Hye Sharzhoom Armenian Action
Photo: Michael Rettig
Michael Rettig
Editor
The Armenian Studies Program at Fresno State has had a profound impact on its students in their efforts to better understand their heritage. The Program similarly strives to represent the Armenian community to the larger public. ASP Coordinator Professor Barlow Der Mugrdechian accomplishes this by speaking to public community groups who are interested in learning about Armenian history and culture. On Friday, February 16, the Sanger Rotary Club invited Prof. Der Mugrdechian to lecture on “From Armenia to California: The Odyssey of the San Joaquin Valley Armenians.”
Prof. Der Mugrdechian began his talk by providing a background of the different waves of Armenian immigration to the United States, highlighting their motives for migrating and their early lives in America. He demonstrated that Armenians played a prominent role in Fresno’s growth, from its incorporation as a city in 1885 to the present.
The Seropian brothers were the first Armenians to permanently settle in Fresno in 1881. Four years later, there were approximately 360 Armenians in Fresno County. By 1918, the Armenian population in the Valley was estimated at 10,100 with some 4,000 in the Fresno area. Prof. Der Mugrdechian displayed images of Armenian life in Fresno, such as the Seropian Packing House from 1897, Armenian farmers harvesting grapes, and Armenian women working in a packing house. Prof. Der Mugrdechian then discussed the waves of immigration to the San Joaquin Valley from the Middle East, Iran, and the Republic of Armenia from the 1960s to the present.
Prof. Der Mugrdechian concluded with an overview of the institutions important to Fresno Armenians, such as the Fresno State Armenian Studies Program, the Armenian churches, the Charlie Keyan Armenian Community School, and the political and fraternal organizations.
He similarly stressed the impact Armenians had on the wider community with an overview of some prominent Armenian Fresno natives, such as William Saroyan, Kirk Kerkorian, Debbie Poochigian, and Leon S. Peters. He also highlighted local Armenian landmarks, such as the statue of David of Sassoon, Valley Lahvosh Baking Co., and the Armenian Genocide Monument at Fresno State.
Prof. Der Mugrdechian noted that speaking to community groups about the Central Valley’s Armenians and their history is one of the most enjoyable aspects of his job.
“I always find that groups such as Rotary are interested in who the Armenians are, their history, and their contributions to the San Joaquin Valley.”
These community lectures provide an opportunity for those who live in the San Joaquin Valley to better understand their Armenian neighbors, who they live and work with.