armenian population in los angeles 2020 armenian population in los angeles 2020

[30] In the 1950s, most Armenian immigrants in the US were from Soviet Armenia and Turkey. Reality TV show star Kim Kardashian[174] is a controversial figure among Armenians. [11] According to official statistics, 14 Armenians immigrated to the U.S. in 1878. [166][167] Sev Ohanian is a film screenwriter and producer of Searching, Fruitvale Station and Run. [58], The first Armenian Sunday school in the US was founded in the late 1880s in New York by Barsegh Vardukyan. Armenian Americans (Armenian: , romanized:amerikahayer) are citizens or residents of the United States who have total or partial Armenian ancestry. [106] Watertown, Massachusetts is the center of Boston Armenians, where according to estimates about 8,000 people of Armenian origin reside,[107][108] though the 2000 Census put the number only at 2,708. According to the 2019 US Census Bureau estimates, Los Angeles County's population was 52.1% White (25.9% Non-Hispanic White), 8.1% Black or African American, 14.7% Asian, 0.8% Native American and Alaskan Native, 0.3% Pacific Islander, 19.9% Other Race, and 4.1% from two or more races. [48] According to the 2011 American Community Survey, there were 85,150 Armenian-born people in the US, about 20,000 more than in 2000. Problems started much earlier, said Philip Gamaghelyan, an assistant professor at the Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies at the University of San Diego. He is also known for Reagan's characterization of 1915 events as "genocide" in 1981. CHIEFLY CARPET AND RUG MAKERS Among Them Are Silk Weavers, Shoemakers, and Wiremakers -- Numbers Employed in New-Jersey Factories", "Immigrant Aliens Admitted to the United States by ethnicity, 18991931", "A Rural Heritage Clashes With Armenians' Dream", "Rank of States for Selected Ancestry Groups with 100,00 or more persons: 1980", "1990 Census of Population Detailed Ancestry Groups for States", "Total ancestry categories tallied for people with one or more ancestry categories reported 2010 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates", "International migrant stock 2019: Table 1. Any other solution wont work, otherwise it wouldve worked by now. [212] Major league pitchers Steve Bedrosian and his son, Cam Bedrosian, are of Armenian descent. The borders were always shifting because everyone was always gerrymandering.. and North Hollywood. [22] As more Armenians fell victim to the genocide and more Armenians were deported, the Armenian American community grew dramatically. The protest at CNN was because they werent giving correct information. [146], Armenian Evangelical form the second largest denomination among Armenian Americans, with 1 out of 10 being a follower. Its easy to frame like that, Gamaghelyan said. Like other Armenian communities in America, Armenian communities in these cities have their roots in the late 19th century and early 20th century. [5] Before 1899, immigrants were not classified by ethnicity, but rather by country of birth, obscuring the ethnic origins of many Armenians. [123] Furthermore, Western and Eastern Armenian use two different spellings. As English quickly becomes the second language of the new republic, Armenians in America feel closer to the homeland, suffering Armenia's tragedies and rejoicing in its successes. She previously led coverage of Orange County as TimesOCs entertainment editor, and she co-hosts the Asian American pop culture history podcast Saturday School.. The first Armenian-language newspaper in the US, named Aregak (, "Sun"), was published in Jersey City in 1888. According to the 2000 Census, the states with largest Armenian populations were California (204,631), Massachusetts (28,595), New York (24,460), New Jersey (17,094), Michigan (15,746), Florida (9,226), Pennsylvania (8,220), Illinois (7,958), Rhode Island (6,677) and Texas (4,941). [8][149] Today, numerous Armenian newspapers (both in Armenian and English) are published throughout the country. "[163] Also, 49 of the 50 US states have made individual proclamations recognizing the events of 1915 to 1923 as genocide.[164]. [16] Though there is an Azerbaijani community in the Los Angeles area, its small compared with the Armenian American community here, Gamaghelyan said. [50], According to Dr. Anny Bakalian, "country of birth and childhood socialization, generation, and even cohort effect are important variables in understanding the behavior and attitudes of people of Armenian descent". [34] In 1970 about 65,000 Armenians resided in Southern California, and two decades later, in 1989, the number of Armenian Americans was estimated at 200,000. Oct. 5, 2020 4:24 PM PT. It is located about 10 miles (16 km) north of downtown Los Angeles . [8] Turkish Armenian migration rose gradually in the first decade of the 20th century, partly due to the Adana Massacre of 1909, and the Balkan Wars in 19121913. Its this idea that its this tiny sliver of place that Armenians can call home, and thats whats under existential threat.. [20] This period witnessed cultural contact between American and Armenian through Armenian nationalist dissident organizations within the Ottoman Empire and intense activity of American missionaries in the region who were sympathetic to the Armenian cause,[21] making the long road of migration somewhat more bearable. Other notable weeklies include The Armenian Weekly, Armenian Mirror-Spectator, Nor Hayastan ( , "New Armenia"), The Armenian Reporter. July 21, 2020. [98] As of 2003 more than 8,000 Armenian Americans lived in Washington, DC. So you have a compilation of historical traumas and displacement. Bill Paparian was elected to the Pasadena City Council in 1987 and became mayor in 1995. [222][223] It is claimed that he took the Armenian tricolor flag to space with him.[224]. Armenians across Southern California have been protesting to bring attention to the deadly and escalating conflict in the contested Nagorno-Karabakh region. [82] The city of Los Angeles itself had an Armenian population of 64,997 in 2000. The Pacific Northwest has a growing Armenian community as well, primarily centered around the Seattle Metropolitan area which consists anywhere from 6,000 to 8,000[120] Armenian Americans, along with a church. [55] According to the 2000 Census 9,884 Armenians lived in Fresno County at the time. She then claims that "it had significant role in the United States providing financial support to Armenia. Hatchik (Christopher) Oscanyan, a Constantinople American missionary school student, arrived in America in 1835 to pursue higher education. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. The number of Armenians who migrated to the US from 1820 to 1898 is estimated to be around 4,000. [184][185], Raymond Damadian, a recipient of the National Medal of Technology, had a significant contribution to the invention of the MRI. Before, other countries were supporting one side or another but not getting directly involved, Gamaghelyan said. Armenian Americans gather in multiple towns and cities every year on 24 April for the recognition of the Armenian genocide. Armenian American literature constitutes a diverse body of literature that incorporates American writers of Armenian ancestry. Armenian cuisine, and Middle Eastern cuisine in general, is popular among Armenian Americans. 12 Armenian men had married women from several backgrounds including American and Spanish, and three Armenian women had married American men. Therefore, individuals exist who are not acculturated at all to the dominant American culture, as well as those who have chosen to separate from the Armenian community and acculturate completely, and many who are in the middle of acculturation spectrum. [42], The first Armenian arrived in California in 1874 and settled in Fresno. ", This page was last edited on 13 February 2023, at 04:29. [145] The period saw a large influx of Armenian immigrants. And it made space for other local actors such as Turkey to start making moves.. [28], A new wave of Armenian immigrants moved in the late 1940s, including Soviet Armenian prisoners of war who were able to make their way westward after being freed from Nazi camps. It is self-ruling and receives funding from Armenia and the Armenian diaspora, which is far larger than Armenias population of about 3 million. In these neighborhoods, an Armenian can live a very active social and occupational life and receive many services without speaking a word of English and interacting only with Armenians. ", Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary Volume XXa, " --", " Weekly - . [143] The 1988 Spitak earthquake and the Karabakh movement brought the separate groups of the Armenian community together. [197] Diplomat Edward Djerejian was the US ambassador in Syria then Israel in the 1990s. You have war, various oppressive regimes and revolutions., Despite the diversity of experiences, she sees everyone coming together now for this common goal: Everyone is just all hands on deck.. They take pride in their support of Etchmiadzin, in the massive humanitarian aid given since the 1988 earthquake, in Armenians in high government positions, and particularly in the establishment of the American University of Armenia, the first major experiment in American higher education in the former Soviet Union. [218] Born to Armenian parents in Fresno, Kerkorian had provided over $1 billion for charity in Armenia through his Lincy Foundation. A majority of Armenian-speakers (115,017) were foreign-born. October 20, 2020 The Armenian American population is a beating heart of Los Angeles, tucked away into the vibrant and comforting charm of Glendale. Los Angeles City Councilmember Paul Krekorian sponsored a resolution today through which the City of Los Angeles has condemned the brutal and unprovoked invasion launched over the weekend by Azerbaijan against the Republic of Artsakh. [83][90] Glendale also home to the highest percentage of people born in Armenia. The main goal is to get more attention about the situation. Immigrants were asked to indicate which state they were going to settle in; for Armenians, the most popular answers were New York (17,391), Massachusetts (14,192), Rhode Island (4,923), Illinois (3,313), California (2,564), New Jersey (2,115), Pennsylvania (2,002), Michigan (1,371). Nobody chooses to leave their homeland unless its by force.. ), and the rest in other parts of the world. [31], The 15-year-long Lebanese Civil War that started in 1975 and the Iranian revolution of 1979 greatly contributed to the influx of Middle Eastern Armenians to the US. [133] Since the 1960s many Armenian bilingual schools have been established in communities throughout the country. ( 2 ) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, ( 3 ) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, ( 4 ) United Nations Statistical Division. Another reason Armenians are protesting is that some take issue with media coverage of the conflict. [5][6] In 165354, two Armenians from Constantinople were invited to Virginia to raise silk worms. [195] A number of Armenian Americans have been elected to state legislatures, especially in California. [42][122] About 2/3 of Armenians speakers call Los Angeles County home. Heres the background on how the conflict got to this point and its implications in Southern California. For comparison, about 6% of Italian Americans, 32% of Greek Americans and 70% of Albanian Americans speak their ancestral language. [94] Today, an estimated number of about 40,000 Armenian live in Fresno. Today, Hovannisian is a major opposition figure in Armenia and the leader of the Heritage party. The first wave was a result of the Armenian Genocide and the second wave was a result of tensions in the Soviet Union. Other sizable Armenian American communities exist in the Midwest and in the South, but in much smaller numbers than the Northeastern states and California. In 1992, Dr. Dickran Kouymjian of the California State University, Fresno stated: All have refocused their efforts toward Armenia, providing financial and professional skill. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said recently that a call for peace from France, Russia and the U.S. was unacceptable and our Azerbaijani brothers are now waiting for the day they will return to their land.. [186][187], Christina Maranci is the Arthur H. Dadian and Ara Oztemel Professor of Armenian Art and Architecture at Tufts University. Glendale, just a few miles away from Downtown Los Angeles, has a population of about 200,000, of which, according to some estimates, 40% is Armenian. In July, border clashes resulted in deaths of both Armenian and Azebaijani servicemen. [83] Several districts of Los Angeles have high concentrations of Armenians, particularly in San Fernando Valley: North Hollywood, Van Nuys and Encino. The first recorded Armenian to visit North America was Martin the Armenian from Iran. Many of them were young male students of the American Evangelical Missions spread throughout the Ottoman Empire. [102] Today, according to estimates there are 150,000 Armenians in the Tri-State area. People hold signs as they stand with members of the Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) as they hold a protest outside the Azerbaijani Consulate General in Los Angeles on September 30, 2020 to. The 2000 Census reported only 2,528 Armenians in San Francisco, but Hayk The Ubiquitous Armenian stated "the actual number is probably much higher since the census is usually lower than actuals. [194] George Deukmejian became the Republican governor of California in 1983 and left the office in 1991. Hundreds of demonstrators rallied outside of the CNN building during the weekend of Oct. 5, to protest the lack of coverage of the conflict. [5][6] A few other Armenians are recorded as having come to the US in the 17th and 18th centuries, but most moved as individuals and did not establish communities. They have siblings serving on the front lines, families displaced, so the news theyre getting is from daily phone calls, real-time updates, family members who have died, she said. The U.S. has given around $17 million to Azerbaijan in 2020 alone, while simultaneously granting military equipment as well. [84] On 6 October 2000, a small community in East Hollywood was named Little Armenia by the Los Angeles City Council. [29] From 1944 to 1952, 4,739 Armenians migrated to the US,[14] many with the help of George Mardikian's American National Committee to Aid Homeless Armenians (ANCHA).[30]. The global population of Armenians is estimated at 10 million, but only three million live in Armenia, while the remaining seven million are spread across the globe, including an estimated 2.5 Armenians in Russia. In 2000, an East Hollywood neighborhood was designated Little Armenia. They form the second largest community of the Armenian diaspora after Armenians in Russia. [22] Once in America, some Armenians organized political parties to serve various causes in America and in the homeland. "[170] Sebu Simonian, one of two founders of the band Capital Cities, is Lebanese Armenian. In the beginning, the earlier generations were tied to the Armenian genocide, and now you have more current migrants who might have participated in the 1994 war, Gamaghelyan said. October 28, 2020 Harut Sassounian My Turn 1. For instance, the number of Armenians in Nevada increased from 2,880 in 2000 to 5,845 in 2010, Florida from 9,226 to 15,856, and Texas from 4,941 to 14,459.[119]. The largest of such gatherings occurs in the Los Angeles area. [209] Armenian-born chess players Tatev Abrahamyan and Varuzhan Akobian have represented the US in Chess Olympiad. [134], Armenian Americans constitute a highly educated community. In a Sept. 28 statement, Biden called on the Trump administration to step up diplomatic efforts. What did Disney actually lose from its Florida battle with DeSantis? The National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR) is located in Belmont, and "starting in early 2018, NAASR will undertake top-to-bottom renovationsto transform it into a welcoming hub and first-class Armenian Studies research center for scholars and myriad others, Armenians and non-Armenians alike. From 1992 to 2010 the US provided nearly $2 billion, the highest per capita amount for a post-Soviet state. There are Armenians from Middle Eastern countries like Syria and Lebanon, most of whom left during the Lebanese civil war in the years 1975 to 1990.. Aram Chobanian served as president of Boston University from 2003 to 2005. He was a recipient the National Humanities Medal and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The following table is the list of urban areas with the largest Armenian population, including in Armenia and the disputed Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), and the Armenian diaspora . Rich L.A. homeowners are snapping them up, 19 cafes that make L.A. a world-class coffee destination. Since then Terzian believes outlets have been listening to their demands. [46] Almost 90% had moved in the previous two decades (57,960)[47] and lived in California (57,482). [8] Both are affiliated with the Armenian Revolutionary Federation. The city is also widely known as the birthplace of William Saroyan, many of whose stories are set there. For instance, Armenians from Armenia or the rest of the former Soviet Union might know Russian, those from Lebanon and Syria may know Arabic and French, almost all Iranian Armenians speak Persian and Istanbul Armenians speak Turkish. It must also demand others like Turkey stay out of this conflict. [136][141][142], On October 12, 1957, during the peak of the Cold War, a number of parishes of the Armenian Apostolic Church in America, which were unaffiliated since 1933, came together under the Holy See of Cilicia with the headquarters in Lebanon, close to the Armenian Revolutionary Federation. Recently, the Armenian Heritage Park was opened in Boston, MA. ", "One-Man Show Tells Pulitzer-Prize Winning Author's Story", "Ai Weiwei is named ArtReview's 'most powerful artist', "For Canadians, Thanksgiving Is a 'Quieter' Affair in October", "Gregory H. Adamian, 89; former Bentley College president", "Istanbul-born MIT professor named world's most influential economist", "Daron Acemoglu Named Most Influential Economist", "Department of Art and Art History: People", "Dr. Jack Kevorkian Dies at 83; A Doctor Who Helped End Lives", "Jacob 'Jack' Kevorkian Dies; Death With Dignity Proponent Remembered", "Jerry Tarkanian, 84, N.C.A.A. Diasporan history has been transformed by the Republic: nowhere is this more strongly felt than in America. Most recent data [ edit] Historical [ edit] Default sorted by Armenian population size Russian Empire [ edit] Soviet Union [ edit] 1926 census [ edit] Armenian Americans have found a lot of success in the field of entertainment. Defined here as the city of Moscow (106,466) and, The agglomeration (or economic zone) of Chernomorsk contains, Defined here as the city (19,971) and the, Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT CSA, ". , . . Soviet Armenians, on the other hand, were mostly genocide survivors who never fully integrated into Soviet life after their repatriation in the 1940s. This upset the Dashnak members present in the ceremony. [137] It was reported that 80% of Armenian Americans are Armenian Apostolic, 10% are Protestant (mostly Armenian Evangelical) and 3% are Armenian Catholic. 1.5 million of Turkey's historic Armenian population was . Up to three different 24-hour Armenian language television and radio channels are available. "Armenian Americans. But Gamaghelyan said another part of the problem is that both countries block certain information. [147] A small number of Armenian Americans are followers of the Armenian Catholic Church. [144] The middle 1950s saw an uptick in immigration and a building boom of Armenian churches, with new communities proliferating across the US. [124], Between 1910 and 1970, the language of only the foreign-born population in the United States was taken into account. [196] Ken Khachigian was the chief speechwriter for President Ronald Reagan. [6] Armenian Mirror-Spectator[67] Queens is home to some 50,000 Armenian Americans, Manhattan has 10,000 Armenian population centered in Gramercy Park, Kips Bay and Murray Hill, where St. Vartan Armenian Cathedral is. It was a very personal reaction that people were having. First wave of immigration and the Interwar period, Kouymjian, 2000 " and particularly Los Angeles, which alone has nearly a quarter of a million Armenians in places like Hollywood, Glendale, and Pasadena. [45] Annually, on average 2,000 people from Armenia migrated to the US since 1994, not including ethnic Armenians from Middle Eastern countries. Los Angeles is now home to the largest Armenian population in the U.S., and the second largest in the world next to Moscow. [2] The first major wave of Armenian immigration to the United States took place in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Azerbaijan has technically closed off their social media outside of the country, he said. U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Los Angeles city, California QuickFacts Los Angeles city, California Table (a) Includes persons reporting only one race (c) Economic Census - Puerto Rico data are not comparable to U.S. Economic Census data (b) Hispanics may be of any race, so also are included in applicable race categories In 2011, the British magazine ArtReview placed Gagosian fourth in their annual poll of "most powerful person in the art world". I would say [the media coverage] has improved. ", Forgotten Bread: First-Generation Armenian American Writers, ed. [125] According to the 1980 US Census 100,634 people in the nation spoke Armenian, 69,995 of them were foreign-born. Second generation Armenian American writers include Peter Balakian, Nancy Kricorian, Carol Edgarian, Michael J. Arlen, Arthur Nersesian, Micheline Aharonian Marcom, Hrag Vartanian, and others.[179]. Social media is the main news source we have. [8], During the Civil War three Armenian doctorsSimeon Minasian, Garabed Galstian, and Baronig Matevosianworked at military hospitals in Philadelphia. Turkey is vocally supporting Azerbaijan. Richard Hovannisian is a historian and professor emeritus at UCLA. Some Armenian Americans in Southern California have traveled thousands of miles to help in the war effort against Azerbaijan. With their homeland being under attack, L.A.s Armenian diaspora has gathered together to make their unanimous voice heard around the world. In 1961, St. Nersess Armenian Seminary was established in Illinois (later, it would move to New York). He is also the co-founder of the Imagine Center for Conflict Transformation and the managing editor of the Caucasus Edition: Journal of Conflict Transformation. (The Turkish government disputes that the deaths estimates range from 600,000 to 1.5 million people killed under the Ottoman Empire constituted a genocide.). On Wednesday, a crowd shut down Wilshire Boulevard in Westwood, and on Thursday, many traveled to Washington to protest in front of the White House. Of the 339,732 Armenian Americans who are 25 or above, 26% are with a college degree, and 26.1% hold a bachelor's degree. Sherman Oaks Notre Dame overcomes deficit to win Mission League opener, California to alter COVID rules in healthcare settings: Masks and vaccinations not required, Welcome to the world, baby Winter, born amid a snowstorm in Lake Arrowhead, Gripped by grace: Thousands gather for Bishop OConnells funeral Mass, Civilian oversight commission calls for sheriff to outlaw deputy gangs, ban their rituals, Bullets fly amid wild chase on streets of Los Angeles. [131], Early Armenian immigrants were one of the most literate ethnic groups to enter the US with 76% literacy. Jane Partizpanyan, ContributorOctober 30, 2020. A generation of leaders born in America also began to exert itself. World Population Prospects: 2022 Revision. . Some estimates have the Singles population in Lost Angeles at over ,! The first Armenian to hold a high position office was Republican Steven Derounian, a Bulgarian-born Armenian, represented New York from 1953 to 1965 in the House of Representatives. The tiny mountainous South Caucasus enclave Nagorno-Karabakh, referred to by Armenians by its historical name, Artsakh, is recognized internationally as part of Azerbaijan, but its population of 150,000 is mostly ethnic Armenian. Armenians in L.A. dont think this issue can be put to rest until the global community recognizes Artsakh as an independent republic. [127][128], According to the 2000 US Census there were 385,488 ethnic Armenians living in the US, and 202,708 people identified Armenian as 'Language Spoken at Home'. Khachig Tllyan, born in Syria, was a professor of English and Comparative Literature at Wesleyan University and is considered a founder of the academic discipline of diaspora studies. The Displaced Persons Act of 1948 allowed people displaced during the World War II to immigrate to the US. Lawyer Gregory H. Adamian served as president of Bentley University from 1970 to 1991, during which he oversaw dramatic growth of the university.[183]. The metro area population of Los Angeles in 2020 was 12,447,000, a 0.01% decline from 2019. Each side reads their own official information, that theyre being attacked by the other side, he said. According to Shawn Dorman, the author of Inside a U.S. embassy, the main goal of Armenian lobby is the "persuasion of US Congress to favor Armenian interests, especially to recognize the Armenian genocide." Some notable Armenian Americans in business include the founder of Masco Alex Manoogian,[214] the Mugar family (owner of Star Market chain of supermarkets in New England),[215] Kevork Hovnanian, founder of Hovnanian Enterprises, Avedis Zildjian, the founder of Zildjian Company (the world's largest cymbal manufacturer), Gerard Cafesjian, and Alexis Ohanian (founder of the internet service Reddit). [54] In 1988, The New York Times article claimed that Middle Eastern Armenians prefer to settle in Glendale, California, while Armenian immigrants from the Soviet Union were attracted to Hollywood, Los Angeles. [136] The American Diocese of the Church was established in 1898 by Catholicos Mkrtich Khrimian. Since the 1950s many Armenians from the Middle East (especially from Lebanon, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Egypt and Turkey) migrated to the U.S. as a result of political instability in the region. The highest concentrations of Americans of Armenian ancestry are in Los Angeles, New York and Boston. As of 2000, 53% of the Armenians living in the US speak the Armenian language. Rouben Mamoulian was a film and theater director and also known as co-producer of the first feature film (Becky Sharp, 1935) to use the three-strip Technicolor process. His acting career spanned over 6 decades. In places as distant as Los Angeles and Beirut, both home to significant Armenian diasporas, pro-Armenian activists have marched, gathered assistance and organized volunteers for the. [217] It was established in 1989 and was particularly focused on helping to rebuild northern Armenia after the 1988 Spitak earthquake. There are currently more than 200,000 Armenians living in the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area, and the city of Glendale - with a population that is roughly 30% Armenian - is its beating . [216] Kirk Kerkorian, known as "the father of the megaresort",[217] was claimed to be the richest man in Los Angeles prior to his death in 2015. Armenians from Lebanon, Turkey, Syria and few other countries speak the Western dialect, which was spoken in Turkish (Western) Armenia, the eastern regions of Turkey with historical Armenian presence. (, ) 2005 2015 . Azeri soldiers wearing Armenian uniforms may be shot by their own troops. The City of Los Angeles is home to the largest population of Armenians outside of Armenia itself. Sculptor Haig Patigian, painter Hovsep Pushman, and most notably, Arshile Gorky (born Vosdanig Adoian) are among the best known American artists of Armenian origin. Sacramento, California - Senator Anthony J. Portantino (D - Burbank) announced that the Senate Select Committee on California, Armenia and Artsakh Mutual Trade, Art, and Cultural Exchange has been re-established for the 2023-24 Legislative Session. In April, Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden vowed to support a resolution acknowledging the Armenian genocide if elected in November, something presidents Trump, Obama and others did not do. A naturalized citizen from Rodosto, Garabedian served aboard the blockade ships USS Geranium and USS Grand Gulf as a Third Assistant Engineer and later an officer from 1864 until his honorable discharge from the Navy in August 1865. He was an Iranian Armenian tobacco grower who settled in Jamestown, Virginia in 1618. The Western US branch of Homenetmen holds the Navasartian Games in the Los Angeles area every summer since 1975. March 8, 2022 Two California men were sentenced this week to federal prison terms for attacking five employees of a Turkish restaurant in Beverly Hills, Calif., in November 2020 because of their. Singer Cher (born Cherilyn Sarkisian). Glendale is home to the biggest Armenian American community in the region, in addition to significant populations in Burbank, Pasadena, Montebello and La Crescenta. Other notable Armenian Americans also include: Oscar H. Banker (inventor of automatic transmissions for automobiles), and Luther Simjian (inventor of automated teller machines).