by Zara Agvanian

When an adolescent has strong bonds/roots in a culture other than the modern American society, and then he must live in and adjust to this society, he may develop a duality of personality. This can be a strength as he learns that he can adapt to his surroundings, whatever they may be. An ability to accept changes in the society in which one lives, and to adapt to those changes, is indicative of social and psychological maturity in any individual regardless of age or ethnic origin. At the end of the 20th century national and political problems in large and small countries caused major crises in economies of the world. One of the few powerful countries in the world, which is not in depression and has a comparably stable economy is the United States. Although, according to survey by the Princeton Religious Research Center, polls show that "belief in traditional values" and "the commitment to religion" have declined in modern Americans' lives, the United States of America has always been and continues to be a place of refuge for those seeking social justice, religious freedom and economic opportunity. America always was a promised land for other nations because of the constitutional freedom and democracy, a haven which has attracted Armenians, among others, for more than a century. Armenia has been invaded and conquered for centuries. As an ancient people with a 4,000-year history, plagued by militant neighbors, have treasured the safety and democracy offered in America. ( Movses of Khoren, Armenian History. ) The origin of the Armenians belong to the Aryan race. They migrated from Europe during the eleventh and twelfth centuries B.C. into the territory east of Asia Minor, claimed the Armenian plateau, which has been their home ever since. Evidence of the high cultural position of Armenians is the early development of a national written language. In the early part of the fifth century an Armenian scholar named Mesrop Mashtots originated the Armenian alphabet which consists of thirty six characters and belongs to the Indo-European language group.Thousands of years later, more characters were added, so that foreign words could be accurately written in Armenian. The early adoption of Christianity is another mark of culture. In 301 Armenia became the first Christian State in history, when King Tirdath proclamed Christianity the official religion of Armenia. Because they were a very small nation, and because their territories were crossed by the trade routes to the East, they were often attacked and sometimes subjugated by more powerful neighbors. Also the differences in religion and culture explain the troubles the Armenians have had with theTurks. The Armenians have been willing to undergo severe punishment, at times even death, rather than renounce the Christian faith in favor of Islam. In the course of 3,000 years of history, Armenia has been repeatedly invaded and conquered. The Assirians, the Persians, the Greeks, the Romans, the Seljuk Turks, as well as the Ottoman Turks have overrun the country. These invasions, due as much to the unfavorable geographic location of Armenia as to the rivalry of European nations, have profoundly affected the Armenian people. Having lived for centuries under oppression they have had no opportunity to develop normally. The unforgetable tragedy of Armenians is the Genocide of 1915. Two million Armenians perished at the hands of the Ottoman Turks, in which men, women and children were mercilessly slaughtered. Survivors made their way out, and a mass emigration began. A large number of Armenians immigrated to Russia and the United States. According to the Armenian government, about 60,000 Armenians fled their homeland for America. The second wave of Armenians came at the end of World War II as a consequence of social, political and economic oppression in Europe. The third wave of immigrants came after the Soviet Union collapsed, a mass emigration increased, as the outcome of the blocade of Armenia by Azerbaijan and Turkey, because of territorial problems with Nagorno- Karabach. Another mass emigration from Armenia began in 1990. Since the breakup of the Soviet Union, Armenia has emerged as an independent country, the source of great symbolic pride and affection for Armenians everywhere but a nation racked by severe unemployment, shortages of supplies, and warfare with neighboring people. Those who had the financial resources immigrated to the United States, the rest went to Russia or stayed in Armenia. America opened her doors and welcomed those who entered the country legaly, not only for Armenians from the former Soviet Union, but also for Armenians from around the world. Recent immigration has been large also from the Middle East, because of the civil war in Lebanon and the fundamentalist Islamic influence in Iran. There are approximately eight million Armenians in the world today, according to the 1998 Armenian Census of Population Statistical Yearbook, of which five million live in Armenia and other parts of the former Soviet Union. The rest is spread all around the world. The largest Armenian diaspora is in the United States. California is the state with the largest Armenian population, mainly because of the availability of jobs, diverse population, warm climate and the convinient social net. Public assistance programs such as Welfare, which provides at least a minimum amount of economic security to people whose income is insufficient to maintain an adequate standard of living. Obviously new immigrants are the potential recipients and qualify for the assistance. It's for the first few months of their arrival to the United States, because of differences in culture, traditions, the language barrier and the differences in other economical and political systems. New immigrants definitely need some time for the adoption and socialization process, but unfortunately many of them are taking advantage of it and stay on welfare for rest of their lives. Doing nothing they get everything: ranging from food stamps and General Relief to Temporary Assistance to Needy Families; free health care, Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, free education, free books, direct financial Aid and all other programs financed from federal, state, and local governmental revenues. Today Southern California is home to more than 400,000 Armenians, according to Armenian Observer, (February 9, 1998), the largest group in the world outside Armenia. Of those more than 80,000 receive some type of public assistance, according to the Welfare office. When we talk about the Armenian community, we are talking about two separate societies: the educated professionals / established residents and the struggling newcomers. There is also a number of "undecided" Armenians, most of them are the illigal immigrants, those who entered the country as visitors and stayed with the hope to legalize their status and establish permenant residency. Recent immigrants came seeking opportunities simply unavailable elsewhere. Some of them were escaping unbearable living conditions in Armenia, but a large number of recent immigrants are planning to return to the homeland as soon as the depression is over. Peter Matevosyan, 42, of Hollywood, plans to become a math teacher, as soon as he can pass the CBEST. Matevosyan is attending Los Angeles City College and taking English classes. Matevosyan said that he was a math teacher in Armenia and would like to return if the economy improves. He doubts, however, that his sons, now 11 and 9, would want to return to Armenia. "They've become Americanized, so I'll have to wait until they're done with their education and grown." For most, Los Angeles was a logical destination because other relatives or friends, some with deep roots in California, already lived in the area and the connections helped in finding housing and employment. But for others, the support system, if it exists at all, is not as strong. For these immigrants social services are stretched. "The community is growing very rapidly," said Sona Zakarian, the social worker at the Armenian Relief Society. "Its resources have not been able to absorb and reach out to immigrants the way it could and might have if there weren't so many immigrants. Its resources are very strained." The relief society recorded about 40,000 client visits last year at its offices in Glendale, Hollywood. "It's getting worse and worse," said Nina Abramian, a social worker. "Our goal is to help these people. We want these people to be self- sufficient." "First it's the language," said Jackline Hovhanessian, who is originally from Iran and arrived in Los Angeles area in 1990 with her husband and their two young sons. The family has struggled to make ends meet and relies on welfare assistance, while the relief society helps with things like translating important documents. "I have no family members of my own here. Financially, I have problems," Hovhanessian wept as she talked about her circumstances. "I see it all around me -- the scapegoating of immigrants, the legitimizing of intolerance," said William Paparian. Paparian grew up in LA in 1970s, a surfer who played guitar but also was the butt of jokes because of his mother's accent. Today LA has become the US capital of ethnic conflict and nativist hostility toward new immigrants, who supposedly take away jobs and cost too much. Newcomers accuse established residents of prejudice, discrimination, exclusion, avoidance and antilocution. Established residents like to blame newcomers for the city's many problems and economic crisis. This conflict between newcomers and established residents brings an agregation, separation between groups. In general the stronger one's feeling of belonging and acceptance in a new society, the more effective will be the adoptation process to that new society, in this instance, the American society. On the contrary, to the degree that one feels uncertain of his acceptance by the new society, his adjustment to that society will be more difficult. The recent Armenian immigration is more heterogeneous, both in interest and background. These differences bring also conflict within the Armenian community: a conflict between Armenians from Armenia and Armenians from other countries; a conflict between Armenians of different social status; a conflict between newcomers and established residents. Analysing the Armenian community of Los Feliz, I had an opportunity to observe and listen to the local residents. Los Feliz was always considered as a good area, and a lot of Armenians moved to Los Feliz. The newcommers occupied a large area south of Hollywood Boulevard. The average rent for one bedroom apartment is $525 and the two bedroom is $675. Most of the residens are getting welfare and Section-8, which is the government help program that helps low-income families to pay for the rent. Established Armenians of that area live in Hollywood Hills, Los Feliz Estates, Franklin Hills, and the Grifith Park. The contrasts of wealth within short distances are evident, and this juxtaposition can be a source of neighborhood tension. The Los Feliz section in the hills of Hollywood, with its high percentage of homeowners, is a different world from that of the renters who live south of Hollywood Boulevard. The wealthiest section of the area, Los Feliz, is easily distinguishable from other areas in that city with a high percentages of renters. The price today for a house on the hill ranges somewhere between $300,000.00 - $500,000.00 and goes up to 3 million dollars. Most of the established Armenians of that area, moved to the United States after WW II. Today they consider themselves Armenian intellectuals and like to criticise new immigrants a lot, especially newcomers from Armenia. "They came from communist countries. It's so free here, they think they can do whatever they want. We work hard to build a good reputation over here, but newcomers just don't care about it. They do bad things and we have to pay for their irresponsible actions," said 76 year old Medy Mardirosian. Medy and her husband Victor (Vasken) Mardirosian are Armenians from Bolgaria. They arrived in the United States 44 years ago. Medy spoke English and was able to find a well-paid job. Victor did not know any English but found a job and worked as a clearical inspector. Today they own a nice house, an appartment and a candy store. The United States is not only home to a powerful Armenian diaspora, made up from people who fled persecution early this century, but also the destination of choice for many of those looking for a new home. The Kasparian family moved to LA from Leninakan in 1990. Ani and Arthur Kasparian lost everything they had in Armenia, because of the in 1989. Arthur was not able to find a job in Yerevan to support his family. The only hope was America. In 1990 the Kasparian family arrived in the United States. Ani's cousin helped them rent an appartment on Franklin Avenue and took them to the welfare office. They have been on welfare ever since. Arthur has a degree in engineering but can not find a well -paying job because of the language barrier. "I won't work for minimum wage! I get the same amount from the public assistance programs, plus I got the security. I can not take any chances and reject the welfare. What if I get fired from the job? Who's going to feed my kids?" cried Arthur. Ani also has a degree but has to take care of their four children. Even she complains that staying home is like being disabled. When I asked Ani about her dreams, she said that she wants her kids to be successful and beneficial to their new country. She wants them to assimulate and become American, so they won't suffer and struggle as she does. I also met the Nazarian family, who lives across a street from Ani's apartment. Mike Nazarian arrived in the United States from Armenia as a visitor six years ago, never went back and did everything to bring his family to the United States. Mike Nazarian was a factory director back in Armenia, and his wife worked as an engineer-biologist. They had a nice house, big plans, future settled in mind for their only child Nina. Mike Nazarian's job vanished in the difficult transition from Soviet communism, and they lost everything because of infllation and economic blocade of Armenia. America was the only hope for them. Last year Nazarians wife and daughter arrived in the United States, his wife as a visitor, and the daughter as a student. The family reunion cost Mike $10,000.00. "We did it to save our daughter, to give her an opportunity to grow and succeed. I felt so bad for her, studying in our freezing apartment, reading by candlelight, straining her eyes in Armenia," recalled Alicia, Mike's wife. When I asked Mike what he thinks about the conflict between newcomers and established residents, and what was his perspective, he said, that established Armenians are labeling and scapegoating newcomers, instead of helping them. "We don't need financial help or their money, we need advice. We don't know any laws, we don't know our rights, we are not familiar with American culture or traditions. But we are willing to learn and accomodate, but unfortunatly established Armenians like to take advantage of newcomers and exploit us." When I asked what he meant, Mike explained that most of the established residents have bussinesses and like to take an advantage of newcomers desperate situation and needs, to make them work nine hours a day and pay only $4 an hour or even less than that, with no benefiths, no health coverage. And when newcomers complain, they start lecturing and telling tales, how hard it was for them to find a job or how hard they had to work. The educated professionals of the first immigrant generation were generally successful in their adjustment to the economic life of the adopted country. They had arrived with a number of advantages: many had skills or backgrounds in business. The recent immigration is more heterogeneous in both interests and background, for it includes Armenians from Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Egypt, the Soviet Union. Iranian Armenians are able to bring considerable financial resources with them. Opening a small business is an option for them, regardless of their education and language skills. On the other hand, the self-employment rate of Soviet Armenians is much lower, probably because they were not permitted to take much money with them when they left the country and because entrepreneurship was strongly discouraged during the Soviet period. Many Soviet Armenians are well educated professionals from high status occupations in their home countries. They realize that the economic payoff expected from acculturation, in terms of a better job or higher income, is a powerful motivating force for those who want to reach a similar position in this country. Acculturation, or cultural assimilation, is the first step in the process of immigrant adjustment to the culture of the dominant group. The most important aspect is language. Most educated Armenians are going to school, taking English classes, planning to improve their skills and get jobs. Many have entered fields which call for highly-specialized education. The arts, commerce and finance, education, industry and technology, law, journalism and literature, medicine, music, public service, science, entertainment, sports -- all have benefited from the influx of hardworking, talented Armenian people. Great examples are these: writer William Saroyan; former California Gov. George Deukmejian; financier Kirk Kerkorian; Steven Derounian, a congressman from New York, the first Armenian American to gain prominence in U.S. politics; assemblyman Walter Karabian; Aton basketball star; Rouben Mamoulian, one of the finest directors in the entertainment world, who directed the motion pictures Oklahoma and Porgy and Bess; Ara Parseghian, one of the most successful football coaches in history; the sopranos Lucine Amara and Lili Chookasian are the members of the Metropolitan Opera Company; composer Alan Hovhaness; Dr. John S. Najarian, Chairman of the Department of Surgery at the University of Minnesota Medical School; Dr. Varaztad H. Kazanjian, Professor Emeritus. In order to propagate their rich Armenian culture, traditions and values, Armenians have established in the United States important institutions and organizations which include these: Armenian churches, day schools, colleges, radio programs, television programs, daily and weekly newspapers, journals and newsletters and numerous cultural, athletic, compatriotic, educational, political, youth and student organizations. The most numerous social organizations were the fraternal societies. A common feature of most immigrant groups, these societies bring together immigrants from the same towns and regions to raise funds for projects in their birthplace, homeland and to renew communal ties. They also organize reading rooms and at annual conventions vote funds for churches and schools. Some of the organizations cut across regional affiliations. The Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) is one of the important Armenian organizations, organized to provide relief, counseling, job assistance to newcomers, cultural activities. The second international philanthropic institution is the Armenian Relief Society. The Armenian Missionary Association of America has further established centers for the education of Armenian newcomers in English language and in American customs and law, in an attempt to bridge the gap between the old immigrants and the new. The newcomers have also brought with them their own cultural institutions, among them the Homenetmen, a youth and athletic group; the Hamazkaine Cultural Association, and the Tekeyan Cultural Association. Almost every month these organizations organize dinner dances or disco nights for Armenian youth. Once I went to the meeting of Homenetmen with a friend. I was the only Armenian from Armenia and at the begining felt like a stranger. But seconds later I was talking, joking and having fun with my new friends. I always thought that there is a big gap between Armenians from different countries, because of the differences in background, culture. But I guess the gap was not as big as I have always imagined. In addition to these organizations, there are informal social activities maintaining regional and kinship ties during the immigrant generation. Visits between members of families, often unannounced, take place usually Sunday. At these often large gatherings, the women cook Armenian meals, based on considerable advance preparation. Armenian music on the lute and hand drum, children singing and recitations followed. Picnics are also extremely popular in my community. Sunday picnics, where relatives or friends get together, drive to a nearby park, barbeque and spend some time together. Usually kids get together and play, men separate and talk politics and women garner the latest news and gossip. The most interesting Armenian social institution that I have discovered just recently, when accidently I left my car keys in my truck and had to walk to Los Feliz, was the only exclusively male social institution - the coffeehouse (srjaran). On the corner of Santa Monica and Edgemont, just a block from LACC. The members were retired, older men or middle aged men on welfare, obviously with no jobs, no responsibilities. They come here to kill time. There, lonely men can find Turkish coffee, companionship, a spirited backgammon game, garner the news about the homeland, and play cards. In the old world every aspect of life was closely connected with the church. People belonged to the church parish, and the church's laws and traditions fitted together harmoniously with the daily living habits of the people. Attendance at church was important not only on Sunday. Many people attended church daily. The dietary habits of the people were regulated by the church laws. I remember my grandparents, then my parents taking me to the church and telling how important the faith was. Even today we go to the church every Sunday. And I'm happy to see, that church is still the focus of Armenian community life. Although not all Armenians attend church regularly, many of them participate in the community activities associated with the church, such as weddings, baptisms, holiday services. Not only the older Armenians but also the young generation, Armenian-American teenagers. Last Sunday I went to St. Marie's Church, an Armenian church in Glendale, and talked to teenagers at Sunday school, where they are being taught religious education, Armenian history, Armenian culture, Armenian traditions and beliefs through the Armenian language. When I asked them why they come to Sunday Church School, respondents said that church teachings help with their daily lives. They also indicated that they attend church every Sunday, read the Bible, pray at home and feel that it is very important to believe in God. The church, as with other Armenian congregations, provides social, as well as spiritual, benefits. People regularly gather on the steps outside the large brick building or under nearby trees to chat. "We come not only for our bodies," said Rosa Kapadjian. "We come for food for our spirits." "It's such a cultural baggage that Armenians carry from generation to generation," said Alex Sardarian, 22, of Glendale. "That's not something you forget. Our religion is part of us, part of our culture." "It's a live issue for us," said Stephan Haytaian, 21, of Hollywood. "We believe that every Armenian church is a beautiful bridge between the old and new immigrants," said Archbishop Yeprem Tabakian, church dean, 56, who was born in Lebanon. "This church, maybe it's a melting pot to bring together Armenians from all over the world." As every community, the Armenian community has problems. One of the major problems today is AP, so-called Armenian Power, a new street gang in the heavily Armenian areas of East Hollywood and Glendale. With only 120 members, the gang is now blamed by authorities for a dozen murders and shootings. To thousands of Armenian-Americans whose parents or grandparents came here after escaping the horrors of World War I and genocide, the existence of an Armenian gang is a stain on the tight ethnic community that has achieved success beyond its small numbers in politics, art, business and farming. To thousands of recent Armenian immigrants who fled the war ravaged streets of Beirut, the political upheavals of Iran and the Armenian homeland itself, the gang is a painful reminder of the lawlessness they sought to leave behind. To most of residents of Los Angeles, the young gang is unknown. To get some information on AP, I went down to Hollywood High and questioned Armenian students attending that high school. "They come faster than 911," said a girl named Lucy, a 16 year old student at Hollywood High. She remembered an incident two months ago when a large group of Salvadoran students and a smaller group of Armenian Americans got into a heated argument over a trivial matter. Lucy's friend, sensing a fight was about to break out, called an Armenian Power member on her cellular phone. Whithin a few minutes, about 20 members showed up and quickly diffused the conflict, she said. " I am not a fan of AP," said Lucy's classmate Karina. " I think they cause troubles for Armenians. But at that moment, I was very, very proud of them." Many recent Armenian immigrants, accustomed to living in countries where even a minor crime was punished with sledgehammer harshness, blame the rise of Armenian Power on a lenient criminal justice system. "Many of them came from communist countries," said one of the parents that overheard me talking to high school kids about gangs." It's so free here, they can do whatever they want." "Oh my god, that's so awful," said one middle-age woman." When I see and hear that Armenians are associated with violence and theft, it's hard for me to accept. We were considered to be a nice, old-fashioned people, but now, oh, it makes me so sad." The nightmare of many in the community is that this first generation of Armenian gang members is only the beginning. AP just like long-established Mexican-American gangs in Los Angeles, will spawn generations of young people who fight for turf they don't own, who kill other children they don'n even know, who break the hearts of countless families. It's amazing with the tight family structure Armenians have, and their concern for education, that we are losing our kids to gangs so fast. Today gangs, tomorow drugs, what is going to happen to Armenian American adolescents? Will they retain their Armenian identity, culture, traditions and pride? Will they carry their parent's values and beliefs? Will they transmit Armenian traditions and culture to successive generation? They are the bridge between two worlds, two cultures, two societal attitudes. They are the link between the past and the future, which is theirs to shape. Don't they understand how important their role is? To get some answers and make some observations I went to high schools with a large number of Armenian students: Hollywood, Marshall and Glendale. I talked to Armenian-American adolescents, did a survey and asked them about their problems and concerns. What it's like to be an Armenian adolescent in today's America? How do they feel about themselves, their families, their roots and society in general? What are their hopes, their fears and their dreams? It was more like a honest conversation, not a questionnaires, because I am one of them, and today we are facing the same common problems and have the same dreams. In many families, the adolescents' parents have had to cope with the hardships of their parents' uprooting and resettlement, and have had to build a new life in a new country. They have worked very hard to secure financial stability for their families. The hardships endured by their parents have had profound influence on their lives. Their parents' suffering has imbued them with a great loyalty to the homeland and a fierce determination to establish themselves successfully in this new society. In many cases, they are equally committed to active involvement in the Armenian community wherever they live, supporting its activities both morally and financially. Armenian adolescents in America today are bombarded with information and societal situations the like of which our parents did not face until a much older age. It is an accepted fact that young people are maturing socially and physically at a much younger age than previous generation. And not only in America, the change in social attitude has been greatly influenced by modern communications, the media, and the knowledge explosion in the twentieth century. The adolescent generation was for the most part born in the United States or brought to the United States at an early age.The trials and challenges teenagers face today are not the same trials their parents faced. Physical suffering, deprivation and struggle are not a reality for the adolescent generation. It is not easy for them to balance their understanding of the sufferings of the Survivors' generation, the experiences and struggles of their own parents, and the values by which their parents/grandparents live, with the lifestyles of this new society, the influence of the media and their peers, and the materialistic and narcissistic environment which surrounds them. According to the Los Angeles Times, (June 25, 1997), a top organized crime figure has been recently sentenced to 18 years in federal prison, bringing to 36 the number of jailed members of a ring involved in drugs, prostitution and black market fuel. The sentencing of Hovsep "Joe" Mikaelian, who boasted that he was an Armenian Mafia godfather, isn't good news to the Armenian community. Mikaelian, a former Hollywood resident was convicted for narcotics trafficking, fuel excise tax evasion and mail and wire frauds, authorities said. He was ordered to pay $4.2 million in restitution to the state Equalization Board and $900,000 to the IRS. U.S. District Judge also ordered him to close down his McLean Coach Classic, a Hollywood auto repair shop that was allegedly used for many years as a front for narcotics trafficking. Assistant U.S. Atty. Stephen G. Larson said the Russian Armenian group's illegal activities in California have cost the state and federal treasuries "in the tens of millions of dollars over a number of years." In Hollywood, according to the LAPD, police recorded 72 hate crimes -- mainly name--calling or ethnic slurs painted on walls -- during the past 10 year. Of those, 28 were against Armenian Americans, recalled officer Kontaevsky (LAPD/Parker's Center). Crimes allegedly committed by some Armenian Americans include drug offenses, graffiti tagging, gang fights, domestic violence and even possible extortion of local businesses, police said, Los Angeles Times, (March 23, 1998). "Many times you will have Armenians denying that Armenians can be criminals and can be terrible people," said Chahe Keuroghelian, a spokesman for the Police Department. "They take it as an embarrassment to the entire community." "When I think of the Armenians that came here, like my grandparents, what they took pride in more than anything else was hard work and being honest," said David Arzouman, a music composer. Pride is a word that surfaces frequently in conversations with Armenian Americans. Pride in being the first country to make Christianity the national religion. Pride in French-Armenian composer Charles Aznavour, in world chess champions Tigran Petrossian and Gary Gasparov, in astro-physicist Victor Hambartsumyan, in mathematician Sergey Mergelian. Many Armenian immigrants accustomed to living in countries where even a minor crime was punished blame the rise of Armenian Power and the Armenian Mafia groups on a lenient criminal justice system. Many parents blame schools and the weak educational system. If the government would pay more attention to education and put qualified teachers in classrooms, kids would go back to schools and stop dropping out and spending free time on the streets looking for trouble. A Hollywood community organization working to keep Armenian youths out of trouble will be able to keep its after school tutoring program open thanks to donation of computer equipment from the city. The Los Angeles City Council voted to allow New Directions for Armenian Youth to keep nine computers and software that were to be returned to the city. The program will pay a token $1 for the equipment used in tutoring and mentoring programs. The organization was started in an effort to thwart the increasing tide of youths joining Armenian Power, the neighborhood street gang. "They are a great organization," said Councilwoman Jackie Goldberg. "They do a lot of stuff with young people in academics and in keeping youths out of gangs." Every young person moves from his childhood role: dependent, obedient, molded by his family, toward his own identity as a young adult learning how to be independent, self-determined, initiating his own actions and progress. Psychologist Dr. James Dobson describes today's teenagers as being "complelled symbolically to walk down a long dark corridor," lined with illuminated doors. Every door represents a different kind of behavior. Some moral and responsible, but many addictive and irresponsible. From behind the most tempting doors can be heard laughter, loud music and the sounds of people having a "good time." Some adolescent's friends have already ventured through the doors and are calling them to follow. Some teenagers are wise enough and firmly grounded enough to choose the less decorated doors from which emanate serenity and security. Entering these doors leads the adolescents into paths of service, religious devotion, education and self-improvement. But for a certain percentage of today's teenagers, the siren call of the unknown with its glitzy exterior and frenetic excitement is too great a temptation. For such adolescents, walking through those doors is the beginning of tragedy. A monster lurks inside, and some youth will never break free of his terrifying grasp. Even those who escape may be scarred for life. Some will not survive. Alec Petrossian, who migrated from Iran to Hollywood with his wife, Juliet, in 1986, knows about such saddness. For two years he has been going to his son's grave nearly every morning. Tony Petrossian, 17, was killed in a gang fight in 1996. Tony Petrossian was not a gang member, police say, just a kid who had friends who belonged to AP. In February, Krikor "Yogi" Telian, a 22-year-old AP member, pulled up to a stoplight in Hollywood. The people in the car next to him shaped their hands to form the letters V and B, the sigh of the Violent Boys, a 300- member Latino gang from Hollywood. Yogi flashed his AP sign. A moment later, he was shot dead. In general, adolescents with a more stable background: strong family ties, religious convictions and good self-esteem, are inclined to view life and the circumstances in which they find themselves more positively than negatively. However, an overwhelming majority of Armenian adolescents as any other adolescents believe that it is very important to have friends. When confronted with difficulties, most adolescents would go to friends for help. When seeking advice regarding use of money or for advice on personal grooming, clubs or organizations to join, or what to wear to a party, again friends are the preferred choice. The most common problems of today's adolescents are related to self-esteem: being liked by others, feeling important to other people. And it's not only a problem of Armenian community, it's a mutual problem. Adolescents today in America face the trials and challenges their parents never faced. They grapple with dangers like the temptation of drugs, alcohol, gangs. It has been said: " If parents will set an example, they won't have to set rules." But unfortunately, the influence of the friends sometimes is greater than parential example or rules. There is no doubt that all newcomers, although they are keeping their traditions and are strong Armenians, little by little are becoming Americanized, and the problems of American society become their own problems. Today's adolescents, instead of struggling for the basic necessities to sustain life, must grapple with intangible dangers: the temptation of drugs, alcohol and other chemical substances; the impact of media which glorify violence, desensitize the viewer, and denigrate the worth of the individual; and the influence of a society which glamorizes sexual promiscuity and pronounces all values "relative." Added to this, today's adolescents must somehow find their way from a social world based on their parents' culture and ethnically-determined group to a new social acceptance within the dominant culture of their "adopted country." The challenge of the Armenian Americans, indeed Americans of all backrounds is to rise above these influences as Americans always have. Translating LA, Peter Theroux,Page 223,W.W.Norton & Company, New York/London 1994. The Course of MEXICAN HISTORY,Michael C. Meyer & William L. Sherman ,The first Mexicans,Page 9,Oxford Univesity Press,Inc.1995. The Course of MEXICAN HISTORY,Michael C. Meyer & William L. Sherman ,Mexico's Golden Age:The Classic Period,Page 31,Oxford University Press,Inc.1995. The Course of MEXICAN HISTORY,Michael C. Meyer & William L. Sherman ,The Loss of Texas and the war with the United States,Page 351,Oxford University Press,Inc.1995. Man's Best Came With Columbus, Michael S. Berliner, Los Angeles Times,Commentary, Monday, December 30, 1991. Racial Fault Lines,Almagur Toms,Introduction, page 8, Berkley:UC Press, 1994 Maligned Word:Mexican, Ruben Salazar, Los Angeles Times, Friday, April 17,1970. Anything but Mexican, Rodolfo Acu$a, Page 2,Chicanos in Contemporary Los Angeles. Verso 1996 Always Running,Preface, Page 5,Luis J Rodriguez,Williamantic,CT:Curbstone Press,1993. Look at what I see , MC Kidd Frost,Ruthless Records,1995. Anything but Mexican, The Stairway To Heaven,Page 289 Rodolfo F. Acu$a,,London:Verso,1996 Source:1996 State of the County Report. Always Running,Epilogue,Page 250,William Antic,CT:Curbestone Press,1993. Always Running, Epilogue, Page 250, William Antic,CT:Curbestone Press,1993 The Compelling Case for Bilingual Education ,Saturday Review, April 29,1972, Jeffrey W. Kobrick, General Media Publishing Group. The Compelling Case for Bilingual Education, Saturday Review, April 29,1972,Jeffrey W. Kobrick, General Media Publishing Group. Bilingual Education: The Key to Basic Skills, Angelo Gonzales, The New York Times, November 10,1985. A War of Words, Richard Bernstein ,The New York Times,October 14, 1990 Impoverished Old Schools Need Bigger Share of Prop.BB Funds, Bill Boyarsky, METRO, Los Angeles Times, Monday, January 19,1998 Students' Gripes About Schools Bring Results,Bill Boyarsky, METRO,Los Angeles Times,Monday, February 9, 1998 Californians look foolish blaiming immigrants, Molly Ivins, Whittier Daily News, Opinion Monday, October 10,1994 John P. Fernandez with Mary Barr " The Diversity Advantage, How American Business Can Out- Perform in The Global Marketplace" Lexington Books,1993 Timothy P. Fong." The First Suburban Chinatown": Temple University Press, 1994 Timothy P. Fong. "The First Suburban Chinatown": Temple University Press, 1994 Timothy P. Fong. "The First Suburban Chinatown": Temple University Press, 1994 Inquired : RSVP volunteer in Monterey Park Police Department Welcome To Monterey Park : Pamphlet Local Economic And Redevelopment News: pamphlet Local Economic And Redevelopment News: pamphlet Inquired : Economic Development Department Clerk Timothy Patrick Fong ," The unique Convergence": Monterey Park 1992 Timothy Patrick Fong," The Unique Convergence": The Brightwood Elementary School Incident Voter's Profile by Ethnicity, City Council Election, Monterey Park, April 10, 1990 Luis Nogales, "Bilingual Education", Monterey Park Comet, April 30, 1998 Susan Gall, Managing Editor " The Asian American Almanac" Library of Congress Catalog . The United States Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), founded in 1891, is a division of the Department of Justice. .March 15, 1998 interview with Jose Gonzalez, undocumented worker who has always kept quiet about the low wages paid for his work and the poor working area conditions. .Burbano, Mike. The Pico-Union Barricades pg. 1 .April 12, 1998 interview with Maria Lopez, undocumented worker with two U.S. citizen children. 66 Stat. 163 (1952) (codified as amended at 8 U.S.C. 1101-1525 (West 1993)). The I.N.A. is the basic immigration law statute. .Prior to April 1, 1997, before IIRAIRA came into effect, "exclusion" was a term of art in immigration law with more than one meaning. It was often used when referring to "ground for exclusion," meaning one of the categories listed at 8 U.S.C. 1182 (a)-(1)-(9), membership which renders the noncitizen ineligible for a visa. .In contrast to exclusion, "deportation" was the official act of removing a person from the United States when a person had already made an "entry", whether illegal or legal. .See Kevin R. Johnson, Public Benefits and Immigration: The Intersection of Immigration Status, Ethnicity, Gender, and Class, Rev. 1509, 1528-31 (1955) .Illegal Immigration and Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, Pub. L. No. 104- 208, 110 Stat. 3009 (codified as amended in scattered sections of 8 U.S.C.). Enacted as Division C of the Omnibus Consolidated Appropriations Act of 1996, IIRAIRA amends the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) and became law as of April 1, 1997. .Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, Pub. L. No. 104-208, 531, 110 Stat. 3009 (codified as amended in scattered sections of 8 U.S.C.). .Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, Pub. L. No. 104-208, 301, 110 Stat. 3009 (codified as amended in scattered sections of 8 U.S.C.). .Id. .Id. .Id. .Id. .Id. .Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, Pub. L. No. 104-208, 304, 110 Stat. 3009 (codified as amended in scattered sections of 8 U.S.C.). .Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, Pub. L. No. 104-208, 321, 110 Stat. 3009 (codified as amended in scattered sections of 8 U.S.C.). 193-