PASADENA, CA – The Pasadena Community commemorated the 96th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide on April 23, bringing elected officials, community leaders, youth activists, and supporters to City Hall.
The 2nd annual commemoration ceremony, held by the Pasadena Armenian Community Coalition, and co-sponsored by the City of Pasadena, featured various speakers and musical performances captivating the audience of both Armenians and non-Armenians.
The event began with a Color Guard ceremony by the U.S. Marine Corps and AGBU Pasadena scouts, followed by opening remarks by Armenian Council of America Board Member, Mr. Yeghia Mazmanian, who also served as the Master of Ceremonies for the event.
“We cannot allow and will not allow the memories of our martyrs to fade for such petty and insignificant gains. In the words of Abraham Lincoln, ‘The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did,’” said Mazmanian.
Among the elected officials present were State Senator Carol Liu (D-Glendale), Assemblyman Anthony Portantino (D-Pasadena), Assemblyman Mike Gatto (D-Los Angeles), Pasadena Mayor Bill Bogaar, Sierra Madre Mayor Joe Mosca, representatives from the offices of U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer, Congressman Adam Schiff (D-Pasadena), and Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael Antonovich.
The keynote address was delivered by Mr. Joseph Kechichian, former Senior Researcher at the RAND Corporation and the Armenian Research Center. He currently serves as an Adjunct Professor of U.S. – Middle East Relations at Pepperdine University.
“Holding governments accountable for their actions and renewing our trusts in them are the only mechanisms to avoid future atrocities,” said Kechichian. “We who live in true democracies carry the added burden of living up to higher standards, because much more is always asked, from those who have more.”
Mr. Khatchik Chahinian, Chairman of the Pasadena Armenian Community Coalition expressed the Armenian-American community’s desire to commemorate the upcoming 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide at the Rose Bowl, given the deep rooted ties of thousands of Pasadena Armenians who are descendants of Genocide survivors.
The Hokehankist was eloquently conducted by Father Sarkis Bedoyan of the St. Gregory Armenian Church and the musical performances were performed by Ms. Salpi Keleshian and Mr. Ara Sahagian.
