Events

Los Angeles Gala presents Lifetime Achievement Award, honors community leaders

Sold-out AAASC event raises funds for future programs October 2018 | By Joe Snell | Feature photo contributed Los Angeles, CA – Pierre Toulakany walked through a crowd of roughly 200 guests at the downtown Los Angeles Millennium Biltmore to receive his Walter Shahbaz Lifetime Achievement Award. The award, part of the…

LA Food Festival opens ancient door to Assyrian culture

Tarzan, CA hosts Assyrians, non-Assyrians for music, food, cultural lessons June 2018 | By Atorina Samuel | Cover photo by Polos Shamsabadi Tarzana, CA – Arbella Rasho joined a number of Assyrian youth in Tarzana, California on Sunday, June 10 as she waved an Assyrian flag in front of hundreds…

King Ashurnasirpal Gala raises money for Assyrians in Nineveh Plains

Mesopotamian art gallery is backdrop for exclusive fundraising dinner June 2018 | By Joe Snell | Photos Contributed Chicago – The Assyrian Aid Society of America (AAS-A) Chicago Chapter hosted the second annual King Ashurnasirpal Dinner Gala (KADG) on Sunday, May 27. The black tie event, held inside the Mesopotamian gallery…

California State Convention carries on Assyrian heritage

51st annual event marked by large presence of young Assyrians June 2018 | By Anthony Narsi | Photos by Gilbert De-Berowley CALIFORNIA – More than 3,500 people attended the 51st annual Assyrian State Convention of California. The weekend, which took place from May 26 through May 28 in Turlock and…

MARA – the unofficial archive of all things Assyrian

International collection preserves Assyrian customs, traditions May 2018 | Photos contributed | By Ramsen Shamon This story is part of a larger collection of articles covered during the first annual Assyrian National Policy Conference, held on Thursday, May 17 through Saturday, May 19th in Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C. – At the…

Assyrian National Policy Conference kicks off at U.S. Capitol

May 2018 | Photos contributed | By Rebecca Pirayou This story is part of a larger collection of articles covered during the first annual Assyrian National Policy Conference, held on Thursday, May 17 through Saturday, May 19th in Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C. – On Thursday May 17, attendees of the Assyrian…

Unity is alive at LA’s March for Justice

Coalition of Assyrians, Armenians, Greeks, and Jews celebrate resilience, demand recognition of genocide May 2018 | Photos contributed | By Rebecca Pirayou and Atorina Samuel Los Angeles, CA – Mary Isaac, President of the Assyrian Student Association of Los Angeles (ASALA), marched in front of the Los Angeles Turkish Consulate with…

Flag raising celebrations open dialogue with Santa Clara, San Jose officials

The Assyrian Journal | April 2018 | Photos Contributed | By Joe Snell Santa Clara County, CA – Ever since Rochelle Yousefian became President of the Assyrian American Association of San Jose in 2014, she made it a priority to grow the organization’s relations with city and county officials. Her…

: Dallas, TX – “I started playing soccer in my village. It was a reason to get together as Assyrians every week. We would play soccer and then go eat or hang out. I eventually played for the Assyrian club in Urmi. When I moved to San Jose, I helped found the Infinite Sports Association. Now in Dallas, it’s funny that there are a lot of empty soccer fields that you don’t get elsewhere. We used to pay a lot of money to get a couple hours to play on this type of field. In San Jose, for two hours we would pay almost $250 and here in Dallas this field is free with beautiful grass, free goals, everything free.”

: Chicago, IL – “I grew up in a bad country and couldn’t talk about anything, even our flag because you were always scared of the government. A lot of people don’t know how this flag is special for people. That’s why we do this in our yard, because we want people to recognize that if we didn’t have this American flag then we wouldn’t be sitting in this house today. People fought for this flag, for this freedom so we can sit here together and talk about being both Assyrian and American. You lose one of your identities if you don’t.”

: Chicago, IL – “I started vlogging to have a more highly produced version of an archive of my life. This year’s vlog of the Assyrian convention is footage from a lot of different things. It’s both the pool parties and something more in-depth and cultural, so a mix of both. I also did a lot of things that doing a vlog for wouldn’t do justice, like the youth summit. You have to be there for that, it’s not the same to see it, you have to be there and interact with people. One day I’m going to look back and have all of these memories nicely produced of what I did at this convention. I encourage everyone to do it.”

: Dallas, TX – “With motherhood, you first think of all of those happy times of sitting down and playing and going out. But it’s more about giving all of who you are, everything you have, plus more. When you think to yourself, ‘I’ve given everything I have,’ and then they wake up at night one more time and you say, ‘I have to do this again, I have to give more after I’ve already given everything.’ It’s the hardest job and it takes everything out of you, but it’s worth it and you would do it all over again when you see them happy.”

: Chicago, IL – “I never get tired of traveling because I travel for my people and enjoy accomplishing something for my nation. I also love people watching. That’s why I go to the airport an hour earlier, just to sit around and watch everyone and listen to my podcasts. I love people and I get joyful when I hear them laughing. We need more happiness in the world. We don’t see it anymore. Everyone’s head is down, everyone is looking at their phones, everyone is so intense. There is so much conflict in the world, you don’t see anyone laugh anymore. So when I do see those glimpses of joy and happiness, it makes me so happy.”

: Dallas, TX – “Having grown up in the West, one of the positives is that my girls have the ability to empower themselves. For me, raising girls here is similar to raising boys. I’m going to teach them what I know, whether it’s science, engineering, you name it, it doesn’t make a difference to me their gender. There is no glass ceiling from my perspective, I want them to be as successful as they can be.”