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|pop1 =
|pop1 =
|languages = '''[[Armenian Language|Armenian]]''' mainly [[Western Armenian]] with a minority of [[Eastern Armenian]]
|languages = '''[[Armenian Language|Armenian]]''' mainly [[Western Armenian]] with a minority of [[Eastern Armenian]]
|religions = [[File:P christianity.svg|18px]] '''[[Christianity]]''' <br>[[Armenian Apostolic Church|Armenian Apostolic]]{{·}} [[Armenian Catholic Church|Armenian Catholic]]{{·}} [[Armenian Evangelical Church|Evangelical]] {{·}}[[Protestant]]
|religions = majority: [[File:P christianity.svg|18px]] '''[[Christianity]]''' <br>[[Armenian Apostolic Church|Armenian Apostolic]]{{·}} [[Armenian Catholic Church|Armenian Catholic]]{{·}} [[Armenian Evangelical Church|Evangelical]] {{·}}[[Protestant]], minority: [[Atheists]]
|related = [[Armenian Canadian]]{{·}} [[Armenians in France]]{{·}}[[Armenian Australian]] and other [[European Americans]]}}
|related = [[Armenian Canadian]]{{·}} [[Armenians in France]]{{·}}[[Armenian Australian]] and other [[European Americans]]}}
{| class="infobox"
{| class="infobox"

Revision as of 15:32, 19 February 2012

For Armenians in the whole of the Americas, see Armenian diaspora in the Americas.
Armenian Americans
Ամերիկահայեր Amerigahayer
Total population
474,559 (2010)[1]
Regions with significant populations
Languages
Armenian mainly Western Armenian with a minority of Eastern Armenian
Religion
majority: Christianity
Armenian Apostolic · Armenian Catholic · Evangelical  · Protestant, minority: Atheists
Related ethnic groups
Armenian Canadian · Armenians in France · Armenian Australian and other European Americans
Armenians in the US by years[2]
Year Armenian population %±
1890
1,500
1898
14,000
833.3
1900
25,000
78.6
1914
65,950
163.8
1920
100,000
33.3
1930's
200,000
50
1945
215,000
7.5
1972
450,000
109.3
1979
550,000
22.3
1983
700,000
27.3
1986
800,000
14.3
1994 [3]
1,000,000
25
2003 [3]
1,200,000
20
2006 [3]
1,270,000
5.8

Armenian Americans (Template:Lang-hy Amerikahayer) are citizens of the United States whose ancestry originates wholly or partly in Armenia. During the United States 2000 Census, 385,488 respondents indicated either full or partial Armenian ancestry.[4] The 2010 American Community Survey one-year estimates indicated 474,559 Americans with full or partial Armenian ancestry.[5]

History

Armenian pioneers

The first Armenian known to have immigrated to America was Martin the Armenian.[6] He arrived in Jamestown, Virginia, in 1618, when the colony was only eleven years old. A few other Armenians are recorded as having come to the United States in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, but they mostly came as individuals and did not form a community. A number of Armenians were known to have served for the side of the Union during the Civil War. Three Armenian doctors, Simeon Minasian, Garabed Galstian, and Baronig Matevosian, worked at military hospitals in Philadelphia.[7] The only Armenian known to have participated in hostilities was Khachadour Paul Garabedian, who enlisted in the Union Navy as Third Assistant Engineer and attained officer rank. A naturalized citizen who hailed from Rodosto, Garabedian served aboard the blockade ships USS Geranium and USS Grand Gulf from 1864 until his honorable discharge from the Navy in August 1865.[8]

First wave of immigration

In 1870, the number of Armenians living in the United States stood only at 69.[7] The first Armenians to arrive to the United States in the nineteenth century were students from Western Armenia coming in search of a higher education. The pioneer of this movement is noted to be Khachadour Vosganian, who stayed in the US and later became president of the New York Press Club.

Armenians began to arrive in the United States in higher numbers in the late nineteenth century, most notably after the Hamidian Massacres of 1894-1896.[9] The largest communities were founded in Fresno and other towns in the San Joaquin Valley of California and in Worcester, Massachusetts. Discrimination was widespread and many Armenians struggled against the overt racism and housing restrictions (the Armenians living in central California were often referred to by natives as "Fresno Indians" and "lower class Jews").[10] This first wave of immigration lasted until the mid-1920s, when the new immigration quotas decreased the number of Armenians who were allowed to immigrate into the US. This wave of immigrants established Armenian communities and organizations in the United States, most notably the Armenian Apostolic Church.

Split within the Armenian community

As the first wave of immigrants was arriving in America, the dust was settling from World War I. By the 1920s, Western Armenia, the homeland of most Armenian-Americans, was depleted almost entirely of its Armenian population, and Eastern Armenia, which had enjoyed a short-lived period of independence as the First Republic of Armenia, was incorporated into the Soviet Union as Soviet Armenia. Armenians in the United States had many different viewpoints on their future. Some wished to stay in America, some wished to return to Soviet Armenia, some wished to liberate their lost homeland from the new Turkish Republic, and some wished to liberate Soviet Armenia from the Soviet Union. The strongest Armenian political organization in the Diaspora, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, was active in the United States and was pushing for the liberation of Soviet Armenia as an independent state.

Most other Armenian political or social organizations opposed this viewpoint and generally supported the status quo of the Armenian political situation. The people themselves were split down the middle. This political divide spilled over into the Armenian Apostolic Church as Armenians who viewed the church as the mouthpiece of the Armenian people tried to force church leaders to promote their political agendas. Events in 1933 led to the separation of the Armenian Church of America into two rival factions, the "Diocese of the Armenian Church of America" and the "Prelacy of the Armenian Church of America." The Diocese pledged loyalty to the Armenian Catholicos of Echmiadzin while the Prelacy renounced Echmiadzin's leadership as being controlled by the Soviets. This split meant that since 1933 the Armenian community in the U.S. has on many levels developed as two parallel communities, since bitter rivalries meant that many Armenians refused to associate with those from the "other side."

During the Second World War, many Armenians served in the armed forces of the United States.[11] A great number were decorated for their service, including Sgt. (later colonel) Ernest Dervishian, a native of Virginia, who was awarded with the Congressional Medal of Honor.

Second wave of immigration

There was some Armenian immigration to the United States in the 1940s and 1950s, notably the Soviet Armenian prisoners of war who immigrated to the west after being freed from Nazi German camps (known as D.P.'s or Displaced Persons). However, the true second wave of immigration did not begin until the immigration reforms of the 1960s allowed for it. Armenians once again began immigrating to the United States from various parts of the Old World diaspora or from now-Soviet Armenia.

Especially due to the Iranian revolution of 1979 and various other political upheavals in countries of the Middle East where Armenians were then living, Armenian immigration to America boomed into a Second Wave in the 1970s and 1980s. Starting around the same time and continuing after the breakup of the Soviet Union, waves of Armenians from the former Soviet Union arrived for ideological freedom and economic opportunities and settled in older established Armenian communities across the country. Most of the early Armenian immigrants who came from Soviet Armenia lived comfortable lifestyles in their former country but sought freedom from Communist repression. Following this period, it was the chaotic collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990's that prompted further immigration to the United States.

Armenian Americans are often heavily involved in politics involving promotion of ties with Armenia. During the Nagorno-Karabakh War, the Armenian Diaspora in the US was a crucial provider of resources to the country of Armenia, and many Armenian Americans, in fact, volunteered to fight on the side of their homeland. With regards to recognition of the Armenian Genocide, many Armenian American groups have organized to promote legal recognition, and partly as a result, 43 states now recognize (although the federal government does not).

The Armenian-American community consists largely of descendants of the survivors of the Armenian massacres in the 1890s and the subsequent Armenian genocide.

Armenian Demographics

Armenian-Americans are one of the most educated ethnic groups in the United States with a high school graduation rate above 88%.[12] Also, second-generation Armenian-Americans have the highest rate of earning Bachelor's degrees at around 70%.[13]

Distribution

California and Western US

California hosts the largest Armenian-American population. The first Armenian to arrive in California was Ruben Minasian, also known as Normart, which means new man in Armenian. He settled in Fresno in 1874. The first Armenians, who came as residents were members of the family Serobian. They arrived to Fresno in 1881, although after 16 years (in 1897) the number of Armenians in the city of Fresno has reached 329.[14] In the 1920s, Armenians began to move from rural regions to cities, such as Los Angeles. By 1930, the Armenian population of Los Angeles was the largest in California. The largest concentration of Armenian-Americans is located in Glendale, where 26.2% of residents identified themselves as Armenian on the 2000 US Census.[15] The eastern part of the Hollywood district of Los Angeles was named "Little Armenia" on October 6, 2000.[16]

Fresno
See also: Fresno, California § Armenian population

The first Armenian arrived in Fresno, California in 1876. He expected a “paradise,” as it had been represented to him, but he thought the hot, bleak desert was more like Hell. He went back to Philadelphia two years later. Nevertheless, he was the first Armenian to set foot in California. His real name was Mardiros Yanikian, but supposedly he told the inspector at Ellis Island in Armenian, “Nor mart em!” (“I am a new man!”) So he became Frank Normart.[17] By the count of Hagop Nishigian, there were 329 Armenians in Fresno in 1897.[18]

Cities of California with the largest Armenian communities are (according to the 2000 U.S. Census)
1. Los Angeles 64,997
2. Glendale   53,840
3. Burbank 8,312
4. Fresno 6,024
5. Pasadena 4,400
6. Montebello   2,736
7. San Francisco 2,528
8. Altadena 2,134
9. San Diego 1,839
10. La Crescenta-Montrose 1,382
11. San Jose 1,197

In recent years, Armenian communities outside of California have developed in Denver, Colorado, Las Vegas, Nevada, Phoenix, Arizona, Salt Lake City, Utah, Seattle, Washington, Tucson, Arizona.

Eastern and Central United States

Metropolitan areas in Eastern and Central States with the largest Armenian communities are (according to the 2000 U.S. Census):

Rank Metropolitan area State(s) Armenian population
1 Greater New York NY, NJ, CT 31,867
2 Greater Boston MA, NH, RI 21,709
3 Metro Detroit MI 11,986
4 Greater Philadelphia PA, NJ, DE MD 7,562
5 Greater Chicago IL, IN 6,991
6 Providence RI 6,575
7 Greater Miami FL 3,357
8 Greater Worcester MA, CT 3,256
9 Greater Albany GA 1,958
10 Greater Atlanta GA 1,662
Armenian-American family, Boston, Massachusetts, 1908

Other important Armenian-American communities include:

  • Providence, Rhode Island, and its surrounding suburbs also contain flourishing Armenian-American communities. Providence is home to the Armenian Heritage Park, which recognizes Armenian heritage, culture, and religion, and an Armenian Genocide Memorial located in the Old North Burial Ground.
  • Rehoboth, MA, a suburb of Providence, is home to the Husenig Grove, an establishment that hosts many Armenian picnics, dinners, and outings. It was founded by natives of Husenig, a village of the ancient Kharpert, Armenia.

Other Armenian Communities in the Midwest and Southeast:

US communities with high percentages of people of Armenian ancestry

The top 10 US communities with the highest percentage of people claiming Armenian ancestry are:[19]

  1. Glendale, CA 26.2%
  2. Burbank, CA 7.3%
  3. Watertown, MA 7.2%
  4. Altadena, CA 4.6%
  5. Montebello, CA 4.6%
  6. Belmont, MA 4.1%
  7. Cliffside Park, NJ 3.6%
  8. Englewood Cliffs, NJ 3.4%
  9. Whitinsville, MA 3.3%
  10. Pasadena, CA 3.1%

Armenian Genocide and the United States

The Montebello Genocide Memorial in Los Angeles, California (1965)
See also: Recognition of the Armenian Genocide, United States resolution on Armenian genocide, Armenian Genocide Museum of America, and List of Armenian Genocide memorials

Armenian Americans gather in multiple towns and cities every year on April 24 for the recognition of the Armenian Genocide. The largest of such gatherings occurs in the Los Angeles area.

According to Armenian National Institute there are 28 Armenian Genocide memorials in the United States.[20]

Notable Armenian Americans

Main article: List of Armenian Americans

See also

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References

  1. ^ 2010 American Community Survey
  2. ^ Viktor Hambardzumyan, Soviet Armenian Encyclopedia, Armenian Academy of Sciences, 1974-1987, Yerevan
  3. ^ a b c Template:Hy icon Tigran Ghanalyan, ARMENIANS IN THE USA (ՀԱՅԵՐՆ ԱՄՆ-ՈՒՄ), "Noravank" Scientific-Research Foundation, 2009, Yerevan
  4. ^ 2000 American Census presents official data from the 2000 U.S. Census (including state-by-state data), which states that there are 385,488 people of Armenian ancestry currently living in the United States. The 2001 Canadian Census determined that there are 40,505 persons of Armenian ancestry currently living in Canada. However, these are liable to be low numbers, since people of mixed ancestry, very common in North America tend to be under-counted: the 1990 census U.S. indicates 149,694 people who speak Armenian at home. The Armenian Embassy in Canada estimates 1 million ethnic Armenians in the U.S. and 100,000 in Canada. The Armenian Church of America makes a similar estimate. By all accounts, over half of the Armenians in the United States live in California.
  5. ^ http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_10_1YR_B04003&prodType=table
  6. ^ Het Christelijk Oosten 52, No. 3-4 (2000), pp. 311-347
  7. ^ a b Template:Hy icon Nersisyan, Mkrtich G. "Քաղաքական Պատերազմը Ամերիկայում Հայ Պարբերական Մամուլի Լուսաբանությամ" ("The American Civil War as Elucidated in the Armenian Periodical Press"). Patma-Banasirakan Handes. № 2 (13), 1961, pp. 47-66.
  8. ^ Boltz, Martha M. "The Civil War's only Armenian soldier to be honored." The Washington Times. September 20, 2011. Retrieved October 27, 2011.
  9. ^ Mirak, Robert. "The Armenians in America" in The Armenian People From Ancient to Modern Times, Volume II: Foreign Dominion to Statehood: The Fifteenth Century to the Twentieth Century. Richard G. Hovannisian (ed.) New York: St. Martin's Press, p. 390. ISBN 0-3121-0168-6.
  10. ^ Mirak. "The Armenians in America," in The Armenian People, p. 399.
  11. ^ See James H. Tashjian, The Armenian American in World War II. Boston: Harenik Association, 1952.
  12. ^ American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, 2009 People Reporting Ancestry S0201. Selected Population Profile in the United States, Population Group: Armenian (431-433). Data Set: 2007 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates
  13. ^ Kittler, Pamela Goyan and Kathryn Sucher. Food and Culture, 5th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing, 2007, p. 70.
  14. ^ Template:Hy icon Parsadanyan, Albert (2006). Գիտելիքների Շտեմարան-3: Գիտե՞ք որ... (Intelligence Warehouse-3: Did you know...). Vol. 3. Yerevan: VMV Publications. p. 9. ISBN 99941-53-07-2.
  15. ^ Armenian ancestry by city - ePodunk
  16. ^ Little ArmenDesignation
  17. ^ Nectar Davidian, The Seropians (Berkeley:[n.p.], 1965). p. iii; Bishop Mushegh Seropian [Serobian], ed., Amerikahay Taretsuytse 1912 (American Armenian Almanac), vol. 1 (Boston: Kilikia Tparan, 1913), p. 56
  18. ^ Taretsuyts 1912, p. 61.
  19. ^ "Ancestry Map of Armenian Communities". Epodunk.com. Retrieved 2008-08-12.
  20. ^ Armenian Genocide Memorials -- United States
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