Vahan Hindoian and his family moved to Utah from Lebanon in the 1960s. His grandfather was killed during the Armenian genocide during WWI. Although he never met the man for whom he was named, the mere thoughts of this dark period in his country's past brought a tear to his eye.

His mother, whom he called "a survivor," lived through the deportation, mass murders and starvation that occurred from 1915 to 1923.

It is estimated that over 1.5 million Armenians died during this period as a result of the actions of a political party known as the Committee of Union and Progress (also known as the "Young Turks") and later the Turkish Nationalists.

These political groups' interest in ethnic exclusivity forced the deportation of 1 million Armenians in 1915, while hundreds of thousands were butchered. Starvation, sickness and exhaustion caused the deaths of many more in concentration camps, according to the Armenian Genocide Web site at www.armenian-genocide.org.

Many immigrated to other countries. Some found refuge in the city of Glendale, Calif., which now has an Armenian mayor. It has such a large population of Armenian immigrants it is nicknamed the "second capital of Armenia," said Aleksanyan, a master's student in communications at the University of Utah.

The Armenian population has also been steadily growing in Utah. "More than 2,000 Armenians are living here," he said. He estimates that number has grown in the past few years since the last census was taken.

The naming of a portion of 800 east "Ararat" is something Aleksanyan is happy about and feels it is the recognition the growing community has been waiting for.

"It (Ararat) is a symbol of all Armenians of the world," he said. "We are proud there is a street named for Ararat."

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E-mail: nhale@desnews.com