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The 25th Town: Armenian Americans Embrace Koutoujian Campaign
http://www.armenianweekly.com/2013/10/12/the-25th-town-armenians-embrace-koutoujian-campaign/
By Katie Vanadzin // October 12, 2013
Waltham, Mass. (A.W.)-With less than a week to go until the special
Democratic primary on Tuesday, October 15, Peter Koutoujian's campaign
remains in full swing. The recent endorsement of Koutoujian by
Massachusetts House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo has given the Koutoujian
campaign an added boost in these critical last days. DeLeo represents
Winthrop and Revere, but his influence extends throughout the state.
In a Boston.com story, DeLeo was quoted as having said, `I know how
important it is for a district to have a strong, dedicated and
intelligent representative always willing to do what is in the best
interest of his or her constituents... Peter will be that person for the
Fifth Congressional District.'
Koutoujian greets students of St Stephen's Armenian School.
Long before high-profile endorsements, there was a humming engine
quietly powering the Koutoujian campaign. The Armenian-American
community within and even beyond the Fifth Congressional District has
been a vital force behind Peter Koutoujian's election efforts. It was
clear from the outset of the campaign that the Armenian vote was going
to be crucial to the election efforts; so much so that the Armenian
community was considered as a `25th town' in the 24-town Fifth
Congressional District. Dr. Noubar Afeyan, a local entrepreneur who
has been involved in the campaign from its inception, explained, `My
friends and I brought up this notion of considering the Armenians as a
[town], as opposed to a little here, a little there.... To their credit,
they took that to heart and called it a `25th town,' which Peter talks
a lot about these days.'
Afeyan shares a characteristic of many Armenians who have been
galvanized by the Koutoujian campaign: he is not usually politically
active. `I am not at all politically involved, I've been involved in
no other campaign, [but] I know Peter quite well and I reached out
very early on when he first said he would be running, and felt that
the Armenian community, if activated, much more so than the usual
(which is very little) could be a significant factor.' Once involved,
however, there are no half measures. Many volunteers have recruited
their entire families into the campaign efforts, and Afeyan is no
exception, as his 15-year-old son, Alex, has been a very active
volunteer in canvassing and phone-banking over the past two months as
part of the Campaign Fellows program.
The challenge for these volunteers then becomes to engage their
friends and neighbors, who are often similarly politically reticent.
Raffi Festekjian, a local businessman who has contributed to and
fundraised for the campaign, noted that innate Armenian skepticism has
posed a challenge. `We always complain as a group that we don't have
enough representation, but when the right representation comes... we
tend to be skeptical, that's kind of our Armenian thing.'
Afeyan explains, `I would say that there are pockets of the Armenian
community that are self-motivated and got involved early on, but it's
a very small number. I think we simply don't have the tradition,
practice, predisposition to volunteer in this way - time, money,
otherwise, let alone get our friends involved. I think that one of my
sincere hopes is that Peter not only wins, but that this campaign
would have been the beginning of a more organized and active Armenian
community, across political lines, across aspects of the community,
such that we can have a stronger voice and one that could shape
elections.'
This hope was echoed by Dr. Aram Kaligian, another active volunteer
member of the Koutoujian campaign. Describing his volunteer efforts,
Kaligian explained, `I've been trying to get people in the community
behind Peter - I mean, clearly people in the community will vote for
him, but trying to get people to actively come out and work for him
and to actively drum up support...It's a historic opportunity, an
Armenian-American in Congress, we've only got two so far, so this is
the first time on the east coast, and it's a big opportunity that we
can't just let go by...if we don't get some Armenians in Congress, we're
never going to get Armenian issues off the ground.' These efforts to
get out the vote have included email publicity, phone-banking
organized by the ANCA Eastern Region, and speaking at Camp Haiastan
and Café Anoush. Like the Afeyans, Kaligian's family has also become
involved. Dr. Kaligian's brother, Dikran, and their parents, Barkev
and Seta, have all volunteered.
Many volunteers echo the sense of opportunity expressed by Afeyan and
Kaligian. JJ Hajjar, another supporter, elaborated on the potential he
sees. `For me...the candidacy of one of [the] prominent and visible
member[s] of our community is a serious foray of the
Armenian-Americans from Massachusetts onto the US political landscape.
Whether he wins the nomination or not, I am sure this will entice
others to follow in his footstep[s]....This is especially true of our
new generation who constitute the bulk of his volunteer base. I am
optimistic and confident that we will make history and elect our first
Armenian-American from Massachusetts to be the Democratic nominee and
eventually the US congressman from the Fifth District. This will be a
voice from our community that will champion our needs and concerns
nationally especially as we prepare to commemorate the Genocide
centennial in a couple of years.'
Achieving recognition of the Genocide was a frequently expressed hope
among volunteers. Kaligian explained, `My point of view is that if we
don't get Armenians into Congress, we're always going to be asking the
average congressman to do whatever, and we have a lot of people who
support our issues, but when push comes to shove, we just can't get it
passed because the Turks have just too much money to buy off the last
votes...And there are a lot of other things Armenians in Congress can do
other than put the Genocide Resolution forward.'
Kaligian stressed the implications that an Armenian in the US Congress
could have for Armenia itself, as well as for Armenian-Americans. `We
need to start building ties, Peter could start taking people with him
to Armenia on Congressional visits...once people start to see what's
being done over there and what kinds of people we've got over there,
then we start to build trade alliances and start to really build
things up...There's also the whole anti-corruption thing. Nobody's
holding the government accountable, we can't as Diasporans, they don't
listen to the Diaspora, there's no real reason that they have to. But
if they know that there are Armenian congressmen and that's part the
equation when it comes to wanting to get support from America then
maybe they'll have to start cleaning up their act, and cleaning up the
corruption and the whole oligarchy.'
For many of those involved in the Koutoujian campaign, there is a
personal element. Many have known Peter for many years, and see him as
a natural leader. Hajjar cited Koutoujian's efforts in promoting
issues of importance to the Armenian community, as well as his
involvement in the creation of the Armenian Heritage Park in the Rose
Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway. Afeyan is a friend of Peter's, and
Kaligian formed his impressions of the candidate decades in advance.
`I've...known him since we were young, we had some Armenian neighbors in
Lexington, and he was their cousin, so I didn't know him well but we
would see him once or twice a year at Easter or Christmas. And when
you know somebody young, you know what they're like. He was an honest,
straight-up kid back then, and when you know somebody that long,
especially a politician... he's a good politician.'
Aside from personal ties, respect for Koutoujian's political prowess
and experience was a common refrain. Hajjar described Koutoujian's
positions on many issues to as being very well-aligned with prevailing
sentiments in the Fifth District. Kaligian noted Koutoujian's
negotiating experience, saying, `We need people who are going to be
strong negotiators, who are going to be able to negotiate, but aren't
just going to cave in every time a Tea Party person starts to hold his
breath until he turns blue. You talk to Peter and you realize he's had
the experience, he's dealt with it, he was the chairman of three State
House committees.'
Above all, there is a sense of hope among those involved that the
Koutoujian campaign may be the beginning of a larger movement.
Festekjian views Koutoujian as an example that `...this can happen, and
the more Armenians run, the more Armenians maybe win, people will be
more encouraged about it [and say] `Actually, know what, we can do
this', and I'm a firm believer that we can do this and we should do
this.' Kaligian notes the special election's unique opportunity for an
Armenian electoral impact; `Another positive for Peter is that this is
a special election, so it's going to be a low voter turnout, so the
Armenian vote can actually mean something, where usually we don't have
numbers enough to actually mean anything...The Armenian vote can
actually make or break the election. If every Armenian comes out and
votes for Peter, we'll win the election.'
From: Baghdasarian
http://www.armenianweekly.com/2013/10/12/the-25th-town-armenians-embrace-koutoujian-campaign/
By Katie Vanadzin // October 12, 2013
Waltham, Mass. (A.W.)-With less than a week to go until the special
Democratic primary on Tuesday, October 15, Peter Koutoujian's campaign
remains in full swing. The recent endorsement of Koutoujian by
Massachusetts House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo has given the Koutoujian
campaign an added boost in these critical last days. DeLeo represents
Winthrop and Revere, but his influence extends throughout the state.
In a Boston.com story, DeLeo was quoted as having said, `I know how
important it is for a district to have a strong, dedicated and
intelligent representative always willing to do what is in the best
interest of his or her constituents... Peter will be that person for the
Fifth Congressional District.'
Koutoujian greets students of St Stephen's Armenian School.
Long before high-profile endorsements, there was a humming engine
quietly powering the Koutoujian campaign. The Armenian-American
community within and even beyond the Fifth Congressional District has
been a vital force behind Peter Koutoujian's election efforts. It was
clear from the outset of the campaign that the Armenian vote was going
to be crucial to the election efforts; so much so that the Armenian
community was considered as a `25th town' in the 24-town Fifth
Congressional District. Dr. Noubar Afeyan, a local entrepreneur who
has been involved in the campaign from its inception, explained, `My
friends and I brought up this notion of considering the Armenians as a
[town], as opposed to a little here, a little there.... To their credit,
they took that to heart and called it a `25th town,' which Peter talks
a lot about these days.'
Afeyan shares a characteristic of many Armenians who have been
galvanized by the Koutoujian campaign: he is not usually politically
active. `I am not at all politically involved, I've been involved in
no other campaign, [but] I know Peter quite well and I reached out
very early on when he first said he would be running, and felt that
the Armenian community, if activated, much more so than the usual
(which is very little) could be a significant factor.' Once involved,
however, there are no half measures. Many volunteers have recruited
their entire families into the campaign efforts, and Afeyan is no
exception, as his 15-year-old son, Alex, has been a very active
volunteer in canvassing and phone-banking over the past two months as
part of the Campaign Fellows program.
The challenge for these volunteers then becomes to engage their
friends and neighbors, who are often similarly politically reticent.
Raffi Festekjian, a local businessman who has contributed to and
fundraised for the campaign, noted that innate Armenian skepticism has
posed a challenge. `We always complain as a group that we don't have
enough representation, but when the right representation comes... we
tend to be skeptical, that's kind of our Armenian thing.'
Afeyan explains, `I would say that there are pockets of the Armenian
community that are self-motivated and got involved early on, but it's
a very small number. I think we simply don't have the tradition,
practice, predisposition to volunteer in this way - time, money,
otherwise, let alone get our friends involved. I think that one of my
sincere hopes is that Peter not only wins, but that this campaign
would have been the beginning of a more organized and active Armenian
community, across political lines, across aspects of the community,
such that we can have a stronger voice and one that could shape
elections.'
This hope was echoed by Dr. Aram Kaligian, another active volunteer
member of the Koutoujian campaign. Describing his volunteer efforts,
Kaligian explained, `I've been trying to get people in the community
behind Peter - I mean, clearly people in the community will vote for
him, but trying to get people to actively come out and work for him
and to actively drum up support...It's a historic opportunity, an
Armenian-American in Congress, we've only got two so far, so this is
the first time on the east coast, and it's a big opportunity that we
can't just let go by...if we don't get some Armenians in Congress, we're
never going to get Armenian issues off the ground.' These efforts to
get out the vote have included email publicity, phone-banking
organized by the ANCA Eastern Region, and speaking at Camp Haiastan
and Café Anoush. Like the Afeyans, Kaligian's family has also become
involved. Dr. Kaligian's brother, Dikran, and their parents, Barkev
and Seta, have all volunteered.
Many volunteers echo the sense of opportunity expressed by Afeyan and
Kaligian. JJ Hajjar, another supporter, elaborated on the potential he
sees. `For me...the candidacy of one of [the] prominent and visible
member[s] of our community is a serious foray of the
Armenian-Americans from Massachusetts onto the US political landscape.
Whether he wins the nomination or not, I am sure this will entice
others to follow in his footstep[s]....This is especially true of our
new generation who constitute the bulk of his volunteer base. I am
optimistic and confident that we will make history and elect our first
Armenian-American from Massachusetts to be the Democratic nominee and
eventually the US congressman from the Fifth District. This will be a
voice from our community that will champion our needs and concerns
nationally especially as we prepare to commemorate the Genocide
centennial in a couple of years.'
Achieving recognition of the Genocide was a frequently expressed hope
among volunteers. Kaligian explained, `My point of view is that if we
don't get Armenians into Congress, we're always going to be asking the
average congressman to do whatever, and we have a lot of people who
support our issues, but when push comes to shove, we just can't get it
passed because the Turks have just too much money to buy off the last
votes...And there are a lot of other things Armenians in Congress can do
other than put the Genocide Resolution forward.'
Kaligian stressed the implications that an Armenian in the US Congress
could have for Armenia itself, as well as for Armenian-Americans. `We
need to start building ties, Peter could start taking people with him
to Armenia on Congressional visits...once people start to see what's
being done over there and what kinds of people we've got over there,
then we start to build trade alliances and start to really build
things up...There's also the whole anti-corruption thing. Nobody's
holding the government accountable, we can't as Diasporans, they don't
listen to the Diaspora, there's no real reason that they have to. But
if they know that there are Armenian congressmen and that's part the
equation when it comes to wanting to get support from America then
maybe they'll have to start cleaning up their act, and cleaning up the
corruption and the whole oligarchy.'
For many of those involved in the Koutoujian campaign, there is a
personal element. Many have known Peter for many years, and see him as
a natural leader. Hajjar cited Koutoujian's efforts in promoting
issues of importance to the Armenian community, as well as his
involvement in the creation of the Armenian Heritage Park in the Rose
Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway. Afeyan is a friend of Peter's, and
Kaligian formed his impressions of the candidate decades in advance.
`I've...known him since we were young, we had some Armenian neighbors in
Lexington, and he was their cousin, so I didn't know him well but we
would see him once or twice a year at Easter or Christmas. And when
you know somebody young, you know what they're like. He was an honest,
straight-up kid back then, and when you know somebody that long,
especially a politician... he's a good politician.'
Aside from personal ties, respect for Koutoujian's political prowess
and experience was a common refrain. Hajjar described Koutoujian's
positions on many issues to as being very well-aligned with prevailing
sentiments in the Fifth District. Kaligian noted Koutoujian's
negotiating experience, saying, `We need people who are going to be
strong negotiators, who are going to be able to negotiate, but aren't
just going to cave in every time a Tea Party person starts to hold his
breath until he turns blue. You talk to Peter and you realize he's had
the experience, he's dealt with it, he was the chairman of three State
House committees.'
Above all, there is a sense of hope among those involved that the
Koutoujian campaign may be the beginning of a larger movement.
Festekjian views Koutoujian as an example that `...this can happen, and
the more Armenians run, the more Armenians maybe win, people will be
more encouraged about it [and say] `Actually, know what, we can do
this', and I'm a firm believer that we can do this and we should do
this.' Kaligian notes the special election's unique opportunity for an
Armenian electoral impact; `Another positive for Peter is that this is
a special election, so it's going to be a low voter turnout, so the
Armenian vote can actually mean something, where usually we don't have
numbers enough to actually mean anything...The Armenian vote can
actually make or break the election. If every Armenian comes out and
votes for Peter, we'll win the election.'
From: Baghdasarian