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The Armenian Reporter | November 8, 2008 13CommunityArmenian-American voters speak outby Lory TatoulianGLENDALE, Calif. – Across America,the electricity was in the air onElection Day, with a mix of anxietyand excitement permeating the atmosphere.As candidates repeatedtheir stump speeches one last timeand television stations 24-hournonstop aired pundits projectingstate-by-state results – votersheaded out to the polls in droves totake part in an election that will godown in the history books. Glendale,California, a bastion of the Armenian-Americancommunity, wasnot absent from the maelstrom.No, the verve was pulsing throughthe streets of the Southern Californiatown as Armenian-Americanstrekked to their balloting places tovote for their favorite candidate.Across Glendale, different opinionsechoed from Armeniansexiting voting booths in variousneighborhoods – from the publicparks that boast newly arrived immigrantcommunities, to countryclubs, tucked away in the hills ofthe city. In these various voting locations,Armenian-Americans helddifferent ideas about who shouldbe the president, the various statepropositions, and what directionthe country should take. But themaxim that all the voters adheredto was that it was crucial to exercisetheir democratic right to vote.Armenians from all walks of life– newly sworn-in citizens, affluentbusiness owners, college students,fifth-generation Armenians, gays,the elderly, liberals, conservatives– stood in line for hours to participatein the historic election. TheArmenian Reporter hit the streets ofGlendale on Election Day and collecteda slew of colorful opinionsand raw reactions of voters whowere out voting.Just like KennedyAt Maple Public Park in Glendale,a group of men sitting on a parkbench hovered over a backgammonboard, voicing their opinions onwho they voted for and how theirdecision would shape the course oftheir newly adopted country. RubenKademyan had just voted atthe public park voting station andhe was winding down by watchinganother fierce game of backgammonplayed by two of his friendstaking it out on the wooden board.Ruben and his friends collectivelyvoiced their support for BarackObama. As the clicks of the tavloodice danced on the board, themen’s comments oscillated betweencalling out wrong moves onthe board game to verbalizing theirjudgments on the candidates.“Obama is what this countryneeds right now. He is the only oneto do it, just like Kennedy did,” Rubensaid. “It doesn’t bother me whatcolor he is; a man is defined by hischaracter, not what the color of hisskin is. I pray that McCain doesn’twin because just like Bush, he willleave this country is shambles.”Ruben’s friends chimed in fromthe background and also showedtheir devotion for the Illinoissenator. “The Number One victoryis that Bush is going to be outof office. Bush is an aboush,” saidRuben’s friend Suren, using an Armenianword meaning dim-witted.“He gave this country such a badname and put us in such an awfulplace. I am going to celebrate morethat he will no longer be the leaderof this country,” Suren continued.This country sets anexampleAs an older couple, Ani and Hovhannes,who have been citizensRouben Kadimyan supported Barack Obama.since 1995, were exiting the pollingstation at the park, they were proudto mention that they had votedin every election since becomingcitizens. Even though they havealways participated in the electoralprocess, both husband and wife expressedtheir genuine enthusiasmabout this particular election.“Obama is going to bring change,”Ani said. “This country has been sostagnant and is going in a downwardspiral, and the only person that cansalvage our situation is Obama.”Hovhannes spoke about how Mr.Obama’s initiatives would be goodfor Armenia.“Even though I have hope thatObama will be the president to bringArmenian issues to the forefront,that is not the only reason why I amvoting for him,” Hovhannes said. “Itis not just about Armenian issues;it’s about this country, the UnitedStates. I want to make sure thatthis country can get back to fulfillingthe promise that it has meantfor all of us. This country sets anexample to all other countries andObama is the only one to put usback on track,” Hovaness said.The poll inspectorSeven blocks away from the park, inthe recreation room of the Churchof Perfect Liberty, poll inspectorAnush Kasemyan was volunteeringher time to prevent mechanicalerrors and assist voters. Weeksbefore the election, Anush tooktraining classes at the public library,online exams, became acquaintedwith all the rules, and set up the entirepolling area with booths, ballots,computers, and documents.A day before Election Day, sheunloaded her car and set up thesite. Anush attributes her devotionto the love she has for the UnitedStates and her inherent need tohelp people.“I want to be with the people onimportant days like the electionsand I want to make sure they arecomfortable and answer any questionsthey might have,” Anush said.The poll inspector confessed thatshe was up until four in the morningreviewing voting guidebooksand memorizing all the rules. Shefeels that her hard work paid offbecause everything was runningvery smoothly and no problemsoccurred.With five languages under her belt,she is a useful asset for a communitythat is a mélange of different ethnicities.Sitting next to Anush weretwo Korean-American and Mexican-American volunteers. “Many peoplehave language barriers, so knowingArmenian, Persian, Spanish, andsome other languages really helpsassist those who might feel intimidatedbecause their English is notvery strong,” she explained.An 84-year-old firsttimevoterAcross town, north of GlenoaksBoulevard, which is considered oneof the more affluent areas of thecity, Armenian-Americans wereleaving a fire station that had beentransformed into a polling station.With smiles stretched across facesand “I Voted” stickers placed oncashmere sweaters, voters werespeaking to neighbors in line andchatting it up about the historic natureof the election.Kevork Panoyan, 84, was takingpart in his very first election.It’s not that he was not a citizenor apathetic toward politics; he hadjust always harbored indifferencefor the candidates who were on theballot. A robust man, he reads theLos Angeles Times every day and admitsto reading almost every Armenianpublication without regard topolitical affiliation. (The ArmenianReporter was one of his favorites.)But this year was different for Mr.Panoyan. He believed that his votewas vital this time around.“This vote is important for theUnited States, for the world, and asan Armenian, for my community,”Mr. Panoyan said. “After the collapseof the housing market, the creditcrisis, the ongoing wars, there is noother solution than to have a dramaticshift in policies. I believe thatObama and his administration cando this. I also feel that he is going tobe the man who is finally going tobring recognition of the ArmenianGenocide, something that this greatcountry needs to officially markas one of the greatest atrocities inmodern history,” Mr. Panoyan said.Mr. Panoyan’s son, Ara, who is adentist, quoted Senator Joe Bidenon his dedication to Armenian-Americans causes. “Biden is a friendof our community and he said, ‘IfA McCain voter who wished to remain anonymous.Kevork Panoyan,a first-time voter,with his son Dr.Ara Panoyan.Photos: HilmaShahinian.there is a friend of Armenians, itis me.’ This makes me see that wehave a prudent and well-educatedcandidate on our hands, who willhopefully bring justice to the firstGenocide of the 20th century, thatstill goes unrecognized,” said Ara.Barack who?Taking a different view were amother and daughter who showedtheir support for Senator JohnMcCain. The voters wanted tostay anonymous, but the mothersaid that she believed that GeorgeBush was unjustly blamed for all ofthe ills of the world.“We cannot blame one man for allof this mess. He was an easy targetto dump all of this on. There were somany other people who made baddecisions and placed our country inthe current situation it is in. We cannotjust carelessly say that Bush isthe crux of all of our problems,” thewoman, a real estate agent, said.“In the first eight years, the Democratswere relishing in the financialboom of our country and buyinghomes in the hills of this city,”she added. “Now that everythinghas gone sour, they place blame iton Bush as an easy target.”Her daughter, who is in her latetwenties, also voted for Mr. Mc-Cain but did not fully agree withher mother’s sentiments. She said,“I voted for McCain because he doesnot always vote with his party, andalways followed what he thoughtto be right and true. McCain hasspent countless years in the Senateand I don’t know who is Obama is.”A perk on Election Day was thatmany businesses were passing outfreebies to customers who showedtheir voting stub. On the cornerof Stocker and Pacific Avenues inGlendale, it was like microcosm ofthe United Nations Security Councilmeetings taking place around wickertables on the patio of Starbucks.Friends, families, and strangers sataround tables and flushed out opinionsabout the day’s progress, whilesipping on their free cups of coffee.Broken promises in thepastA first-time voter, an 18 year-oldstudent at Glendale CommunityCollege, who wanted to stay anonymous,expressed his excitement atbeing able to vote. The young man,who was dressed in a refined dresssuit, was grabbing a free cup of coffeewhile was dashing off to his secondjob as a graphic designer. He said hehad to hold two jobs while in collegejust to keep afloat and pay off his carloan. “I really hope Obama wins, Ibelieve in how he wants to help themiddle class and really make educationaccessible and affordable for mygeneration,” he said.At the Verdugo Hills CountryClub, an anonymous McCain supportersaid she did not believethat Mr. Obama would really bringchange. “Obama has made so manypromises, and I respect him greatly,but I cannot be swayed by his charisma.To be honest with you, I amnot happy with any of the candidates,but choosing McCain wasthe best choice for me out of thetwo,” the older woman said as sheclutched her designer bag to casther vote. “As an Armenian-American,it is important that recognitionis brought to the Genocide,but I have experienced too manybroken promises from candidates. Idon’t want to sound jaded, but thisis my experience.”Genocide recognitionLilit Arvahi, who was not ashamedto be outspoken about her supportfor Mr. Obama, said she believesthat Mr. Obama “represents thegrassroots of American politics andthe people who have been strugglingto make a living for themselves.”The 24-year-old Pepperdinepsychology graduate student alsofelt that Mr. Obama’s passion wascoming from a place of sincerity.“When he speaks of change, it’s notjust rhetoric. I really believe he isfighting for what is right.”As a grandchild of Genocide survivors,Lilit feels that Mr. Obamawill help the Armenian cause inbringing justice to the overlookedGenocide. “Obama is the light atthe end of the tunnel,” she said.Two weeks ago for Halloween, Lilitdressed up as an Obama supporterby sticking Obama bumper stickersall over herself and wearing a blousethat had an image of the candidate’sface plastered on the front. “WhatAmerica has been representing tothe world in the past is actually asmall portion of what this countryis really about, and that image isabout to change,” Lilit explained.At nighttime, as the final ballotswere counted, numerous partieswere taking place across the city, inliving rooms, parks, clubs, and bars.Over 75 people crowded themselvesinto the Sidebar in Glendalefor an Election Day party hosted bythe Armenian National Committee.Young professionals, smartlydressed, sipped on drinks andshifted their focus from politicaldiscussion with friends to watchingthe television.As breaking news erupted on theairwaves that Barack Obama hadbeen elected the 44th president ofthe United States of America, thecrowd burst out into vociferousapplause. Eyes swelled up in tears,fists were thrown into the air, andcontinuous applause reverberatedacross the room. Everyone was ontheir feet giving a standing ovationto the man who had just made history.The cheers continued as the resultsscrolled down the screen.When President-elect Obamaappeared on the television fromGrant Park in Chicago, a deafeningsilence blanketed the crowd at thebar, as young Armenian-Americanswatched an African-Americantake the giant podium and makepromises to be a president of everyperson in this vast and diversecountry.