I'm currently just a student at the University of California, Berkeley, but I'm from the Glendale area and share your opinions on this issue. Growing up in Los Angeles, my friends and I noticed the unexplainable prosperity of some of our peers. While many families do have established businesses and are active members of their community, there are those that seem doubtful at times and it really is a shame that these activities take place on such a large scale that it warrants the attention of the American Amabassador to Armenia. The means of money laundering as described in the articles are indeed, for the most part, how the criminals amass their fortunes (as far as we could tell).

In regard to outreach programs, there are Armenian community organizations and events that the youth can participate in (Homenetmen scouts and athletics, Armenian language classes offered at public schools after school hours, etc.) but the attendees of these activities are usually not from the families which are involved in these illegal activities. The community understands that it's a shameful representation but those not involved take on a "That's not us, they're different from us" mentality. I've heard some civil people try to rationalize the actions of the criminals along the lines that they are coming from a communist upbringing (USSR) where corruption was rampant and are unfamiliar with the freedoms provided by life in the U.S. (and therefore tend to abuse them). I'm not sure if I agree with that, and I don't know what their reasoning really is, but I agree that steps should be taken to stop it.

Ambassador John Evans is actually going to present a lecture on the UC Berkeley campus this Saturday (2/19) and I plan on attending his event. Although I'm hoping for a more positive tone, maybe this topic will pop up again and some new light will be shed.

Ara, I hope that you enjoy the lecture. Thanks for the insight of a local!

I wonder if it will take a few generations for these more recent immigrants to "shape up" (for lack of a better term) and perhaps then the existing community may be able to find a way to accept them.

I don't know about metropolitan LA in general, but the Glendale Police Chief told visiting Armenian journalists last year that proportionally persons of Armenian origin commit less crimes than other ethnic groups, and far less violent crimes. It was an interview given in June or July, it appeared in many online editions, including A1 plus.

Gangs, drugs, and abuse of the welfare system do seem to be a large problem affecting a lot of immigrants, including the Armenians. It's a symptom of social displacement, as well as general drug problem in the American society. As far as organized crime is concerned, it's a recurring problem, but the Eurasian task force doesn't deal with Armenians only - it's main target is Russians, Russian Jews, Georgians, and other criminals from former Soviet Union.

It's not bad that Armenians focus on these problems as it will help the community address these issues. But I also have to say that I have encountered many 'envy' issues. Armenians who have arrived in LA in late 1980's and 1990's have generally displayed greater upward social mobility than Armenians who have arrived in 1960's and 1970's, mostly because they tended to be better educated, the State of California was better prepared to handle new immigrants, and the economy was stronger. This generates some resentment among old-timers, who have taken decades to buy a house, new cars, and put their kids to school, only to watch new arrivals accomplish the same within a few years only. Hence the rumors of sneaky money launderers and welfare queens.

Nor is this behavior typical of the Armenians in LA. A 2003 New Yorker snapshot of the Iranian community in LA shows that they have the same fears, anxieties, and self-perception that Armenians have: http://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/?031110fa_fact

This is overblown out of propertion. Crime stats in LA are actually down significantly since 1994.

Not sure at what is the real motivation here, at why evans talks up armenian crime when his staff
is being indicted for corruption and petty theft.

Of all things he should be talking about restoring
the trust in his office and american integrity,
not the eurasian task force, whatever the heck
that means.

T

Agreed with Tim and Hovakim. Well put about the corruption in the US Embassy. There is definately a lot of hypocracy in US foreign policy. But this kind of stuff is just another lever the US has on the Armenian government.

I kind of agree and don't re. the comments on the US Embassy. As for LA, no comments as I've never visited and have no insight although Ara Oshagan, the photojournalist who covers the community including juvenile and other offenders, says pretty much what Hovakim says.

Back to the Embassy, there is a certain amount of hypocrisy among many diplomatic missions here. For example, my own damn British Embassy that talks fo democracy, human rights and people protecting their rights but then going ahead and violating mine -- one of their own citizens.

Then, when the US Embassy erected it's wall (actually, this months BEFORE 9/11 and not afterwards as some media reports here), it's spokesperson, John Balian, went on Armenian TV and said that it was no prohibited to take photos outside the Embassy.

I sent him an email saying, listen, what LAW in the Reoublic of Armenia states that if I'm prohibited to stand on Armenian territory on the other side of Baghramian taking a photograph of someone with the Embassy in the background? Also, what happens if I do and a security guard comes and hassles me? His repsonse just said that the Embassy didn't want people photographing their building.

In the case of this corruption, however, it's more interesting. I had been told from a reliable source that a former US Ambassador to Armenia had ADMITTED that there was corruption in the process of issuing visas and so, I again contacted Balian. His response stated that it didn't exist and that it could NEVER exist and that my information was wrong.

Now, we see that a foreign member of the US is being prosecuted so, his response was not truthful. On the other hand, we know see that the US Embassy is quite open about this reality when they could have covered up and more than that, the individual is being prosecuted and I expect him to be pubished in accordance with US law.

This last point is the most important, perhaps, and the difference between the US and Armenia. However, I also agree that any country with a diplomatic mission in Armenia should practice what it preaches and be seen to be doing so -- in reality and not just on paper.

Cheers,

oh My God!

I can not believe Glendale Daily News took such a big radius to fight the Glendale City Council Elections!!!

Well one thing you shall know that Glendale is the 6th TOP SAFEST CITY of the CALIFORNIA! This is because of the residents of Glendale and the daily news is well known for bashing the glendailian armenians!

And well, I can guess that Press is associating with the COPS in this case. COPS need to make it seem that Glendale is not a safe city, thus they need more policemen working and they need more *BUDGET*.

Dear friends :)

Corruption is everywhere. The content is same.It's just a different quality of paper. (Philosophy)

Apologies, Hagop, a correction:

> Corruption is everywhere. The content is same.

Agreed.

However, the quantity and effect of corruption is not the same and unfortunately, the ability of society, the media, the courts and the government to address the problem are different.

In this sense, the situation in the US and Europe are VERY different from that in transitional republics such as Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia.

This is also why we have a Corruptions Perception Index issued by Transparency International each year which shows this difference. It is the perception of how much corruption impacts on the ability to do business in a country and for citizens to lead a normal life.

The CPI and anyone who speaks out about corruption does not state that corruption only exists in the CIS and developing world. It merely shows the EXTENT of corruption.

In the UK, for example, I have never been stopped by police to pay a bribe or had to pay an informal payment in a hospital. I have never had to pay a teacher to pass my exams.

I have never had the park carved up in my neighborhood because a government minister wants to build a cafe. I have never had my vote "bought" from me by a visiting member of a political party with a wad of dollars in their pocket and I've never experienced falsified elections.

I know, of course, corruption exists in business and in government which is why I'm always grateful when the media exposes the fact and the businessman or minister has to resign and is prosecuted. Never do those around me in the UK rationalize the situation or attempt to shoot the messenger.

They certainly never downplay the importance of fighting corruption by saying there is more corruption in a nearby country, for example. Instead, the vast majority of people lead a pretty much law-abiding life and our taxes go to public services as they're intended to. In Armenia, the system is pretty much corrupt from the top down.

All of this is different, of course, to the situation in Armenia and other CIS republics which is why in my opinion, those that rationalize corruption or are corrupt themselves are partly responsible for risking the future of an already frail, vulnerable and tiny nation.

It's why people don't worry as much about investing in the UK or US yet Armenia is attracting very little investment at all. In terms of quantity, the shadow economy and tax evasion is estimated to be worth as much as about 60-70% of the annual state budget.

This is the difference.