PASADENA ANC PRAISES LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR ADOPTING ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RESOLUTION
Asbarez
Apr 30th, 2010
Maral Tashjian Nazarian, Pasadena Community activist addressing
the PUSD Board of Education about the importance of teaching the
Armenian Genocide.
PASADENA, CA – The Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD)
unanimously adopted a resolution regarding the Armenian Genocide at
their board meeting on April 27, 2010. Specifically, the measure
reaffirms the PUSD’s commitment to working with community groups,
non-profit organizations and school personnel to ensure that the
Armenian Genocide studies remain an important part of High School
social studies curriculum in the City of Pasadena. The PUSD meeting
was attended by representatives of the Pasadena ANC and the Pasadena
Armenian Youth Federation "Nigol Touman" chapter.
"We appreciate the Pasadena Unified School District’s action to
speak truth to power against the state sponsored campaign of genocide
denial being advanced by the Republic of Turkey," remarked Pasadena
ANC Executive Director Ishkhan Boghossian. "Pasadena is a city where
human rights are respected and celebrated and the resolution adopted
today is further proof of this," added Boghossian.
PUSD Chief Academic Officer Alice Petrossian was introduced by PUSD
officials to discuss the resolution. Petrossian, a prominent member
of the Armenian American community, was understandably emotional when
discussing the experience of her family during the genocide. She was
followed by Suzanne Berberian, who serves as the community liaison
specialist for the district and has deep roots with Pasadena’s large
Armenian American community. Berberian was followed by remarks from
Pasadena ANC Chairman Raffi Hamparian.
Community activist and a product of the local public school system,
Maral Tashjian Nazarian, praised the PUSD for adopting the resolution.
Maral, whose children also attend Pasadena public schools, explained
that she was grateful to the PUSD for being part of the broad movement
to confront the Turkish Government’s campaign to deny the Armenian
Genocide
An outstanding feature of the resolution adopted by the PUSD is that
it seeks feedback from teachers as to their efforts to integrate the
Armenian Genocide and other genocides into the district’s 2011-2012
history curriculum. A number of years ago, the PUSD, in partnership
with the Pasadena ANC, sponsored a training program for High School
social studies teachers on the Armenian Genocide.
The Pasadena ANC advocates for the social, economic, cultural,
and political rights of the area’s Armenian American community and
promotes increased Armenian American civic participation at the
grassroots and public policy levels.
#1: Pasadena Armenian-American Community Activists attending the
Pasadena Unified School Board Meeting.
#2: Maral Tashjian Nazarian, Pasadena Community activist addressing
the PUSD Board of Education about the importance of teaching the
Armenian Genocide.