America’s “hidden” Armenians
We have heard and read a lot about the hidden Armenians in Turkey. We know how they became hidden during and after the Armenian Genocide. Thousands of orphaned young boys and girls were taken in by Turkish or Kurdish families and raised as Muslims. Many others converted to Islam to avoid being killed. They basically had no choice.
Who and what are the “hidden” Armenians in the United States today? Are they hidden by force (as in Turkey) or by choice? America has been called the melting pot of nations for a reason. Almost every race, ethnic and religious population currently exists in the United States. The freedoms and opportunities offered here were almost non-existent in the countries from which immigrants came. Many who arrived by the hundreds of thousands settled in communities with others from their homeland. They established churches, community centers and other organizations, forming ghettos.
Currently, in the United States, those of Irish heritage number approximately 39 million, Italians 17 million and German and Poles about 10 million each. How many Armenians? Those who overtly identify as Armenians are said to number close to a million, perhaps more. They are centered around major cities, such as Boston, New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Detroit, Providence and Philadelphia. In those areas are Armenian churches, schools and community centers.
So, who would the “hidden” Armenian Americans be? They are those born and raised in isolated parts of the United States where no active Armenian community existed. I grew up in Buffalo, New York, where there were perhaps 20-25 Armenian families and no church or community center. I was fortunate to have parents who instilled in me the pride of being Armenian, teaching me Armenian history and speaking to me in Armenian.
Some other families were not interested in their Armenian heritage and did not speak the language at home. Their children grew up, married non-Armenians and their children did the same. They might only know that they have an Armenian last name from their ancestors’ arrival in the United States. Some even changed their names (e.g., Petrosian became Peterson). In larger ethnic communities, such as Italian or Irish Americans, many married within their group. Although mixed marriages occurred, major ethnic centers and churches helped keep their identity.
Hidden Armenians in America may have some idea that they have Armenian ancestry but know little else about what it means to be Armenian. They have assimilated into American society and have little to no interest in seeking out their Armenian roots.
Can this change? If so, how? Those interested can pursue genealogy search, DNA testing or explore media and podcasts on Armenian history and culture and current issues. YouTube offers videos for learning the Armenian language, history and other cultural aspects. The key is motivating these individuals to seek out their roots and engage with Armenian issues as much as possible through social media and community initiatives.
That is the challenge. Even with 5% Armenian blood, you can refer to yourself as Armenian, if you connect with the culture, language, food, history and traditions.
https://armenianweekly.com/2012/01/22/hamparian-were-all-armenians/
Surely the figure for German Americans must be higher than 10 million. They should totally take DNA tests!
Correct. It should be between 40-45 million with Italians close to 20 million.
Assimilation is a double-edged sword for every diaspora, regardless of country. The biggest threat facing the Armenian Diaspora, and every diaspora, is assimilation. Any ethnic group who is living outside its homeland as an ethnic minority, inevitably assimilates to the larger society, when parents don’t pass the language, culture and traditions, and through intermarriage. There is the urge by the diaspora to integrate into the larger society while trying to keep its language, culture and traditions alive and pass it on to the next generations. On the other hand, there is the powerful and inevitable process of assimilation, in which diaspora identity becomes diluted and even disappears, with only surnames being left as a vestige of one’s heritage. The much larger and older Italian, German or Irish diasporas, whether they live in the United States, Canada, Australia, Brazil or Argentina, are virtually fully assimilated, to the point where the only visible vestige of their heritage today is only their surname. Hence the dilemma.