Armenian Folk Songs and Dances in the Fresno and Los Angeles Areas Author(s): Donn Bor Cherdt Source: Western Folklore, Vol. 18, No. 1 (Jan., 1959), pp. 1-12 Published by: Western States Folklore Society Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1496887 . Accessed: 10/09/2013 15:53 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp . JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact
[email protected]. Western States Folklore Society is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Western Folklore. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded from 155.33.16.124 on Tue, 10 Sep 2013 15:53:12 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions ArmenianFolk Songs and Dancesin theFresno and Los AngelesAreas* DONN BORCHERDT OF SEVERAL HUNDRED THOUSAND ARMENIANS in America, about one thirdmake theirhome in California. The main concentrationsare in Fresno, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.1 The distribution of the people varies in each of these cities: Fresno, the center of one of the largest agricultural regions in Cali- fornia, is the most tightlyknit of the three, first,because it has the greatest concentration of Armenians, and second, because the people live closer to each other. While Los Angeles boasts a greater Armenian population, close examination shows a far greater acculturation to western customs and habits.