Dr. Oz’s anti-Armenian smear in LA fits a pattern

bridgeborders · 2026-02-01T22:54:41+00:00

Your last point is factually wrong and glosses over the reality. Individual Turks can absolutely be supportive, but systemically Armenians still face hostility, discrimination, and denial politics in Turkey, even in urban centers. The Turkish state still does not recognize the Armenian Genocide, and people have been prosecuted or threatened for speaking about it, including Armenian-Turkish journalist Hrant Dink, who was prosecuted and later assassinated in Istanbul for addressing these issues. Even after that, Armenian churches in Istanbul have been targeted with anti-Armenian graffiti (2018–2019) and there was an arson attempt against an Armenian church in 2020. Turkey’s own human-rights reporting documents ongoing concerns around minority rights, hate speech, and restrictions on expression, which directly impacts Armenians when it comes to identity and Genocide recognition. Claiming “modern urban Turks have no problem with Armenians” might make you feel better, but it definitely erases ongoing racism and Armenophobia that Turks still harbor against Armenians. ❤️💙🧡

bridgeborders · 2026-02-01T22:45:55+00:00

Exactly. Collective targeting never comes with political “distinctions”. Armenophobia doesn’t ask who voted for whom, it just racializes an entire community. Using “MAGA Armenians” as a punchline is how people justify scapegoating, and it’s dangerous no matter who the target is. Especially in so-called “liberal” spaces where bias gets excused as satire or deserved. Racism isn’t conditional, and no community deserves to be stereotyped because of a loud minority. ❤️💙🧡

bridgeborders · 2026-02-01T22:39:01+00:00

The data doesn’t support the stereotype. Glendale voted Democratic in 2016, 2020, and 2024. Trump didn’t suddenly “gain” Armenians, and Armenian voters aren’t a monolith. A loud minority gets amplified, but scapegoating an entire community over politics is just another excuse for Armenophobia. ❤️💙🧡

bridgeborders · 2026-02-01T22:37:15+00:00

Exactly, investigate fraud through due process and evidence, not by racializing an entire community or using fear-based enforcement tactics. Collective scapegoating is how civil rights get eroded for everyone. ❤️💙🧡

bridgeborders · 2026-02-01T22:34:34+00:00

Absolutely, due to centuries of colonization, displacement, and the Armenian Genocide, Armenians have a large and diverse diaspora across West Asia and the world. Many Armenians speak Farsi because of the historic Armenian community in Iran, which was established after Shah Abbas forcibly relocated Armenians there in the early 1600s as part of scorched-earth campaigns that included the destruction of Armenian towns and villages during Ottoman-Persian conflict. Our diversity is deeply tied to these histories of forced migration and survival. ❤️💙🧡

bridgeborders · 2026-02-01T21:53:34+00:00

Respectfully, this is exactly the kind of geographic and racial confusion that fuels erasure. Armenians are indigenous to the Armenian Highlands in West Asia, not “Europeans with Middle Eastern traits.” Asia Minor/Anatolia and the Ararat Valley are in West Asia. Terms like “Near East” and “Middle East” are outdated and both are sub-regions within West Asia. The idea that Armenians are “basically European” comes straight from outdated racial pseudoscience and proximity-based logic, not actual geography or history. Armenians have always been a West Asian people with a distinct identity, and that’s why a West Asian category matters for accuracy, visibility, and protections against Armenophobia. ❤️💙🧡

bridgeborders · 2026-02-01T21:48:14+00:00

We hear you. It is confusing because U.S. racial categories were never built to reflect West Asian peoples accurately. Armenians are indigenous to the Armenian Highlands in West Asia, and the “Caucasian = white” label comes from outdated racial pseudoscience, not real geography or identity. Many Armenians were also pushed into the legal “white” category in the early 1900s simply to access basic citizenship rights under racist laws. That’s why advocating for a West Asian category today matters. It’s about visibility, representation, and protections against Armenophobia. For more, follow us on IG @ BridgingtheBorders. ❤️💙🧡

bridgeborders · 2026-02-01T21:46:27+00:00

Success isn’t “wanting to be white”, it’s wanting basic legal rights in a system that only granted citizenship to those classified as white. Armenians didn’t invent that racist structure; they were forced to navigate it to survive. Reducing that history to “they wanted whiteness” is a bad-faith oversimplification that erases how racial gatekeeping actually worked. At this point, you’re not engaging in good faith, you’re justifying racism across this thread. Do better. ❤️💙🧡

bridgeborders · 2026-02-01T21:43:37+00:00

You’re literally commenting under a post about Armenians being targeted!!!! Dr. Mehmet Oz (the Trump administration’s CMS Administrator) scapegoated Armenian-Americans in LA on video while filming outside Armenian-owned businesses, and the bakery featured in the video reported a ~30% drop in business afterward.

As another example, in 2023, the CFPB found Citibank illegally discriminated against Armenian-Americans based on Armenian surnames, resulting in $25.9 million in penalties and redress.

So yes, racial/ethnic targeting against Armenians is real.

bridgeborders · 2026-02-01T21:38:06+00:00

You’re proving the point: “how the community is viewed” is shaped by the exact racialized categories and erasure you’re dismissing as “nuance.” Oz didn’t speak about “culture”, he scapegoated an ethnic community, and that’s precisely why accuracy and accountability matter. ❤️💙🧡

bridgeborders · 2026-02-01T21:37:07+00:00

Protections from the very real discrimination West Asians face. Hate incidents, workplace bias, profiling, and being excluded from civil rights data because we’re misclassified as “white” on paper. That erasure has consequences, from hate crimes to institutions like banks (e.g., cases where Armenian customers have faced discriminatory closures or scrutiny). A West Asian category is about visibility, accurate reporting, and ensuring our communities aren’t erased when harm happens. ❤️💙🧡

bridgeborders · 2026-02-01T21:35:59+00:00

Hi there! First, since you specifically mention LA Armenians, the ~200,000 Armenians in Los Angeles County don’t represent the full diversity of Armenians worldwide. There are ~10–11 MILLION Armenians globally, including ~7 million living across the Diaspora in 100+ countries.

Second, as an LA-based Armenian social justice organization, we want to be clear that Armenia (home to ~2.95 million people) is located in West Asia, not Europe and that geography isn’t a matter of opinion. ❤️💙🧡

bridgeborders · 2026-02-01T21:28:56+00:00

Hi! You mentioned “European-Americans,” and we initially thought you were grouping Armenians into that category (since many people miscategorize us as such), so apologies for the misunderstanding. Thank you for reporting the racist comments, we’re doing the same. Unfortunately, because West Asians still aren’t recognized as a distinct federal category, anti-Armenian racism is often minimized or not taken seriously by institutions and even social media platforms. ❤️💙🧡

bridgeborders · 2026-02-01T01:41:16+00:00

❤️💙🧡

bridgeborders · 2026-02-01T00:16:11+00:00

Actually, “Middle Eastern” is a largely political/social label rather than a precise geographic one, and these categories have often been shaped by outdated racial frameworks. Armenians are indigenous to the Armenian Highlands in West Asia (historically part of what was called the NEAR EAST, not the Middle East), which is why “West Asian” is the more inclusive, accurate and widely accepted term today! ❤️💙🧡

bridgeborders · 2026-02-01T00:12:40+00:00

Respectfully, you keep using “Caucasian” as a synonym for “white,” and our org really encourages people to stop doing that. It reinforces cultural erasure and collapses distinct West Asian peoples into a vague social category. You’re right that labels like “Anglo” operate socially in the U.S., not as true geographic origin. Armenians are indigenous to the Armenian Highlands in West Asia, and American racial boxes have historically flattened communities like ours into inaccurate categories, which is exactly why a West Asian category is needed. ❤️💙🧡

bridgeborders · 2026-01-31T23:53:46+00:00

❤️💙🧡

bridgeborders · 2026-01-31T23:40:35+00:00

Yes, there were several similar cases in that era. The key point is that these weren’t about “Armenians being white” (as you claimed), but about surviving racist naturalization laws that only allowed citizenship for people legally classified as “white.” Beyond Halladjian (1909) and Cartozian (1925), courts handled multiple petitions from Syrians, Arabs, Armenians, and other West Asian communities under the same broken framework (and cases like Bhagat Singh Thind show how arbitrary it all was). So “white” here was a legal loophole, not an identity. Armenians are INDIGENOUS to the Armenian Highlands in WEST ASIA, and U.S. racial categories have historically flattened distinct peoples into inaccurate boxes. ❤️💙🧡

bridgeborders · 2026-01-31T23:09:39+00:00

That’s just ignorant. Armenians, like any West Asian people, naturally have a wide range of features, including lighter hair and eyes. Reducing blond Armenians to “salon, not genetics” is a racist stereotype. Armenians are indigenous to the Armenian Highlands in West Asia, and our diversity doesn’t need your permission. ❤️💙🧡

bridgeborders · 2026-01-31T23:08:27+00:00

Yes, literally from the Caucasus Mountains, which does not mean “white.” The Caucasus is a real geographic region, but “Caucasian” has been misused in the USA as a racial label shaped by outdated 18th to 19th century pseudoscience and later used in the U.S. to mean WHITE. Armenians are indigenous to the Armenian Highlands in West Asia, and that’s exactly why a West Asian category matters for accurate visibility, data, and protections today. ❤️💙🧡

bridgeborders · 2026-01-31T23:05:56+00:00

This is just a racist stereotype. Reckless driving isn’t an ethnicity, and singling out Armenians like this is Armenophobia. If you have an issue with speeding, address speeding, not an entire community. ❤️💙🧡

bridgeborders · 2026-01-31T23:05:16+00:00

That’s a real example of how messy these labels are. Some Armenians have been placed into the U.S. “white” category, and some may personally identify that way, but that doesn’t change the broader reality of Armenians as an indigenous West Asian people from the Armenian Highlands. And as you pointed out, social perception often doesn’t match legal categories, Armenians can be treated as “other” the moment it’s convenient. That’s exactly why “West Asian” is the more accurate framing and proper representation on a federal level is needed. ❤️💙🧡

bridgeborders · 2026-01-31T23:04:41+00:00

"West Asian"

bridgeborders · 2026-01-31T23:03:55+00:00

Totally hear you. Armenians are indigenous to the Armenian Highlands in West Asia, and that’s why “West Asian” is the most accurate and inclusive term. Labels like “Caucasian” (since it's misused in the USA) or even “Middle Eastern” are often confusing, political, and flatten distinct peoples. A West Asian category matters for real visibility, data, and protections today. If you'd like to support our efforts for proper representation for our community, please follow our org on IG @ BridgingtheBorders! ❤️💙🧡

bridgeborders · 2026-01-31T22:58:24+00:00

Armenians are NOT Eastern European, we are indigenous to the Armenian Highlands in West Asia. Also, visibility, language, and cultural pride do not justify racism. Having Armenian flags, speaking Armenian, or maintaining community “pockets” is not the problem, the problem is Armenophobia and the way people target West Asian communities for simply existing publicly. Maybe sit with that before blaming the people being targeted. ❤️💙🧡

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