The Armenian Diaspora: an update on the crisis affecting Armenians and the impact on American Armenians
The IDEA Office is proud to present a forum on the current crisis involving the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh (aka Artsakh). CalArts General Counsel Irene Scholl-Tatevosyan will moderate a panel including faculty from the USC Dornsife Department of Armenian Studies, members of the Armenian Bar Association, and the Los Angeles Council as they discuss how geopolitics and genocide have impacted Armenian Americans. All members of the CalArts community are welcome and encouraged to attend and to ask subject matter experts questions and learn how the preservation of art and activism can make a difference.
Feb. 1, 2024
5–6:30 pm
CalArts Library, Computer Lab
Please RSVP no later than Jan. 31.
Panelists:
- Gegham Mughnetsyan, Chitjian researcher archivist, USC Dornsife Department of Armenian Studies
- Lucy Varpetian, Armenian Bar Association
- Hon. Paul Krekorian, president, Los Angeles City Council (via Zoom)
- Irene Scholl-Tatevosyan, general counsel, CalArts (moderator)
Background:
Eastern Soviet Armenia, declared independence in 1991. This is what compromises modern Armenia—the Republic of Armenia—a small portion of ancient Armenia, one of the world’s oldest civilizations. The forced displacement of people of Armenian descent dates back to the early 20th century. In December 2022, an explicit ethnic cleansing of the indigenous Armenians of Artsakh began. While the U.S. census does not include Armenian among the list of ethnicities to choose from, it is estimated that between 500,000 and 2 million Armenians currently reside in the US, and the 2000 census reported 202,708 Armenian speakers. It is estimated that the Los Angeles area has the largest number of Armenians in the U.S. and the most diverse population of Armenians in the world.
Please contact egraham@calarts.edu or mdemaio@calarts.edu for more information.