How Armenian are you, really?

Zoe, what an impressive article you’ve written! You are a talented writer and a deep thinker. Your observations about what it means to be Armenian, particularly in the diaspora, are truly insightful. As your relative, I salute you and wish you continued success in your writing and journalistic career.

Wonderful article! I hope the first of more from Zoe.

A beautiful and meaningful essay. Identity in the diaspora is a choice through an emotional connection to one or many aspects of our culture. It has nothing to do with skin tone , hair color or %. Your words are so important and relevant to most diaspora Armenians. Please continue to write.

First off, I say if you feel Armenian down to your bones so to speak then you are one. Having said that, I can understand the lack of structured linguistic transmission, i.e. lack of Armenian schools or the Armenian language not spoken or practiced at home, and the dominance of the local language contributing to the erosion and even complete loss of fluency in one’s mother tongue, but I never understood how the pressures of assimilation could have such a major effect or be one of the main factors in not knowing or learning Armenian. For example, if for Armenians say in Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Iran and many others places the pressure of assimilation not only has never been an issue to pass the Armenian language onto the new Armenian generations but that they have actively pursued and invested in it by building Armenian schools and teaching full Armenian curriculums and this in countries where the freedom of minorities, unlike in western countries, is limited or even restricted, then why is it that in western countries practically with unlimited freedom Armenians have felt so much pressure to assimilate that they have all but given up on the Armenian language altogether?

I can’t say that one’s degree or level of Armenian-ness is measured by how fluent one is in the Armenian language but I think a common language plays a major role in uniformity and even acceptance amongst one’s peers. For example, I have noticed that in the United States if you speak English fluently despite the fact that you look very different from the mainstream Americans that difference is ignored and is a non-issue because there is that language connection. But in the same example if you also happen to speak with broken English then the focus is shifted and placed more on who you are and where you come from instead. So, I would say even though language fluency can not necessarily be used as a measure of “How Armenian you really are”, it is a major factor in how you are perceived by native speakers. Furthermore, given the fact that there are two to three times as many Armenians living outside of Armenia, as you mentioned, not knowing the language most likely prevents you from interacting and communicating with millions of fellow Armenians that could potentially be a critical learning experience. Language in many instances is not just a method of communication alone and it can also be a shield against assimilation.