AGBU Hye Geen Sponsors Conference on "The Status of Armenian Communities Living in the United States"

On Saturday, April 28, 2007, the Kennedy Library of California State University, Los Angeles (CSULA) was teeming with Armenian academics, who had come to exchange ideas about the Armenian community. The seminar, spearheaded by AGBU's Hye Geen/Forum for Armenian Cultural and Social Studies (FACSS) and Armenian Social Work Caucus at CSULA, was the second event of its kind after its debut in 2006, and the successful turnout promised to make it an annual tradition.

This year's discussions focused on connecting Diaspora Armenians and understanding the issues facing them, including assimilation, language, identity, philosophy, and religious practice.

After opening remarks made by principal event organizer Nellie Yeretsian-Yacoubian (MPA) and Dr. Karin A. Elliott-Brown, Professor at the School of Social Work at CSULA, Hye Geen Chairperson Sona Yacoubian introduced Dr. Lyudmila Harutyunyan, Dean of the Sociology Department at Yerevan State University, who had especially flown in from Yerevan to deliver her message.

Dr. Harutyunyan called for the creation of an "Armenian Universe" that integrates the Motherland and the dispersed communities around the globe. Despite the end of the 20th century marking the birth of an independent Armenian state, major problems remain. In particular, Armenia and the Diaspora are segregated. Dr. Harutyunyan stressed that only by networking within the "Armenian Universe" can the brain drain from Armenia be turned into a brain gain, when the departed professionals return with higher qualifications to deal with the economic and political shortcomings of Armenia, particularly with regard to human rights issues.

The speech was followed by a panel presentation on challenges of Armenian life in the Diaspora, moderated by Dr. Ellie Andreassian, Ed.D.

The panelists included Ph.D. candidate Arsineh Ararat, Dr. Chiara Hayganush Megighian-Zenati, Ms. Talin Sesetyan, M.A., and Dr. Matthew Jendian. Respectively, they presented their research on the effect of the Genocide on the mental health of Armenians across generations, a morphogenetic approach to dealing with post-Genocide trauma called The Systemic Approach of Family Constellations, trends in inter-ethnic marriage, and factors contributing to the extent to which an individual considers him or herself Armenian.

After the discussion, there was a brief video presentation on the discovery of Tigranakert buried under rubble in Karabakh.

Ms. Sona Zeitlian, well-known author of "The Armenians in Egypt," moderated the second panel.

Dr. Lisa Arslanian, Psy.D., clarified misconceptions pervading the Armenian community about psychological disorders. Armineh Lulejian, candidate for Ed. D., shared her findings of a study she conducted on the health of Armenian elderly in America. Dr. Sara Karakainen-Terian, Ph.D., discussed the religious divide among Armenians who advocate shorter services and accessible language and those who insist on maintaining the use of classical language to preserve the religious-cultural aspect of the Armenian Church.

Professor Osheen Keshishian, M. Ed., talked about the Armenian experience in America, which began as far back as 1556 when, according to the earliest available records, George the Armenian introduced tobacco to Virginia. He called the Armenian Experience in the United States an "arduous journey." Despite discrimination, social injustices and harassment, the Armenian-American community today boasts high rates of affluence and education levels. At present, said Professor Keshishian, the need for maintaining the ethnic identity is high on the agenda as retention of the Armenian language is dwindling.

Finally, Dr. Jack Der-Sarkissian, M.D., a family practitioner in Hollywood, California's "Little Armenia" neighborhood, who has a great interest in education, spearheaded the Round Table Discussion about the pros and cons of instituting charter schools for Armenian students.

At present, close to ninety-five percent of ethnic Armenian children do not attend private Armenian schools because of the prohibitive cost and other factors. The average annual expenses per student are around $7,000.

Dr. Nadya Sarafian, Ed. D., retired Principal of AGBU Alex and Marie Manoogian private school in Southfield, Michigan, which was accredited as a charter in 1995 due to her efforts, expounded on the benefits of converting from private to charter status. Charter schools are not limited by district, they are allocated funds like public schools, religion is taught without objection, and non-Armenians are expected to follow the mandated courses. As a result, school registration readily increased, and Armenian culture was introduced to non-Armenian students, making it overall a positive experience.

Dr. Minas Kojayan, Ph. D., Chairman of the Armenian Department in the AGBU Manoogian-Demirjian School in Canoga Park, author, columnist, and teacher, argued that the juxtaposition of Armenian and non-Armenian students would undermine efforts for the preservation of the Armenian identity. He believes in the traditional segregation of Armenians from others to preserve the purity of the Armenian character.

Medea Kalognomos, who holds a master's degree in Pupil Personnel Services and is a retired teacher and guidance counselor of the Glendale Unified School District, said that, in public schools, Armenian children learn to respect other ethnicities, exchange information, get acquainted with civic duties, and learn about the system of government. Approval for teaching specialized courses, like Armenian, can be obtained where a high concentration of Armenian students justifies doing so, as has happened in places like Hollywood or Glendale.

Overall, the conference helped shed light on several dynamics of the Armenian community in the United States, stimulating thought and discussion and the anticipation for next year's seminar.

Part of the AGBU Southern California District, AGBU Hye Geen preserves and honors the achievements of Armenian women around the world, promotes the role of women in family and society through research, education and advocacy and provides overall support for the empowerment of women as guardians of the Armenian heritage. For more information on AGBU Hye Geen, please call the AGBU Pasadena Center at (626) 794-7942.

This article has been prepared with material from Mary Terzian (www.MaryTerzian.com).