They strengthened our nation. LAUSD to observe April 24 in recognition of the Armenian Genocide All rights reserved. A statement from the Governors office said the new Genocide Remembrance Day will be a day for all to reflect on past and present genocides, but especially those that have felt the impact of these atrocities and groups that have found refuge in California, including, but not limited to, the Holocaust, Holodomor, and the While the genocide has been chronicled by historians, who often view it as ethnic cleansing, Turkey has denied it occurred, saying the deaths of Armenians was a function of the chaos of World War I, which also claimed Turkish lives. Wa, Hey Gondos! Web(Los Angeles, California) On April 19, 2023, hundreds of students, parents, teachers, and administrators gathered to commemorate the Armenian Genocide: Remembering the Armenian Genocide: Memory & Remembrance to Awareness & Action, organized by Los Angeles School Districts (LAUSD) Board Member, Kelly Gonez, in partnership with the Schools will be closed Monday in the Los Angeles and Glendale unified school districts to commemorate Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day and there will be a rally in Little Armenia to mark the 108th anniversary of the start of the events that are widely viewed by scholars as the first genocide of the 20th century, Spectrum News reports. The resolution put forth by Schmerelson also called on the California State Teachers Retirement Fund to pull out of investments associated with the Republic of Turkey and for the Trump administration to unequivocally condemn Azerbaijan. WebNov. Do you plan to return to in-person learning this semester? Los Angeles County is home to the largest population of Armenians in the United States, with an estimated 214,628 living in the county, according to the 2011 American Community Survey. They also told their stories -- and those of their ancestors -- to remember and to ensure that genocide like the one that happened 108 years ago is never again repeated.". FOX 11 Los Angeles is available on the FOX LOCAL app through Apple TV, Amazon FireTV, Roku and Google Android TV -- no cable subscription or login required. Armenian Genocide, campaign of deportation and mass killing conducted against the Armenian subjects of the Ottoman Empire by the Young Turk government during World War I (191418). Because there hasn't been justice, Turkey has not been held accountable," one man told Eyewitness News. The board approved the resolution, asking for a plan from the superintendent. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window). They strengthened our nation. "Today's historic for thousands of Armenian students and families in the east San Fernando Valley," Gonez said. It is important for people around the world to condemn the outrageous aggression.. "As we join nations around the world in remembering this painful history, we also reflect on the resilience and resolve of the Armenian people,'' President Joe Biden said in a statement on what the White Housebilled as Armenian Remembrance Day. Reproduction on full or in part is prohibited without reference to Public Radio of Armenia. They also told their stories -- and those of their ancestors -- to remember and to ensure that genocide like the one that happened 108 years ago is never again repeated.". , many settling in the Glendale area to escape the genocide of the early 1900s. The board also voted unanimously in a separate resolution to give students the day off on April 24 of each year, starting next school year for Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day. The "Armenian Genocide Commemorative Rally for Justice" began at 10 a.m. at the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Western Avenue. On April 24, what we did every single year is we all went to the Turkish consulate to protest, to demand recognition, because to this day the genocide hasnt been recognized by that government. Glendale will conduct its 22nd annual Armenian Genocide Commemorative Event at 7 p.m. at the Alex Theatre, with the theme, "The Armenian Experience Through the Lens,'' celebrating the 100th anniversary of Armenian cinema. Armenian The mass killings of more than a million Armenians by Ottoman Turks a century ago were genocide, the Senate declared in December 2019 in a vote that prompted angry denunciations by Turkey and accusations that the U.S. was undermining its relations with a key NATO ally. LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The Los Angeles Unified School District board is looking to provide special recognition to the memory of the Armenian Genocide. Los Angeles is home to the largest Armenian diaspora, and a number of students served by LAUSD are of Armenian descent. They also told their stories -- and those of their ancestors -- to remember and to ensure that genocide like the one that happened 108 years ago is never again repeated. Now King Charles III And Queen Camila Are Coronated, Venice Highs Auditorium As A Venue Returns On Campus, AP African American Studies Comes To Venice, Beloved Venice Teachers Set To Retire This Year, 112 Students At Venice High Receive Seal Of Biliteracy, One Venice High Student Out Of Seven Scholars In LAUSD Receives National Merit Scholarship, Two Venice High Teachers Receive Eddy And Wave Awards, Senior Awards Night Honors Students For Academic Achievement, TV Producer And Showrunner Courtney Lilly Visits Venice High History Class, Student Run News Site of Venice High School, Your email address will not be published. Earlier in the evening, during a discussion about giving students a day off to observe the Armenian Genocide, board member Jackie Goldberg said its critical for students to learn about the systemic killing of 1.5 million Armenians by the Turks during World War I an event which the Turkish government has never recognized. It's really important to tie that narrative together and make it clear to people that if you don't hold the perpetrators of genocide accountable, it's going to continue.". Both sides have blamed the other for the clashes. Hundreds gather in Glendale as protests supporting Armenia continue. Tickets are free and can be reserved at itsmyseat.com/april24. Gavin Newsom has also issued a proclamation declaring April 24, 2022 "A Day of Remembrance of the Armenian Genocide" in the State of California. Historians estimate 1.5 million Armenians were killed in the Ottoman Empire, with the starting date considered April 24, 1915. gained control of the empire, and focused heavily on Turkish nationalism. WebThe LAUSD Board of Education adopted a policy in 2020 to close schools on Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day. And just as President Bidens recognition is a significant step for the nation, LAUSDs recognition of the day is a significant step for the district. A bill establishing Genocide Remembrance Day as a state holiday to be observed on April 24 and permitting public schools and community colleges to close in observance of this holiday was signed into law by Gov. With more than 200,000 Armenian-Americans living in Los Angeles County, it's the largest population of people of Armenian descent outside of Armenia. In 1908, a group called the Young Turks gained control of the empire, and focused heavily on Turkish nationalism. Armenian Genocide But the term Armenian Genocide remains a LAUSD board members now join other local elected officials in publicly stating their support for the Armenian community. Each year, Armenian families across Los Angeles remember those lost in the first genocide in modern history, and many of them have a direct connection to the tragedy, Board Member Kelly Gonez said. To honor the county's Armenian residents and their culture, the Board of Supervisors last month proclaimed April as "Armenian History Month" -- and, this week, also passed a motion declaring April 24 as "Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day in Los Angeles County.". This calendar change will allow our Los Angeles Unified Armenian community to participate and pass on the truth of our history to the younger generations, the Education Commission of the Armenian National Committee of America West Region (ANCA-WR) said. President Bidens choice to recognize the genocide signifies an important step for the nation. LAUSD gives students day off for Armenian Genocide As the genocide continued, Armenian peasants were forced to march through the Mesopatamian desert until they dropped dead. The keynote address was delivered by actor Joe Manganiello, who discussed intergenerational trauma, drawing from his familial history and the story of his maternal great-grandmother, Terviz "Rose" Darakijan, who survived the Armenian Genocide, organizers said. Armenian Genocide The program will begin with a tribute to the atrocities in the Nagorno Karabakh region in an attempt to raise awareness of humanitarian crises. A bill establishing Genocide Remembrance Day as a state holiday to be observed on April 24 and permitting public schools and community colleges to close in observance of this holiday was signed into law by Gov. The Senate action followed a vote by a Senate committee to impose sanctions on Turkey after its offensive in Syria and purchase of a Russian S-400 missile system. I am heartened that my Armenian constituents are a resilient people -- determined, focused and dedicated to persevering. By allowing students to have the day off, we are saying to the community that cares about this so deeply that we want to make sure that your children and your families do not have to choose between going to schools and commemorating an important and vital historic event, an event that all of us should have learned from, perhaps (sic) might have prevented the Holocaust that came some years later, Goldberg said. On Sunday, Rep. Adam Schiff joined demonstrators in calling for the end of the blockade in Artsakh and said he is working on legislation that would recognize Artsakh as an independent region. Los Angeles Unified Schools to observe April 24 in recognition of Schools in Los Angeles closed for Armenian Genocide / CBS/City News Service. The Armenian Genocide began in 1915 and resulted in the deaths of as many as 1.5 million Armenians in a campaign blamed on Turkey's Ottoman government. The Turkish government also deported thousands of Armenians and forced children to convert to Islam. Students and teachers in the Glendale Unified School District have been given the day off on April 24 for Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day since the 2013-14 school year. It was something that was greatly avoided by many in the White House our of fear of damaging important relations with Turkey, which is a NATO ally and holds power in the Middle East. There will be other remembrances around L.A. County on Sunday as well. LOS ANGELES (CNS) -- Armenian Americans will gather at several events throughout Los Angeles County Sunday to mark the 107th anniversary of the beginning of the Armenian Genocide -- the mass killing of Armenians by Turkish forces during World War I. The Armenian Genocide Commemorative Rally for Justice is set to begin at 10 a.m. at the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Western Avenue. The proposal from board member Kelly Gonez asks the district to explore the idea of designating April 24 as a pupil-free or unassigned day in future school calendars, starting 2021-2022. The program will begin with a tribute to the atrocities in the Nagorno Karabakh region in an attempt to raise awareness of humanitarian crises. "My grandparents are survivors of the Armenian Genocide," said Glendale resident Rachel Menikian. She returned to her home state of California in 2019. And so on that day, nobody was at school, Kayichian said. Turkey denies the deaths constituted genocide, saying the toll has been inflated and that those killed were victims of civil war and unrest. Required fields are marked *. The board says the Los Angeles Unified community will now have the day off to honor those lost in the 1915 Armenian Genocide. Schools were closed Monday in the Los Angeles and Glendale unified school districts to commemorate Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day, and a rally was held in Little Armenia to mark the 108th anniversary of the start of the events that are widely viewed by scholars as the first genocide of the 20th century.