c019_059_019_001.txt

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This document is from the collections at the Dole Archives, University of Kansas http://dolearchives.ku.edu

THIS IS FOR YOUR L.A. STOP FRIDAY

MEMORANDUM

TO: SENATOR BOB DOLE

FROM: Z. GREG KAHWAJIAN SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO GOVERNOR DEUKMEJIAN

DATE: AUGUST 12, 1990

SUBJECT: CALIFORNIA'S ARMENIAN COMMUNITY

On August 17th, you will be attending a reception and a dinner in Los Angeles organized by Karl K. Samuellan. The overwhelming majority of the guests at both events will be Armenian-Americans. As you know, the reception will benefit Pete Wilson's campaign for Governor. The dinner will raise funds for your political action committee.

The Wilson campaign and Karl have depended heavily on the core group of Armenian supporters who helped Governor George Deukmejian throughout his 28 yaar public service career.

California is home to 200,000 - 250,000 Armenians, The majority live in the Los Angeles/Orange County area. In this part of the state alone, there are 15 schools, 25 churches and 48 organizations or associations with working offices.

Here are some of the issues of concern to the community and a brief status report:

THE CHURCH

You are probably already familiar with the division in the church. During your visit to Soviet Armenia, you visited with His Holiness, VAZKEN I. He is the Patriarch of all Armenians. I am certain that you have also had the opportunity to meet the other prominent leader, KAREKIN II. His headquarters are in war-torn Lebanon. The good news on this front is that the dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh and the earthquake in December of 1988 have made a significant contribution to closer cooperation and even talk of unity.

LEBANON

The continuing civil war in Lebanon is of great concern to a large segment of the community who immigrated to the United States from that nation. Currently, there is an ongoing campaign to raise funds to provide relief for those displaced by the strife. KAREKIN II, during his U. S. visit in June, made this the primary subject of his speeches.

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NAGORNO-KARABAKH

You are well acquainted with the current dispute over this autonomous region and the problems it has caused for the leadership of the Soviet Armenian Republic. Nationalistic feelings run very high and have led to armed conflict with the Soviet military troops brought in to "maintain order". Many in the community, including the Governor and myself, were not even aware of this territorial question until the pogroms of 1988 were reported. This conflict provided an initial catalyst for Armenian community solidarity.

Note: Governor Deukmejian had the opportunity to raise the concerns of the community with President Gorbachev during the Soviet leader's visit to California in June.

THE EARTHQUAKE

On December 7, 1988, a 6.5 magnitude earthquake struck the Northern part of Soviet Armenia causing 25,000 deaths and thousands of injuries. You have already visited the region with Mrs. Dole, The Armenian Assembly, a Washington based lobbying organization, was heavily involved in making your arrangements. There is a considerable Soviet Armenian community in Southern California who were more directly affected by the tragedy. For the most part, they are recent arrivals and are not politically active.

Victims, mostly amputees, were brought to several California hospitals for treatment and fitting of prosthesis.

The lagging effort to rebuild the affected area and the worsening economic conditions in the Soviet Union are of great concern. Your support of a $10 million dollar appropriation to benefit the rebuilding effort is sincerely appreciated. Your thoughts on the economic difficulties and advice as to how U. S. businessmen could be of assistance would be of interest.

THE GENOCIDE RESOLUTION

Your courageous and forceful leadership on this, the most significant issue to Armenians all over the world, is well recognized. Your efforts and some behind the scenes work between Governor Deukmejian and Governor Sununu led to the statement from President Bush. We have never publicly acknowledged the Governor's role in this. You are, and rightfully so, our champion on this issue.

In view of the current situation in the Middle East and the level of support from the Turkish government for U. S. efforts to quarantine Iraq, it is doubtful that a resolution will meet with success in either house of Congress any time soon. We may

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have already gotten the best deal we will ever get from the Bush Administration.

There are some of us (including the Governor) who think that continued battles over the resolution deprive us of opportunities to work on more contemporary subjects, such as additional funding for earthquake relief and economic assistance to Soviet Armenia.

THE ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY

Your office is perceived to be more closely linked to the Armenian Assembly, an organization originally formed to represent the interests of the Armenian community as a whole in the nation's Capital. It was designed to be an umbrella for all Armenian groups. Several years ago, however, a major group broke away and took with it the bipartisan/non-partisan status.

There is a growing feeling among some that the Assembly is has too much on its plate. Their original purpose was to operate as if it was the "Armenian Interest Section" and concern itself with national political issues. Among other things, it is currently involved in genocide research and direct earthquake relief.

While the Assembly is aggressive and strong on the East coast, it is not nearly so in the West, particularly in California.

Note: Having said all this, they are an important resource. Our office depends on their services regularly. Governor Deukmejian has been very supportive and has attended several public functions organized by them.

THE ARMENIAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE (ANC)

In California, it is the Armenian National Committee (ANC) which has the broadest popular support. The ANC is the U. S. political arm of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF), one of the three political parties which operated in Armenia during its sovereign years. The ARF is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year and has just formally announced its presence in Soviet Armenia and its plans to have an official publication there.

President Gorbachev's policies of Glasnost and Perestroika had led to some dialogue between the ANC and the Soviet Armenian government, but it wasn't until the conflict with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh and the nationalistic feelings it aroused in the people that the ANC began to play even a minor role. Tha earthquake was another pivotal factor in the development of a more meaningful presence.

The ANC is more closely aligned with Democratic lawmakers. Their champion in the House used to be Tony Coelho. They were active in the Deukmejian campaigns of 1982 and 1986. We have been what I would call "friendly but reserved" with them. The Governor

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has met with their leaders privately and attended one banquet they held in his honor.

GOVERNOR DRUKMEJIAN

Since 1983 when George Deukmejian was sworn in as Governor, he has appointed nearly 200 Armenian-Americans to full or part time positions in state government. Eighteen of these ware appointed to judgeships. All have done well at their assignments. In your remarks, you may wish to encourage the community's continued interest in public service and to build upon the good start they have already achieved.

CONCLUSION

I hope this document is helpful to you in determining the issues which are of concern to the community and that it will assist you in formulating your remarks.

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