InternationalAs Mexico’s ambassador visits Los Angeles, an Armenian-Mexican task force is established
Published: Thursday July 09, 2009
Ambassador Arturo Sarukhán of Mexico in Los Angeles, June 26, 2009. Dan Yeniz Photography
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Los Angeles - Arturo Sarukhán, the ambassador of Mexico in Washington, on June 26 met with Armenian and Mexican diplomats and Los Angeles city officials at a breakfast hosted by the Regional Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the Armenian-American Chamber of Commerce, and co-sponsored by the Consulates General of Armenia and Mexico.
Mr. Sarukhán is Armenian-Mexican.
Over 200 people gathered in a dining hall at the Biltmore Hotel to honor the ambassador. They used the opportunity as a symbolic gesture to strengthen ties between the Armenian and Mexican communities in Los Angeles.
In the November 1, 2008, issue of the Armenian Reporter, Washington editor Emil Sanamyan and intern Lusine Sarkisyan interviewed Mr. Sarukhán, bringing attention to Mr. Sarukhán's ethnic background. His paternal grandparents were survivors of the Armenian Genocide. They sought refuge in Mexico and "fell in love with the country," the ambassador said.
Much in common
Addressing the ambassador, Grigor Hovhanissian, the consul general of Armenia, spoke about the significance of the Mexican diplomat's background.
"Ever since the Armenian Reporter published the interview that disclosed the secrets of the origins of your family, it drew a massive amount of interest from the Armenian community," Mr. Hovhanissian said. "Your background helped bring together these communities in which there are a lot of commonalities. We interact in many ways. We trade with each other; we do business together; we serve in the same public office; and our children attend the same public schools and parks."
The consul general did not address directly the brawls that have broken out in some Los Angeles high-school campuses between groups of Armenian-American and Mexican-American students, focusing instead on the possibility for more mature, friendly relations.
Los Angeles is a vast tableau of cultures intersecting on multiple levels. Southern California boasts the largest number of Armenian-Americans and Mexican-Americans living side by side. Using the ambassador's visit as an opportunity to establish a dialogue between the two communities, the consul general of Mexico Juan Marcos Gutierrez-Gonzalez and Mr. Hovhannissian jointly announced the creation of a Mexican and Armenian task force whose objective it is to promote cooperation in the sectors of health, economic development, education, and culture.
Bridging communities
"Today we are sending out a positive message and really bridging the communities," said Shahe Mazbanian, emcee and member of the newly formed task force.
In a video message, Rep. Adam Schiff, a Democrat who represents California's 29th district -heavily populated by Armenians and Latinos, congratulated the consuls general for creating such an alliance between the two communities.
The task force will include Maria Mehranian, managing partner of the Cordoba Corporation; Mr Mazbanian, a vice-president of business development at Bank of America; Pattyl Aposhian-Kasparian, vice president of marketing and development for the California Institute of Technology and Jet Propulsion Laboratory; Richard Zaldivar, Wall Las Memorias; Sandy Cajas, president of the Regional Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; and Rebeca Zapanta.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca said that "this initiative is somewhat overdue."
A template for better societies
In a detailed speech, Ambassdor Sarukhán outlined what he called "strategic drivers" as ways to improve U.S.-Mexican relations. He spoke about economic growth in Mexico, immigration, NAFTA, and the drug wars plaguing Mexico. Toward the end of his speech, he spoke about the importance of a strong relationship between the Armenian and Mexican communities and how this relationship can be a template of how better societies can be built.
"The Mexican and Armenian communities are coming together and showing us new and innovative ways of thinking. May the seeds that have been planted here today by the consuls general provide a meaningful discussion to help us face the challenges of our communities."
Arturo Sarukhán Casamitjana is a career diplomat in the Mexican Foreign Service. He took a leave of absence to serve as chief foreign policy advisor and international spokesperson for the successful election campaign of Mexican President Felipe Calderon.
Mr. Sarukhán has a bachelor's degree from El Colegio de México (1988) and, as Fulbright Scholar and Ford Foundation Fellow, he earned his master's degree in U.S. foreign policy from Washington's Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (1991).
An admired grandfather
Ambassador Sarukhán has full command of English and Catalan, and is fluent in French. He reads Portuguese and Italian. He said that this goal was to know as many languages as his grandfather Artur Sarukhanian had commanded. Diplomacy and the dexterity of languages is transgenerational in the Sarukhan bloodline. His grandfather was an aide to Alexander Kerensky. After Kerensky was overthrown by the Bolsheviks, Sarukhanian moved to Venice, where he trained at the Mekhitarian seminary. Mr. Sarukhán's grandmother fled to Thessaloniki, Greece, during the Armenian Genocide, then moved to Venice, where she met and later married Sarukhanian. Shortly after Benito Mussolini came to power, they left Italy for Mexico.
Mr. Sarukhán is married to Verónica Valencia and they have two young daughters, Laia and Ani.
