A century after the genocide, Armenians are still adapting to their place in America
Downtown Fresno gets a bad rap. On a clear day, it’s beautiful.
If you are on Fulton Street, you can see Highway 41 peaking through the historic buildings when you look south. To the north, you see the Iron Bird lofts. For me, downtown holds a special place. Not only do I work and go to church in the area, but my daily lunchtime walks help focus my mind and remind me of a historic area, one that has included the Armenian story in its fabric.
Maybe I like downtown because that is where a large congregation of Armenians lived. Many had no choice at the time. Or, maybe because a building that once did not allow space to be leased to Armenians is now owned by an Armenian-American.
Every April my connection to downtown deepens. For the past two decades, around April 24, the Armenian flag is raised over Fresno City Hall in commemoration of the Armenian Genocide. Last April was especially memorable. As the small group stood in front of Fresno City Hall, news broke that President Biden recognized the genocide; the first president to do so in an official manner on April 24. The recognition came after over a century of work and at a much needed time.
The year 2020 was a difficult year for Armenia and Armenians. It was the year that Azerbaijan, with the assistance of Turkey and Pakistan (who still doesn’t recognize the Armenian state) invaded and took parts of historic Armenian areas in Nagorno-Karabakh. We’ve been hearing the word “invasion” a lot these days. Two years ago, the same thing happened and you probably didn’t hear about. CNN’s Anderson Cooper didn’t go there. Don Lemon didn’t talk about it much, if any. Neither did Fox News or MSNBC.
I often think about the poet William Saroyan. One of my favorite Saroyan poems includes the lines “...this small tribe of unimportant people, whose wars have all been fought and lost.” Saroyan was right. For some reason, despite the work of Armenians and their inventions that help people around the world on a daily basis, Armenia is unimportant to most countries. There are no major natural resources in Armenia, and there is no U.S. bases that help with the fight against “terror.”
On my walks I sometimes go past the area where Saroyan would sell newspapers. I wonder what he would have thought about a U.S. president finally recognizing the genocide. I learned that Saroyan met a gentleman by the name of Hampar Kelikian while in the U.S military stationed in England. Kelikian became one of the best orthopedic surgeons in his time. He was called a pioneer for his work.
One of his clients was the late Sen. Bob Dole, the powerful lawmaker from Kansas who almost became p;resident of the United States. Kelikian performed seven surgeries on Dole and saved his arm from amputation. No one else was able to do it.
I wonder if it was Kelikian’s story that impacted Dole to the point where the senator was a staunch supporter of Armenian Genocide recognition. Kelikian’s family fled the Ottoman Empire. When the genocide ended, his sisters were sent back, thinking the atrocities had ended. Unfortunately, shortly thereafter they were burned alive when the Ottoman Turks razed the city of Hadjin.
Dr. Kelikian is one example of a genocide survivor who bettered the United States. According to his daughter, Alice, who I had the opportunity to interview for my program, he didn’t charge American soldiers for repairing their bodies.
Kelikian brought his family to Fresno several times to spend time with Saroyan. The next time I walk by the area that Saroyan sold newspapers, I’ll smile and remember Saroyan, Kelikian, and the countless other Armenians who contributed and continue to contribute to the success and betterment of our new country, the United States.
As Saroyan so eloquently stated in the ending of that poem I referenced above: “For when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a New Armenia.”
