InternationalLocal elections in Glendale mobilize community
Published: Friday March 27, 2009
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There's nothing new about Armenian-Americans running for - and winning - political office in the United States or in California, where an Armenian-American, George Deukmejian, has served as governor, no fewer than two Armenian-Americans - Anna Eshoo and Jackie Speier, now serve as U.S. representatives, and Armenian-Americans like Joe Simitian and Paul Krekorian serve in the state Senate and Assembly. Nor is there anything new about the Armenian-American vote as a factor in California elections. But local elections scheduled for April 7 may represent a new stage in Armenian-American voting, particularly in Glendale.
At issue is an evolving definition of what it takes to win the Armenian-American vote.
Our community has always wanted to see more Armenian-Americans in elected office, and has rightly supported Armenian-American candidates for office, often across party lines.
It has never been an open-and-shut case, of course. Last year, when Dr. Jack Kevorkian initiated a long-shot campaign to win the U.S. House seat long occupied by Armenian Caucus co-chair Rep. Joe Knollenberg of Michigan, a champion of Armenian-American issues, this page and the community at large continued to give Mr. Knollenberg strong support in his reelection bid. In Glendale, so many Armenian-Americans ran for City Council last time, splitting the vote, that the Armenian-American presence on City Council actually declined. These episodes make it abundantly clear that Armenian-American political and civic organizations and voters must pick and choose. Armenian-American candidates cannot expect automatic broad community support.
Meanwhile, candidates asking for Armenian-American support have emphasized their commitment to the recognition of the Armenian Genocide. Candidates for federal office have spoken about national affirmation of the Genocide, while candidates for state and local office have focused on recognition in their jurisdictions: state house resolutions and commemorations, and the inclusion of the Armenian Genocide in school curricula. On the federal level, support for Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh has been a major factor in winning the Armenian-American vote, and on the state level, trade missions to Armenia have had a similar place.
In Glendale, where an estimated 40 percent of the population is of Armenian descent, the issues go beyond the traditional priorities. Will City Council members support more parks in South Glendale, where Armenian-Americans are concentrated? What will School Board members do to make it easier for new immigrants to succeed in school - from admission through graduation and beyond? Will the police, in their safety-promotion capacity, do more to reach out to recent Armenian immigrants? (There were four pedestrian fatalities in Glendale last year, and all four were Armenian-Americans.)
It is right to broaden the definition of Armenian-American concerns in these ways in Glendale and beyond. In most cases, the issues are not specifically Armenian-American; they are concerns shared by immigrant groups. This fact provides opportunities for coalition-building in jurisdictions with an enormous Armenian-American presence and likewise in communities with smaller Armenian-American constituencies.
In Glendale, the Armenian National Committee has endorsed two Armenian-American candidates for the three City Council seats to be filled. It has endorsed two candidates for the three School Board seats to be filled. It has thus wisely helped focus the community's votes, while also leaving an opening: community members can engage in targeted voting and at the same time support an additional candidate who did not win the group's endorsement.
As a matter of policy, this page will not endorse candidates in these local elections. We do, however, urge our readers to go out and vote. The outcomes will have a real impact on their lives and that of their community.
