Being born and raised in Armenia, I never had to put extra effort into being attached to my identity. A life-changing decision brought me to the U.S. a year ago. I have since decided to be on the lookout for opportunities to get engaged in community life here, and understand what it means to be an Armenian in a completely different and diverse setting.
Moving to another country at a mature age gave me an opportunity to analyze myself and discover my identity from another perspective. Every interaction with Armenians from various backgrounds has enriched my feelings and connection to my culture, and has at the same time opened up new approaches and views for me.
Last weekend was one such amazing occasion, where I had the chance to get acquainted, network, and share ideas with progressive and forward-looking Armenian youth and experienced guest speakers at the Youth Connect Program organized by the Armenian Relief Society of Eastern USA.
When thinking about my identity, I constantly scrutinize how my interaction with the world affects how I define myself. In this context it was immensely interesting to learn what role Armenian heritage has played in the lives of Armenian Americans, and how it has affected the work that they do. Inspired and motivated, we got into a discussion with the panel speakers—novelist Nancy Kricorian, journalist Raffi Khatchadourian, and filmmaker Talin Avakian—on the significance of transferring “Armenian-ness” into the spheres of our various activities and bringing diverse values and ideas into our communities. This reinforced my belief in the importance of empathizing with others and expanding our horizons on the role of Armenians in the international community.
Khatchig Mouradian’s insightful presentation on Islamized Armenians in Turkey gave us food for thought on how our culture and history and the current-day situation of Armenians affect our partaking in modern world issues. Armenians are presented and see themselves as the first Christians in the world, who speak and write in their own language. This myth about Armenian identity—as there may be millions of “hidden” and Islamized Armenians in Turkey today—sets a limitation on our perception of Armenians. The research and awareness-raising about Armenians living in Turkey opened a discussion, which rarely takes place among us all around the world. It was emotional for everyone in the audience to learn that the ones who were not able to escape from Western Armenia during the genocide formed the first generation of “hidden Armenians.” Their descendants are now steadily discovering their past and getting the courage to speak up about where they belong. I left this session realizing how important it is for us as Armenians to broaden our worldview and expand the notion of Armenian identity to be more open and inclusive, both within our communities and in the outside world.
Being a frontline activist of the social and economic issues our country faces, I was delighted to have the chance to listen to the viewpoints of my peers. The guest speakers Antranig Kasbarian, Kristi Rendahl, and Alex Sardar engaged the audience in a very knowledgeable and active discussion on the problems that are there—and the role of smart and energetic young people in bringing about change.
Armenian youth need a platform from which to discuss and work out ways for direct engagement in the Armenian reality, despite living far away, on the other side of the world. I hope initiatives like this will build the ground and be the foundation for it.
Marine Margaryan
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- Bridging Armenian Identities - March 12, 2014
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