Shades of L.A. is an archive of photographs representing the contemporary and historic diversity of families in Los Angeles. Images were chosen from family albums and include daily life, social organizations, work, personal and holiday celebrations, and migration and immigration activities. Made possible and accessible through the generous support of the Security Pacific National Bank, Sunlaw Cogeneration Partners, Photo Friends, California Council for the Humanities, the Ralph M. Parsons Foundation, and the John Randolph Haynes and Dora Haynes Foundation
Images available for reproduction and educational use. Please see the Ordering & Use page at http://tessa.lapl.org/orderinguse.html for additional information. The contents of this collection are restricted to personal, research, and non-commercial use. The Library cannot share the personal and/or contact information of the donors, their descendants, or associates who contributed photographs and oral histories to the collection.
Description
Sara Chitjian's father, Hampartzoum "Harry" Chitjian, immigrated from Kharpert, Turkey to Mexico in the early 1920s to escape the Armenian genocide. He crossed the border to the United States in 1923 but returned to Mexico two years later. In 1929, he met Chitjian’s mother, Ovsanna Piloyan, who had immigrated to Mexico from Aleppo, Syria. In 1935, the family movied to the United States from Mexico City, where Chitijian had been born.The family lived in East Los Angeles until they moved to West Los Angeles in 1952. Sara taught for 35 years at Valley and Hollywood Education Council at TCA Arshag Dickranian Armenian School. Chitjian's five uncles and two aunts also resided in Southern California. Hampartzoum Chitjian (left) is pictured with fraternal twin brother Kaspar in Mexico.
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