Disco and Diversity in Armenian L.A.

You may know that Greater Los Angeles has the largest Armenian population outside of Armenia. But you might think it’s concentrated in the city of Glendale and Hollywood’s Little Armenia. Recent alum Erik Van Breene found pockets of Armenian Americans throughout the county while researching his thesis, Not So Little Armenia: Conserving Armenian Heritage Sites in Los Angeles. In this episode, Erik shares how these enclaves formed in waves of immigration from the 1910s through the 1990s. He also gives us a glimpse of the vibrant Armenian economy encompassing food, media, and music–including a recording studio that drew Armenian artists from around the world in the 1970s. That means disco, which you do not want to miss. And he makes the case for mapping and more to conserve Armenian sites before it’s too late.

	Erik Van Breene is a third-generation Angeleno who is passionate about growing Armenian representation in the Heritage Conservation field. His thesis draws from new research as well as personal experiences as an Armenian American to lay the foundation for future conservation-related research on L.A.’s Armenian community.
	Trudi Sandmeier is the Director of Heritage Conservation Programs at the USC School of Architecture and co-host of the podcast.

Want to know more about some of the ideas and places mentioned in this episode? Check out:

[Thesis] Not So Little Armenia: Conserving Armenian Heritage Sites in Los Angeles by Erik Van Breene

The Fascinating LA Armenian Disco Scene of the ’70s | Studio Conversations with Darone Sassounian – short video talking about Armenian music and Parseghian Records

Dining Diaspora is a great resource for Armenian foodways in LA and throughout the U.S.

Previous Save As episodes mentioned:

Beit Olam: The Forever Homes of East L.A.’s Jewish Cemeteries

Yettem: A Garden of Eden in Armenian California

USC Heritage Conservation Programs

 Credits on About page