Thanks to Armenians, number of whites in Glendale increasedSeptember 24, 2011 - 14:52 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - A spike in the number of people listed as white in Glendale says more about changing cultural identities than an actual demographic swing, experts say. According to the latest U.S. Census figures, even as Glendale’s total population has shrunk, the number of whites in the past 10 years has increased to 62%, or 117,000 people, compared to 54% in 2000. But experts and community leaders say that’s largely because fewer Armenians are claiming two racial identities on census forms. In 2000, 22% of those who identified as Armenian said they were white and some other race, but that figure dropped to about 1% in 2009. “The numbers show changes in the identity among Armenians,” said Amon Emeka, a race and ethnic relations expert at USC. “There’s been a huge switch in how Armenians in Glendale identify themselves.” Glendale’s Armenian population, which is one of the largest outside of Armenia, has been on the rise for years, but the biggest gains have come since 1970. Most Armenians have long identified themselves as white, but some have been slower to do so, Armenian community leaders said. “We have a population now that’s not as much of an immigrant population as 10 years ago,” said Elen Asatryan, executive director of the Armenian National Committee’s Glendale chapter. What’s happening in Glendale has happened in other Armenian communities in the past. City Clerk Ardy Kassakhian pointed to Fresno and communities outside Boston as examples. “When you observe the different Armenian communities in the U.S., the overall pattern has shown that over time they are assimilating more and more,” he said. Vazken Madenlian, principal of Chamlian Armenian School, said he wasn’t surprised about the change and likened part of the shift to children who are born here being more integrated. “Some people don’t know what they are and ask me if they’re white. I tell them ‘What do you think? Look in the mirror,’” Madenlian said. The Census Bureau gave people the option of choosing two or more races for the first time in 2000. With the addition came a major public relations effort, but that wasn’t repeated for the most recent census, which could also have played a role in a significant drop of people who chose the dual-race option, Emeka said. Despite the trend, Councilman Ara Najarian said it doesn’t necessarily mean Armenians are shucking their roots. “Although they still feel Armenian, they don’t necessarily feel like they have to fill it out on a form,” he said. Meanwhile, the proportion of Latinos in Glendale dropped from 20% to 17% over the 10-year period, according to census figures. Experts said it nearly impossible to track where they were going, but said the trend could be tied to higher local housing prices, Glendale News Press reported. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Russia provides info about arrested Armenian ex-MP Russian law enforcement agencies have provided information about the arrest of Tigran Urikhanyan. Lemkin Institue slams Pashinyan's “cryptic engagement with Genocide denial” The Lemkin Institute is alarmed over Pashinyan’s statements “questioning Armenia's legal basis to pursue justice against Turkey”. 41 detained as antigovernment protests continue in Yerevan 41 people were detained in Yerevan as people demanding Pashinian’s resignation stage campaigns of civil disobedience. Armenia votes for UN resolution granting Palestine new rights The U.N. General Assembly voted by a wide margin on May 10 to grant new “rights and privileges” to Palestine. |