Submission: Armenian students’ protest challenges long history of injustice

Every year, the Armenian Students’ Association at UCLA holds a protest on campus against denial of the Armenian Genocide in order to educate fellow students about the great tragedy of our history, and how it has defined our lives even in the Armenian Diaspora.

You may have seen us on Bruin Walk with red tape over our mouths, holding posters with slogans like “Eastern Turkey is Western Armenia” as we silently demand for recognition and reparations. We cover our mouths with tape to bring to light how the Turkish government has attempted to silence the global community of Armenians and the truth behind our history for decades. But after hearing a quick breakdown of World War I history as it pertains to the plight of Armenians, Assyrians and Greeks, and scanning over an informational flyer or standing with us in solidarity, one might wonder why any of this still matters today. Why are Armenian students all over California blocking the way to class?

We were on Bruin Walk on Thursday to remind the campus that the Armenian Genocide was not an isolated event that ended abruptly without grave ramifications. It continued through deportations under Mustafa Kemal Atatürk until 1923, and was perpetuated in subsequent acts of cultural erasure such as the destruction of ancient Armenian churches and monuments in modern-day Turkey. And so we use the academic freedom afforded to us at this institution in order to educate our peers. We want to help people understand that behind the 1.5 million number cited in history books are the remains of my great-grandfather’s twin sisters still in the Syrian desert, the bones of relatives buried in shallow graves and the spirits of orphaned children hopelessly wandering the treacherous terrain.

These were not isolated incidents of brutality, but rather the culmination of institutional violence against the Armenian population of Turkey. And unfortunately, these stories are universal among Armenian families scattered throughout the world. Yet until today, the Armenian community is still scapegoated by Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who considers being called Armenian an insult. Hundreds of thousands of hidden Armenians live on their ancestral lands, and those who speak up against systematic denial are reminded of the tragic fate of Turkish-Armenian editor Hrant Dink. This is the pain we have inherited and have had to silently endure in the Diaspora while our own United States government continues to appease such an oppressive state.

From an early age, we are bombarded with images of suffering and the worst of human potential. But despite it all, we are taught to embrace our history and always act to redress our grievances and condemn injustice. It is our responsibility, an unspoken agreement with our ancestors, to make sure that their names are not forgotten.

So when you notice the red tape over my mouth, please remember that the momentary silence is more than just an annual campus protest. Although most of our family members did not live to tell their stories or receive the closure they deserved, each new generation of Armenians fulfill their part of a 100-year-old agreement.

Sarafian is a fourth-year political science student and the political activism chair for the Armenian Students’ Association at UCLA.