Students at Rosemont Middle School spent their lunchtime on Wednesday walking together to commemorate the Armenian Genocide, acknowledge other atrocities, and sharing stories about how genocide impacted their families.
Beginning in 1915, 1.5 million Armenians were massacred at the hands of the Ottoman Turks. Modern-day Turkey denies the deaths were genocide.
For Rosemont eighth-grader Lianna Simonyan, the walk is one way students can raise awareness about the genocide.
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“Today is recognition for the things that happened in 1915. It’s to show that we’re not going to back down from what’s happened, and we’re going to keep fighting until recognition is given to us,” she said. “That’s something important to the Armenian culture. Turkey’s taken away everything from us and our country. We need to keep telling people ‘This is not over.’ And we need to recognize it.”
It’s to show that we’re not going to back down from what’s happened, and we’re going to keep fighting until recognition is given to us.
— Lianna Simonyan, Rosemont Middle School eighth-grader
As she walked with her peers, she asked her friends to share their families’ stories about the Armenian Genocide.
On April 24, 1915, many Armenian intellectuals and leaders were rounded up and killed. Each year on that date, many Armenians commemorate the genocide.
Throughout April, Rosemont teacher Janna Kasmanian said many students learn about their own families’ histories and attend events to acknowledge the atrocities.
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A girl with the Lilia Dance Studio runs with an Armenian flag across the stage at the 16th Annual Armenian Genocide Commemoration at Glendale High School on Wednesday, April 19, 2017.
(Tim Berger / Staff Photographer) 2/16
R.D. White Elementary School’s Elen Abramyan, 8, sings with her classmates at the 16th Annual Armenian Genocide Commemoration at Glendale High School on Wednesday, April 19, 2017.
(Tim Berger / Staff Photographer) 3/16
Youth from the Davidian & Mariamian Educational Foundation Choir sing and wave Armenian flags at the 16th Annual Armenian Genocide Commemoration at Glendale High School on Wednesday, April 19, 2017.
(Tim Berger / Staff Photographer) 4/16
R.D. White Elementary School children perform at the 16th Annual Armenian Genocide Commemoration at Glendale High School on Wednesday, April 19, 2017.
(Tim Berger / Staff Photographer) 5/16
The ceremony to present the colors at the 16th Annual Armenian Genocide Commemoration at Glendale High School on Wednesday, April 19, 2017.
(Tim Berger / Staff Photographer) 6/16
Most of the seating in the bottom two-thirds of the John Wayne Performing Arts Center are taken at the 16th Annual Armenian Genocide Commemoration at Glendale High School on Wednesday, April 19, 2017.
(Tim Berger / Staff Photographer) 7/16
The Gendale High School acapella choir sings the Armenian National Anthem at the 16th Annual Armenian Genocide Commemoration at Glendale High School on Wednesday, April 19, 2017.
(Tim Berger / Staff Photographer) 8/16
Glendale Supt. Winfred Robertson, Jr. speaks at the 16th Annual Armenian Genocide Commemoration at Glendale High School on Wednesday, April 19, 2017.
(Tim Berger / Staff Photographer) 9/16
An original song is performed by members of the Glendale High School Armenian Club.
(Tim Berger / Staff Photographer) 10/16
A television photographer puts lights on Glendale Unified school officials during the show at the 16th Annual Armenian Genocide Commemoration at Glendale High School on Wednesday, April 19, 2017.
(Tim Berger / Staff Photographer) 11/16
A young girl from R.D. White Elementary asks the crowd a question at the 16th Annual Armenian Genocide Commemoration at Glendale High School on Wednesday, April 19, 2017.
(Tim Berger / Staff Photographer) 12/16
The presentation of colors by the Glendale Homenetmen Ararat Chapter at the 16th Annual Armenian Genocide Commemoration at Glendale High School on Wednesday, April 19, 2017.
(Tim Berger / Staff Photographer) 13/16
Erik Chilingaryan, with the Davidian & Mariamian Educational Foundation Choir, recites a poem at the 16th Annual Armenian Genocide Commemoration at Glendale High School on Wednesday, April 19, 2017.
(Tim Berger / Staff Photographer) 14/16
Youth from R.D. White Elementary School sing at the 16th Annual Armenian Genocide Commemoration at Glendale High School on Wednesday, April 19, 2017.
(Tim Berger / Staff Photographer) 15/16
Dancers with Lilia Dance studio perform at the 16th Annual Armenian Genocide Commemoration at Glendale High School on Wednesday, April 19, 2017.
(Tim Berger / Staff Photographer) 16/16
A boy with the Lilia Dance Studio waves a large Armenian flag at the 16th Annual Armenian Genocide Commemoration at Glendale High School on Wednesday, April 19, 2017.
(Tim Berger / Staff Photographer) “This is an emotional time for the students since they hear so much … in their homes, and they participate in a lot of events and activities outside of school,” she said.
Kasmanian worked with Rosemont Principal Cynthia Livingston to host the school’s first “Walk, Talk & Learn” event last year after parents and students had for years urged for a commemorative event at Rosemont.
About 100 students participated on Wednesday, and many were of other ethnic backgrounds who were encouraged to attend.
“We thought this would be a positive way to approach it,” Kasmanian said. “Hopefully, year by year, we’ll get more students to come.”
The event also acknowledged other mass killings.
“This is not just about the Armenian Genocide because there’s been … other genocides that have not been recognized,” Lianna said. “We’re just trying to spread awareness of other countries that have done [mass killings]. Ignoring it is not going to make it go away.”
kelly.corrigan@latimes.com
Twitter: @kellymcorrigan
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