DECIPHERING THE ARMENIAN-AMERICAN DIASPORA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 07 YEREVAN 001255

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SUBJECT: DECIPHERING THE ARMENIAN-AMERICAN DIASPORA


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SUMMARY
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1. (SBU) The Armenian-American Diaspora continues to wield
considerable influence upon the foreign and domestic
policies of the Government of Armenia. This influence
ranges from the obvious connection of U.S.-born and/or
trained GOAM officials, the influence of private and public
U.S. assistance funding and the more nuanced impact of
person-to-person relations between the GOAM and the
Diaspora. Of the estimated 8-10 million people who consider
themselves "Armenians" who live outside the Republic of
Armenia, the GOAM and major Armenian cultural and advocacy
organizations estimate that 1.5-2 million live in the United
States. The Armenian Diaspora community in the U.S. can be
classified along a number of broad categories that involve
intersecting political and religious affiliations and
historical considerations. The two most visible political
advocacy groups in the Diaspora, the Armenian Assembly of
America (AAA) and the Armenian National Committee of America
(ANCA) dominate policy efforts but still constitute a
minority of the U.S. Diaspora population. Their membership
numbers notwithstanding, most policy makers view the agendas
of the AAA and ANCA as representative of the Armenian-
American population as a whole.

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DESPITE RUSSIA TALK, U.S. INFLUENCE STILL STRONG
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2. (SBU) While the debate continues over whose Diaspora -
Russia's or the United States' - wields greater influence in
Armenia, it is impossible to underestimate the impact of the
Armenian-American community on the GOAM. A number of
current and former high-level GOAM policymakers were born,
raised or trained in the United States with long-term
connections to the Diaspora community in the U.S. Current
examples of this connection include Armenia's Foreign
Minister, both Deputy Foreign Ministers, various
Presidential Advisors including the Chief Advisor on
Economic Issues, the Minister of Trade and Economic
Development and a number of deputy ministers in other
ministries. These policymakers understand the financial and
cultural impact of Armenian-American organizations on the
Republic of Armenia (officially through bilateral lobbying
and unofficially through cultural exchanges, financial
remittances and historical connections) and nod to it in
public and private as the driving force among the various
Diaspora communities.

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COMPARING THE U.S., OTHER DIASPORA POPULATIONS
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3. (SBU) Of the estimated 8-10 million people living outside
the Republic of Armenia who consider themselves "Armenians,"
the GOAM and major Armenian cultural and advocacy
organizations estimate that 1.5-2 million live in the United
States. This number ranks second after the estimated 2 to
2.5 million Armenians that live most of the year in Russia
or other CIS Countries. After the U.S., some of the largest
Armenian Diaspora populations live in France, Lebanon,
Syria, Argentina, Syria and Turkey. The GOAM distinguishes
the Armenian-American community from the other Diaspora
populations as the most wealthy (both overall and per capita
income) and the most diverse in terms of emigration
patterns. GOAM assistance figures and information from
local banking sources confirm that the majority of Armenia's
public and private assistance funding (including private
money transfers to families or friends) comes to Armenia
from the U.S. The GOAM's MFA Diaspora Relations office
makes no secret of the Armenian-American community's deep
organizational structure as its most important
distinguishing characteristic.

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DECIPHERING U.S. DIASPORA ORGANIZATIONS
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4. (SBU) Armenian-American groups boast that the U.S. is
home to the most organized Armenian Diaspora in the world.
In terms of numbers of institutions, associations, church
groups and dedicated media outlets, this assertion is true.
Roughly fifty Armenian-American organizations claim
nationwide membership somewhere in the thousands. These
organizations tend to maintain a clear leadership structure
and most engage in regular grassroots activities.
Naturally, most of these groups' agendas intersect and many
Diasporans belong to two or more organizations while many of
the 1.5 to 2 million claim no affiliation. Embassy sources
from the membership departments of the AAA and the Armenian
General Benevolent Union (AGBU) estimate that over fifty
percent of Armenian-Americans participate in either an
Armenian religious or political organization but that only
twenty to thirty percent consider themselves "active in
Armenian political issues."


5. (SBU) The Armenian Diaspora community in the U.S. can be
grouped along seven broad categories that involve
intersecting political and religious affiliations and
historical considerations. While most Armenian-American
organizations are anxious to promote themselves as having
broad-based memberships and as unaffiliated with any single
group, many within the GOAM and high-level representatives
within the Diaspora share this view of the U.S. Diaspora
community. (Note: As with all demographic overviews, these
groupings include multiple exceptions and contradictions.
While this analysis provides a useful tool for deciphering
the general orientation of organizations, it should not be
considered absolute. End note.)

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THE AGBU, RAMKAVARS, DIOCESE
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6. (SBU) Three highly visible Diasporan organizations can be
broadly linked to the Armenian General Benevolent Union
(AGBU),the Armenian Democratic League (ADL or "Ramkavars")
and/or affiliation with the Diocese branch of the Armenian
Church. The Armenian MFA and Armenian advocacy
organizations based in the U.S. estimate that this grouping
captures roughly 30 percent of those active in the Armenian-
American community. While often less politically active
than the two largest advocacy organizations in the Diaspora
(the AAA and ANCA),the AGBU and its affiliated
organizations exercise considerable influence upon
grassroots thinking about Armenia-related issues.


7. (SBU) The AGBU is the largest worldwide charitable
organization in the Armenian Diaspora and constitutes one of
the three largest groups of Armenians in the United States
today. While the AGBU claims a non-political agenda and
concentrates its programming on educational or humanitarian
pursuits worldwide, it also touts itself as the "mainstay of
Armenian liberalism" among Armenian-Americans. The AGBU is
the force behind the largest Armenian school program
worldwide in Diaspora communities. They currently sponsor
more than 24 schools in 18 countries. The AGBU played a
major role in humanitarian aid to Armenia during the harsh
economic conditions of 1991-1993 and continues to finance
high-profile projects in Armenia including the American
University of Armenia (through a continuing endowment and
annual support) and the operation of the national opera and
symphony hall complex in Yerevan.


8. (SBU) The membership of the second largest political
party based in the Armenian-American Diaspora, the Armenian
Democratic League (ADL or "Ramkavars"),has considerable
connections with the AGBU. Historically, the majority of
AGBU donors and board members were members of or sympathized
with the Ramkavar Party to some degree. The Ramkavars
represent one of the most politically conservative elements
of the Armenian-American community. The ADL is still
loosely associated with the Ramkavar party in the Republic
of Armenia (which controlled a handful of seats in Armenia's
first parliament in the early twentieth century and after
independence during the administration of President Levon
Ter-Petrossian. The Ramkavars still reportedly wield
considerable influence upon the editorial content of the
Armenian daily "Azg"). While generally less nationalistic
than some of their ANCA counterparts in the U.S., the ADL's
political agenda includes a major push for worldwide
recognition of the events of 1915 as a "genocide." The ADL
continues to advocate for USG assistance funding for Armenia
through political advocacy organizations, most notably the
AAA.


9. (SBU) The Knights and Daughters of Vartan, a service
organization whose recent activities are based loosely upon
models such as the Rotary and Kiwanis Clubs, is one of the
most active Armenian-American fraternal associations based
in the U.S. This organization claims membership in the tens
of thousands and sponsors humanitarian activities in the
Republic of Armenia including the renovation of schools and
health facilities in rural communities.


10. (SBU) Organizations affiliated with the AGBU (including
the ADL and Knights/Daughters of Vartan and others) are
generally characterized by their affiliation with the
Diocese of the Armenian Church ("The Diocese"). The Diocese
is the largest branch of the Armenian Church which
recognizes the Catholicosate of All Armenians (based in
Etchmiadzin, Armenia) as the apostolic authority of the
Armenian Church. Diocese congregations make up the majority
of Armenian religious groups in the United States. While it
would be inappropriate to state that all AGBU or ADL members
worship as part of a Diocese congregation, there is a
tendency for these groups to align with one another on
political issues. The humanitarian arm of the Diocese, the
Fund for Armenian Relief (FAR),raises and distributes
millions of dollars in humanitarian relief aid to the
Repulic of Armenia each year. In addition, FAR has won
contracts to implement international donor community-funded
projects including the ongoing USG humanitarian programs in
Nagorno-Karabagh.

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"INDEPENDENT" BUT CLOSE TO DIOCESE/AGBU CLUSTER: AAA
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11. (SBU) While claiming to be totally "independent" from
the other clusters within the Armenian-American community,
the Armenian Assembly of America (AAA) most often aligns
itself with the AGBU/Diocese cluster on political policy
issues. The AAA claims to be the largest Armenian-American
advocacy organization. The AAA's membership is probably the
most inclusive of Diaspora organizations because it has gone
to great lengths to involve both the Diocese and Prelacy
religious communities. According to Embassy sources, the
AAA's dues-paying membership totals approximately 3,000 in
the U.S. with 7,000 to 9,000 AAA "activists" regularly
volunteering on AAA grassroots advocacy efforts. These
advocacy activities include the AAA's annual meetings with
the U.S. Congress during which the organization lobbies for
USG Assistance funding and discusses policy issues including
relations with Turkey and genocide recognition. While not
legally registered as a PAC, the AAA's efforts resemble
those of a traditional issue-based lobbying organization but
also include programmatic endeavors such as the Armenia Tree
Project, the Yerevan-based NGO Center and other assistance
programs. The AAA maintains offices in Washington, D.C.,
Los Angeles and Yerevan.

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MAJOR DIASPORA CLUSTER 2: DASHNAKS (ARF),ANCA, PRELACY
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12. (SBU) The Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) is a
worldwide organization that reports affiliates in over 200
countries including a strong presence in the United States.
The ARF is widely known by its nickname "Dashnaksutyun."
The term "Dashnak" is often used to refer to members or
sympathizers of the ARF. Active since 1890, the
organization is the most politically oriented of the
Armenian Diaspora groups around the world and has
traditionally been one of the most vocal supporters of
Armenian nationalism. ARF groups were active in helping
establish Armenia's first republic and as a self-proclaimed
"alternative, nationalistic school of thought" in Armenia
and the Diaspora during the Soviet era. The ARF's Diaspora
groups are linked through a direct organizational chain to
the ARF "Dashnaksutyun" party that is active in the Republic
of Armenia today as a member of the governing coalition.
This link notwithstanding, the majority of the ARF's funding
and influence has almost always resided within the Diaspora.
While Diaspora-based groups go to great lengths to defer to
the ARF's Yerevan offices on worldwide policy matters, it is
clear that ARF affiliates in the U.S., Canada, France and
Russia have a majority voice in many issues regarding
policies on issues such as relations with Turkey and Nagorno-
Karabakh.


13. (SBU) The ARF's U.S.-based political advocacy arm is the
Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA). ANCA is the
principal political spokesperson for ARF policies in the
United States. ANCA's grassroots activities regarding April
24 commemoration addresses, U.S. policy vis-a-vis Turkey,
and advocacy of independent status for Nagorno-Karabakh are
some of its most visible policy campaigns both within the
Armenian-American community and to outside observers. In
addition to more than 100 locally based chapters, ANCA
manages regional (East and West Coast) offices and a
national headquarters in Washington, D.C. ANCA's strong
links with the ARF headquarters in Yerevan have up until now
obviated the need for an independent office in Armenia.


14. (SBU) Together with its vocal grassroots campaigns on
political issues, the ARF has created one of the most
successful networks of cultural and youth organizations
among Armenian-Americans. The Armenian Relief Society (ARS)
is a nationwide women's auxiliary association that serves as
the ARF's charitable and educational arm. The Armenian
Youth Federation (AYF) coordinates summer camps and
political education programs for young Armenian-Americans in
conjunction with worldwide ARF programs.

15. (SBU) For decades, an unofficial link existed between
the ARF and the Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church
("The Prelacy"). The Prelacy recognizes the authority of
the Armenian Catholicos based in Antelias, Lebanon (often
referred to as the Cilician See). The ARF-Prelacy alignment
coincided with the outbreak of the Cold War. With Diocese
leaders based in Soviet Armenia, nationalistic ARF activists
opted to operate through Prelacy congregations in the United
States which they felt were less susceptible to Soviet
influences and could best advance their cause for an
independent Armenia. Prelacy congregations are by no means
exclusively populated by ARF supporters. The perception
exists among many, however, that "Dashnaks worship with the
Prelacy." While there are fewer adherents of Prelacy
congregations than Diocese congregations in the United
States, this group remains a significant and active part of
the Armenian-American religious community. (Note: There
are no liturgical or theological differences between the two
branches of the Armenian Apostolic Church. Relations are
cordial if not warm. The current Catholicos' predecessor
had been the Catholicos in Antelias before his election in
Etchmiadzin, and representatives of Antelias participate in
the election of a new Catholicos in Etchmiadzin. End note.)

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MAKING SENSE OF THE AAA/ANCA "DIVIDE"
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16. (SBU) The AAA and ANCA are two of the most visible
Armenian-American political advocacy organizations in the
United States. Both organizations maintain Washington, D.C.
offices and regional hubs in major U.S. cities. While their
platforms are not diametrically opposed to one another,
their different approaches on key topics such as relations
with Turkey and the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict at times give
the impression to observers both in and outside the Armenian-
American community that they are competitors. While the two
organizations often pool their resources for joint projects
(including April 24 commemoration initiatives on the Hill,
lobbying efforts aimed to increase USG assistance funds
destined for Armenia et al.),the highest levels of their
respective membership rosters rarely overlap. ANCA's
grassroots strategy often appears to the public as more
aggressive and politically charged than the AAA's.
Professional representatives from two groups regularly hold
informal consultations on key issues, but high-ranking
representatives agree that significant rifts about where to
invest political and human capital are commonplace. (Note:
While the AAA might at times be critical of ANCA's
methodology, it appears that AAA often benefits from the
increased awareness or heightened visibility that ANCA's
activities offer the Armenian-American community. End
note.)

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CLUSTER 3 - ORGANIZATIONS CLOSE TO THE "HNCHAKS"
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17. (SBU) Activities of the smallest, and yet of the most
well-known politically based groups of Armenian-American
organizations centers around the ideology of the Armenian
Social Democratic Hnchakian (or Hnchak) Party. Known as
"Hnchaks," members of these organizations claim to be part
of the oldest Armenian Diasporan political organization in
the world. Founded in 1887, the Hnchak Party originally
called for an independent, democratic Armenia encompassing
the historical Armenian territory. The organization
flourished among Diaspora communities in the Middle East and
Europe and established a strong presence on the West Coast
of the United States. The party and its affiliate
organizations in the U.S. (fraternal societies, a women's
advocacy group and various youth groups) played an
historically conservative role among Armenian-American
groups during the second half of the twentieth century.
Following the Armenian independence movement of the late
1980s, the Hnchak Party re-established itself in Armenia,
winning seats in Parliament and carving out a small role in
domestic politics. Hnchak organizations in the United
States claimed to wield considerable influence on GOAM
policies during this period.


18. (SBU) Disputes among party leadership and two subsequent
splits in the party during the late 1990s weakened the
party's standing in Armenia and consequently the influence
of Hnchak-related groups in the U.S. Hnchak party leaders
tell the Embassy that the party's aging membership in the
United States, coupled with the recent internal disputes,
have seriously weakened their influence as an arm of the
Armenian-American lobby. The memory of the Hnchak's
historically large membership and the roster of influential
Hnchaks in recent Armenian-American history, however,
continue to lend the group a certain degree of clout within
the Armenian-American community. Hnchak organizations
support the weekly "Massis" newspaper which claims the
second-largest circulation among Armenian-American
publications and posits "traditional Hnchak" views on
Armenian political developments. (Comment: While both the
Ramkavars and Hnchaks retain organizational structures and a
public profile, they appear to be fading as significant
forces in the Diaspora, including in the U.S. End comment.)

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SMALL BUT STRONG - THE ARMENIAN PROTESTANT COMMUNITY
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19. (SBU) While constituting only roughly 10-15 percent of
the Armenian community in the United States, the Armenian
Protestant Community is generally considered the oldest and
one of the most prominent parts of the U.S. Diaspora. This
group traces its roots to the first major emigration of
Armenians to the United States following the surge of
American missionary activity in Ottoman Turkey in the late
nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The Armenian
Protestant Community's activities center around locally-
based congregations that sponsor cultural, youth and
charitable programs. Embassy sources agree that this
community's strongest centers of support are in New Jersey
and central and southern California. This group, while
generally active in initiatives related to genocide
awareness, recognition and study, does not subscribe to a
specific political agenda on Armenia-related issues.


20. (SBU) The Armenian Missionary Association of America
(AMAA) claims organizational links to the majority of the
Armenian Protestant churches and operates educational and
humanitarian programs that benefit Armenian communities in
the Republic of Armenia and in the Diaspora. Most experts
agree that this group, due to its relatively long history in
the U.S., has one of the strongest financial bases and the
highest percentage of high profile professionals in the
United States today. The Armenian Evangelical Union (AEU)
represents a smaller portion of the Armenian Protestant
Community. Similar to the organizations affiliated with the
AMAA, AEU congregations sponsor locally based cultural and
educational initiatives as well as humanitarian efforts in
the Republic of Armenia.

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ARMENIAN-AMERICAN CATHOLIC ORGANIZATIONS
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21. (SBU) Armenian Catholics living in the United States
represent a small portion of American-Armenian community
(claiming membership of roughly 35,000). Following efforts
to widen and strengthen its social and grassroots structure
in the late 1990s, however, the group emerged as a well-
organized group espousing conservative political and social
values in line with the teachings of the Armenian Catholic
Patriarchate (based in Lebanon). While the Armenian-
American Catholic community has ties to the American
Conference of Catholic Bishops and other U.S.-based Catholic
structures, it functions as an autonomous branch of
Catholicism with 10 functioning parishes in the United
States. These communities are concentrated most heavily in
New York (home to the Exarchate, the U.S. community's
leader),Los Angeles, Boston and New Jersey.

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PROFESSIONAL AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS ON THE RISE
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22. (SBU) A growing number of professional and cultural
associations have changed the face of the Armenian-American
community during the past two decades. While "independent"
from the clusters of organizations mentioned above, many
members of these associations likely belong to one or more
of the cluster organizations. Groups like the Armenian
Network, Armenian Bar Association, Armenian American
International Women's Association and Armenian Professional
and Student Association report increasing membership and are
expanding their activities. These groups sponsor advocacy
efforts in the U.S. as well as programs in Armenia ranging
from technical assistance and exchange programs to
humanitarian assistance and service trips.

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HUMANITARIAN GROUPS AND PRIVATE FOUNDATIONS
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23. (SBU) The United Armenian Fund, which sponsors
humanitarian shipments to Armenia from the United States, is
in a unique position among Armenian-American organizations.
Largely funded by Kirk Kerkorian through his Lincy
Foundation, the UAF is a joint effort of the Diocese,
Prelacy, AGBU and other Diasporan organizations. Focused
strictly on humanitarian projects, it enjoys virtually
universal support in the community. The Hayastan-All-
Armenia-Fund, a public-private hybrid endeavor with
significant political backing from the GOAM and Diaspora
groups in the United States and France, has raised funds for
humanitarian and infrastructure projects in Nagorno-Karabakh
and Armenia since the early 1990's. The group was designed
by advisors to then President Levon Ter-Petrossian as a
mechanism to mobilize Diasporan financial support. While
subject to some internal political intrigue and claims of
financial mismanagement, the Hayastan-All-Armenia-Fund has
maintained an extremely high profile among international
Diaspora organizations and Armenian-Americans from the Los
Angeles area figure prominently on the organization's
governing board. The fund's annual telethon fundraiser is
carried internationally via cable networks to cities with
large Armenian communities. The organization's fundraising
financed the two major road construction projects in Nagorno-
Karabakh, the "East-West" and "North-South" highways.


24. (SBU) Individual Armenian-Americans continue to wield
considerable influence in Armenia through private
foundations and endowments such as the Lincy Foundation and
the Cafesjian Family Foundation. Kirk Kerkorian's Lincy
Foundation (named for his two daughters) has financed over
USD 170 million in major infrastructure and small and medium-
sized loans and grants in Armenia since 1999. The Lincy
Foundation was a major contributor (USD 45 million) to
multilateral housing reconstruction efforts in areas
affected by the 1988 earthquake including the northern
cities of Gyumri, Spitak and Vanadzor. The most recent
tranche of Lincy Foundation projects included refurbishing
Armenia's major highways linking the country to Georgia and
Iran, a comprehensive program to restore urban roads and
sidewalks in downtown Yerevan, rennovation of major cultural
institutions (including state museums and theaters in
Yerevan) and the completion of a Soviet-era tunnel project
connecting Armenia's northern regions to the Lake Sevan
highway interchange. Lincy Foundation projects are managed
jointly with the Government of Armenia, follow World Bank
procurement procedures, and place the organization as one of
the most significant foreign donors in the country.


25. (SBU) The Cafesjian Family Foundation, sponsored by
Gerald Cafesjian (of Minnesota and Florida) has donated USD
40 million to a variety of NGOs and projects within Armenia
over the past five years. The most visible of the
Foundation's endeavors was the 2002 agreement with the GOAM
for the logistical control and dual ownership of Yerevan's
Cascade Monument and a large parcel of property adjacent to
the structure. This agreement was a unique move for the
GOAM in relinquishing majority control of one of the
country's most important public spaces to an Armenian-
American foundation. The foundation has refurbished much of
the public space within the monument complex and has
announced plans for the construction of a multi-million
dollar art museum that will sit atop the monument.
Cafesjian is reportedly already bringing together art works
from Diasporan collectors that will supplement his personal
collection once the museum opens. Cafesjian's projects make
him and his organization a major player in Armenia's
cultural and urban planning circles.

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COMMENT
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26. (SBU) As with any community in the United States whose
membership is based around social or ethnic connections,
mapping out Armenian-American Diaspora organizations reveals
as many contradictions as it does watertight theories. The
major categories outlined above are quickly changing as new
generations of Armenian-Americans with different socio-
economic realities take on leadership roles in these
organizations and mold their agendas. Despite the
contradictions and amorphous borders that divide these
groups, engaging the U.S.-based Diaspora as a whole remains
an important aspect of the GOAM's foreign policy, economic
development and public relations strategies. The GOAM has
increased its efforts to partner with the Armenian-American
community through conferences, outreach products and by
establishing a specialized office within the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs. While most GOAM policymakers recognize the
distinction between USG policy and Diaspora policy, they
also appreciate the influence that the latter plays on the
former. All indications point to a growing tendency on the
part of the GOAM to capitalize on this dynamic as the U.S-
Armenia bilateral relationship evolves.
ORDWAY