Portantino Responds to Americana Decision
Glendale, CA: Upon hearing of the decision reached by Caruso Affiliated Holdings regarding the billboard advertising at The Americana at Brand for the documentary, Architects of Denial, State Senator Anthony J. Portantino issued the following statement:
“Though not immediate, it was the correct decision. The grassroots advocates who emphasized the significance and symbolism behind the placing of appropriate advertising for the documentary are to be commended for their continued commitment to genocide education and for their civil rights leadership. Let’s be clear, there is only one side, not two sides to recounting the history of the atrocities that began in 1915. The State of California is spending millions of dollars to teach our school children about the first genocide of the 20th century and locally we need our business community to stand with that mission. Today, activists who passionately stood together to generate this outcome deserve our respect and appreciation. I look forward to seeing the billboard go up!”
Portantino represents the 25th Senate District, which is home to the largest Armenian American community in any legislative district in the country. He is also a former filmmaker. Earlier in the year, he successfully included funding for Armenian Genocide curriculum implementation and the Armenian American Museum in the California State Budget signed by Governor Brown. He chairs the California State Senate Select Committee on California, Armenia and Artsakh Trade, Art and Cultural Exchange.
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Sen. Portantino represents nearly 930,000 people in the 25th Senate District, which includes Altadena, Atwater Village, Bradbury, Burbank, Claremont, Duarte, Glendale, Glendora, La Cañada Flintridge, La Crescenta, La Verne, Lake View Terrace, Los Feliz, Monrovia, Montrose, Pasadena, San Dimas, San Marino, Shadow Hills, Sierra Madre, South Pasadena, Sunland-Tujunga, and Upland.
