Family Trees from Burma

Nation but mostly on the feast days of Easter and Christmas. We could not understand the sermons.” Noel explains further that Family Trees when there was a marriage in Burma between a Burmese-Armenian and Iranian-Armenian, their children would not speak Armenian. But if the couple married in Iran and then moved to Burma, their children would speak Armenian. from Burma Exposure to his roots was heightened when Noel spent his summers with his Bordering the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal, with China to its north and Thailand to its Iranian-Armenian cousins, attending southeast, lies the country of Burma. This land, larger than Spain and Portugal combined, is a church and singing in the choir. Noel began attending the American resource-rich country and can sustain itself by what nature has provided. Currently known as Baptist College Judson College in Rangoon Myanmar, Burma has been influenced by many cultures, religions and governments. While it to study medicine. The college was closed during the spring due to unbearable heat. was under British rule, Armenians played an integral role in its transformation. Noel and his cousins spent their youthful High-ranking priest, Grandfather days at the resort town Maymyo. One Ter Essai Johanness of the Martins, Text Ani Garibyan | Photo courtesy of Vahe Apcar day when they were biking back to the and family, 1918 1929 resort, Noel’s cousin demanded, “Come on! We must follow that car!” To which, Noel asked, “What for?” and his cousin explained that a girl in the car winked Only a handful of at him. They quickened their pace in an attempt to reach the vehicle. The cousins Armenian merchants were unable to match the speed of the uthor Margaret Sarkissian taking both sides. To the Europeans, they married priest would move to Burma, car, but they managed to catch her name initially settled in A explains in Armenians in South-East Asia: were more like them, and to the Asians, and so the higher-ups in Constantinople – Nancy. They crossed paths again when Crossroads: An Interdisciplinary Journal of they were more Asian than European. sent Mackertich to Burma to be the two years later Nancy attended Judson Burma. Once their Southeast Asian Studies that in 1605, “with Armenians were able to establish a trading community’s priest.” Shortly thereafter, College to also study medicine. She turned families immigrated the aim of stimulating trade within his network that spanned from Holland to Mackertich met fellow Armenian Miss out to be Noel’s future wife. dominions, Shah Abbas [of Persia] resettled China.” Johannes, and they married. In early 1942, Japan invaded Burma and there, the community many of the urban Armenians from Julfa [a Only a handful of Armenian merchants By this time Britain had occupied all of changed the country forever. Many fled to province in Ottoman Armenia] to the royal initially settled in Burma. Once their Burma and was ushering in a new era India, as did Noel’s cousins. They sneaked insisted on building capital at Isfahan [Persia] and granted them families immigrated there, the community in the region with English being the onto a boat in the dark and it wasn’t until a monopoly of the silk trade.” insisted on building an Armenian church main language of communication. It was months later that Noel received word an Armenian church. New Julfa soon became an epicenter and invited an Armenian priest to head replacing the traditional Hindustani and from a person named George Apcar that for trade between Europe and Persia. the church. The connection of Burma’s Burmese languages. they arrived safe and were doing well. Sarkissian, a professor of music at Smith first Armenian priest is where the stories “My great-grandmother did not speak Soon after that, Noel and his brother Hotel. Eventually, Noel and his cousins and Burmese, and Armenians and College, adds that, “Armenians had a great of native Burmese Noel Minus and John English. My father remembered growing headed out in a three-car convoy towards relocated to an isolated town in India to be Anglo-Burmese. There were not enough reputation for skill with languages and Martin come to play. up in the complex his grandmother had India. On the road, they were advised safe from bombings. Two months later, his Armenian girls for the men to marry.” often acted as interpreters for Europeans in created, not being able to speak to her in to abandon their cars because road brother joined them as well. Noel’s father Unlike many, Noel was fortunate enough Southeast Asia.” The Minus’ English. They would converse in either conditions were unstable and instead to stayed behind and luckily survived. to continue his education in India. Christianity also played a great role Noel Minus’ story began when his Burmese or Hindustani,” says Noel. “They travel by boat. They heeded the warning The marketplace in Calcutta was not only “I hated that university,” he admits. “I was when it came to trusting Armenians as great-grandfather Mackertich Minassian were more accustomed to Indian and and continued by boat. a place to purchase goods but also a place the only non-Indian there. In Burma, there the middlemen of trade. In Armenian (Minus, born in Shiraz, Iran) was sent to British food, but they were also exposed “At a certain point, the men would get off to receive information about friends and was much more diversity in students.” European Relationship in India, Bhaswati Mandalay as a priest. As Noel explains, to Armenian food such as dolma made of the boats and walk the rest of the way. At family. One night in the hustle and bustle Upon returning to Burma, he could not Bhattacharya, a lecturer of art and history “There was already an Armenian cabbage leaves.” times, we had to slash our way through of the market, Noel learned that Nancy find a government job. By then, it was at Erasmus University, writes: “When community living in Mandalay, which Noel’s grandparents’ ten children were the jungle,” says Noel. had also escaped to India. That same “Burma for the Burmese.” He quickly the Portuguese arrived in the East in the at that time was part of the Burmese mainly raised by servants who conversed The entire trek to India took about night, without a moment’s hesitation, understood that there was no future in sixteenth century, the other factor they Kingdom. The Armenian community had with the children in English, thus the 24 days. When they finally arrived in Noel went to her home and in 1945 they his birthplace. They decided to move to shared with the Armenians was faith: already built a church and was looking children never learned to speak Armenian. Calcutta, they reconnected with their married. Noel explains that “there was a Australia and as they prepared to go on Christianity. Armenians were good at for a priest, preferably from Persia. No Noel recalls, “We used to go to church friends at the Armenian-owned Agabeg lot of intermarriage between Armenians their journey the Burmese closed all ports 114 | July/August 2013 2013 July/August | 115 Nation Sarkies Brothers Johanness family The Strand Hotel in Rangoon, According to CNN Travel, The brothers, bought what was Herbert Hoover, who was also in New Julfa, Burma was considered the Strand Hotel has played host to once the British Burma Hotel the first American president to 1895 jewel of the hotels owned by many famous individuals. Some and renamed it “The Sarkies visit Burma. the Sarkies brothers. of them have included George Hotel.” Hoover had done so first in The brothers were born in Orwell, Noël Coward, Rudyard These hotels have been and 1905 prior to his presidency as Isfahan and singlehandedly Kipling, Somerset Maugham, continue to be landmarks in a mining engineer. During his in Burma. After a second attempt to leave, brought the concept of the David Rockefeller and George Burma and southeast Asia. visit, he met with A.C. Martin, they decided to remain and opened a luxury hotel chain to South- Soros. One of the biggest names Burma’s mining and railway business with Nancy’s brother. By the late east Asia. Aviet, one of the four Sarkies to visit Burma was President mogul. 1940s, Burma had gained independence, and it was difficult for a non-Burmese to build a solid future. “My cousins who had stayed on in India went to Hollywood, Calif. After a third John says, “There was a funny story attempt to move to Australia, we decided when my father explained to my uncle to head to California instead in 1951.” that if a customer comes in and you don’t have a certain product, suggest a different but similar type. One day, a customer came in and asked my uncle Burma’s mines if they had toilet paper. Not quite understanding, he said, ‘no, but will attracted President sandpaper do?’” John continued with another story regarding shoe polish Herbert Hoover, who that was named Cobra. “When another customer asked for Cobra boot polish, was known as an his uncle jumped on the counter and outstanding mining started yelling, ‘Cobra! Cobra!’” That uncle too was sent back to Iran. Dentist engineer. Hoover Dr. Yokohama warned the Martins to evacuate to India six months before Japan’s invasion of Burma. The worked closely Burmese Armenian children performing Martins would later learn that their with A.C. Martin. in a school play. dentist was a secret intelligence agent in the Japanese army. As the wealthy evacuated Rangoon, they entrusted The Martins would always host parties.

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