Armenians in the World Today: the Formation of the Big Diaspora
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Armenians in the World Today: the Formation of the Big Diaspora Armenians in the World Today: the Formation of the Big Diaspora Susan Martirosyan The distinctness of Armenian nation has Armenian communities outside Armenia found expression in a great number of aspects: have existed for centuries, stretching from the language (a one-language language group Singapore to Venice and from Esfahan to within the Indo-European language family, with Amsterdam. These communities were actively two standardized forms: Eastern and Western); engaged in trade and largely contributed, on the the alphabet (own alphabet of 39 letters, that one hand, to the economy, and on the other centuries ago was also used as a numerical hand to identity maintenance, political system by Armenians); the Church (Armenian mobilization, and knowledge transfer6. Many Apostolic). Another distinctive feature is the important communities existed in Italy, Poland, Armenian Diaspora. Armenians, along with India, Egypt, etc. Past invasions and foreign Jews, represent a rare example of a nation, the occupation of Armenia, the shaky political majority of whose representatives live outside situation, the division of Armenia between the homeland. Turkey and Persia (later between Turkey and Russia), all contributed to many Armenians The total number of Armenians residing leaving their homeland and creating small in Armenia, according to UN data, is around 3 communities abroad. During the Middle Ages million1, whereas the number of those outside is and up to the 18th century these communities estimated to be, according to different sources, played an active role in international trade. So 6-7 million. Jews abiding in Israel total 5.9 much so, that British colonizers considered million, whereas the Jewish Diaspora comprises them competitors and sought ways to oust them more than 7 million people2. The biggest from the market. Because of such a policy, the Diasporas in the world are Chinese and Indian, Armenian network in Asia and especially in but they do not by any means exceed the Africa was severely damaged7. The populations in their respective countries as in geographical position, connecting Europe with the two cases mentioned above3. Asia, the North with the South, and through which passed important trading routes, while Today the largest Armenian being crucial for the development of trade, communities are in Russia (2.25 million), USA proved to be fatal for political instability, (1.5 million), France (about 450,000). Other constant conquests by foreigners and endless significant communities are in Georgia, struggle for freedom8. Argentina, Lebanon, Iran, Poland, Ukraine, Germany, Australia, Brazil and Canada4. Despite having such active colonies Another very important community used to abroad for a long time, the formation of the exist in Syria, but after recent events most Diaspora, the 'diasporization' of the nation, Armenians have fled the country, many of them however, has resulted from the mass asking for residency in Armenia5. extermination of Armenians by the Turks (1915-1916). In this context, the Armenian Diaspora is often regarded as a 'victim numero uno 57 febbraio 2014 Spazio aperto/Open Space Diaspora', that shares common features with What was left after the Genocide and the Jewish and African ones. However, regarding formation of Soviet Armenia in 1922 was one the Jewish case, there are many significant tenth of one time Greater Armenia, a small, differences. The Jewish Diaspora had already rocky and devastated territory full of orphans been in existence for 2000 years when the and refugees. Moreover, Communist Russia's Holocaust occurred, while a significant pressure compelled new waves of Armenians to Armenian Diaspora emerged for the first time leave the country for North America and after the Armenian massacres of the late 19th Europe14. century and especially during World War I. Armenians were an indigenous population The interwar period (1920-1945) was where they lived, whereas Jews were a minority marked by a 'parallel' rebuilding. While in Germany. Nazis regarded Jews as racially devastated Soviet Armenia was reshaping its inferior, whereas Armenians were accused of socio-economic structure according to Soviet elitism by the Young Turks9, as they were principles, the Armenians scattered over the relatively wealthy and hard-working. Nazi world were adapting to their host countries. The Germany was in an advanced stage of Genocide survivors were in great psychological modernization, whereas the Ottoman Empire and economic disarray. They faced major was more regressed10. Having lost much of the hardships regarding the language in the foreign Ottoman Empire, the Turks were also afraid of countries where they arrived, finding jobs, and losing the Armenian parts. They therefore integrating to a new world and a new mentality. began mass deportation and killings of It took them decades to straighten their backs Armenians. It is estimated that from 1915 to and to be able to stand firmly on their feet. 1922 around 1.5 million Armenians were killed Eventually, they organized themselves and or died of starvation. The Turks, however, to established schools, cultural centers, churches this day refuse to call the tragic events and economic enterprises. The Armenian ‘genocide’. Ironically enough, so does the language has not only been maintained, but has Israeli State, whose people suffered a similar also been consolidated through education and calamity only a few decades later11. mass media15. The survivors fled to the nearest Initially, most Genocide survivors were locations: Aleppo, then onwards to other cities farmers; in the Middle East they were in Syria, to Lebanon, Iraq, Iran, Palestine and prominent in photography and in other modern, Egypt. Certain Armenian settlements had technical professions. In the United States they already been established; they enlarged these were known as rug merchants since they settlements, as well as creating new ones12. dominated the oriental carpet business. The However, not everything turned out to be that second generation was mainly involved in easy. As Armenians put it, ‘Ours is a story of managerial occupations, while third generation moving, rebuilding, moving again’. In fact, Armenians and immigrants after World War II some will make a number of attempts to find a are educated professionals and permanent home. A lot of Armenians residing businesspeople16. in Europe and in North America today have migrated from Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Iraq and A lot of Diaspora Armenians achieved Iran, where the unstable political situation, great success in the host countries and nationalism and violence forced them to seek a contributed to their arts, social and economic new haven13. life. Today they can be found in all arts and professions. Some of the most prominent representatives of the Diaspora are: in France, numero uno 58 febbraio 2014 Armenians in the World Today: the Formation of the Big Diaspora Charles Aznavour, Henri Verneuil, Eduard Armenians, many of them Genocide survivors, Balladur (former Prime Minister), Parick Fiori; repatriated to Soviet Armenia20. in Russia, Arno Babajanian, Ivan Isakov, Gary Kasparov; in the USA, William Saroyan, Arshil The role of the Diaspora was eminent in Gorky, George Deukmejian (the Governor of carrying out various humanitarian and California from 1983 to 1991). In France they reconstruction activities in Armenia. After the are mainly found in the field of arts and sports, disastrous earthquake of 1988, which left in the USA in enterprise and the sciences; in almost no stone unturned in the North of Soviet Turkey in linguistics and architecture (in 2010 Armenia, the Diaspora was among the first to an exhibition titled “Armenian Architects of respond with humanitarian and monetary help21. Istanbul in the Era of Westernization,” featuring In an interview conducted during the Karot photos of 100 buildings constructed by 40 (Nostalgia) Cultural Festival in 2010, the Armenian architects who lived in Istanbul at the famous French actor, Gerard Depardieu, end of the 19th century and the beginning of the pointed out in surprise that he knows fourth 20th century, was opened in Istanbul)17. Many generation Armenians in France who still speak Diaspora Armenians have changed their last the language. He perceives this as “carrying on names, partly because they tend to be long and living with the shadows of ancestors”22. A are easy to misspell and mispronounce and Syrian Armenian once interpreted the difficult to remember, partly because it is easier phenomenon of the preservation of the language to get promoted with a shorter last name that and national identity by the notion that ‘people sounds more native, especially in countries such out there in the Diaspora adore Armenia’. Love as Turkey and Russia. Having found themselves and nostalgia are handed down from older in an unfavorable position, in these foreign generations to the younger ones. The nostalgia countries, they had to put in more effort to gain is not so much about the Republic, the territory recognition and lead a worthy life. that remains from the vast historical Armenia, The Armenian people did not only survive the but the lands they heard so much about from nightmare and tackle difficulties; they their early childhood, the cities their ancestors organized themselves to become one of the fled from: Van, Mush, Erzurum, Sason, most vivacious and salient diasporas in the Ardahan. Pilgrimages, however, are organized world. They adapted to circumstances without both to today’s Eastern Turkey, and to the 'giving in to assimilation' and establishing Republic of Armenia. various benevolent, cultural and political organizations18. In her article ‘What it Means to Today there exist volunteer and be Armenian’, Dafina Boshnakova writes, internship programs for Diaspora Armenians ‘Their solidarity is so popular that Bulgarians aiming to strengthen ties with the homeland. started joking that all you need is put three Festivals and cultural programs are organized to Armenians together and they will immediately bring together the Armenians of Armenia and build a church, found a school and start those in Diaspora.