ANCA Western Region Condemns Mehmet Oz’s remarks targeting Armenian community

(Horizon Weekly / LOS ANGELES)— The Armenian National Committee of America Western Region has condemned recent statements and a video released by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz, which promote discriminatory and false narratives about Armenian-Americans.

Oz’s remarks linked alleged healthcare fraud in Los Angeles County to “foreign influence,” including references to “Russian Armenian groups,” and presented Armenian language, identity, and community presence as markers of criminal behaviour. Community leaders say this framing amounts to ethnic profiling and places Armenian-Americans under unjust collective suspicion.

In a public statement, the ANCA Western Region stressed that while healthcare fraud must be investigated and prosecuted, law enforcement actions must be grounded in evidence and individual accountability, not ethnicity, language, or cultural background.

“Public officials are obligated to uphold both the letter and spirit of the Constitution,” said ANCA Western Region Chairman Oshin Haroutunian. He warned that turning law enforcement rhetoric toward ethnic generalizations undermines civil rights and threatens equal justice.

The organization emphasized that such rhetoric carries particular weight for Armenian-Americans, given the legacy of the Armenian Genocide and more than a century of denial and marginalization. Framing Armenians as suspicious or criminal reflects a troubling repetition of historical patterns used to target minority communities.

ANCA warned that Oz’s statements risk encouraging harassment of Armenian-American businesses and professionals and legitimizing discriminatory law enforcement practices. It stressed that federal officials bear responsibility for preventing messaging that fuels prejudice and division.

The Committee called on Oz and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to immediately retract and correct the statements, ensure all investigations remain strictly evidence based, and engage with community institutions to restore public trust.

Reaffirming the community’s place in American society, ANCA stated that Armenian Americans are proud and contributing citizens who deserve full constitutional protection. The organization also pointed to bipartisan efforts in Congress to confront hate speech and ethnic targeting, emphasizing that federal agencies are expected to uphold the highest civil rights standards.

ANCA reiterated its commitment to supporting rigorous and lawful efforts to combat fraud, while firmly rejecting any approach that stigmatizes entire communities or weakens democratic principles.