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Bill Silverstein’s donation of the flag that flew on Exodus in 1947 to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington reminded me of the plight of my people, who were in the same position as the Syrian refugees today.
Before the turn of the 20th century, my maternal and paternal grandparents, who had means, left our homeland to escape oppression that later turned into genocide. My maternal grandparents were the first farmers in Fresno, Calif. My paternal grandparents sold produce in Los Angeles. My father, the oldest son, was born in Los Angeles in 1907. I never knew him because he was killed in France during World War II.
Last year I went to the 100th anniversary of the Holy Trinity Armenian Apostolic Church in Fresno, the first Armenian church in America. It was built during tumultuous times, when millions of Armenians were being killed by the Ottoman Turks. The church was completed when the war ended, in 1915.
Therefore, my heart goes out to the Syrian refugees, who deserve the opportunity to live in peace, build a life for their families and be treated as human beings in need of help and support, not the pariah that is ISIL.
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