Hayern Aysor presents the interview with member of the Board of Trustees of the Armenian Society of Los Angeles Tomik Alexanian, who was hosted at the RA Ministry of Diaspora.

Karine Avagyan: Mr. Alexanian, it is always a pleasure to see you at the Ministry of Diaspora and today at our editorial office. Welcome! Please, tell us about your career and pro-national activities.

Tomik Alexanian: Let me start with my roots. I was born in Tehran. My mother was born in New Julfa, and my father was born in Tbilisi. I was raised and grew up in a family with great national values and in a family where patriotism wasn’t just words or a message, but a lifestyle, an enshrined lifestyle and a belief. Since childhood, I have been a member of Ararat Armenian Cultural Organization of Tehran. I was the coordinator of the Union’s basketball team. I left for England, returned to Iran and worked for IBM. During the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979, I settled in the United States of America. A year later, I opened a computer store that is still running today. I was certain that I had to help my nation and my Homeland with some of my earnings. While in the United States, I made friends with patriotic Armenian who went on to provide me with moral and financial assistance as I was carrying out my pro-national activities.

Karine Avagyan: You have also served as president of the Armenian Society of Los Angeles. When was it established and what activities does it carry out?

The Armenian Society of Los Angeles was established in 1956 in the United States. After the Union was reestablished, I served the Union for nearly 20 years and have been a member for 37 years. In the beginning, I was the chairperson of the Youth Department, after which I became a member and later chairperson of the Central Committee and then the auditing committee. So, I have put on different “hats” for 37 years. Currently, I am a member and the executive director of the Board of Trustees of the Armenian Society of Los Angeles. We members work on a voluntary basis, invest funds and carry out programs and projects. During its telethon, Barev TV raised $400,000 to help the families of soldiers killed or wounded during the Four-Day Artsakh War in April. I have worked for various organizations. For six years, I have served as the Vice-President of the AGBU U.S. Western Region. I have been one of the founding members and then the second president of the Davidian & Mariamian Educational Foundation, increasing the number of students from 100 to 1,200. From 1993 to 2003, I have served as chairperson of Hayastan All-Armenian Fund US Region affiliate. When the first Telethon was organized in 1996, I made an investment and participated in the organizational efforts as a computer settings expert. Until then, the Artsakh Fund was organizing telethons and we were raising funds, after which the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund was established. I am a board member of the Armenian-American Business Council (AABC), which is under the auspices of the Embassy of Armenia to the United States of America. The goal of the Council is to properly present Armenian products in the United States and promote the increase in the number of investments in the Republic of Armenia.

Karine Avagyan: Dear compatriot, you have actively made great contributions to the establishment and implementation of the activities of the “Armenian Soldier” Charitable Foundation. Please tell our readers about the Foundation.

T. A.: The Four-Day Artsakh War shocked us all. We mourned for and felt proud of our soldiers. Who could stay indifferent? As I already mentioned, we organized a telethon and raised funds to help the families of those heroes. Each family received $2,000 for one year. The telethon will be held annually. After organizing the telethon, we came to Armenia in May and were given the list of the killed and wounded soldiers. We contacted the 160 families of about 110 people and decided to grant $2,000 to each family, but there were wounded soldiers who had to undergo treatment in Germany, and so we gave them more, up to $6,000.  Before I left, I promised the Minister to submit the lists and all the data that we had registered.

Karine Avagyan: Mr. Alexanian, what other activities are you engaged in?

T. A.: Fifteen years ago, we established a small fund, which has a story behind it. One day, editor of the Kaj Nazar Armenian newspaper Hovhannes Balaian visited me and said his newspaper and the “Vozni” newspaper were raising $10-15,000 to organize a concert for children in Armenia and give them gifts, and he asked me to help him expand the scope of the program so that we could also visit Armenia’s provinces. I gave my consent. We organized a telethon and raised between $15,000 and $200,000. Every year, we distribute the funds to those children. In addition, we decided to distribute the extra funds to orphanages, started distributing funds to the disabled children of Kharbert and renovated their shelter, which is in very poor conditions. Then, we visited other orphanages. Two years ago, we visited Gyumri where there was a large orphanage that was in very poor condition. Now it is called the Seven Angeles Orphanage. We fully renovated it. My friend provided a curtain, and we furbished the orphanage. After the visit to Gyumri, we are now developing a new program. We have great benefactors, Mr. and Mrs. Antablian, who had already visited Hranush Hakobyan before my visit and had asked how and where they could gear their funds.

Karine Avagyan: When did you establish ties with the RA Ministry of Diaspora?

T. A.: I have been very close with the Minister since the establishment of the Ministry of Diaspora. The first bridge with the Ministry was established through a teleconference that I organized with the Armenian Society of Los Angeles. The superintendents of the nearly 30 Armenian schools of Los Angeles came to the Armenian Society and talked about the cooperation between teachers of Armenian schools in regard to teaching methods.

Karine Avagyan: Do you consider yourself a happy person?

T. A.: Yes, but I will be fully happy and even happier, if my Homeland and my compatriots are happy. Each person has to recognize his national identity. The power of the Homeland is the power of every Armenian. I am lucky because my children are happy, are growing with the spirit of an Armenian and because my community is strong. We always need to look towards the Homeland.

Karine Avagyan: The charity acts of our compatriots are amazing and wonderful, and you stand out with another charity act. You have an adopted boy and girl in Armenia and are their godfather in Armenia. Please tell us about your family.

T. A.: My wife passed away in 1994 when my children were about 5-6 or 7 years old. We were helping the children here. I was introduced to Marine and Mher, who were almost at the age of my children. They didn’t have a father, and their mother was working in Russia. I decided to adopt them and take care of them. I provided them with an education and they became professionals. Currently, my daughter, Marine has already gotten married and has a child. These children of mine live in Etchmiadzin. I visit them like I would visit my home. I attended my Marine’s wedding as her father. Marine makes food for me with so much generosity and always asks me what I would like to eat. Last year, I visited a family of freedom fighters. One of the sons was about to be drafted to the Armenian Army and wasn’t baptized. We organized his baptism ceremony on Saturday night, and I became the godfather of the young man.

Karine Avagyan: Don’t your biological children envy your adopted children?

T. A.: No, not at all. They are very connected and love each other very much, but all my four children are the same. My daughter got married to a wonderful Armenian boy from Armenia. My biological children are wonderful and well-established professionals. In general, I have connections with all children. Wherever I go, they approach me with joy and longing.

Karine Avagyan: This touching story is the “masterpiece” of all your charity acts. I admire your type of an Armenian. Thank you, Mr. Alexanian! God bless your pro-Armenian and humanitarian activities!

Karine Avagyan