Manoogian resolution commemorates Armenian Genocide

LANSING, Mich. —The Michigan House of Representatives has passed HR 87, a resolution declaring April 24, 2021 as “Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day” in the state of Michigan. The resolution – sponsored by State Rep. Mari Manoogian (D-Birmingham)– honors the victims and survivors of the Armenian Genocide, which took place 106 years ago.

From 1915 to 1923, Armenians – as well as Greeks, Assyrian-Chaldeans, Syriacs, Arameans, Maronites and other Christians – were subject to torture, starvation, mass murder and exile from their homeland at the hands of the Ottoman Empire. More than 1.5 million people lost their lives.

“April 24 is as a day of mourning, but also of celebration. While we remember the lives lost in the Genocide – including members of my own family – we also keep in mind the ongoing survival of Armenians throughout the world,” said Rep. Manoogian. “Every Armenian alive today is a symbol of strength in the face of oppression, racial hatred, and the ongoing denial of our generational pain and suffering. Armenians – including Armenian-Americans – thrive today in the arts, business, education, law, and public service because of the resilience of our ancestors; it is them who we honor this day.

“I am grateful to my colleagues in the Legislature for supporting this resolution to honor the lives lost in the Genocide, and to celebrate the ongoing contributions of the Armenian-American community here in Michigan.”

As a result of the Genocide, many Armenian refugees fled to the United States. Today, Michigan is home to an Armenian-American population of more than 16,000 people. Michigan’s Armenian churches and community organizations have organized numerous charity and community drives across the state, providing scholarships for students and serving refugee communities in a variety of ways.

Rep. Mari Manoogian represents the communities of Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Bloomfield Township, and the eastern portion of West Bloomfield Township. In addition to serving as Deputy Whip for the Michigan House Democratic Caucus, she is also the Minority Vice Chair of the House Committee on Energy and is a member of the House Committee on Commerce and Tourism.