Sevag Mekhtikhanyan Family Journey
- Sevag Mekhtikhanyan
- La Crescenta, California
- ESTADOS UNIDOS
- 17
- This personal story was submited in English
My name is Sevag Mekhtikhanyan. My family came from Tehran, Iran and Beirut, Lebanon. My mother and her parents came from Lebanon and my father and his parents came from Armenia.
My mother moved to America from Beirut, Lebanon in the year 1971. The reason she and her parents, or my grand parents moved here is because of the Lebanese Civil War that was going on at the time. My mother was there with her parents, my uncle, and my aunt. They had to hide in their basement for days until the bombings and shootings stopped. They witnessed many horrible things like seeing dead bodies on the streets. My mother was six years old when they came here.
My father moved to America from Tehran, Iran in the year 1981. The reason they moved to America is because they were looking for a better life. My father came here with my uncle, aunt, and his parents. My father was seventeen years old when he got to America. Before actually landing on American soil they had to stop in Italy for a month and then New York to switch planes. They finally ended up in California. It was easier for my father and his family because there was no Civil Wars or anything dangerous going on. My mother’s parents, my grandpa and grandma, also were born in Beirut, Lebanon. They both have lived there their whole lives. My grandpa, Chahe Yerevanian, was born in 1933. My grandma, Annie Guederian was born in 1934. My father’s parents were also born in Tehran, Iran. My grandmother was born in 1943. My grandfather was born in 1931.
I was born in La Crescenta, California United States. I was born in the year 1991. I did not have any challenges to face, because of course, I was born here. This is the challenge or journey that my family took to get to America and start a better life. They also moved here to evade wars and struggles. Sadly, my grandfather on my father’s side died in June of 2008.