[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 49 (Monday, March 31, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E443-E444]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 IN HONOR OF ASKOUHY JALLYAN-VASSILIAN

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. FRANK PALLONE, JR.

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, March 31, 2008

  Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Askouhy Jallyan-
Vassilian and her dedication to her community and the Armenian people. 
Mrs. Jallyan-Vassilian was a survivor of the genocide inflicted upon 
the Armenian people. She was the embodiment of the enduring human 
spirit.
  Mrs. Jallyan-Vassilian was born Askouhy Jallyan on February 12, 1914, 
in Orfa, Turkey. Her mother, Khanem, had married in 1913 and was 18 
years old when she gave birth to her only daughter. Khanem was widowed 
in 1915 when her husband, Nazaret, was murdered. Mrs. Jallyan-Vassilian 
was able to flee the horrors of genocide when she escaped with her 
mother to neighboring Syria.
  Later, Mrs. Jallyan-Vassilian married her husband Missak Vassilian at 
the age of 19. Together they raised three sons and a daughter. She was 
also the proud grandmother of 10 grandchildren and 12 great-
grandchildren. Her son, Asbed Vassilian, is currently a professor of 
chemistry at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, and is the 
head of that school's Armenian studies program.
  On October 10, 2007, Mrs. Jallyan-Vassilian attended a markup session 
of the House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs as it 
worked on a resolution recognizing the deplorable deprivation of human 
rights that occurred during the Armenian genocide. She had waited 92 
years for the United States Congress to recognize the genocide and 
suffering that her people had endured at the hands of hate and 
intolerance.
  Mrs. Jallyan-Vassilian passed away on February 27, 2008. She will be 
remembered for her devotion to her Armenian heritage and her commitment 
to the cause of those Armenians who suffered wanton violence and 
cruelty.

[[Page E444]]

  Madam Speaker, I sincerely hope that my colleagues will join me in 
celebrating the life of Askouhy Jallyan-Vassilian. Her legacy will 
continue to serve as a reminder of the audacity of human resilience.

                          ____________________