Congressional Record: October 6, 2005 (Extensions)
>From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access
IN HONOR AND RECOGNITION OF KEVORK “GEORGE” ARSLANIAN
HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH
of ohio
in the house of representatives
Thursday, October 6, 2005
Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor and recognition of
Mr. Kevork “George” Arslanian, loving family man, father,
grandfather, great-grandfather and dear friend to many, as his friends
and loved ones gather in honor and celebration of his 100th birthday.
Mr. Arslanian’s life reflects a brilliant spectrum of survival,
courage, tenacity, triumph, devotion to family and service to others.
As a young child, Mr. Arslanian and his two brothers became orphans.
During WWI, 40 members of the Arslanian family, including their father
and mother, were killed in the horrific Armenian massacre by the
Turkish military. The Armenian genocide resulted in the deaths of 1.5
million Armenians. A Turkish neighbor hid the three boys in her home,
saving their lives. Soon after, they were sent to a Red Cross orphanage
in Syria, where they barely survived among 60,000 other orphans.
Throughout their years of struggle, Mr. Arslanian and his brothers
remained focused on the promise of a new life in America. They left the
Syrian orphanage and journeyed to Cuba, from where they had heard that
entry into the U.S. would be easier. They soon discovered this was not
the truth. The children spent 5 years in Cuba, surviving with nothing
more than their own determination, courage and the promise of reaching
the shores of America. In 1927, the boys, who had by now become young
men, made the escape out of Cuba as stowaways on a ship that delivered
them to a life of freedom, hope and possibility in America.
The Arslanian brothers settled with relatives in Cleveland. Mr.
Arslanian attended Miller Barber College in Cleveland, where he
initially honed the art of his trade without pay. He then earned twenty
dollars a week for 25 cent hair cuts. He soon became a licensed
barber–the 11th in the State of Ohio, and in 1932, opened up his own
shop in Garfield Heights. Six days a week for seventy-five years, Mr.
Arslanian worked in the shop with his brother, and continued giving
hair cuts until just a couple of years ago. Together, Mr. Arslanian and
his beloved, late wife, Virginia, raised three sons. George and
Virginia Arslanian were married for 67 years. Mr. Arslanian, one
hundred years young, continues to be the foundation, center and light
of his family–a family that includes his three sons, seven
grandchildren and twenty great-grandchildren.
His life-long devotion to his family and to his shop extends
throughout the community, and is evidenced within his strong faith and
his dedication to preserving the history, faith and culture of Armenia.
Mr. Arslanian continues to be deeply involved with the Armenian
Orthodox Church, and led the effort to establish St. Gregory of Narek
Armenian Church. His unwavering support for immigrant families and for
the preservation of Armenian culture is reflected in his long-time
involvement with the Armenian General Benevolent Union and the Tekeyan
Cultural Society.
Mr. Speaker and Colleagues, please join me in honor and recognition
of Mr. Kevork “George” Arslanian, whose brave heart, warm smile and
fascinating life continues to educate and inspire those who know and
love him well, especially his family and friends. Mr. Arslanian’s life,
outlined by hard work, integrity and family, personifies the phrase
`American citizen.’
The remarkable story of the young Arslanian brothers, their
courageous journey and creation of new lives in America, is the story
of the American immigrant, retold in a thousand languages, connecting
all of humanity by the will to survive and the promise of freedom and
peace. The incredible journey of citizens such as Kevork “George”
Arslanian is the strength and foundation of our country. In honor of
Mr. Arslanian’s 100th birthday, we offer him an abundance of peace,
health and happiness, and offer our gratitude to him for enriching our
community and our nation. His great love for his family, community and
for his beloved Armenia, transcends time and distance, serving as a
bridge of goodwill, forever connecting America to Armenia.