GLENDALE— On Tuesday, June 12, Glendale City Council passed a resolution renaming the
two blocks of Maryland Avenue between Wilson Avenue and Harvard Street to Artsakh Avenue.
Mayor Sinanyan, Councilmembers Najarian, Gharpetian and Agajanian voted for the resolution, while Councilmember Devine abstained. The Council also passed a resolution authorizing limited reimbursements of specified costs associated with the street name change, and appropriated $131,000 to address the fiscal impact.
The Armenian National Committee of America Glendale Chapter (ANCA Glendale) expressed
strong support for the resolution and urged city staff to assist the business community with the
financial impact of the street name change.
While speaking in front of the Council Tuesday evening, Community Outreach Director Margarita Baghdasaryan stated that, “The name Artsakh has a historical and cultural significance to the Armenian-American community and will serve as a wonderful educational opportunity for Glendalians interested in the history of the Republic of Artsakh and the Artsakh liberation movement. Furthermore, the name change will attract tourists and likely increase foot traffic in the area, making it the lively pedestrian promenade the city has been trying to create.”
She added that the ANCA Glendale would like to support the business community and the city in order to assist with the transition. Nearly three months ago, on March 13, 2018, Glendale City Council unanimously voted to initiate the process of renaming a public right of way in honor of the Republic of Artsakh. The option to rename a stretch of Maryland Avenue was chosen among several alternatives as being the best fitting option. Although the business community expressed concerns with the street name change due to the expenses the businesses and vendors would incur, the community-at-large rallied around the idea because of the historical and cultural significance the name Artsakh provides for the Armenian-American community.
Glendale City Council members addressed the legitimate concerns of the business community
and agreed to appropriate funds to assist businesses with the expenses related to the address
change.
Glendale residents who gathered in support of the name change spoke about the cultural
significance of the name Artsakh, the benefits a street name change would bring to the local
businesses, and the cultural awareness it would provide.
Councilmember Najarian reviewed the various street names that reflect different geographic
locations and the rich cultural history of the city. He also stated that, “it is overdue to have some sort of modestly sized street name, where the reference is to the current Armenian-American community.”
In his remarks, Councilmember Gharpetian remarked that this is about unifying our community and celebrating the contributions of the Armenian-American residents. He stated that “by changing the name of two blocks of this street we are honoring the Armenian Americans who have been here for over five to six decades, we are honoring their heritage and their history.”
Councilmember Agajanian supported the name change with emphasis to assist the impacted
businesses.
Mayor Sinanyan addressed some of the negative comments the city had received from various
community members stating, “the Armenian-American community contributes a lot to this city, they pour their hearts and their pockets into this city. They live here, their children grow up here. Don’t deny them feeling at home and feeling like they belong in this city. It’s just not fair. I think the time has come — it’s actually overdue. Having two blocks of a street named after an Armenian placename is not such a hard thing to ask for.”
The ANCA Glendale Chapter advocates for the social, economic, cultural and political rights of
the city’s Armenian American community and promotes increased civic participation at the
grassroots and public policy levels. Learn more at www.ancaglendale.org.
We’ll now hear a few rants and tantrums from the usual suspects until they get tired. Instead of confronting them with the usual back and forth bickering, Armenians should simply label them as anti-Aryans. Labeling seems to work wonders for other groups, why not for Armenians?
State of Emergency:
They have every right to moan. I am against ALL groups trying to rename streets, intersections and towns. The unity of the USA is being destroyed by ethnic groups creating divisive and factional communities. Homogeneous culture is what has made the USA powerful and successful (i.e. pledge of allegiance, Americana). WASP work ethics.
Communist Garen Yegparian, a Black Lives Matter, LGBTQ and abortion supporter is what has been destroying our country.
This is unbelievable, who the hell comes into a city start changing street names from the origina Names . Just because you live or work here doesn’t make it right to change street names for your own selfishness . We also live and work here and proud to be living here in this community. This is an American community don’t you for get that , American streets deserve to be kept there original names . This is division at it finest , it’s so obvious what’s going on here . Your making a bad mistake for doing this . There’s going to be resentment in the community, in fact there is right now . Stop this ridiculousness, how about our American history , we must and preserve that and our American community.
BAD IDEA. There should be NO CHANGES TO CITY STREET NAMES, NEIGHBORHOODS OR TOWNS. We also should not have any “LITTLE _______________ (fill in the name of your foreign country)” anywhere in the USA. The social fabric and society of the USA is being ripped apart by ethnic groups which is destroying the cultural unity of the USA. As Armenians, we must adopt AMERICAN values, standards, language and culture–while not forgetting our own identity. If you have moved from another country to the USA, LEARN ENGLISH, OBEY AMERICAN LAWS and keep ethnic values at home. Don’t recreate little neighborhoods that remind you of “back home”. If you miss it that much, GO BACK TO YOUR COUNTRY. Anny Bakalian’s ARMENIAN-AMERICANS: FROM BEING TO FEELING book mentions GHETTOS in the USA created by ethnic groups (including Armenians) who turn their neighborhoods into ethnic enclaves where shop signs are not in English and unwritten laws/rules/society (sub community) is created. LOOK AT EUROPE! MUSLIM NEIGHBORHOODS where police (i.e. French) don’t enter. Imagine that: the French police do not enter their own French neighborhoods because of ethnic groups! Armenians in Glendale think they are BIG FISH in a LITTLE POND. Get over yourselves, learn English, pledge allegiance to the USA and fight for your adopted country (USA). Otherwise, GO BACK TO ARMENIA, IRAN, IRAQ, SYRIA, ___________(fill in the blank country).
You’re spewing nonsense on this one. No one can change on a dime. It takes time to change and the government knows it. If they’ve done what you’re proposing then no one would have ever immigrated to this or any other country for that matter. The fact is that for purely economical reasons the government wants people to immigrate and in order to entice them in, they allow them to be themselves for a generation or two. All the while knowing perfectly well that they’ll eventually be swallowed up by the wave (just like you have). In order not to scare them off, they tolerate such small concessions for a while. The prize is too big to bicker over a street name change here and a neighborhood name change there. Besides, you as an Armenian should be the last to protest. The symbolic meaning of this is much more greater, it’s about living with reality. The forced exile of the majority of Armenians to distant lands is a consequence, not a choice. If you’re aiming for a perfect world then I suggest you protest the US for not acknowledging historical facts. Maybe if they had done the right thing under the Wilson administration then perhaps we would not have had the need to debate a stinking street name in the middle of no where.
STATE OF EMERGENCY
You’re a smart guy. I have an Indian family who wants to move into your house, change your last name, use your car, and invite their other Indian family members.
Wilsonian Armenia–true. The USA should have supported it but did not. The entire LEAGUE OF NATIONS went down in flames.
People come to the USA to escape their crap countries where they have no jobs, no safety, no future only to come to the USA to RECREATE their crap countries. Los Angeles looks like Mexico. NOW, I agree that Armenians coming were a push factor more than a pull, but that was earlier. Later generations came because Armenia was a hell hole: no electricity, no heat, corruption, high unemployment….on and on. Even more came later to take advantage of the USA’s STUPID AND VERY GENEROUS support (WELFARE, SECTION 8). Who wouldn’t GO TO THE USA TO GET FREE MONEY AND ALMOST FREE HOUSING?
While the government entices them to come, the social fabric and civilization of the USA begins to change. An Artsakh street name change here….a Yitzhak Rabin Square there…. It causes divisiveness, separation, and animosity between neighbors and communities. Next thing you know, you have entire blocks of shops, streets and squares thus creating ghettos (sub communities in a community) which all of Europe is now undergoing. Fortunately, Armenians assimilate while retaining their Armenianness, but that is not true with Muslims (look at German, France, Austria, England…….they know they got screwed by allowing millions of Arabs, Africans and non-Christians into their countries).
You’re correct in mentioning the Muslim influx into Europe, but again, you fail to realize the enormous economic advantage to the local economies. Once upon a time, the subservient colonies of these European powers were the main source for their ill-gotten wealth, but gradually one by one the European overlords were pushed out and thus losing their income streams in the process. To compensate for their losses the western European nations began to import cheap labor into Europe from their former colonies. Effectively, regaining their losses and continuing their political domination over these lands.
You, as a well read and articulate guy, should surely know all of this. I can’t believe for a moment that you think the world is divided along the lines of good/evil, left/right, liberal/conservative, democrat/republican, etc. The world is all about survival and power. One does what it takes to persevere and survive in an otherwise harsh reality. If you continue to toe the line of this or that party or movement you will most surely be disappointed when the winds of circumstances change. I know you disagree with Garen Yegparian and rightfully so, however, your assimilation argument is none other than two sides of the same coin in relation to much of Garen’s stances. Assimilation is a pseudonym for a one world culture. No distinction between races, languages, cultures, and tradition. It is what every power hungry entity has yearned for throughout human history. It is what Alexander the Great was in favor for in the east and what the Soviets attempted for 70 year and now what the western world wants today. Your blind disdain for culture and tradition has fed you directly into the hands of those who yearn to destroy history and culture in return for a utopian future, similar to what the Ottomans attempted. Ultimately, the world is too large and complex to be defined by a single political ideology or dogma. The world is an ever evolving set of circumstances where ever nation and culture must dance to its beat.