National, International, Armenia, and Community News and Opinion

10 The Armenian Reporter | November 1, 2008
Community
Conference features first-ever panel on Armenian-Americans
ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico
– On October 19, four scholars presented
a panel titled, “Does History
Influence Identity? An Exploration
of the Third Generation of
Armenians in America,” at the annual
American Studies Association
(asa) Conference. The event was
held in Albuquerque, New Mexico,
from October 16 to 19. This was
the first panel on Armenians to be
included in the conference since it
was established in 1951.
Kim Hewitt, assistant professor
of American history and American
studies at State University of New
York, Empire State College, presented
a paper titled, “The Myth of
the Infinite Embrace: Armenians
and American Citizenship,” which
explored the influence of national
policy in interpreting history as it
affected and continues to affect Armenians
in America.
Janice Okoomian, instructor
at Bryant College, Rhode Island,
was not able to attend; but her paper,
“Armenian-American Literature
and Feminist Analysis,” was
read by Julianne Newmark, the
panel chair and assistant professor
at New Mexico Institute of Mining
and Technology. Ms. Okoomian’s
paper focused on “family [as
the] site of post- genocide survival”
and concluded that “diversity allowed
Armenians to survive.”
Rubina Peroomian, research
associate at the University of California,
Los Angeles, presented
her paper, “Third-Generation Armenian-American
Writers Echo
the Quest for Self-Identity with
the Genocide at its Core,” which
focused on the impact of genocide
on self-identity as explored
From left,
Julianne
Newmark,
Leah Sneider,
Kim Hewitt,
and Rubina
Peroomian.
in several pieces of memoir and
fiction.
Finally, Leah Sneider, a Ph.D.
candidate in American literature
at the University of New Mexico,
presented, “The Story of History:
American Studies and Race Theory
Re-Imagined,” which explored how
Armenian-Americans complicate
race theory in America and presented
the case for history as a new
way of distinguishing ethnicity in
a diverse, multi-ethnic America.
Those in attendance found the
panel extremely intriguing and
informational as most had not
previously known much about
the topics presented. One attendee
noted that she thought
the topics were important and
may have provoked more interest
had the panel had taken place
earlier in the conference. Yet the
discussion that followed encouraged
the panelists to continue
their work, propose more panels
for future asa conferences, and
even attempt an anthology project
focusing on the issues they
explored in their papers.
The asa 2008 conference theme
was “Back Down to the Crossroads:
Integrative American Studies
in Theory and Practice.”
connect:
theasa.net
Galatzan calls on lausd to hire Armenian-speaking
facilitator for East Valley schools
LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles
Unified Board of Education Member
Tamar Galatzan has urged
the Los Angeles Unified School
District (lausd) to create a fulltime
position for an Armenianspeaking
parent/community facilitator
in Local District #2, which
covers most of the East San Fernando
Valley.
“More than 50 percent of the
lausd students who come from
Armenian-speaking homes attend
schools in Local District #2,” noted
Ms. Galatzan. “It is absolutely
critical that the district provide
these families with a facilitator
who can help them understand
Prelate presides over opening of annual book fair
SANTA ANA, Calif. – In celebration
of Armenian Culture Month,
the Forty Martyrs Church of Orange
County held its annual book fair on
October 19. Organized by the Pastor
and Board of Trustees of the church,
in conjunction with the administration
and parent support committee
of A.G. Minassian School, the event
took place at the Ghazarian Hall of
the Harout Barsamian Armenian
Center in Santa Ana.
The day began with the Divine
Liturgy, celebrated by Abp. Moushegh
Mardirossian, Prelate, who
was assisted at the altar by parish
priest Rev. Fr. Hrant Yeretzian.
The Prelate began his sermon by
speaking about the situation in
the rules, regulations, and bureaucratic
decisions that impact
their children’s education.”
For the past four years, the
lausd employed a facilitator for
the Armenian-speaking community
of Local District #2. The district
includes North Hollywood’s Grant
High School, whose student population
is 35 percent Armenian. The
position was eliminated this year
due to budget cuts.
According to lausd figures, 442
Grant students come from homes
where Armenian is the primary
spoken language. The lausd estimates
that there are 3,338 students
in Local District #2 who are
Armenia at the time of the Translator
Fathers of the church and
the unfavorable conditions that
threatened the heritage of the Armenian
people. In that dire situation,
the Prelate said, St. Mesrob
Mashdots invented the Armenian
alphabet, thus ushering in a
new age of literary and cultural
achievement and helping cement
the national identity of the Armenian
people.
With the translation of the Bible
into Armenian, the Christian
teachings became readily available
to the masses, the Prelate explained.
“As the heirs to this legacy
of our Translator Fathers, let us
remain true to them by fostering
dependent on an Armenian-speaking
parent/community facilitator.
Ms. Galatzan has written a
strongly worded letter to the
lausd Personnel Commission requesting
the creation of an Armenian-speaking
parent/community
facilitator position. The commission
is expected to make a decision
regarding the issue at its October
27 meeting.
“The district must make a strong
effort to accommodate the tremendous
diversity of its students,”
said Galatzan. “Establishing this
position sends a powerful message
of the lausd’s commitment
to this goal.”
the Armenian language among our
youth,” he said. He also urged the
faithful to continue to support A.G.
Minassian School in all its endeavors
and contribute to its progress
for the benefit of the Armenian
youth and its education.
Following the Divine Liturgy,
Abp. Mardirossian and the
parishioners proceeded to the
Ghazarian Hall, where the Prelate
presided over the opening of
the annual book fair. He commended
the organizers for honoring
Armenian Culture Month
by keeping the tradition of the
fair alive.
A reception followed at the Gugasian
Hall.
Prelate meets with Armenian Evangelical World
Council representative
Mihran Agbabian, Hagop
Panossian honored by aesa
GLENDALE, Calif. – The Armenian
Engineers and Scientists of
America (aesa) announced the selection
of Prof. Mihran Agbabian
and Dr. Hagop Panossian as the
recipients of the 2008 Victor Hambartsumyan
Award.
Prof. Agbabian was chosen by
the Past Presidents Committee of
the aesa. He is the founding president
of the American University of
Armenia in Yerevan. Dr. Panossian
was selected by the aesa’s 2008
Council members. He is a two-time
past president and the founder of
the aesa.
“On the occasion of its 25th anniversary,
the aesa is honoring two
individuals who have selflessly devoted
25 years of their lives toward
the advancement of engineering
and the sciences and service to the
Armenian community,” said Shant
Kenderian, president of the aesa.
“As beneficiaries of their service, the
rest of us can only show our appreciation
in a symbolic way. Bestowing
the award on these two individuals
is a duty and an obligation.
By accepting the award, it is they
who have honored the aesa.”
Since the aesa established the
Victor Hambartsumyan Award in
1994, it has been bestowed on 15
Armenian scientists, including Victor
Hambartsumyan himself. Mr.
Kenderian said that the aesa is
pleased to revive the award tradition,
which for a variety of reasons
was discontinued in recent years.
The award ceremony will be held
during the aesa 25th Anniversary
Banquet, which will take place at the
Renaissance Banquet Hall in Glendale
on November 7. Kenderian said
the ceremony will have great significance
as the organization celebrates
its 25th anniversary and Armenians
worldwide celebrate Victor Hambartsumyan’s
100th birthday this
year. Kenderian added that the aesa
plans to continue the award tradition
by instituting an award nomination
and selection process so that
the Victor Hambartsumyan Award
is bestowed on Armenian engineers
and scientists every year.
“This award is made prestigious
by its namesake, honorable by its
recipients, and given validity by the
aesa’s 25-year history and dedicated
services to Armenians and the motherland,”
Mr. Kenderian said.
connect:
aesa.org
LA CRESCENTA, Calif. – On
October 22, Abp. Moushegh
Mardirossian, Prelate, welcomed
to the Prelacy Armenian
Evangelical World Council Representative
in Armenia Rev. Dr.
Rene Leonian, who was accompanied
by Minister to the Armenian
Evangelical Union Rev.
Joe Matossian, Rev. Abraham
Chaparian, and Armenian Missionary
Association of America
Administrative Director Mr. Dikran
Youmoushakian.
The Prelate and guests exchanged
information regarding
the endeavors of their respective
churches. Given the fact that Rev.
Dr. Leonian and Mr. Youmoushakian’s
visit to the Prelacy was
their first, the Prelate conveyed
to them the work carried out by
churches, schools, and various
councils and committees serving
under the jurisdiction of the
Prelacy. Noting that the 35th anniversary
of the Prelacy will be
celebrated this year, Abp. Mardirossian
highlighted the Pralcy’s
accomplishments of the past
three decades.
Rev. Dr. Leonian spoke in detail
of the reestablishment of the
Armenian Evangelical Church
and the expansion of its mission
in Armenia and Artsakh since
the two republics’ independence.
He also talked about the challenges
which his church faces in
its work in the homeland as well
as the means to overcome them
to better serve the Armenian
people.
The meeting concluded with an
exchange of mementos.