Members of the California Legislature commemorated the 102nd anniversary of the Armenian Genocide on Monday, even as the United States of America continues to turn a blind eye to the genocide of 1.5 million Armenians.

“We commemorate the anniversary of the Armenian Genocide to remember the 1.5 million souls lost and to celebrate the Armenian’s contributions to California,” stated Assemblymember Adrin Nazarian. “Through vigilance and education, we can banish genocide to our history books.”

“Armenian-Americans have not only survived, they have thrived and enriched the fabric of our communities. The genocide is about real people and real stories. For me it is about my wife Vanessa and her family, people I love and who are Armenian-Americans,” said Senator Scott Wilk. “By remembering the horror of the genocide, we are taking steps to ensure it never happens again.”  

During the Senate and Assembly Floor Sessions Senator Wilk and Assemblymember Nazarian honored two outstanding Armenian-Americans and presented them with Joint Legislative Resolutions commemorating the genocide: Salpi H. Ghazarian, USC Institute of Armenian Studies leader, for her contributions to addressing and resolving national and global challenges in Armenian communities; and Salpy Kerkonian, flutist and specialist in the interpretation of music by Armenian composers.