Category Archives: Armenian Genocide
Miami Herald Publishes Op-Ed on the Passing of Harry Pilafian, South Florida’s Last Armenian Genocide Survivor
On Christmas Day, the Miami Herald published an op-ed by Harout Jack Samra, a Miami-based attorney of Armenian heritage. His article calls attention to the recent passing of Harry Pilafian (1921-2014), a grandfather, father, husband, veteran, and genocide survivor.
Below is an excerpt from Samra’s article and a link to the full story.
Annually, Armenians around the world gather on April 24 to commemorate the Armenian Genocide. Survivors of this national calamity stand at the front of each assembly as symbols of a people’s capacity to survive.
With each passing year in South Florida, with the commemoration reaching its centennial, survivors have grown fewer. Two weeks before Christmas, South Florida’s last known Armenian genocide survivor died.
Harry Pilafian was born in Tekirdag, in Thrace, during the final years of the Ottoman Empire. His mother and father had fled their home to Damascus in 1918. Their first son, James, was born in that ancient city.
During a period of calm, the family, like so many others, tried to return home. This is when Pilafian was born.
You can read the article in full by clicking here.
Florida Armenians Endorsed Candidates Overwhelmingly Win on Election Night
By Taniel Koushakjian
FLArmenians Managing Editor
Florida Armenians is pleased to announce that 38 out of 39 candidates endorsed by Florida Armenians have won election to various offices across the State of Florida. The 97% success rate of Florida Armenians endorsed candidates illustrates the power and effectiveness of the Armenian American community in Florida at the federal, state, and local level.
[Click here for a complete list of Florida Armenians 2014 Election Endorsements.]
All thirteen Florida Armenians endorsed candidates for United States Congress were elected, including Republican challenger Carlos Curbelo who defeated Democratic incumbent Joe Garcia in FL-26, which covers southwest Miami-Dade County and all of Monroe County.
In the state legislature, all four Florida Armenians endorsed senate candidates won election. In the state house, fifteen out of sixteen Florida Armenians endorsed candidates won election, including HD-67 Republican Chris Latvala who easily defeated Democrat Christopher Shepard in the open-seat contest. Christ Latvala is the son of State Senator Jack Latvala (R-Pinellas), who introduced and managed the successful passage of the first Armenian Genocide resolution in the Florida State Senate in 2013. The only loss of all Florida Armenians endorsed candidates in the 2014 election cycle occurred next door to Chris Latvala, in HD-68, where Bill Young lost his challenge to Democratic incumbent Dwight Dudley (D-Pinellas). Bill Young is the son of the late C.W. Bill Young III (R-FL), who represented Florida in the United State Congress from 1971-2013.
At the state executive level, all three Florida Armenians endorsed candidates coasted to victory. Although Florida Armenians withheld our endorsement in the hotly-contested Florida Governor race, we would like to congratulate Governor Rick Scott on his reelection victory. We look forward to working with him and his administration as we approach the Armenian Genocide centennial in April 24, 2015.
Florida Armenians also endorsed Garo Artinian, the sole Armenian American on the ballot in Florida. He won an uncontested race and is now the North Palm Beach County Improvement District Seat 2 Board Member-elect.
Florida Armenians would like to congratulate all of our endorsees across the Sunshine State on their election victory.
Florida Armenians 