Montebello Education Board Reaffirms April as Armenian Genocide Commemoration Month

October 26,  2020



Montebello Unified School District

The Montebello Unified School District Board of Education at its regularly scheduled meeting on October 21, approved resolution No. 5 (2020-2021). This resolution recognizes the Month of April as Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide of 1915.

With this action the District seeks to ensure that the Armenian Genocide is properly taught to its faculty, student body, and the community at large. Also reiterating the Districts ongoing commitment to working with different community groups, non-profit organizations, and school personnel to ensure that genocide studies remain an important part of the high school social science curriculum.

“As the governing body of the Montebello Unified School District we felt it important that our students are exposed to factual events in history,” said Board President Marisol Madrigal Uribe. “Giving our students the opportunity to learn about the Armenian Genocide of 1915 and other events in History is critical to making sure that that we don’t repeat mistakes of the past.”

Resolution No. 5 (2020-2021) specifically states that the District will commit to engaging teachers in robust discussions about best practices around teaching the subject of genocide and the most effective ways of communicating the important societal themes that run through the continuum of genocides of modern history.

“I am thankful to our Board for taking action and adopting Resolution No. 5 (2020-2021). Our District will continue to make sure that we are teaching our students historical events like the Armenian Genocide of 1915. By having these conversations our hope is that we provide our communities with a better understating of history and protect against the repetition of such atrocious acts,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Anthony J. Martinez.

The Montebello Unified School District is the third-largest school district in Los Angeles County. The District serves approximately 29,978 Pre-K thru Adult students from the culturally-diverse communities of Bell Gardens, Montebello, Commerce, Monterey Park, San Gabriel, East Los Angeles and Pico Rivera.

Emil Lazarian

“I should like to see any power of the world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people, whose wars have all been fought and lost, whose structures have crumbled, literature is unread, music is unheard, and prayers are no more answered. Go ahead, destroy Armenia . See if you can do it. Send them into the desert without bread or water. Burn their homes and churches. Then see if they will not laugh, sing and pray again. For when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a New Armenia.” - WS