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CR: In Honor And Recognition Of Kevork ``George'' Arslanian

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  • CR: In Honor And Recognition Of Kevork ``George'' Arslanian

    Congressional Record: October 6, 2005 (Extensions)
    >From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access

    IN HONOR AND RECOGNITION OF KEVORK ``GEORGE'' ARSLANIAN
    HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH
    of ohio
    in the house of representatives

    Thursday, October 6, 2005

    Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor and recognition of
    Mr. Kevork ``George'' Arslanian, loving family man, father,
    grandfather, great-grandfather and dear friend to many, as his friends
    and loved ones gather in honor and celebration of his 100th birthday.
    Mr. Arslanian's life reflects a brilliant spectrum of survival,
    courage, tenacity, triumph, devotion to family and service to others.
    As a young child, Mr. Arslanian and his two brothers became orphans.
    During WWI, 40 members of the Arslanian family, including their father
    and mother, were killed in the horrific Armenian massacre by the
    Turkish military. The Armenian genocide resulted in the deaths of 1.5
    million Armenians. A Turkish neighbor hid the three boys in her home,
    saving their lives. Soon after, they were sent to a Red Cross orphanage
    in Syria, where they barely survived among 60,000 other orphans.
    Throughout their years of struggle, Mr. Arslanian and his brothers
    remained focused on the promise of a new life in America. They left the
    Syrian orphanage and journeyed to Cuba, from where they had heard that
    entry into the U.S. would be easier. They soon discovered this was not
    the truth. The children spent 5 years in Cuba, surviving with nothing
    more than their own determination, courage and the promise of reaching
    the shores of America. In 1927, the boys, who had by now become young
    men, made the escape out of Cuba as stowaways on a ship that delivered
    them to a life of freedom, hope and possibility in America.
    The Arslanian brothers settled with relatives in Cleveland. Mr.
    Arslanian attended Miller Barber College in Cleveland, where he
    initially honed the art of his trade without pay. He then earned twenty
    dollars a week for 25 cent hair cuts. He soon became a licensed
    barber--the 11th in the State of Ohio, and in 1932, opened up his own
    shop in Garfield Heights. Six days a week for seventy-five years, Mr.
    Arslanian worked in the shop with his brother, and continued giving
    hair cuts until just a couple of years ago. Together, Mr. Arslanian and
    his beloved, late wife, Virginia, raised three sons. George and
    Virginia Arslanian were married for 67 years. Mr. Arslanian, one
    hundred years young, continues to be the foundation, center and light
    of his family--a family that includes his three sons, seven
    grandchildren and twenty great-grandchildren.
    His life-long devotion to his family and to his shop extends
    throughout the community, and is evidenced within his strong faith and
    his dedication to preserving the history, faith and culture of Armenia.
    Mr. Arslanian continues to be deeply involved with the Armenian
    Orthodox Church, and led the effort to establish St. Gregory of Narek
    Armenian Church. His unwavering support for immigrant families and for
    the preservation of Armenian culture is reflected in his long-time
    involvement with the Armenian General Benevolent Union and the Tekeyan
    Cultural Society.
    Mr. Speaker and Colleagues, please join me in honor and recognition
    of Mr. Kevork ``George'' Arslanian, whose brave heart, warm smile and
    fascinating life continues to educate and inspire those who know and
    love him well, especially his family and friends. Mr. Arslanian's life,
    outlined by hard work, integrity and family, personifies the phrase
    `American citizen.'
    The remarkable story of the young Arslanian brothers, their
    courageous journey and creation of new lives in America, is the story
    of the American immigrant, retold in a thousand languages, connecting
    all of humanity by the will to survive and the promise of freedom and
    peace. The incredible journey of citizens such as Kevork ``George''
    Arslanian is the strength and foundation of our country. In honor of
    Mr. Arslanian's 100th birthday, we offer him an abundance of peace,
    health and happiness, and offer our gratitude to him for enriching our
    community and our nation. His great love for his family, community and
    for his beloved Armenia, transcends time and distance, serving as a
    bridge of goodwill, forever connecting America to Armenia.
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