President Biden recognizes Armenian Genocide, which Fresno’s community has long awaited
President Joe Biden on Saturday became the first president since President Ronald Reagan to recognize the Armenian Genocide, a declaration Fresno’s Armenian community has long-awaited.
In a proclamation issued on Armenian Remembrance Day, Biden said the day is meant to remember those who lost their lives and a time to recommit to ensuring such atrocities never happen again.
“We honor the victims of the Meds Yeghern so that the horrors of what happened are never lost to history,” he said. “And we remember so that we remain ever-vigilant against the corrosive influence of hate in all its forms.”
The formal acknowledgment from the White House came as representatives of Fresno’s large Armenian community gathered at City Hall on an overcast Saturday morning for a solemn flag-raising ceremony.
During the ceremony in Fresno, Paul Jamushian, with the Armenian National Committee, read from Biden’s remarks.
“The term ‘genocide’ was used,” Jamushian said. “Thank you, President Biden.”
Reagan was in office in 1981 when he issued a proclamation saying the atrocities in Armenia were a genocide. Reagan issued his statement on April 22 of that year to recognize victims of genocide, with the examples of Armenians, Jews, and Cambodians.
“With strength and resilience, the Armenian people survived and rebuilt their community,” Biden said. “Over the decades, Armenian immigrants have enriched the United States in countless ways, but they have never forgotten the tragic history that brought so many of their ancestors to our shores.”
Armenian Genocide
Between 1915 and 1923, about 1.5 million Armenians were killed or forced out of their homeland by the Ottoman Empire, modern-day Turkey.
The Turkish government has not recognized its past, and the U.S. has been hesitant to call the historical events genocide, which many argue has to do with business and military interests in the region.
Armenians often point to the U.S. airbase inside Turkey, which gives America a strategic position in the region for military strikes.
Fresno’s Armenian community has been outspoken every year, looking for the recognition that still reverberates today.
Fresno attorney Marshall Moushigian, who has advocated for the recognition, said he was encouraged by some of the language in the proclamation. Biden said the genocide “began” 106 years ago rather than “occurred,” a sign Biden is paying attention to ongoing problems in the region rather than considering it a settled conflict, Moushigian said.
“We always knew this day was going to happen eventually and that’s why we never gave up,” he said. “We are happy about this because it’s a reminder of America’s moral obligation to stand up for human rights.”
Moushigian said the genocide has not ended, and Armenians still run up against Turkey and other neighbors like Azerbaijan. Armenia and Azerbaijan last year were engaged in a months-long war, which ended with some 200 Armenian troops captured.
Azerbaijan has been accused of mistreatment of those soldiers.
The remembrance was recognized in Fresno Saturday with a flag raising at City Hall, including remarks from Rep. Jim Costa, D-Fresno.
“The record of this atrocity is well documented, and it’s long past the time for us to officially acknowledge one of humanity’s most horrific crimes,” he said. “By standing up to Turkey’s policy of denial, we not only honor the victims, but we reaffirm to the international community the United States’ unconditional opposition to all instances of genocide and injustices around the world.”
Valley leaders react
Central San Joaquin Valley representatives issued their own statements on Saturday.
State Sen. Melissa Hurtado, D-Sanger, said it was important to recognize the people who were “brutally and systemically murdered” during World War I.
Rep. David Valadao, R-Hanford, is a member of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues. He was one of 100 representatives who signed a letter asking Biden for the recognition.
“This tragedy at the hands of the Ottoman Empire must never be forgotten, and it is encouraging to know the voices dedicated to preserving the memories of those lost have finally been heard,” he said.
The recognition carried a significant emotional weight to state Sen. Andreas Borgeas, he said, because members of his families are descendants to survivors of the genocide.
“I want to express my sincere appreciation for President Biden’s recognition of the Armenian Genocide,” the Republican from Fresno said. “After more than a century, the United States has mustered the courage to acknowledge the truth despite the potential political consequences with the Republic of Turkey.”
Lawmakers and Armenian American activists have lobbied Biden to make the genocide announcement on or before Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day, which presidents typically mark with a proclamation.
Salpi Ghazarian, director of the University of Southern California’s Institute of Armenian Studies, said the recognition of genocide would resonate beyond Armenia as Biden insists that respect for human rights will be a central principle in his foreign policy.
“Within the United States and outside the United States, the American commitment to basic human values has been questioned now for decades,” she said. “It is very important for people in the world to continue to have the hope and the faith that America’s aspirational values are still relevant, and that we can in fact do several things at once. We can in fact carry on trade and other relations with countries while also calling out the fact that a government cannot get away with murdering its own citizens.”
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
This story was originally published April 24, 2021 at 9:16 AM.
