Hye Sharzhoom Armenian Action
Dustin Vartanian
Staff Writer
What is an Armenian? Why did Armenians choose Fresno as one of their early destinations? How did they get here? These were some of the questions posed during the “Armenians in Fresno” weekend course taught by Prof. Barlow Der Mugrdechian of the Armenian Studies Program.
This Armenian Studies course was a rare opportunity to learn about the first Armenian settlers of the San Joaquin Valley. On October 5th and 6th, a group of eighteen Fresno State students took advantage of an opportunity to learn more about the Armenian community. This class took Armenian, American, and World History into account to explain the different waves of Armenians who immigrated to the San Joaquin Valley in the 20th century. Many students took the course because of their interest in the progress Armenians made since their arrival to the United States.
Fresno State student Pete Safrazian said he took the course “to learn more about the Armenian community in Fresno and how the Armenians have developed since the first generation… I don’t have a ton of knowledge about first generation Armenians, so this class enhanced my learning of what my ancestors went through.”
The “Armenians in Fresno” class did not take place only in the classroom. Professor Der Mugrdechian escorted the class to several Armenian landmarks in Fresno. These included the Ararat Cemetery, the David of Sassoon Statue, Holy Trinity Church Armenian Church, Old Armenian Town, and the William Saroyan House Museum.
While students walked around Downtown Fresno they tried to envision what life looked like for their ancestors. Today, a majority of the old Armenian neighborhoods have been demolished.
“I think about way back when my great grandparents were here establishing them-selves. It was really cool to envision that,” said Molly Gostanian.
In addition, the class was very interactive. Students engaged in conversations about the major theme of the class; what is our identity? They discussed how their personal identity was different from that of the first generation. Some explained how their culture has become more Americanized. Others discussed how it is possible to be both an American and Armenian. The students learned that this was not a new concept and was a question to many Armenians for a number of years now. Even the great William Saroyan questioned this in his writing. The students read one of his short stories called “Antranik of Armenia.”
“Well, the truth is I am both and neither. I love Armenia and America and I belong to both, but I am only this: an inhabitant of the earth, and so are you, whoever you are,” wrote Saroyan.
Many Armenians in the San Joaquin Valley became famous. The students learned about many well-known Armenians from Monte Melkonian to Jerry Tarkanian. Many of the successful Armenians in the Central Valley either started with nothing or their family started with nothing when they first settled in the United States.
Gregory Krikorian, one of the students of the class, said, “ It was really interesting to learn about all of the famous Armenians and it makes me want to be one of the famous Armenians that people learn about one day. We are here learning about them and it is very influential to us to strive for success in the future.”
When the eventful weekend concluded, students left with more knowledge about their past. They learned about each other and also learned about themselves as individuals. They even learned the most valuable lesson of the class; the story of our ancestors must be learned and passed on to generations to come.