- Born
- Birth nameMark Steven Krikorian
- Mark Krikorian was born on June 14, 1961 in New Haven, Connecticut, USA. He is married to Amelie L. Vonludwig. They have three children.
- SpouseAmelie L. Vonludwig(? - present) (3 children)
- Executive director, "Center for Immigration Studies".
- He lost his right eye to a retinal blastoma while still a baby.
- Mark Krikorian is a nationally recognized expert on immigration issues, has served as Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) since 1995. The Center, an independent, non-partisan research organization in Washington, D.C., examines and critiques the impact of immigration on the United States. Animated by a pro-immigrant, low-immigration vision which seeks fewer immigrants but a warmer welcome for those admitted, the Center was established in 1985 to respond to the need for reliable, fact-based research in the immigration area.
His knowledge and expertise in the immigration field are sought by Congress, as well as the mainstream and new media. He frequently testifies before Congress and has published articles in numerous outlets including The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The New York Times, and elsewhere. He is a contributor at National Review Online, and has appeared on all major cable and broadcast news networks.
Mr. Krikorian addresses a variety of audiences on a multitude of immigration topics. In addition, Mr. Krikorian is the author of the books The New Case against Immigration, Both Legal and Illegal and How Obama is Transforming America through Immigration.
A controversial publication of his is "Open Immigration: Yea & Nay", co-authored with Alexander "Alex" Nowrasteh of the Cato Institute.
Before joining CIS in February 1995, he was an editor at the Winchester Star, and worked as editor of an electronic media publication on marketing. He wrote for the monthly newsletter of the Federation for American Immigration Reform.
He was born to American-born parents of Armenian descent. His father worked as a chef and restaurant manager, moving his family from New Haven, to Boston, Cleveland, Chicago, and then Boston again, always living in densely Armenian neighborhoods. His parents spoke to their children in Armenian but to each other in English. Krikorian knew only Armenian when he entered kindergarten.
He holds a bachelor's degree in History and Government from Georgetown University and a master's degree in International Relations from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. He spent two years at Yerevan State University in then-Soviet Armenia doing postgraduate work in Armenian language and literature.
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