AJR 41, as introduced, Ian Calderon. Armenian and Assyrian Genocide.
This measure would commend the extraordinary service delivered by Near East Relief to the survivors of the Armenian Genocide and the Assyrian Genocide.
Fiscal committee: no.
P1 1WHEREAS, During the Armenian Genocide of 1915 through
21923, 1.5 million men, women, and children of Armenian descent
3lost their lives at the hands of the Young Turks regime then ruling
4the Ottoman Empire in its attempt to systematically eliminate the
5Armenian race; and
6WHEREAS, In response to the genocide and at the behest of
7President Woodrow Wilson and the United States State
8Department, the Near East Relief organization was founded and
9was provided unprecedented complete access to all United States
10Government documents and files concerning the plight of Christian
11minorities; and
12WHEREAS, Near East Relief was the first congressionally
13sanctioned American philanthropic effort created exclusively to
14rescue the Armenian nation and other Christian minorities from
P2 1annihilation after United States Ambassador to Constantinople,
2Henry A. Morgenthau, Jr., pled for assistance after personally
3witnessing the systematic massacre of Armenians; and
4WHEREAS, Near East Relief’s efforts resulted in delivering
5$117 million of assistance between 1915 and 1930, including the
6delivery of food, clothing, and materials for shelter, and setting
7up refugee camps, clinics, hospitals, and orphanages; and
8WHEREAS, The generous philanthropy of the American people,
9including many Californians, directly resulted in the salvation of
10the Armenian and Assyrian refugees and prevented them from
11being completely annihilated by the genocide by saving more than
12one million refugees, including more than 130,000 orphans through
13their humanitarian assistance; and
14WHEREAS, Near East Relief evolved into the Near East
15Foundation in 1930, and continues to provide humanitarian aid to
16people throughout the Middle East and Africa; now, therefore, be
17it
18Resolved by the Assembly and the Senate of the State of
19California, jointly, That the Legislature of the State of California
20hereby commends the extraordinary service delivered by Near
21East Relief to the survivors of the Armenian Genocide and the
22Assyrian Genocide, including thousands of direct beneficiaries of
23American philanthropy who are the parents, grandparents and
24great-grandparents of many Californian Armenians and Assyrians;
25and be it further
26Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies
27of this resolution to the President and Vice President of the United
28States, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Minority
29Leader of the House of Representatives, the Majority Leader of
30the United States Senate, the Minority Leader of the United States
31Senate, and to each Senator and Representative from California
32in the Congress of the United States.
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