Thank you, Ani – you have hit upon an issue close to the heart and soul of many Armenians who have grown up in the diaspora – not only of the present but also of past generations. I sense Armenian identity by words and deeds, but I do not measure identity, what I take a measure of is the goodness of people, and deeds alone speak for them there. I, too, went to Armenian school every week and am grateful for what I learned. Some use community involvement, or choice of spouse, as a rule of thumb, while others use language ability. “…people can express and should express, when they’re a minority in a single opinionated discussion, everything that they feel or want to say even the most…” **********. My own. Maybe there are other priorities that have taken over in life, such as taking care of an infant or elderly family member. My dads family who are pure Armenians have given up contact with my family and most relatives I knew have passed away, I wish I had an opportunity to meet more like me and learn about our culture. We should look at one another and see the things we have in common—not judge one another based on the differences. All in all, culture is partly retained by the literature and literature is retained by the language. In Turkish the word “caucaus” means of “little color”. Call me a fascist or whatever the hell you want, my views are set on stone. What Were the Main Causes of the Armenian Genocide? There is no metric that measures Armenian-ness. When I visited Armenia, I was very disappointed in myself for having such poor reading and expressive language skills. I will disagree with you about assimilation being a crime, even with a nation that went through a genocide. That’s why so many Syrians, Lebanese, Jews, Turks, etc “look Armenian”, but it’s not the other way around as you are suggesting. He seemingly did not speak it. In pre-modern times, Armenians assimilated Alans, Arabs, Jews, Parthians (including the Royal Family that Christianized the country), Georgians, Romans, Roma, Greeks, and even Turks (including the mother of a well known Melik Family from Artsakh). In the end, Armenian or not, we are after all human. Re: Could I look Like An Armenian? It's hard to tell but you definitely do not look like a typical Kurd or Turk, especially your skin colour. I AM Armenian, as is my husband, but my Armenian language skills are very limited, at best! And this is the problem of all pro Ani and anti Ani readers and commenters: who is and who is not Armenian is a delusional exercise in futility. There is no definite way of identifying one, given the reality of global dispersal, which only makes my quest to find other Armenians more interesting. In 2015, I chose to visit Armenia and Artsakh, through the AYF Internship, for the first time on my own. ‘You have found your family. Dr. Lalai Manjikian is a humanities professor at Vanier College in Montreal. Second, think about one’s choice of partner. What Were the Main Causes of the Armenian Genocide? My answer is, I am a 22-year-old Christian Armenian-American. As you mentioned the identity of a person is in their heart, no matter what the outside perception is. Again, I appreciate the author’s articulate thoughts. In spring of 1992, a Bedouin old woman brought her grandson to me, her face was covered as usual. Have you or any of us saw a french being a proud Gaulois when he/she doesn’t speak the french language? Up front: this series does not offer extraordinary scenics or sweeping drone shots. How can we find ours?’. You are so right – “ethnic purity” is by no means a measure of “Armenian-ness” nor should it be of identity in general. DearDorothy, Some people look at Kim Kardashian and are proud that she visited Armenia, tweets every now and then about the Armenian Genocide, and wrote an article in The New York Times. I think posts on this site that engage in excessive personal attacks probably get deleted, and sometimes one does not intend to be ‘racist’ but others can perceive it that way as well. 1 : a member of a people dwelling chiefly in Armenia and neighboring areas (such as Turkey or Azerbaijan) 2 : the Indo-European language of the Armenians — see Indo-European Languages Table. It really is sad that we’re even thinking about “measuring identity”, you either are what you are or you’re not. TL;DR In the American sphere few or no non-Armenians care about you (Yes you Ani) or your Armenian concerns; most of the time they won’t even be able to tell you are different from either their projected evil i.e. This is how any given society with its associated culture gets destroyed, and for us Armenians, it is no different. The word genocide was coined in 1944 by a Polish lawyer named Raphael Lemkin, who lost 49 members of his Jewish family in the Holocaust. Former participants should not need a second trip to feel they “saw Armenia” or experienced what is outside Yerevan. Found your site while looking for Armenian cucumber growing tips and wanted to just say thank you for your informative article. You were supposed to be stable and safe, we didn’t pick up and abandon our lives to live under you, only to be laid siege to as right wing oppressors… (survivors of genocide at that) I mean seriously, my family fled radical Islamic tyranny and now to be rightfully weary of tolerance for Islam we are labeled fascists…? Here I am trying to communicate with you, trying to learn, visiting this country… and you question my identity. Her teaching and research interests are in the areas of immigration and refugee studies, media representations of migration, migrant narratives and diaspora studies. I am always curious and eager to meet other fellow beads that come from other places and have rolled along various trajectories. I was once a Liberal, but when I saw them categorizing every one whose opinion differs from their’s as fascist (just like one of the commentors who said that we, the ones not agreeing with Ani especially when it came to the language, are Armenian chauvinists) and in some cases they are against our freedom of expression, not on this website but on FB groups such as ‘i am a descendant of armenian genocide survivors’ where the admins (also Liberals) block and oust people if they don’t follow their agenda. What is your identity? What people do want to know is how it is that I speak the language as they find it very unussual that someone wpould go to the troube to learn it. Armenian people used to traditionally have very long and voluminous hair, and even though women still wear it like that to this day, men tend to cut it short. As members of the American-Armenian Diaspora, we do not live in a homogenous society. I have noticed that I cannot go too long without interacting with other Armenians. You’re parents are not from Anatolia — they are from the Armenian Highlands. 4. As a foreign man looking for a foreign bride, Armenia is one of the best places to look. There is no reason that the same attitude cannot be applied by us today. I volunteer my time in a variety of ways for Armenian organization, including in my professional capacity as a healthcare provider. And let’s not forget the overall characteristics of Armenians: We are curious people after all. As a survival tactic, that makes about as much sense as having two churches. It doesn’t surprise me that the young lady thought you might be Turkish. As for my own fragmented Armenian identity (YES fragmented(well it IS, and so is yours most likely), I tell the whole truth, even if I’m a cultural mutt) Whichever way a person identifies, accept it. To judge another person as Armenian or not, solely based on any of the abovementioned elements, reflects ignorance and disrespect. I was born in Iran, to Armenian parents, revolution there caused us to flee to America (what is it with our people constantly having to flee from the violence of other nations, I’m fed up with this shit). In fact I’ll be studying the Armenian language so that I can more fully participate in the experience of living what I am. A person should not say that a non-Armenian parent who brings their child to Armenian school, who attends Armenian fundraisers, who learns to speak Armenian, or who visits Armenia, is any less Armenian than an Armenian parent who does none of the above. I tried to reason, “This guy doesn’t know any different,” but it did not ease my disappointment. Less stress, the degree of anonymity that often comes with landing in a new spot, and a slower pace, combined with landscapes offered by nature, allow for us to decompress, re-group, and re-connect with ourselves. In my own church community, I have seen “full-blooded”Armenian families and children drop out of the community. In any case, let’s dissect the disputed topic of Armenian identity. I beg you to define what you consider as “culture” and how you plan preserve that “culture” for the future generations without even knowing the Armenian language. You see, the war for our survival never ended Ani, you have been told a lie, history never ended in the 20th century. I’m a third-generation Armenian-American. If Special Division is your only experience with Armenia’s capital, Yerevan, you may not feel driven to run out and book your ticket. Not to worry, Anadolu is a Hittite word, not Turkish. Whenever someone asks me if I’m Armenian, I answer: not today. But it … Sorry Ani, but I disagree with many of your ideas, because they come straight from American liberalism, a cringy state to be in to say the least. Whether or not you speak the Armenian language, how well you speak it, how fluent you are in it AND how engaged and active you are in the Armenian community, attend church or not, practice the culture, marry your own and so on and so forth is a measure and an indication of how TRUE you are to your Armenian identity. I’m not writing to go on about any other celebrity, or to give a textbook definition of identity. As someone a little older about to make my first trip to Armenian in September 2018, I can’t wait for someone to ask me how come I don’t speak so well, not sure if I would handle this as well as our Ani, in any event, a well written piece. Meri, Not sure if this is accurate information or not, but my Grandparents were both light skin with light blue eyes. I was born in Washington D.C. My parents were raised in New York and Massachusetts, and my grandparents in Istanbul, Turkey, and Worcester, Mass. A former Birthright Armenia participant (2005), over the years, Lalai has been active in volunteering both within the Armenian community in Montreal and the local community at large, namely engaged in immigrant and refugee integration. I smiled to the woman and she smiled back. So while we’re throwing out babies with bathwater, there goes the “melting pot” baby as well, though admittedly that one was somewhat noble, too bad you couldn’t make it happen American Left, and yes you DID kill it (we’re still trying to figure out why). The teacher would roll her eyes. He was a kind and intelligent man.” I do regret I did not collect more information; I never thought one day that I would be able write a poetry collections on genocide*. But that is going to be a slow process unfortunately because it is just not an easy project to pick up and leave everything and head into the unknown. Which is kind of the point isn’t it? From my Armenian friend who looks Irish but speaks fluent Armenian, to an “Armenian-looking” young man who doesn’t speak Armenian, to me passing as being Turkish, goes to show that looks can be deceiving, and associating physical traits with certain ethnicities and cultures is futile, though scientists who study genetics may not fully agree with me. Furthermore, an individual needs at minimum 20 hours’ worth of practice a week for progression orally. We, a small ethnic community, are capable of doing better, and we do in fact know differently than the taxi driver I had in Armenia. Repeat. I’m an Armenian once bitten twice shy, thank you very much. Therefore, they do have features and looks in common with us. We won’t rest until we know where a person comes from or what nationality they are… lol. Thanks to my parents who were from Arapgir and survivors of the genocide. Those are the towns and villages my ancestors inhabited for centuries before their forced resettlement. I asked him how he knew I was Armenian. Furthermore, we don’t have a particular mark that identifies us as being Armenian. These women are mysterious. I’ll take my lumps based on my words and actions. Maybe he or she attends a different church, Armenian or not. A very good example of cultural revival. I understood that I was considered a stranger in Armenia. Because they know the limits of cultural identity and when they get assimilated to another culture they understand it and accept it unlike these proclaimed Armenians who justify themselves only through maternal or paternal or both’s heritage and don’t want to lose their identity. Being Armenian, I am sure you know the Love Story of ‘Akh Tamar’ People are not routinely bilingual in the US as they are in other countries, which reflects both provincialism and cultural imperialism. And no matter where I am in the world, I am always on the lookout for other Armenians; it is likely a congenital defect. It’s all on google maps, for you. article -thoughtfully and correctly analyzed! Finally Recognition…Recalling the Long Road, ANCA-ER commemorates 106th anniversary of Armenian Genocide with virtual event, AYF New York Chapters join forces in April 24 commemoration, Over 65 US House members call for $100 million in aid for Artsakh and Armenia, “New national movement to originate in Artsakh,” declares Mesrobian, Poet and professor Celeste Nazeli Snowber presents The Marrow of Longing, Armenian Institute, International Armenian Literary Alliance present Armenian Poetry Project’s 15th anniversary, Armenian football players making a name for themselves in Akron. I consider my roots to be from Arapgir, Adapazar, Diyarbakir, Kharpert, Malatia, and Mush. Critical judgments about non-Armenian spouses will only hurt the Armenian Diaspora as they alienate these families and fragment our own people. You can not change that. While I was in Armenia this summer, I took a taxi alone to go home from the mall. A young woman working at the store was helping fill our grocery bags. Growing up, Armenian was not spoken in my house. I thought about all the times other Armenians made me feel bad about not speaking fluent Armenian, even though my name is Ani and I “look so Armenian,” as if that is some sort of inspirational wisdom. I’d like to see them judge the perhaps strained behavior of California if say… The ottomans invaded [California] and stole half the state. Armenian was my first language, but over time my knowledge of it atrophied due to lack of use. Biden proclaims genocide, but is it enough. I personally have some hard time distinguishing Georgians from Հայաստանցի-s. With my dark brown hair and white skin, here in Canada, I’ve passed as Lebanese, Argentinean, Mexican, North-African, Italian, Turkish, Russian, you name it… But most Armenians do spot that I’m Armenian. Throughout the 20th century, speaking anything besides English was looked down on. Maybe yes, maybe no. At one point during the ride, the driver spoke so fast that I did not understand what he said. The emphasis on proficiency of language is misplaced. So, if your children inherit Armenian citizenship, then that may pose problems for them in the future, but all of this depends on whether or not you pass down your second citizenships to your children in the first place. ),the Armenian youth living in the Diaspora, as you described them, feel more romantic and less rational when it comes to the Armenian identity, hence why they want to equate their love from their heart to Armenia with the reality that they don’t know or slightly know the language to being a justified Armenian. Finally Recognition…Recalling the Long Road, ANCA-ER commemorates 106th anniversary of Armenian Genocide with virtual event, AYF New York Chapters join forces in April 24 commemoration, Over 65 US House members call for $100 million in aid for Artsakh and Armenia, A Conversation With Photographer Diana Markosian on Migration and Her Latest Project, Armenian football players making a name for themselves in Akron. 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