Recognizing the 100th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide

Floor Speech

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Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 100th anniversary of the start of the Armenian Genocide.

In 1915, the Ottoman Empire orchestrated a murderous campaign that resulted in the death of 1.5 million Armenian men, women, and children, and forced hundreds of thousands into exile. Growing up in the land of William Saroyan, I learned the stories of this tragic time from the sons and daughters of survivors time and time again. Refusal to accurately recognize this crime against humanity as genocide hurts both the Armenian people and the American people.

In the Central Valley, Fresno State University has designated April 24 as Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day. The unveiling of the Armenian Genocide Monument, the first of its kind on a U.S. college campus, will take place later today at my alma mater and I know that this memorial will serve as a somber reminder of the devastating violence committed against the Armenian people for generations to come.

Achieving peace today requires recognizing the dark parts of our history and moving forward to find a place of understanding and cooperation. It is my hope that Turkey grasps what President Obama has referred to as the burden of unresolved history and takes this important first step in recognizing what is widely referred to as the first genocide of the twentieth century.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great respect that I ask my colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives to join me in recognizing the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Acknowledging this atrocity would finally allow a fair, just, and comprehensive international resolution of this crime against humanity. It is time for Congress to end the silence and stand up for the Armenian people.

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