Recommendation to respectfully request the Mayor and City Council to join with cities, states and countries in commemorating the 100th Anniversary of a tragic period in our collective human rights history known as the Armenian Genocide; and Request City Attorney to draft a resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide and its place in history.
Item number 22 communications from Vice Mayor Souza Lowenthal, Councilwoman Lena Gonzalez and Councilwoman Susie Price. Recommendation to respectfully request the Mayor and City Council to join with cities, states and countries in commemorating the 100th anniversary of a tragic period in a collective in our collective human rights history known as the American Armenian Genocide. And request city attorney to draft a resolution recognizing the Armenian genocide and its place in history. Thank you. I'm going to turn this over now to Vice Mayor Lowenthal. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. And I wanted to thank our co-sponsors and really the entire council for taking this up for consideration. I'd like to first move the item and also make some comments. I. There's been a motion and a second by Vice Mayor Lowenthal and Councilwoman Price. Vice Mayor. I want to thank Councilmembers Pryce and and Gonzales for co-sponsoring this item. I'd like to also acknowledge and many of you have seen this individual in our room today, I'd like to acknowledge Governor George Deukmejian for his leadership and advocacy on the issue, certainly going back to at least 1986, officially as an elected official, but probably in his heart for much longer than that. We'll have a chance to hear from the governor shortly. Lastly, I'd like to thank all of our city staff and community members in attendance for this issue. Although it's customary for city staff not to speak on council items, I appreciate your being here in support. The use of the term genocide should never be used lightly, and our bringing this forward is not a suggestion of that. It's actually just the opposite. Its origin actually comes from Raphael Lemkin, who in 1944 used the Greek word Genoese race or tribe and the Latin side for killing. In describing the Nazi policies during the Jewish Holocaust, however, it's said that Mr. Lemkin also drew heavily upon his study of experiences of Armenians during the 19th century and early 20th century of the Ottoman Empire. The Armenian genocide is considered the first genocide of the 20th century and the prototype for future regimes intent on eliminating all traces of a particular people or culture. The denial of this atrocity and the willful ignorance of historical facts for the purpose of geopolitical diplomacy does not diminish what most history historians. Countless countries, cities and states know to be absolutely true. That the Armenians were systematically systemically subjected to deportation, expropriation, abduction, torture, massacre and starvation by the Ottoman Empire. And so tonight, I'm proud to recognize the importance of two thriving communities in our American culture, while acknowledging the willful genocide committed in their ancestral homelands. And many have espoused on this topic academically, politically, personally. And I think it's one that certainly it serves us well to keep at the top of our conversations, at the top of our minds, so that we're reminded to always reject such tendencies toward human cruelty. And I appreciate greatly when great leaders can take a position and make statements, statements that many people hear across the world and over the Easter holidays. Many of us heard the Pope make a very profound statement that when you don't call something by name, it commits psychological violence and it continues to commit that violence throughout history. And so when you don't call something by name, it's a wound that continues to bleed. And so what I am thankful for is for those of us who have an opportunity to serve in local government, in these very local capacities, that we don't have to be silenced by the fact that leaders beyond us do not exercise the courage to call things by name. So I'm often very proud of this council. But tonight I am most proud because of something that we do often, which is call things by name so that we can start the healing process. And with that, I'd like to invite our president and friends and Turkey to do the same. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Thank you. Councilwoman Pryce. Okay. I think I had just a second, but I can go to Councilman Gonzales. Go ahead. Please. I just wanted to thank Vice Mayor Lowenthal for bringing this forward. It's always very difficult to talk about genocide. I know we're here for Cambodian genocide and recognizing that as well. And it's always very difficult. But I think here in Long Beach, we've certainly made a statement with this and in her leadership in bringing this forward , I think is very important. And I also want to thank Governor Deukmejian for being here as well. I know he's certainly a a leader in his own right. And we we just appreciate this bringing this all coming to light, especially as multicultural as we are here in Long Beach. So thank you. Thank you, Councilwoman Pryce. Thank you. I, too, want to thank Vice Mayor Lowenthal for bringing this item forward and allowing for us to all stop for a moment and remember the past and where we've come. And the message that she shared was one that I think we all feel very strongly about here on the city council. And as members of this community together today, we commemorate a great tragedy of history. Between 1915 and 1918, approximately 2 million Americans were eliminated from their homeland through forced deportations and massacres. The surviving refugees spread around the world and eventually settled in some two dozen countries and all continents of the globe. They are now in our communities as some of the most thriving, successful and hardworking members of our society. I want to take a moment to acknowledge, as the vice mayor has done, Governor Deukmejian, who is here, a resident of my district, and someone who I am very proud to associate with the Armenian community. In my profession, I have the honor and the privilege to work with many prosecutors who are of Armenian descent and many judges who have been appointed through the past decades who are of Armenian descent. And I'm incredibly proud that the history and the past of this community has made them stronger and such active members and contributing members of my world and my, my society. So I want to thank the vice mayor for bringing this forward and commemorate this tragedy together with all of you. Thank you. Thank you, Councilwoman Mongo. I too, want to echo the sentiments of my colleagues. I think that it's important for us as a country to know where we came from and to know where the rest of the world has come from, to know where we're going. So thank you all for this important remembrance. Thank you. Vice Mayor Lowenthal. Actually, if I may just speak last. Sure. Councilmember Austin. Yes. I just wanted to just just weigh in on this. I don't think there is a euphemism for the word genocide. And so I thank you for bringing this forward. It's been 100 years. And the Armenian people. There are many, particularly personal friends of mine and very feels very strongly about this. This body does not have to worry about, you know, international natal relations or anything like that. We can do what's right tonight. And so I'll be voting in support of this motion. Thank you. Okay. Thank you. And also before we go, before the vice mayor closes up, I do want to also thank you, vice mayor, for bringing this forward. I wholeheartedly agree that it will be a great day in our country when we're able to verbalize, which certainly was a horrible genocide and a tragedy. And so thank you for bringing this forward. I'm going to go also open this up now for for public comment that you want to speak first. Okay. Vice Mayor, briefly, I wanted to thank Councilmember Councilwoman Gonzalez for mentioning that we do have the Cambodian American community here as well. And what I'm reminded of on Sunday, we celebrated in the Jewish community, celebrated as a strange word. We recognized Yom Hashoah, which is the recognition of the Jewish Holocaust. And so all of this coming together at the same time, as Councilwoman Gonzalez mentioned, reminds me that it's in the understanding, the commonality of suffering, that we actually rise and elevate ourselves as a human race and and through tragedy, we can do that and through understanding one another's commonality of suffering. And so I don't think it's a coincidence that we all come together for this sort of an acknowledgment and understanding. But I'm grateful to live in a city like this where we can have such a strong multicultural presence and and strong understanding of one another's experiences, because it's in that understanding that we don't separate ourselves as us and other. There is no other. We are the US and we are the other together. So. And Mr. Mayor, I'd like to recognize that the governor's wife is here as well. Gloria's here. And I apologize for not mentioning that earlier. We are so thankful that both of you are here together. Thank you. Now, I'm going to be opening this up for public comment, but I am going to invite the governor first if wanted to make some comments. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Members of the city council. When you get old like I am, it takes a little while longer to take a few steps. Huh? I'm living in Long Beach. Because. Just excuse me. Because many years ago, how many years we've been married? 58 years. Okay. I was living. In Los Angeles. And. Hey. Excuse me. I don't know what's better with me. I. I was living in Los Angeles and. Got to meet various people. Well, thanks a lot. Thank you. Do I have to return this? And. I met this lovely young lady who was at this event that I attended, and she lived in Long Beach. So. That evening concluded, and I think it was a day or two later. I called her to ask for a date, and she lived here in Long Beach. So. Excuse me. I apologize. So anyway. I came down here to pick her up, to go out on our first day. And I got to know a little bit about Long Beach that day and then subsequent dates. I especially enjoyed visiting the Belmont Shore area of the city. And after a few other dates and going here and there in the community. I found out that there were no lawyers practicing law in the Belmont Shore area of Long Beach. They were all downtown. So. I thought I'd look into it a little bit more. And I went to the local community newspaper. And found out a few more facts and I won't track this out. But anyway. That's what led me to Long Beach and. I decided to open an office on the second floor of a bank building. An independent bank building at the time. In Second Street in Long Beach. So I did that. And then. Shortly thereafter, we bought a house there, which we still live in. And that's how many years ago? Not only am I getting old, but I don't remember anything. But anyway, so we got active in the community. And we bought this house. On the East Broadway, and we've been living there ever since. And I became active in the community, and the community was very welcoming. And I began to make a number of friends and get involved in different activities. And so. To try to make a long story short. That's how it all began. And. We're still here. Now, fortunately. Some good things come out of some horrible things. But when the. Ottoman Empire. Embarked upon an. Effort to eliminate all Armenians in their nation. Uh, my. My parents. And my wife's parents who were. Living there at the time. Left that part of the world and made their way to the United States. And eventually. My wife's family made their way to Long Beach. And so. And Long Beach was very welcoming to them and has been very welcoming to us. And I'm very thankful and appreciative of that. Time went on and I started getting more involved in the community and. Most of you know the rest of the story of wound up getting involved in politics. No. Some folks probably who don't like that, that I got involved in politics who don't agree with me on things. Maybe they're not all that. Happy with. The purpose of this item being on your agenda tonight. But throughout the world. In in nations, in states and communities. There are occasions similar to this one where we both acknowledge and appreciate very much the few minutes that you're allocating to this item and. In honor of our ancestors. Many of whom did not make it did not get through the genocide. Who were. Who died and or who then? Those who did not die were dispersed all throughout the world. And you find people from. Our nationality just about any place in the world where you go. So I just wanted to come and tell you how much I appreciate you taking time to recognize this. Just as your agenda item shows. There's a lot of cities and states and. And countries that are. Taking a few minutes to recognize and commemorate this 100th anniversary. Uh. It's certainly our hope that. People will take a minute or two to reflect upon it and. When? Situations arise. During the course of their lifetime so that they will remember this and remember that, yes, it is possible a nation can be wiped out. And. So we have to be vigilant all the time. All the time. And. But we are. Most appreciative of those of you who. Are giving us this opportunity, as is happening in other places throughout the country, in the world. And. I'm proud to be here to represent my families and. And to honor those who did not. I lived through the through the genocide. So on the one hand, it was a horrible, horrible. Crime and situation, on the other hand, were not for that. I wouldn't have found myself and my here in this wonderful city of Long Beach. And I'm most grateful and appreciative of that. So thank you, Mr. Mayor. Thank you. Members of the council. And. Wherever you see or hear. Individuals. Talking or acting. Has. We saw back 100 years ago. Remember that it can happen. It can happen here and do whatever you can within your power to. Try to see that it does not happen. So again. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Members of the council. Thank you very much. Thank you, Governor. That was. There were some great words. Thank you very much. And we all admire and appreciate your service. I know we're in public comment if there's any other public comment on this topic. Please come forward. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Hello, people. My name is Steve Updike. I'm here to say it's about time, sir, that they actually recognize this genocide. My father was born during the Armenian genocide. He's Jewish. So my family were dying in the Holocaust in Germany. And today, because I went to the Church of Scientology, I've been blackballed here in Long Beach because Scientology helped me get me off dope. And here it is. There's people here in Long Beach who want a genocide against me today. This is what's going on today, Governor. The truth of the matter has to be coming up, because I've been weeping, as you say, Suja. I've been weeping. And there needs to be attention on the fact that the Church of Scientology saved my life by getting me off dope. Okay? So I owe them my life. So this genocide or this attack on the Church of Scientology must stop? They are good people. As a matter of fact, Governor, I have done business here in Los Angeles most of my life, and I have had the best people are Armenian people that I've done business with. You're welcome, sir. I truly mean that you are the best people to do business with. And I have to respect you. And I have to respect the fact that it wasn't. Just a genocide against the Armenian people, but it was because you're a Christian and my mother is Christian and Christians are also have their problems. So when I come out and say I'm Jewish, no, my mother was Christian. They raised me to be Christian. So I'm Christian, but I had a drug problem. So I went to the Church of Scientology and they got me off dope. Is that a bad thing? No, sir, that's a good thing. They're good people like you are the same as Christians who raised me. They taught me to love and help. Okay? And that's what I did. Love and help. And today I see there's too much hate. And that's why I'm speaking out against the hate. It has to stop. The hate has to stop. It doesn't matter who we are or what we believe in. We're all here together to survive. We need to help each other and love each other. We're going to make it. Thank you. Thank you, sir. Next speaker. Good evening, Mr. Mayor. Members of the City Council. Governor. Agent. My name is Craig Koch, and I'm a resident at 5745 East Rose Bay in the fifth District. And as a proud Armenian-American, I just want to take a moment to thank you very much for taking on this issue and being proud enough to say the word genocide with this with this atrocity that occurred 100 years ago to our people. Unfortunately, other levels of government haven't been as open and has haven't been as willing to use that word, which is unfortunate. But I am so proud of you today to be able to take this agenda item, bring this matter forward to the public, and use the word genocide in describing the atrocities that occurred to our people 100 years ago. Governor, thank you very much for your time. Mr. Deukmejian, thanks very much for being here. And again, appreciate your support. Have a good evening. Thank you. Great. We're going to now see no other see no other public comment will go to a vote. But for that, I have Councilman Andrews wanted to say a few words. Yes. Thank you, Vice Mayor. First of all, I'd like to thank the vice mayor, Susana young councilwoman, that to bring this to our diocese, because the fact that I think not only here, you know, in America, all over the world, we're seeing atrocities is happening to all nationalities. And I think this is so important and we get a chance to see all of these things come to to the real to let people know that it's not all like we think it is. There's things happening all over the world and we must take it here to these things and let individuals know we have to bring this to attention and didn't even know. We've come a long ways, but we still have a long ways to go. And Deukmejian, you and your wife. I was very fortunate to be able to have your son in my government class and I know he got a so just. Thank you and what that will go ahead we'll go ahead and take a vote. Please cast your votes. The motion passes seven zero. Thank you. Governor, thank you again. The subject. Major, thank you again. We're going to now move on to item 22, Madam Clerk. Item 20. Item 22. I'm sorry. Item 20. Communicate. Item number 20. Communications from Councilman Eddie Andrews. Recommendation to request City Council to adopt a resolution to recognize April as Cambodian Genocide Awareness Month.