The Armenian Sentinel

 

2. TAS Survey reveals real community needs and concerns
Armenians speak their minds on issues they care about

By Sasha Boghosian

Its election time and candidates are talking about the unique needs of the Armenian-American community – a topic that has been discussed on Armenian television programs every day for the past several months. As more self-proclaimed experts chime in with their “analysis” of what the most pressing issues in our community are – and which candidate is the most qualified to fulfill them – it becomes increasingly difficult to figure out how the Armenian-Americans will be best served locally, in Sacramento, and in Washington.

In order to better understand the needs of the Armenian-American community, and to clear up the confusion, the Armenian Sentinel conducted a survey that asked Armenian-Americans living in the Glendale area, the core of the “Armenian vote”, to identify local issues most important to them in the upcoming elections, both at the state and federal levels. The survey found that the needs which the respondents identified as most important to them differ sharply based on geography. The most important issue identified by Armenian-Americans living South of the 134 freeway was affordable housing and continuation of government programs such as Medicare, while residents living North of the freeway identified lower taxes as their top priority in the upcoming elections.

Other issues of concern to Armenian-Americans living in South of the Glendale freeway were the creation of parks similar to Wilson Mini Park, a small parcel of open space that has served as a place of congregation for Armenian-Americans; stopping the increase of gang-related violence among Armenian-Americans; and sustaining Social Security/SSI income.

Among Armenian-Americans living North of the freeway, issues of concern included creating more youth and after school programs; lowering college tuition rates; and lower property tax. Several issues were identified by both groups. They included sustaining Medicare benefits; addressing the issue of police-community relations; and solving the growing problem of housing for seniors.

All of the issues which were identified by the respondents share a very important element. They all relate to quality of life. The answers given by the two groups however highlight the important difference that exists among our community in its priorities as they pertain to quality of life. While some Armenian-Americans look to give less of their money to the government in the form of taxes, others in our community depend on government-funded services.

The TAS survey focused specifically on local issues. For this reason, Armenian Genocide related issues and aid to Armenia were not covered in this analysis. More than 250 Armenian-Americans were surveyed for this study. Survey results will soon be available online at: www.armeniansentinel.org