Northeastern ASA Hosts Lecture on Post-WWII Armenian Identity

BOSTON, Mass. (A.W.)—On Wed., Nov. 28, Northeastern University’s Armenian Students Association (ASANU) hosted a lecture by Prof. Greg Aftandilian on how World War II affected the Armenian-American community and altered the identity of the second generation.

Prof. Greg Aftandilian

The presentation focused on the evolving identity struggle between the pre-WWII and post-WWII generations. The pre-WWII generation was mainly comprised of genocide survivors, who were stigmatized for “not being American enough,” explained Aftandilian.

“They entered into compatriotic marriages and grew up in ghettoized communities,” he continued. Following this generation, however, the Armenian community—as well as many other ethnic groups that were previously shunned from mainstream American culture—became more accepted as “Americans,” and viewed less as “foreigners.” These children were the ones who were actively engaged in the war; the men fought overseas for the U.S. and the women aided with the war effort at home by entering the workforce, running church and local Armenian political organizations, and assisting their immigrant parents.

The Armenian parents of this young generation carried an extra burden, compared to most American-born parents—that is, the emotional trauma of their children possibly meeting the same fate as their loved ones during the genocide. Many of these parents went into depression and psychological breakdowns when their sons went missing in battle, or worse.

However, many of the children did not know about their parents’ experiences during the genocide, as the latter rarely opened up and told their stories. Even when they did, the real horror of the tragedy was difficult to comprehend until seeing the equivalent in WWII, with the violence against the Jews under the Nazi regime.

Hence, the WWII generation began to cultivate a greater understanding and appreciation for their Armenian identity. When the soldiers were away from home, they realized the beauty of their Armenian heritage; at the same time, they were being more accepted into the American culture.

As Aftandilian succinctly stated, “The post-WWII generation did not have as many complexes as the previous generation because they no longer held a ‘foreigner’ status. This made them feel more secure as Americans.”

Following the lecture, Marc Mamigonian, the director of programs and publications at the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR), was available to answer questions about the organization, and offered all students a free one-year membership to NAASR. Copies of the NAASR’s most recent newsletter were available, as well as complimentary Armenian refreshments.

The event was the third installment of lectures for the fall 2012 semester by the Greater Boston College ASAs. It followed the Nov. 2 dinner and lecture on the crisis facing the Syrian-Armenian community by the Armenian Student Organization (ASO) of the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences’ (MCPHS), and the social gathering held by Boston University’s ASA on Sept.30.

Lilly Torosyan

Lilly Torosyan

Lilly Torosyan is a freelance writer based in Connecticut. Her writing focuses on the confluence of identity, diaspora and language – especially within the global Armenian communities. She has a master’s degree in Human Rights from University College London and a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Boston University, where she served on the ASA Executive Board. She is currently working on her inaugural poetry collection.

1 Comment

  1. Hi Gregg, Your lecture on WWII Armenian Identity was most welcomed by this writer: My father labored long hours at Picatinny Arsenal in NJ and my mother worked at Grumman Aircraft factory as “Rosie the Riveter”. Neither had any formal education.

    Your statement “They entered into compatriotic” marriage described their situation exactly. A family relative had given my father a photo of my mother then living in a girls orphanage in Greece and told him to go to Athens to marry her. She then joined the ranks of “picture brides” giving birth to two children for the sake of the Armenian Race!

    “Vee”

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