angeles metropolitan area.
The board of trustees of the school includes officials from the school itself and the Holy Cross Armenian Apostolic ...
is located in Pico Rivera
Pico Rivera is a city located in southeastern Los Angeles County, California. The city is situated approximately southeast of downtown Los Angeles, on the eastern edge of the Los Angeles basin, and on the southern edge of the area known as the ...
, serving the Armenian community east of Downtown Los Angeles
Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA) contains the central business district of Los Angeles. In addition, it contains a diverse residential area of some 85,000 people, and covers . A 2013 study found that the district is home to over 500,000 jobs. It is ...
.
* Armenian schools in Glendale Glendale is the anglicised version of the Gaelic Gleann Dail, which means ''valley of fertile, low-lying arable land''.
It may refer to:
Places Australia
* Glendale, New South Wales
** Stockland Glendale, a shopping centre
*Glendale, Queensland, ...
include the Chamlian Armenian School.
Post-secondary education
The Mashdots College is located in Glendale. It includes college, career, and certificate programs.
Relations with other communities
The emergence of increasingly visible ethnic groups — including Armenians, Cubans
Cubans ( es, Cubanos) are people born in Cuba and people with Cuban citizenship. Cuba is a multi-ethnic nation, home to people of different ethnic, religious and national backgrounds.
Racial and ethnic groups
Census
The population of Cuba wa ...
and Filipinos
Filipinos ( tl, Mga Pilipino) are the people who are citizens of or native to the Philippines. The majority of Filipinos today come from various Austronesian ethnolinguistic groups, all typically speaking either Filipino, English and/or othe ...
and Koreans
Koreans ( South Korean: , , North Korean: , ; see names of Korea) are an East Asian ethnic group native to the Korean Peninsula.
Koreans mainly live in the two Korean nation states: North Korea and South Korea (collectively and simply refe ...
— changed the official discourse in Glendale. In 1972, C.E. Perkins, then city manager
A city manager is an official appointed as the administrative manager of a city, in a "Mayor–council government" council–manager form of city government. Local officials serving in this position are sometimes referred to as the chief execu ...
, encouraged the Rotary Club of Glendale to prepare itself as the city, historically a sundown town
Sundown towns, also known as sunset towns, gray towns, or sundowner towns, are all-white municipalities or neighborhoods in the United States that practice a form of racial segregation by excluding non-whites via some combination of discriminator ...
, could no longer remain isolated in an increasingly diverse America.
During the 1992 Los Angeles uprising, Armenians largely remained on the sidelines and watched the events unfold from their ethnic enclaves. Chahe Keuroghlian of the Glendale Police Department surmised that this isolationism was cultural, stating "We lived in the Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
as a minority in forced isolation. In the countries of the Middle East
The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...
that same seclusion continued. We built community and a whole structure accordingly. Then we moved those substructures to other countries. And because we manage to survive, we think that a sequestered, inward-looking lifestyle has been the backbone of our survival. I don't think that's really justified. The more we cooperate with and learn about other communities, the better it is for everyone."
Armenian immigration altered the ethnic composition of certain neighborhoods, causing backlash. Within a two-month span in 2000, there were three murders and one attempted murder in the Los Angeles area as a result of tensions between Armenians and Latinos
Hispanic and Latino Americans ( es, Estadounidenses hispanos y latinos; pt, Estadunidenses hispânicos e latinos) are Americans of Spanish and/or Latin American ancestry. More broadly, these demographics include all Americans who identify as ...
.
In January 2019, a masked individual zip-tied Turkish
Turkish may refer to:
*a Turkic language spoken by the Turks
* of or about Turkey
** Turkish language
*** Turkish alphabet
** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation
*** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey
*** Turkish communities and mi ...
flags on the gates of AGBU Manoogian-Demirdjian School
AGBU Manoogian-Demirdjian School ( hy, ՀԲԸՄ Մանուկեան-Տէմիրճեան վարժարան) is an Armenian-American private school located in Winnetka, Los Angeles, California, United States. Located in the heart of the San Fernando ...
and Holy Martyrs Ferrahian High School, in Canoga Park
Canoga Park is a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley region of the City of Los Angeles, California. Before the Mexican–American War, the district was part of a rancho, and after the American victory it was converted into wheat farms and t ...
and Encino, respectively. Authorities investigated the incidents, which sparked concern and outrage among local Armenians.
In November 2020, during the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War
The Second Nagorno-Karabakh War was an armed conflict in 2020 that took place in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding territories. It was a major escalation of an unresolved conflict over the region, involving Azerbai ...
, the Mexican community of Glendale erected a Day of the Dead
The Day of the Dead ( es, Día de Muertos or ''Día de los Muertos'') is a holiday traditionally celebrated on November 1 and 2, though other days, such as October 31 or November 6, may be included depending on the locality. It is widely obser ...
altar in support of the Armenian community.
The 2022 Los Angeles City Council scandal
On October 9, 2022, an audio recording surfaced of a private meeting involving Los Angeles City Council members and a union leader that involved racist and disparaging comments and led to a local political scandal. The audio recording captured a ...
revealed that Los Angeles City Council
The Los Angeles City Council is the legislative body of the Los Angeles, City of Los Angeles in California.
The council is composed of 15 members elected from single-member districts for four-year terms. The President of the Los Angeles City Counc ...
president Nury Martinez
Nury Martinez (born July 9, 1973) is a Mexican-American politician who served as a member of the Los Angeles City Council for the 6th district from 2013 until her resignation in 2022. A member of the Democratic Party, Martinez became president o ...
referred to Areen Ibranossian, an advisor to councilmember Paul Krekorian
Paul Krekorian (born March 24, 1960) is an American politician, currently serving as the 26th president of the Los Angeles City Council since October 18, 2022. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he has represent ...
, as "The guy with one eyebrow." With Martinez unable to recall Ibranossian's last name, Gil Cedillo
Gilbert Anthony Cedillo (born March 25, 1954) is an American politician, who served as a member of the Los Angeles City Council for the 1st district from 2013 to 2022. A member of the Democratic Party, Cedillo was previously a member of both the ...
replied "It ends in i-a-n, I bet you." The Armenian National Committee of America
The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) ( hy, Ամերիկայի Հայ դատի յանձնախումբ) an Armenian American grassroots organization. Its headquarters is in Washington, D.C., and it has regional offices in Glendale, ...
denounced this incident.
Individuals protesting the 2022–2023 blockade of the Republic of Artsakh
The blockade of the Nagorno-Karabakh was an event in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Nagorno-Karabakh, The region was disputed between Azerbaijan and the List of states with limited recognition, breakaway Republic of Artsakh, Diplomatic recogniti ...
outside the Turkish
Turkish may refer to:
*a Turkic language spoken by the Turks
* of or about Turkey
** Turkish language
*** Turkish alphabet
** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation
*** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey
*** Turkish communities and mi ...
Consulate General In Los Angeles, in Beverly Hills
Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. A notable and historic suburb of Greater Los Angeles, it is in a wealthy area immediately southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Bev ...
, discovered numerous Armenophic flyers in the vicinity. Mayor Lili Bosse
Lili Bosse ( Toren) is an American politician serving as the 82nd and current mayor of Beverly Hills, California.
The daughter of Holocaust survivors, she has supported many Jewish causes in the United States and Israel. Before her current ter ...
immediately denounced the flyers on social media as the Beverly Hills Police Department
The Beverly Hills Police Department (BHPD) is the police department of the City of Beverly Hills, California.
History
The first law enforcement agency was formed shortly after the City of Beverly Hills was incorporated in 1914. The first city ...
reviewed surveillance camera footage. This incident was condemned by a number of local officials, including President of the Los Angeles City Council
The President of the Los Angeles City Council is the presiding officer of the Los Angeles City Council. The president presides over meetings of the council and assignments to City Council committees and handles parliamentary duties like ruling mot ...
Paul Krekorian
Paul Krekorian (born March 24, 1960) is an American politician, currently serving as the 26th president of the Los Angeles City Council since October 18, 2022. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he has represent ...
, West Hollywood
West Hollywood is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Incorporated in 1984, it is home to the Sunset Strip. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 U.S. Census, its population was 35,757. It is considered one of the most ...
Mayor Sepi Shyne, California State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature, the upper house being the California State Senate. The Assembly convenes, along with the State Senate, at the California State Capitol in Sacramento.
The A ...
member Wendy Carrillo
Wendy Maria Carrillo Dono is an American politician serving in the California State Assembly. A Democratic Party (United States), Democrat, she represents the California's 51st State Assembly district, 51st State Assembly district, encompassing ...
, and Los Angeles County Supervisor
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors (LACBOS) is the five-member governing body of Los Angeles County, California, United States.
History
On April 1, 1850 the citizens of Los Angeles elected a three-man Court of Sessions as their first ...
Lindsey Horvath
Lindsey Patrice Horvath (born June 30, 1982) is an American politician, advertising executive, and activist who is a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors for the 3rd District, which covers the San Fernando Valley, and is the Chai ...
.
School conflicts
For decades, Latinos were the dominant minority ethnic group in Glendale, but by 2000, Armenians had become the new “majority minority
A majority-minority or minority-majority area is a term used to refer to a administrative division, subdivision in which one or more minority group, racial, ethnic, and/or religious minorities (relative to the whole country's population) make up a ...
." During this era, Glendale's Herbert Hoover High School grappled with violence between Latino and Armenian students, culminating in the death of student Raul Aguirre in 2000. A 2018 altercation resulted in the cancellation of the “Battle for the Victory Bell," an annual football match between rivals Hoover High School and Glendale High School. In response, Shant Sahakian, Glendale's Arts and Culture Commissioner, stated
“This incident brings back painful memories without closure for our entire community.”
At Ulysses S. Grant High School, in Van Nuys
Van Nuys () is a neighborhood in the central San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California. Home to Van Nuys Airport and the Valley Municipal Building, it is the most populous neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley.
History
In 1909, t ...
, ethnic tensions exploded on October 21, 1999, when a fight between an Armenian girl and a Latina girl turned into a fight among 200 students. The fight resulted in 40 students being detained and minor injuries being inflicted on 10 students, some teachers, and a maintenance worker. In January 2000, the students signed a "peace treaty" to prevent future fighting. By February, banners were erected which promoted peace. By October of that year, there were discussion programs aimed at further reducing tension. Ethnic tensions flared up again in 2005, resulting in a fight involving nearly 500 students. By 2019, Grant had become "a predominately Armenian school
Gang violence
Armenian Power
Armenian Power 13, also known as AP, the Armenian Mob, or Armenian Mafia is an Armenian criminal organization and street gang founded and currently based in Los Angeles County, California.Krikorian, Michael (August 17, 1997)Violent Gang Is a Stai ...
has had a history of conflict with Mexican American
Mexican Americans ( es, mexicano-estadounidenses, , or ) are Americans of full or partial Mexican heritage. In 2019, Mexican Americans comprised 11.3% of the US population and 61.5% of all Hispanic and Latino Americans. In 2019, 71% of Mexica ...
Sureño gangs. Armen "Silent" Petrosyan, a founder of Armenian Power, was shot to death in Little Armenia on May 22, 2000, by Jose Argueta, a member of the Sureño White Fence
White Fence (also known by the acronym WF) is a predominantly Mexican American street gang in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of East Los Angeles.
History
White Fence is one of the oldest gangs in Los Angeles. The gang itself claims its histor ...
gang.
Allegations of crime
In October 2010 the Federal Government of the United States
The federal government of the United States (U.S. federal government or U.S. government) is the national government of the United States, a federal republic located primarily in North America, composed of 50 states, a city within a fede ...
accused 52 persons of being involved in a Medicare fraud operation orchestrated by an Armenian organized crime group; the persons were arrested. In February 2011 the federal government accused the Armenian Power
Armenian Power 13, also known as AP, the Armenian Mob, or Armenian Mafia is an Armenian criminal organization and street gang founded and currently based in Los Angeles County, California.Krikorian, Michael (August 17, 1997)Violent Gang Is a Stai ...
gang (formed in the 1990s in response to aggression by Mexican
Mexican may refer to:
Mexico and its culture
*Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America
** People
*** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants
*** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...
gangs) of committing white collar crime. That month, 74 people were arrested in Southern California. The federal authorities revealed the indictments at the Glendale police headquarters. The charges were racketeering and fraud. Jason Wells and Veronica Rocha of the ''Glendale News-Press
The ''Glendale News Press'' is a weekly newspaper published by Outlook Newspapers Group in Glendale, California. It covers local news, community events, and sports in Glendale and La Crescenta-Montrose.
History
The paper was founded as a week ...
'' wrote that in Glendale, as a result of the 2011 arrests, "news of the arrests raised fears of what seems to be the inevitable: a rush by a vocal few to reinforce stereotypes."[Armenians uneasy after gang arrests]
" ''Glendale News-Press
The ''Glendale News Press'' is a weekly newspaper published by Outlook Newspapers Group in Glendale, California. It covers local news, community events, and sports in Glendale and La Crescenta-Montrose.
History
The paper was founded as a week ...
''. February 16, 2011. Retrieved on July 2, 2014.
Notable residents
File:Tatev Abrahamyan 2011.JPG, Tatev Abrahamyan
Tatev Abrahamyan ( hy, Տաթև Աբրահամյան; born January 13, 1988) is an Armenian-American chess player. She currently holds the title of Woman Grandmaster (WGM).
Career
Abrahamyan finished in a tie for first place with Nana Dzagnidz ...
(Woman Grandmaster
FIDE titles are awarded by the international chess governing body FIDE (''Fédération Internationale des Échecs'') for outstanding performance. The highest such title is Grandmaster (GM). Titles generally require a combination of Elo rating and ...
(WGM) in chess
Chess is a board game for two players, called White and Black, each controlling an army of chess pieces in their color, with the objective to checkmate the opponent's king. It is sometimes called international chess or Western chess to disti ...
)
File:Ben Agajanian - 1955 Bowman.jpg, Ben Agajanian
Benjamin James "The Toeless Wonder" Agajanian (August 28, 1919 – February 8, 2018) was an American American football player, primarily a placekicker in the National Football League, the All-America Football Conference and American Football Leag ...
(American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
player)
File:Armenchik.jpg, Armenchik
Armen Gondrachyan ( hy, Արմեն Գոնդրաչյան; born August 8, 1980), better known by his stage name Armenchik ( hy, Արմենչիկ), is an Armenian-American pop singer based in Los Angeles.
Early years and career
Armen Gondrachyan w ...
(singer)
File:Ross Bagdasarian 1972.jpg, Ross Bagdasarian Sr.
Ross S. Bagdasarian (; January 27, 1919 – January 16, 1972), known professionally by his stage name David Seville, was an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actor, best known for creating the virtual band, cartoon band Alvin an ...
(singer, songwriter)
File:Chaz Bono by Gage Skidmore.jpg, Chaz Bono
Chaz Salvatore Bono (born Chastity Sun Bono; March 4, 1969) is an American writer, musician and actor. His parents are entertainers Sonny Bono and Cher, and he became widely known in appearances as a child on their television show, ''The Sonny ...
(writer, musician and actor)
File:Ken Davitian 2010.jpg, Ken Davitian
Kenneth Davitian ( hy, Քենեթ Դավիթյան; born June 19, 1953) is an American actor, best known for his role as Borat's producer Azamat Bagatov in the 2006 comedy film ''Borat''.
Early life and education
Kenneth Davitian was born in L ...
(actor)
File:George Deukmejian.jpg, George Deukmejian
Courken George Deukmejian Jr. (;
June 6, 1928 – May 8, 2018) was an American politician who served as the 35th governor of California from 1983 to 1991. Of Armenian descent, Deukmejian was a member of the Republican Party and he also serve ...
(former Governor of California
The governor of California is the head of government of the U.S. state of California. The governor is the commander-in-chief of the California National Guard and the California State Guard.
Established in the Constitution of California, the g ...
)
File:John dolmayan (cropped).jpg, John Dolmayan
John Dolmayan (; born July 15, 1972) is a Lebanese-born Armenian-American musician, best known as the drummer of System of a Down. He is also the drummer for the band Indicator and former drummer for Scars on Broadway. Dolmayan ranked number 33 ...
(drummer for System of a Down
System of a Down (also known as SoaD or simply System) is an Armenian-American heavy metal band formed in Glendale, California, in 1994. Since 1997, the band has consisted of Serj Tankian (lead vocals, keyboards); Daron Malakian (guitar, voc ...
)
File:HughesbrothersCCJuly09.jpg, Albert and Allen Hughes (film directors)
File:Khloe Kardashian (cropped).jpg, Khloé Kardashian
Khloé Alexandra Kardashian (; born June 27, 1984) is an American media personality and socialite. Since 2007, she has starred with her family in the reality television series ''Keeping Up with the Kardashians''. Its success has led to the cre ...
File:President Trump Meets with Sentencing Commutation Recipients (49624188912) (cropped).jpg, Kim Kardashian
Kimberly Noel Kardashian (formerly West; born October 21, 1980) is an American socialite, media personality, and businesswoman. She first gained media attention as a friend and stylist of Paris Hilton, but received wider notice after the sex ...
File:Kourtney Kardashian in 2019 3.jpg, Kourtney Kardashian
Kourtney Mary Kardashian (born April 18, 1979) is an American media personality and socialite. In 2007, she and her family began starring in the reality television series ''Keeping Up with the Kardashians''. Its success led to the creation of ...
File:Ana Kasparian on the centre Stage at Collision 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana (cropped).jpg, Ana Kasparian (political commentator)
File:Cvr-Kassakhian-Mayor-scaled.jpg, Ardy Kassakhian (politician)
File:Kirk Kerkorian 2017 stamp of Armenia.jpg, Kirk Kerkorian
Kerkor Kerkorian ( hy, Գրիգոր Գրիգորեան; June 6, 1917 – June 15, 2015) was an American businessman, investor, and philanthropist. He was the president and CEO of Tracinda Corporation, his private holding company based in Beverl ...
File:Bob Kevoian 2013.jpg, Bob Kevoian
Robert James "Bob" Kevoian (born December 2, 1950) is a retired American radio host of the nationally syndicated radio show ''The Bob & Tom Show'' together with his partner, Tom Griswold. The show is broadcast from WFBQ's studios in Indianapolis ...
, host of The Bob & Tom Show
''The Bob & Tom Show'' is a syndicated US radio program established by Bob Kevoian and Tom Griswold at radio station WFBQ in Indianapolis, Indiana, March 7, 1983, and syndicated nationally since January 6, 1995. Originally syndicated by Premiere ...
File:Councilmember Paul Krekorian.jpg, Paul Krekorian
Paul Krekorian (born March 24, 1960) is an American politician, currently serving as the 26th president of the Los Angeles City Council since October 18, 2022. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he has represent ...
(politician)
File:DM-photo.jpg, Daron Malakian
Daron Malakian (born July 18, 1975) is an Armenian-American musician. He is best known as the guitarist, songwriter, and second vocalist of metal band System of a Down, and as the lead vocalist, lead guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, and songwrit ...
(guitarist for System of a Down
System of a Down (also known as SoaD or simply System) is an Armenian-American heavy metal band formed in Glendale, California, in 1994. Since 1997, the band has consisted of Serj Tankian (lead vocals, keyboards); Daron Malakian (guitar, voc ...
)
File:Юра Мовсисян.jpg, Yura Movsisyan
Yura Movsisyan ( hy, Յուրա Մովսիսյան; born 2 August 1987) is an Armenian former professional footballer who played as a forward. Most notably, Movsisyan played for Spartak Moscow in the Russian Premier League. He played for the Arm ...
(former footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby le ...
)
File:Ara Najarian.jpg, Ara Najarian
Ara James Najarian (born September 11, 1960) is a Council member and four-time Mayor of Glendale, California. Najarian lost his 2016 primary race running for Board of County Supervisors during which he had the endorsement of the League of Conse ...
(politician)
File:Adrin Nazarian, 2018.jpg, Adrin Nazarian
Adrin Nazarian ( hy, Ադրին Նազարեան; born March 19, 1973) is an American politician of Armenian descent who served in the California State Assembly until 2022. A Democrat, he represented the 46th Assembly District which encompasses ...
(politician)
File:ShavoBass.jpg, Shavo Odadjian
Shavarsh "Shavo" Odadjian ( hy, Շավարշ "Շավո" Օդաջյան; born April 22, 1974) is an Armenian-American musician, best known as the bassist of heavy metal band System of a Down. He also plays bass in a trap group called North Kingsl ...
(bassist for System of a Down
System of a Down (also known as SoaD or simply System) is an Armenian-American heavy metal band formed in Glendale, California, in 1994. Since 1997, the band has consisted of Serj Tankian (lead vocals, keyboards); Daron Malakian (guitar, voc ...
)
File:Bill Paparian at the Visual Artist Guild Awards Dinner 2008 (2522924277).jpg, Bill Paparian
William Mihrtad Paparian (born 1949 in Los Angeles, California) is an American politician, a former mayor of Pasadena, California, serving from 1995 to 1997. He was also a member of the Pasadena City Council from 1987 to 1999, and a Green Party ...
(politician)
File:Armen Ra.jpg, Armen Ra
Armen Ra is a Persian-Armenian artist, self-taught thereminist, production designer, director, and performer.
Musical career Career (2010-2013)
Ra began studying the theremin in 2001, debuting with the orchestral group Antony & the Johnsons in ...
(theremin
The theremin (; originally known as the ætherphone/etherphone, thereminophone or termenvox/thereminvox) is an electronic musical instrument controlled without physical contact by the performer (who is known as a thereminist). It is named afte ...
ist)
File:Angela Sarafyan by Gage Skidmore.jpg, Angela Sarafyan
Angela Sarafyan ( hy, Անժելա Սարաֆյան; June 30, 1983), sometimes credited as Angela Sarafian, is an Armenian-American actress. She has appeared as a guest star in several television series and has acted in the feature films: ''Kablu ...
(actress)
File:Cher in 2019 cropped.jpg, Cher (Cherilyn Sarkisian) (singer)
File:Steve Sarkisian in 2010 (cropped).jpg, Steve Sarkisian
Stephen Sarkisian (born March 8, 1974)Stephens, Ken. – "QB GENEALOGY – Steve Sarkisian is latest in long line of talented BYU quarterbacks". –
FUN FACT, Sarkisian’s father is actually Texas Tech Head Coach, Joey McGuire.
''Dallas Mo ...
(former USC
USC most often refers to:
* University of South Carolina, a public research university
** University of South Carolina System, the main university and its satellite campuses
**South Carolina Gamecocks, the school athletic program
* University of ...
head football coach)
File:Sarkissian WMQ16 (7) (28107144142).jpg, Alexander Sarkissian
Alexander Sarkissian (born April 3, 1990) is an American professional tennis player
Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent (singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles). Each pl ...
(tennis
Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball ...
player)
File:Adam Sevani 1.jpg, Adam G. Sevani
Adam G. Sewani (born June 29, 1992) is an American actor and dancer, known for playing Robert Alexander III / Moose in the Step Up film series.
Acting career
In February 2008, Sevani appeared in the Touchstone Pictures dance drama film '' Step ...
(actor)
File:Edmen Shahbazyan at UFC 244.jpg, Edmen Shahbazyan
Edmen Shahbazyan (born November 20, 1997) is an American mixed martial artist competing in the middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
Background
Edmen Shahbazyan fights out of Glendale, California. His older brother, ...
, (mixed martial artist
Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorp ...
)
File:Sebu Simonian (Capital Cities) 2013.jpg, Sebu Simonian
Sebu Simonian (born October 15, 1978; hy, Սեպուհ Սիմոնեան) is an Armenian-American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer, one-half of the Los Angeles-based indie pop duo Capital Cities.
Early life
Simonian was born in ...
(member of Capital Cities
A capital city or capital is the municipality holding primary status in a country, state, province, Department (country subdivision), department, or other subnational entity, usually as its seat of the government. A capital is typically a city ...
)
File:Zareh Sinanyan mayoral portrait.jpeg, Zareh Sinanyan
Zareh John Sinanyan ( hy, Զարեհ Սինանյան, born December 4, 1973) is an Armenian-American politician currently serving as the High Commissioner of Diaspora Affairs of Armenia. He is a former member of the city council of Glendale, Cal ...
(politician)
File:Akim Tamiroff 1964.jpg, Akim Tamiroff
Akim Mikhailovich Tamiroff, russian: Аким Михайлович Тамиров (born Hovakim Tamiryants; October 29, 1899 – September 17, 1972) was an Armenian-American actor of film, stage, and television. One of the premier character act ...
, actor
File:Serj Tankian in Artsakh (cropped).jpg, Serj Tankian
Serj Tankian (born August 21, 1967) is an Armenian-American singer, musician, songwriter, political activist and entrepreneur. He is best known as the lead vocalist, primary lyricist, keyboardist, and occasional rhythm guitarist of heavy metal ...
(singer for System of a Down
System of a Down (also known as SoaD or simply System) is an Armenian-American heavy metal band formed in Glendale, California, in 1994. Since 1997, the band has consisted of Serj Tankian (lead vocals, keyboards); Daron Malakian (guitar, voc ...
)
File:Michael Vartan 2010 cropped.jpg, Michael Vartan
Michael S. Vartan (born November 27, 1968) is a French-American actor, known for his role as Michael Vaughn on the ABC television action drama '' Alias'', his role on the TNT medical drama '' Hawthorne'', and his role on the '' E!'' drama '' The ...
(actor)
Notes
References
* Bakalian, Anny. ''Armenian-Americans: From Being to Feeling Armenian'' (Armenian Research Center collection). Transaction Publishers
Transaction Publishers was a New Jersey-based publishing house that specialized in social science books and journals. It was located on the Livingston Campus of Rutgers University. Transaction was sold to Taylor & Francis in 2016 and merged with ...
, 1993. , 9781560000259.
* Bozorgmehr, Mehdi, Claudia Der-Martirosian, and Georges Sabagh. "Middle Easterners: A New Kind of Immigrant" (Chapter 12). In: Waldinger, Roger and Mehdi Bozorgmehr (editors). ''Ethnic Los Angeles''. Russell Sage Foundation
The Russell Sage Foundation is an American non-profit organisation established by Margaret Olivia Sage in 1907 for “the improvement of social and living conditions in the United States.” It was named after her recently deceased husband, rail ...
, December 5, 1996. Start pag
345
, 9781610445474.
* Der-Martirosian, Claudia, Georges Sabagh, and Mehdi Bozorgmehr. "Subethnicity: Armenians in Los Angeles" (Chapter 11). In: Light, Ivan Huberta and Parminder Bhachu. ''Immigration and Entrepreneurship: Culture, Capital, and Ethnic Networks''. Transaction Publishers
Transaction Publishers was a New Jersey-based publishing house that specialized in social science books and journals. It was located on the Livingston Campus of Rutgers University. Transaction was sold to Taylor & Francis in 2016 and merged with ...
, year unstated. Start page
243
, 9781412825931.
Further reading
* Sabagh, Georges, Mehdi Bozorgmehr, and Claudia Der-Martirosian. ''Subethnicity: Armenians in Los Angeles''. Institute for Social Science Research, University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California St ...
, 1990
Available in snippet form
at Google Books
Google Books (previously known as Google Book Search, Google Print, and by its code-name Project Ocean) is a service from Google Inc. that searches the full text of books and magazines that Google has scanned, converted to text using optical c ...
.
* Hovanessian, Seboo. ''An Assimilative Profile of American-Armenians in Los Angeles''. California State University, Northridge
California State University, Northridge (CSUN or Cal State Northridge) is a public university in the Northridge neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. With a total enrollment of 38,551 students (as of Fall 2021), it has the second largest un ...
, 1993.
* Yeretzian, Aram Serkis. "A history of Armenian immigration to America with special reference to conditions in Los Angeles." 1974, , viii, 78
See record
at the University of Southern California
The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in C ...
External links
Armenian Society of Los Angeles
Organization of Istanbul Armenians Los Angeles
Consulate-General of Armenia in Los Angeles
*
Community Institutions
" Consulate-General of Armenia in Los Angeles.
{{Ethnic groups in Los Angeles
Armenian-American history
Armenian
Armenian may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent
** Armenian Diaspora, Armenian communities across the ...