In mid-June, Mayor Victor Gordo of Pasadena and Mayor Elen Asatryan of Glendale, representing the world’s largest Armenian diaspora, traveled to Armenia. This was at the invitation of the U.S. Department of State as part of the delegation for the inaugural U.S.-Armenia Local Democracy Forum.
Although the Forum has received criticism, including in our pages, as being compliant with the Russian-controlled social injustice which persists in Armenia, both local mayors report that they are inspired and energized by the experience.
The purpose of the Forum: to bring together U.S. and Armenian mayors and regional, state, and provincial leaders to develop bi-lateral relations, explore economic opportunities and promote cultural and educational exchanges between Armenia and the United States.
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard R. Verma and President of the Republic of Armenia Vahagn Khachaturyan opened the Forum on June 17 in Yerevan, the Armenian capital. Ambassador (retired) Nina Hachigian, the U.S. Department of State Special Representative for City and State Diplomacy led the delegation, accompanied by Special Representative for Commercial and Business Affairs Sara Morgenthau.
In addition to Mayor Gordo and Mayor Asatryan, the delegation included Director Samuel Assefa from the Office of Planning and Research of the State of California; Mayor Paige Cognetti of Scranton, Pennsylvania; Mayor Wilmot Collins of Helena, Montana; Deputy Secretary Kelsey Olson at the Department of Agriculture of the State of Kansas, and Chief Information Office Ted Ross of Los Angeles.
While both Pasadena and Glendale maintain Sister City relationships with cities in Armenia, the Forum established new partnerships between Helena, Montana with Stepanavan; Scranton with Armavir; and Michigan with Tavush province.
The two San Gabriel Valley mayors represent close to one-half of the Armenian-Americans in the U.S.A., that percentage numbering 249,539 out of 457,000 nationwide according to World Population Review’s 2024 count.
Emerging Cultural Identity
Separate from the Armenian refugees currently fleeing ongoing conflict in their country, the above count is considered conservative by many organizations. This may be explained in part by inconsistencies in official wording used to identify ethnic groups including Armenians and Armenian-Americans.
Some scholars of the Armenian-American community call for “Armenian” to be included in the M.E.N.A. checkbox on U.S. Census forms, “M.E.N.A.” signifying “Middle Eastern/North African,” as opposed to the current “White European” classification.
Ethnographers broadly locate Armenians as having roots across western Asia, including but not restricted to the relatively new Republic of Armenia established with the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. A widely held opinion today is that the Armenian presence in this country cannot be fully understood unless the complex Armenian ethnicity is identified accurately.
LNP conferred with both Gordo and Asatryan to learn about their recent experience as participants in this ground-breaking Forum. We visited Asatryan in her City Hall office, where the décor reflects the character of this leader who is defined by firsts: as a first-time mayor elected to the post in April, she is the first Armenian-American woman in the role, the first immigrant woman, the first woman of color to hold the post, and at age 41 is the youngest woman to serve as Glendale’s mayor.
A framed version of the mayor’s favorite poem by Rudyard Kipling hangs on one wall, opposite a bejeweled bra and whimsical pink tulle tutu awarded to her by the Soroptimist International of Glendale mounted behind her desk. A water-dish for her dog waits under the credenza.
Two Cultures, One Shared Vision
Asatryan was born in Armenia, and moved with her family to Glendale at the age of 10. A melting-pot parallel exists in Pasadena: Victor Gordo was born in Zacatecas, Mexico, and at age 5 moved with his family to Pasadena.
During our separate conversation, Gordo commented that the Forum was his first visit to Armenia, stating that “…I had some misconceptions. We have a lot to learn from Armenia, starting with their passion for curating and preserving their magnificent architecture as a way to tell their amazing story.”
Although much of the esthetic bears the grimly formal stamp of the Soviet era, Armenia is home to historic treasures found nowhere else. The Matenadaran Library in Yerevan is home to thousands of ancient manuscripts, while the History Museum of Armenia houses priceless, rare antiquities that most of the world has never seen. Gordo added that the warm welcome he received and the pervading attitude of hospitality reminded him of the “heartwarming, neighborly feeling” as he calls it and generous spirit of his native Zacatecas.
Asatryan says that she visits Armenia every year and adds, “Armenia is not a third-world country. There is enormous sophistication in the cities, and equally enormous potential for development. So our visit was not just a matter of what can Glendale or America at large teach Armenians. It was also a valuable opportunity to see what Armenia can show us. For example, one of the areas of great concern there is the need to create sustainable energy, in order to be less dependent upon oil and to protect the environment. And in Gyumri, Armenia, there are technological strides being made in solar energy that far surpass what we’re doing here.”
Gordo echoed this sentiment, commenting, “Everyone I talked to in Armenia is keenly aware that finding an alternative to Russian oil, even though the price may be discounted, is a key step for a free Armenia.” He added that the U.N. Climate Change Conference (COP29) is set to take place in Baku, Azerbaijan from November 11 through 22.
Perhaps offering a glimmer of hope, Azerbaijan has officially invited Armenia to participate in the summit.
Sisterhood and Sister Cities
Both Mayors remarked on the prominence of female leadership they observed in Armenia, especially salient at our current moment in American politics. Rewinding a bit to Asatryan’s years of service with the Glendale City Council, where she was (again) the first Armenian-American woman and the youngest to be elected to the post, she established her cred as outspoken but strategic advocate and activist for human rights, with a focus on women’s rights.
Among her accomplishments: creating public policy fellowship and internship programs for high school and college students and recent college graduates; establishing the Glendale Domestic Violence Task Force; launching and implementing voter registration and education; securing recognition for the Armenian Genocide and Republic of Artsakh; and adoption of genocide education curriculum statewide in California’s public schools. She also served as the Executive Director of the nation’s largest Armenian political grassroots organization, the Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region.
This background served as ideal preparation for what Asatryan and the delegation encountered in Armenia, where human rights and women’s rights are violated daily. Domestic violence including femicide in Armenia is now being discussed with more openness, says Asatryan. “The Women’s Support Center we visited in the Friendship City, Kentron District reported they they’re receiving 1,000 calls per year now,” she commented. “This does not suggest that there are more incidents, but only that women are more willing to speak up about it.”
Upon her return to Glendale, Asatryan began development of a partnership between the Center and the Glendale YWCA. She also has initiated the development and implementation of domestic violence mitigation training for the Glendale Police Department.
Sexual abuse within a marriage is universally difficult to define, and may be tolerated – and even dismissed — within the context of a traditionally patriarchal society. Strong devotion to marriage and family often contributes to the persistence of spousal abuse. According to a January 11, 2023 EVN Report commenting on life in Armenia, “76.5 percent of women who have been physically or sexually abused by their partner continue to live with their abuser.”
By American standards, many Armenian women may seem trapped in restrictive cultural expectations defined by misogyny. One irony: abortion is legal in Armenia as a form of contraception, while other methods of birth control are less available. Not surprisingly, sex-selective abortions are common in Armenia at or before 12 weeks, with more female fetuses being terminated than male fetuses.
Asatryan comments, “It takes generations to break down barriers. People tend to be in their own bubbles, here and everywhere, and there’s a lot of unconscious bias. This kind of change requires face to face conversation, and that dialogue takes time.”
Gordo remarked on the prominence of women in key roles, taking note of female Sister City mayors as well as serving in key roles in the Technological Institute he visited as well as other positions of influence relating to the environment and tech.
Gordo said, “Because I do know the immigrant experience intimately, I am committed to the idea of equal opportunity, starting with gender, and extending to ethnicity. I am keenly aware that there are nuances of origin and heritage within the Armenian community. It’s not monolithic, no culture is. They have a complex history that not a lot of Americans know about or understand. But this trip opened the door to future communication and collaboration.”
Asatryan plans to return to Armenia in September, accompanied by experts versed in building community infrastructure based on feedback from residents.
She also plans to boost and strengthen the effectiveness of the Sister City alliances, is working to revitalize Glendale’s Latino community resources, and rebuilding her city’s Women’s Commission, among other civic projects intended to position California’s fourth-largest city as a civic model.
“Opinionated women are demonized,” she says. “But to use a phrase we’re hearing a lot lately, our country is at an inflection-point. Armenia also is at an inflection-point. A lot of things are about to change.” She says that yes, she is a passionate supporter of Kamala Harris for President, and one of her key concerns is getting young Glendale, and young, diverse American voters in general, out to the polls and into public and civic conversations as well.
There are hurdles to overcome. “I still find it surprising that many of Glendale’s Armenian business leaders, who are exceptionally well-educated and accomplished, are hesitant to make themselves heard at City Council meetings and in other important venues,” she says. “Part of this may be that their English is less than perfect. But I think it has more to do with a lack of belief. Given their past experience and background, they may not truly understand that our government exists for them, inseparable from them. This is an ongoing realization in the diaspora.”
Asatryan is a booster for the arts, and loves the idea of public pianos placed where there’s a lot of foot-traffic. The idea is that people pause, try a few notes on the keys, and conversations start. She’s also in talks with Sister Cities including those in the Philippines about creating artwork for crosswalk exchanges which reflect the essence of the distant sister, bonded across many thousands of miles.
In Glendale, she has recently scored a victory for her city’s employees in the arena of expanded Family Leave benefits. Future goals include integrating menstrual and menopause leave for Glendale’s city employees. “My mentors were men,” says Asatryan, “and I’m quite comfortable working with men. So much of this work has to do with taking down the taboos and normalizing the conversation.”
Gordo also sees the arts as a crucial bridge between the U.S.A. and Armenia, and described plans to bring performance resources, including the building of a children’s theater in a Sister City. “The arts are an important way that a culture can take control and own its narrative,” said Gordo.
Meanwhile, back at home in Glendale, Asatryan is preparing for Women’s Equality Day and this year’s National Women’s Political Caucus for the Greater Pasadena Area, both planned for September. She says, “Just as we are working together to make Glendale a model city, our collective efforts also strengthen our country as a global beacon of justice and democracy. While it’s true that many of my initiatives focus on the needs and rights of women, I believe that when you uplift women, you lift everyone up, and build for the future.”
Women’s Equality Day
Open to the public.
- City of Glendale
- Women’s Equality Day
- Thursday, September 5
- 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM
- Alex Theatre Courtyard
- 216 North Brand Boulevard, Glendale, CA 91203
- GlendaleCA.gov/WomensEquality
