My hayreg, Khoren Bandazian, immigrated to the United States around 1930 from Paris, France, where he had become a master tailor. His mayreg, and a few remaining family survivors of the Armenian Genocide moved to France from Beirut, Lebanon.
Upon arriving in New York City, he obtained a job as a tailor in a shop owned by an Armenian patron named Kevork. The year was 1933, and Archbishop Leon Tourian, the Primate of the Armenian Diocese, had just been murdered, with the Tashnags being accused of this assassination, though this accusation was never verified by authorities.
One day, just a few days after the assassination, Khoren Bandazian was walking down 57th Street in New York City, going towards an Armenian coffee shop after work, with a copy of Hairenik Armenian newspaper visible in his pocket. While walking towards the coffee shop to meet with friends, he heard a commotion nearby. He turned and saw several New York City policemen and a few accompanying men, shouting and rushing towards him. They shouted and yelled, “There is one of the Assassins. He is a Tashnag. Arrest him. He killed the Archbishop.”
Advertisement
Khoren Bandazian stopped and looked towards the police and the Armenian men yelling and coming towards him. The police immediately handcuffed Khoren and arrested him. Hayreg asked, “Why are you arresting me? I have done nothing wrong.” The police and men yelled, “You have the Hairenik Armenian newspaper in your pocket. You are one of those Tashnag Assassins.” Khoren immediately answered, “I am not a member of the ARF. But I like to read the Hairenik newspaper. Is reading the Hairenik a crime in America?”
Hayreg was taken to the nearest New York jail and kept overnight. His friends came to the jail and confirmed his innocence, and Khoren Bandazian was released. After release, Khoren said to his friends, “Where can I contact an ARF Member?” His friends asked, “Why?”
Hayreg responded, “If I am going to be arrested and put in jail just for reading the Hairenik Armenian newspaper and accused of being a Tashnag because I read Hairenik, then I want to truly join the ARF and become a real Tashnag.”
Khoren Bandazian was an ARF member from 1933 until his death in 1996.
Bedros C. Bandazian is the Managing Trustee, ACAA Endowment Funds.
Advertisement
