The Fresnoian and the Unsung Armenian hero of Star Wars

Editor's note: I was riding on the bus the other day when I sat down next to an old man with a furrowed brow and a large mustache. As the ride began, so did a conversation between myself and this gentleman. As it turned out, he was the son of an Armenian refugee and had grown up in the valley during the end of the Great Depression and WWII. He has seen Fresno through some intensely dark periods. 

We ended up getting off at the same stop and headed to a local coffee joint where we chatted for a few hours. I pulled out my tape recorder and asked if I could use some of his stories on our blog. He gave me permission and the following is his response to a question I posed to him; "How do you feel about Armenian representation in Hollywood?"
Hollywood always portrays the Armenian people as a bunch of gangsters---that is, whenever they do portray us at all! And then you have the Kardashians which are a blight on the zhoghovurd if there ever was one. How are these examples of my people? Tell me, Mr. Editor, do these align with your perceptions of the Armenian people? I will tell you your answer and it is, "no." You never see our beautiful yekeghets’inery or hear of our delicious foods. It's all "guns" and "boobies".

There is, perhaps, one time that Hollywood got it right. In the Star Wars, there is a young Armenian hero named Calrissian who is handsome and valiant. Just like Sarkis, he once worked for the Emperor and then joined the rebels, even bravely piloting the ship that was swindled from him during the Battle of Endor. Did you know that Yerevan means "Cloud City"?

It doesn't really. But that would be great, wouldn't it?

If only Calrissian had been there to protect us from the Ottoman Empire. We would have quashed those harstaharich’  right where they stood! Armenia calls to you, Calrissian! Come to us! Make us a great people once more!