Armenian Genocide Education with Dr. Rouben Adalian, Armenian National Institute

By Karina Demirciyan (@armenianinterns)

After a long day of work and meeting with Congresswoman Anna Eshoo (D-CA) on Capitol Hill, the Assembly interns gathered at the Armenian National Institute (ANI) to meet the Director, Dr. Rouben Adalian, for a new presentation on the Armenian Genocide.

Starting from the very beginning of how the Armenians were deported and murdered, from their cities and homes, to being prisoners and used for slave labor, Dr. Adalian explained the long and painful journey that the Armenians had to experience.

Dr. Adalian was kind enough to set up an exhibit for our interns titled “First Deportation: The German Railway, the American Hospital, and the Armenian Genocide.” The exhibit features pictures taken by Americans who witnessed some of the first deportations of Armenians a hundred years ago. Seeing what our ancestors had to experience, and identifying with the photographs, truly left all of the interns with a unique perspective of the Armenian Genocide that they will never forget. The exhibit tells a story that Dr. Adalian and ANI spent years researching and piecing together. The story connects all of the events in the region together, with links to Nazi Germany and WWII. The exhibit is publicly available for free online so that everyone can be educated on the Armenian Genocide.

Our interns didn’t want Dr. Adalian’s presentations to end. Intern Mariam Khaloyan asked if we “could stay for ten more hours and listen to everything Dr. Adalian has to say about the genocide.” His presentation was truly inspiring and educating. We thank Dr. Rouben Adalian and ANI for their research and dedication to universal affirmation of the Armenian Genocide.

Assembly Interns with Dr. Rouben Adalian