Leaders Interpret Gang’s Rise

Los Angeles Times - With the headlines gone and the arrests made, Armenians in Burbank and Glendale are now struggling with the perceptions of their cultural identity after a massive crackdown on the organized crime ring Armenian Power.

The cultural perceptions — egged on by media bias, according to some, cultural fractions within their own community that hinder progress, according to others — have prompted many to dig deeper to address societal issues that many say are the root of the problem.

The sting last week, which resulted in the arrest of 70 people in Los Angeles County, was aimed at crippling Armenian Power. Nearly 100 people throughout Southern California have been accused of extortion, kidnapping and fraud totaling at least $20 million.

For Ara Arzumanian, who has worked in the field of youth development for the last 10 years, Armenian youth choosing a life of crime isn’t any different from teen suicide or depression, where multiple risk factors like socioeconomic status and drug and alcohol abuse are at play.

“The core issue of all these problems is that we as an Armenian community and broader community, we as human beings, have abandoned our teenagers,” he said. “If these kids are lost, it’s because we have lost them; if they fail, it’s because we’ve failed them. We are not involved in their lives.”

Read the rest here – Armenian Leaders Interpret Gang’s Rise