The Armenian meals group helps the battle in Azerbaijan

Within the early morning of September 30th, Armen Martirosyan’s mom got here to him with some information. Cousins ​​in Armenia took half within the battle in opposition to Azerbaijani forces in Nagorno-Karabakh.

The world, a mountainous space barely bigger than Rhode Island, is internationally acknowledged as a part of Azerbaijan. Nevertheless, the enclave is self-governing and is populated by ethnic Armenians who’ve repelled assaults from numerous empires over the previous 2,000 years. They continued to regulate the realm regardless that Joseph Stalin was a part of the Azerbaijani Soviet Socialist Republic within the 1920s.

Because the finish of September, greater than 100 folks, often known as Artsakh by ethnic Armenians, have been killed within the area. Either side accuse the opposite of escalating violence. Russia agreed a ceasefire on Saturday, however both sides has accused the opposite of violating the deal.

“My household is so far-off from Armenia that I had to consider what we will do from right here.” stated Martirosyan, 31, who together with his dad and mom owns and runs the Mini Kabob Restaurant in Glendale. His rapid response? Donate a day’s proceeds humanitarian efforts in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Inside a couple of minutes he logged into the restaurant’s Instagram account and despatched a message to his 27,000 followers: “All of right this moment’s proceeds from Mini Kabob might be despatched to Armenia…. We love you Armenia, we’re with you each step of the best way. “

The results of a battle raging greater than 7,000 miles away are deeply felt by members of the Armenian diaspora in southern California, lots of whom are descendants of survivors of the Armenian genocide when practically 1.5 million Armenians had been killed by the Ottoman Empire 1915. Turkey has vowed to help its longtime ally Azerbaijan. The 2 international locations have sturdy ethnic and cultural ties.

Martirosyan has greater than 20 cousins ​​in Armenia; At the least eight of them have already joined the battle. For him, what occurs in Nagorno-Karabakh is private. He was in a position to elevate $ 3,000 to ship to organizations supporting Armenia and the self-proclaimed Artsakh Republic, together with the Armenia Fund. The non-profit group Glendale works on numerous humanitarian initiatives that profit Armenia and the Armenian diaspora.

“We’ll donate as a lot as doable on daily basis,” he stated. “I’ll neither drive my automobile nor put gasoline in my automobile to know that the Armenians will get this cash.”

Mini Kabob is without doubt one of the many Armenian meals firms in Los Angeles that’s utilizing its platform to boost funds and lift consciousness for the lethal battle within the South Caucasus. For them it’s an efficient means of introducing many non-Armenian clients to the historical past and present scenario in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Artur Kasabyan, who owns the Chook Field fried rooster restaurant in North Hollywood, stated he tries to get in contact with clients once they stroll in.

“I ask them in the event that they heard concerning the newest information about developments in Armenia,” stated Kasabyan. “I clarify to them that it is a controversial land drawback that has existed for years and that Armenia solely needs peace.”

Relatively than making a single private financial contribution, he believed that soliciting donations by way of his restaurant might additionally assist elevate consciousness amongst non-Armenian clients. After Kasabyan introduced his fundraising marketing campaign on Instagram, he stated he had acquired round 62 extra orders than final Saturday and will donate $ 3,500 to the Armenia Fund.

Armen Piskoulian, the Hollywood chef at Oui Melrose and Tony Khachapuri, can be utilizing his place because the proprietor of a meals enterprise to advertise help for Armenia. His great-grandparents had been survivors of the Armenian genocide. For him, the latest combating displays the murders concerned within the genocide.

“I do not often combine politics with economics, however it’s so private that I might really feel like an fool if I did not contribute to my folks,” he stated.

On Monday, Piskoulian used the hashtag #ArtsakhStrong and introduced by way of Instagram that he’s donating the earnings of that day to the Armenia Fund. He says many Armenian and non-Armenian clients have turned as much as purchase groceries. The hashtag has been used greater than 93,000 occasions.

Rosalie Tcholakian, co-owner of the carousel restaurant, not too long ago introduced an analogous marketing campaign. Along with pledging 25% of gross sales if a buyer mentions Azerbaijan, she and her husband donated $ 5,000 to the Armenia Fund on behalf of the restaurant.

“We use social media and all of the hashtags and verbal communication with the servers to make friends conscious of them,” she stated.

She tells her servers to let clients know concerning the motion and thinks about how else to present the friends a visible reminder.

Though she does not promote it, Tcholakian stated she does not use Turkish merchandise within the restaurant, though she believes a few of them are “greater high quality” than different choices.

“If our distributors convey meals from the Center East, the saleswoman will say it’s crimson pepper from Turkey and one from Syria or Beirut and you’ll inform the distinction,” she stated. “Nevertheless it’s a sacrifice we’ll make.”

Refusing to make use of or promote Turkish merchandise is one other means that Armenian firms exhibit their help for Armenia by displaying each financial and symbolic rebel in opposition to all issues Turkey. Jons Contemporary Market, a sequence of Armenian grocery shops with two dozen areas in Los Angeles, introduced on October 1 that every one Turkish merchandise are being taken off the cabinets.

An indication on the Garni Meat Market in Pasadena signifies that the butcher’s store is a zone with no Turkish merchandise.

(Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Instances)

“Though Jons Contemporary Market is an organization with no political affiliation, we make choices that profit the communities we serve,” stated a company-issued assertion from Market President Jack Berberian. “For that reason, Jons Contemporary Market has determined to take away objects labeled ‘Product of Turkey’ from our cabinets. Jons is delicate to the battle and we imagine that is the most effective choice for our communities and our staff. “

Piskoulian is making related efforts. Though he has been doing this for years, it’s now notably necessary to him to refuse to make use of Turkish merchandise. If he cannot discover one thing like pepper paste and the one various is Turkish, he’ll revise the recipe.

“I can not knowingly exit and purchase issues and use them as a result of I do know that cash by way of taxes goes to a authorities that in the end needs my folks to die,” he stated.

On the Garni meat market in Pasadena, an indication in entrance of the door proudly proclaims a zone with out Turkish merchandise. The market is situated on a bit of Washington Boulevard that’s closely populated by Armenian companies and residents.

“We’re doing our half to make our group a free commerce space in Turkey! We don’t promote or use any Turkish merchandise, ”it says on the signal. It urges readers to work together with @TurkishProductFreeZone on Fb or Instagram. The social media account is energetic on-line and publishes pictures of markets the place Turkish merchandise are bought.

Harout Khachoyan, whose father Alex owns the butcher store, stated folks from the @ TurkishProductFreeZone group not too long ago visited the market asking about Turkish merchandise getting used. When the Khachoyans stated they hadn’t bought Turkish merchandise for greater than 20 years, the group members gave the market an indication to claim themselves.

Khachoyan not too long ago introduced by way of social media that the store would donate 20% of earnings to the Armenia Fund for the rest of the month.

Jack Torosian, proprietor of Papillon Worldwide Bakery, has vowed to donate $ 5,000 per week to the Armenia Fund, however he’s additionally extra sensible in his efforts. Torosian was one of many first to exhibit outdoors CNN headquarters in Los Angeles on October 3, calling for extra media protection of the combating. Early within the morning, he and some associates started texting everybody they knew in order that they might collect in entrance of the Sundown Boulevard constructing.

“Everybody who got here down introduced one thing,” he stated. “It is simply our tradition. Blankets, meals, there have been grandmas making espresso within the nook.”

At round 10 p.m., Torosian organized a supply of round 600 baked items. His bakery distributed ponchicks (a sort of stuffed donut) and perashkis (a hearty stuffed pastry) to feed the protesters all night time.

“You need to battle and scream and do something, however what are you able to do?” he requested. “We’ll do all the pieces we will and supply meals.”

Torosian was born in Yerevan and fled Armenia within the early 1990s throughout the Nagorno-Karabakh Battle. He makes banners for any enterprise, Armenian or not, that donates $ 5,000 or extra to the Armenia Fund.

“Our [five] Bakeries have greater than 50% clients from different nationalities, ”he stated. “It offers us entry to them with a purpose to educate them and to know us.”