Genuine Question about Glendale Armenians

[Glendale Home Owner]

I am a new resident of Glendale and was wondering about all the animosity that seems to exist between the Armenian residents and non-Armenians. I've noticed it myself and then read many of the posts on this site. The common defense that I read from many Armenians is that the complainers are all racists who are generalizing and lumping all Armenians into an unfair category. To some extent that may be true, but in my personal experience, the generalizations seem to be supported by many real life experiences. I must have said "hello" or "good morning" or held open a door or any other number of "polite" gestures to Armenians during my year here and literally 90% of the time, I get no reply, no "thank you" or even a smile in return. Then I run into openly rude and aggressive young Armenians that feel empowered to drive recklessly up and down my residential street and above being polite to anyone they deem an "outsider" to them. They are at best self-absorbed and at worst aggressively hostile (the same could be said about other young ethnic groups, but having lived in different ethnic neighborhoods, this behavior is in my experience much more prevalent in young Armenians). To be fair, I have met a couple of Armenian families who seem to be very nice and polite, but by far they are in the minority. My question to any Armenians out there is, what is the root of this clearly supported negative generalization? I hope I am not race-baiting, but this behavior seems to be really reflected in the Armenian residents of Glendale rather than the Hispanic, Asian or Caucasian residents (though of course bad examples exist for them as well, just not nearly so predominantly). Are we approaching you in a culturally inappropriate way? Is there a reason for the cold shoulder, or distrust that can be addressed? What is the deal here? I just don't understand why (typically) Armenians are openly rude or even hostile to people who are just trying to be polite. If there is an explanation behind it, I would be interested to know. If there is no rational explanation, then the stereotypes are that much more sad and aggravating.

[Vatche talkingaboutian]

Glendale Home Owner wrote:

I am a new resident of Glendale and was wondering about all the animosity that seems to exist between the Armenian residents and non-Armenians. I've noticed it myself and then read many of the posts on this site. The common defense that I read from many Armenians is that the complainers are all racists who are generalizing and lumping all Armenians into an unfair category. To some extent that may be true, but in my personal experience, the generalizations seem to be supported by many real life experiences. I must have said "hello" or "good morning" or held open a door or any other number of "polite" gestures to Armenians during my year here and literally 90% of the time, I get no reply, no "thank you" or even a smile in return. Then I run into openly rude and aggressive young Armenians that feel empowered to drive recklessly up and down my residential street and above being polite to anyone they deem an "outsider" to them. They are at best self-absorbed and at worst aggressively hostile (the same could be said about other young ethnic groups, but having lived in different ethnic neighborhoods, this behavior is in my experience much more prevalent in young Armenians). To be fair, I have met a couple of Armenian families who seem to be very nice and polite, but by far they are in the minority. My question to any Armenians out there is, what is the root of this clearly supported negative generalization? I hope I am not race-baiting, but this behavior seems to be really reflected in the Armenian residents of Glendale rather than the Hispanic, Asian or Caucasian residents (though of course bad examples exist for them as well, just not nearly so predominantly). Are we approaching you in a culturally inappropriate way? Is there a reason for the cold shoulder, or distrust that can be addressed? What is the deal here? I just don't understand why (typically) Armenians are openly rude or even hostile to people who are just trying to be polite. If there is an explanation behind it, I would be interested to know. If there is no rational explanation, then the stereotypes are that much more sad and aggravating.

My friend, vat u say is trues.most armenian is a-holes. very few are polite, and gud citisen. stereotypes are not made for a few, but becuze of a majority. r der gud armenian? yes, but very few da majority are exactally as describbed in here. most armenians r racist. if ur not armenian, most will not like you. many armenian will tell you dey r not like people say in here, but anyone who has lived around dem, no the truth....

[Resurrection Larry]

Glendale Home Owner - I would like some answers too! I made a comment on another thread about insurance fraud by Armenians. I just want an honest dialogue and some answers to why Armenians seem to have an almost religious committment to insurance fraud.

[Glendale Home Owner]

The silence to my query is very telling...

[glendale 1979]

I moved to glendale in 1979, so I have seen the evolution of the armenian community firsthand. All of the comments about nose size etc. are very racist and unneccessary. And I couldn't care less what they do to get their money legally or illegally. The one thing that is out of control is the driving habits of the young males. This cannot be denied. Anyone who lives in Glendale knows all about it. On a daily basis they endanger my life, property, and my family's well being.

[glendale 1979]

The disturbing thing about this is the attitude of the drivers. If you should honk your horn or even God forbid make eye contact with them, they either honk back at you for 30 seconds, yell out the window at you or give you the middle finger.
My question is: Why won't any prominent member of the Armenian community stand up and condemn this behaviour. They are accused of sticking up for each other even doing illegal activities. This just reinforces this fact. The silence is deafening. If I was in another country, and white males between the ages of 30 and 50 who drove Honda Civics and Nissan Sentras terrorized the roadways like this (first of all, it would never happen because you would either be put in jail, killed, or run out of town) I would be the first one to say "Hey! Show some respect for the people of this country, and stop driving like maniacs!." But in Glendale, not a peep from the Armenian community leaders. WHY NOT!

[Resurrection Larry]

Is there any law enforcement in Glendale? Why don't the cops write tickets?

[bob]

*Armenian cops are still cops (so ive heard)they give tickets when they can
*they have thier own culture (pride) and choose NOT to adhere to american/SoCal norms
*go look at gcc parking lot.. looks like a dealership..there is def a preferred car type
*look up Glendale, CA on wikipedida, first sentence explains alot
*they do have their Armenian "Howard Stern" who gives them a reality check quite loudly
*the testosterone (sp?) is a bit higher within the young males...racing, fighting, etc
*they are rude and proud of it (they've old me)
*watch "brow down" from KROQ or the Armenian Comedian again from KROQ
* they play a card game (have no idea what it is)
*smoke more than i do ( LOL )
*have a borderline obsession with Armani exchange/ax now nicknamed 'armo exchange' per Armenian friends, prada, dg, and other labels

what i overheard at the mall while walking behind 3 Armenian girls and a white girl was trying to get by "pft.. doesn't she know were Armenian and she has to walk around us!?" the three of them laughed loud.

above obviously doesn't apply to all

welcome to glendale and good luck

[Armenian Men]

I don't know about Armenian men and their driving skills. I think they do themselves a great disservice showing how completely inane and useless they are as human beings being so irresponsible on the road. The Armenian "elders" don't give a f**k, because they're being supported by said ignorant morons. Asking Armenian men to be rational is like asking a pig to sing...you waste your time and irritate the pig.

[Armenian Jerks]

All you have to do is look at their country. I mean, there is a reason they're all living here.

[glendale 1979]

The Glendale police DO write tickets, but they just go in, pay cash to the clerk, and drive home wrecklessly just like always. Ara (the one who mowed down the latina woman, kept on driving, got his car fixed then ran to Mexico trying to scurry back to Armenia) had 7 tickets and 1 accident on his record!

[Glendale Home Owner]

Glendale 1979,
I guess that is my question as well. Why isn't anyone standing up within their community to address these concerns internally? If there isn't any interest in community leaders to do so, why isn't anyone on the outside formally calling out the Armenian community leaders on this sort of behavior? Surely it is in everyone's interest to either quash this misconception that Armenians are overly rude and act with an overblown, reckless sense of entitlement, OR to formally address this misguided and obnoxious behavior and to make it a matter of civic concern in a public and concerted way. If I had a child who was accused of bad behavior I would either refute and prove those allegations wrong, or punish my kid for acting like an ass until he stopped...

[glendale 1979]

To "Glendale Home Owner" - Good point on how you would handle the situation if you had a son behaving badly. It seems that disciplining is a societal issue with the Armenian community. I often observe Armenian parents with small children in public places letting them run wild, yell, scream, and they show a disregard for controlling them, disciplining them, or teaching them manners. Perhaps this is why they grow up with the "Armenian" attitude?

[Krikor Stinklotian]

Dont forgets the "Armenian doorbell" Armenians never ring u door bells when dey go to your house. Dey sit in car and honk horn..Dat is Armenian doorbell.

[Anonymous]

Glendale Home Owner wrote:

I am a new resident of Glendale and was wondering about all the animosity that seems to exist between the Armenian residents and non-Armenians. I've noticed it myself and then read many of the posts on this site. The common defense that I read from many Armenians is that the complainers are all racists who are generalizing and lumping all Armenians into an unfair category. To some extent that may be true, but in my personal experience, the generalizations seem to be supported by many real life experiences. I must have said "hello" or "good morning" or held open a door or any other number of "polite" gestures to Armenians during my year here and literally 90% of the time, I get no reply, no "thank you" or even a smile in return. Then I run into openly rude and aggressive young Armenians that feel empowered to drive recklessly up and down my residential street and above being polite to anyone they deem an "outsider" to them. They are at best self-absorbed and at worst aggressively hostile (the same could be said about other young ethnic groups, but having lived in different ethnic neighborhoods, this behavior is in my experience much more prevalent in young Armenians). To be fair, I have met a couple of Armenian families who seem to be very nice and polite, but by far they are in the minority. My question to any Armenians out there is, what is the root of this clearly supported negative generalization? I hope I am not race-baiting, but this behavior seems to be really reflected in the Armenian residents of Glendale rather than the Hispanic, Asian or Caucasian residents (though of course bad examples exist for them as well, just not nearly so predominantly). Are we approaching you in a culturally inappropriate way? Is there a reason for the cold shoulder, or distrust that can be addressed? What is the deal here? I just don't understand why (typically) Armenians are openly rude or even hostile to people who are just trying to be polite. If there is an explanation behind it, I would be interested to know. If there is no rational explanation, then the stereotypes are that much more sad and aggravating.

**********
Yes, you’re right about them driving crazy. Sorry, deal with it... and it’s not necessarily your business how fast a person drives. It’s theirs. Also, you say this is the majority; sure... it’s what has been embedded into people, and yourself, that Armenians are rude and obnoxious and very mean... not true. Associate with more than one or two and you will definitely see that they are very caring and true human beings… we enjoy being ourselves… I am Armenian, but the last thing I am is rude (Outside of this blog.) Maybe it’s better to not be so judgmental. I don’t go around labeling every white person a drug addict or Mexican person an immigrant and so on…

[Anonymous]

Resurrection Larry wrote:

Glendale Home Owner - I would like some answers too! I made a comment on another thread about insurance fraud by Armenians. I just want an honest dialogue and some answers to why Armenians seem to have an almost religious committment to insurance fraud.

**********

Resurrection Larry,why do other races have "religious commitment" to murder and rape and more…?? Don’t say ArmenIANS in general have this problem… my whole family works hard to get what they have along with other families… I’m sorry your lives revolve around Glendale and the Armenians in this community… if you don’t like it,,, move elsewhere.

[Glendale Home Owner]

To Anonymous,
This is a typical reply. When I first moved to Glendale, I was excited to integrate with the local citizens and happy to mingle with my fellow Armenian neighbors. What you fail to acknowledge is that my feelings on this are based on actual continuing experiences, not some prejudiced opinion of Armenians (prior to moving to Glendale, I had no opinions of Armenians since I hadn't had much experience with them). I get along with everybody and make an effort to be open and learn about ALL cultures. Now, if my experiences were isolated and no one else seemed to echo those sentiments, then clearly it would ME that had the problem and not my fellow Armenian citizens. But CLEARLY, it is an on-going problem and the single common denominator is the attitudes and behavior of MANY (not all) local Armenians. 20% of the Armenians I meet and interact with are perfectly polite and pleasant, which in itself would be fine if the other 80% were not openly rude, inconsiderate or even hostile. You need to be a little honest with yourself. Just because you happen to be considerate and open to other cultures does not mean your fellow countrymen do not exhibit the anti-social behavior that so many people complain about. While I appreciate your response, I must call you out on one comment you made that in my opinion was not only stupid (your comment was stupid, not you) but maybe even indicative of the attitude problem other citizens see in Armenians. OF COURSE it is my concern if people drive recklessly up and down my street! To say it is not my concern and only the driver's, reflects the very sense of entitlement and self-absorption that is at the root of much of these complaints. It is a community safety issue. You have to admit, that was a dumb comment. On Monday night, 2 individuals (in all fairness I don't know if they were Armenian, but it is their driving recklessly that I am referring to here) raced down Oakridge at around midnight and lost control, crashing into a parked car. Luckily no one was hurt, but when something like that happens, your are darn right it is MY concern. I am glad you took the opportunity to rebut my opinion, but unfortunately you didn't say anything that clarified your position against mine and only said the same thing anyone ever says when confronted by this growing frustration. At some point, you and your community are going to have to either acknowledge the problem and address it, or there will be a growing backlash. Just my opinion...

[Harry Harout]

Anonymous wrote:

<quoted text>
**********
Yes, you’re right about them driving crazy. Sorry, deal with it... and it’s not necessarily your business how fast a person drives. It’s theirs. Also, you say this is the majority; sure... it’s what has been embedded into people, and yourself, that Armenians are rude and obnoxious and very mean... not true. Associate with more than one or two and you will definitely see that they are very caring and true human beings… we enjoy being ourselves… I am Armenian, but the last thing I am is rude (Outside of this blog.) Maybe it’s better to not be so judgmental. I don’t go around labeling every white person a drug addict or Mexican person an immigrant and so on…

Uh, it is everyone's business, when an Armenian (or any one else) drives like a maniac. They are putting people at risk, with their reckless driving habits. The truth is, most Armenians are rude. They care only for their own, and have an arrogance about them. While their are some who are truly nice, out going people, this is not the norm. Having grown up around them in Pasadena, I have first hand experience with them. Their are no "generalizations", only fact being spoken about Armenians here. Whether you agree or not.

[glendale 1979]

glendale homeowner hit the nail on the head. No one said "all armenian drivers". But when it is hitting at an 80% clip, that is a strong trend.
I share his frustration, because to this day, not one armenian person had answered the questions. The questions are these: Why do MOST young armenian drivers that are 18 to 25 years old drive around in luxury european cars?(please don't tell me that they work hard for their things. I rarely see these guys working, and even when I do they are at mimimum wage jobs.) Why do MOST of them drive these cars with wreckless abandon endangering other peoples lives? Why do they have a hostile attitude when other drivers honk at them or make eye contact with them on the road? And why are they proud of this behavior, often bragging about it? Quoting Bill O'Reilly-"you can't justify bad behavior by pointing to other bad behavior." So the response of "well, other races also do this and do that" just doesn't cut it. We want hard answers to the above questions. And I doubt if "anonymous" from pasadena or any other armenian will ever stand up with dignity and confront this reality.

[Dont Mess Pasadena]

It is interesting that I found this thread. I do not live in Glendale, rather Pasadena. Prior to moving to the area, I had never even heard of "Armenian". Pardon my ingorance.
We have this 30 something neighbor who tops 60 mph in his 3-series on my 25mph residential road.. One day when I heard him get on it at the stop sign, I threw my kids ball into the road as he approached. He skidded and swerved. I yelled to slow down. He stopped and asked what my problem was. I told him. He vehemently denied he was speeding, called me an asshole, the *tried* to peel out.. except he stalled his car. he he.
Anyway, I find out that he's Armenian. Then, two days later, I see a dude with an Armenian genocide sticker dumping his trash on the side of the road. Then, a day later, this affluent looking Armenian (last name Elmassian) college aged girl dumps here McD's trash all over the ground outside Starbuck's on Colorado.
So, I start thinking.. who are these Armenian people and what's up with this behavior. Anyway, I'm glad to find this thread, because then I know it's not just me "looking for the bad" in some group of people.