Growing up in the American diaspora, there were countless “baby boomer” Armenians who longed for an independent Armenia. They grew up when the Armenian flag was not listed at the United Nations, and there were blank faces among their American friends when asked if they knew of Armenians. It was a dream from our grandparents, survivors of the genocide, that was passed to their children, the first generation born outside the Armenian historical homeland. It didn’t matter whether we were born
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An excellent piece, Mr. Piligian, that deserves to be read widely. The historical background was accurate and insightful, the approach toward both the nation-state and the diaspora was fair, and the conclusion you reached would create the best circumstances for all Armenians today.
Yes, April 24 takes a new meaning. The PM Nikol Pashinyan’s this April 24 statement makes it evident. There is no newness in substance. The newness is the formalizing at the highest state level, what has been the case since May 28, 1918; Armenia has not had, and does not have, and the unavoidable conclusion for me is that, Armenia will not have territorial, and Armenian Genocide recognition demands from Turkey.
The loss of Artsakh will compound and test Armenia and Diaspora relations, two camps with different perspectives, to the hilt.
As an American of Armenian descent living in the Diaspora, my voice and vote count if I live IN Armenia. Period. Otherwise, do not yell from Glendale, Pasadena, New Jersey, or any other city and nation outside of Armenia what you want Armenia and Armenians to do inside Armenia. If I can’t tell you what to do in your own home, don’t tell me what to do in mine unless you live inside my house, pay rent, water the lawn, and participate in defending and caretaking my home which now becomes OUR home. Artsakh was a loss, yes, but it was never a win. Opponents of Pashinyan are furious that he did not send the Armenian military to help defend Artsakh. These are the same fools who A.) don’t live in Armenia, B.) would never send their own sons to serve and fight in Armenia’s military, and C.) forget that an attack by Armenia would trigger a counter-attack by Turkey’s massive army and military who would crush Armenia in a second and like an ant. Armenia’s post independence borders were not drawn to include Artsakh in it. Artsakh was unfortunately drawn and given to Azerbaijan (like Nakhichevan) and Armenia is (still) too poor, too underpopulated, and too weak to have any military influence over its neighbors. Until then, as much as Pashinyan has “given away”, he has also kept, attempting to restore, and strengthen. The fact that he is throwing fraudsters in jail is a massive step forward from the mob bosses Armenia has had as Presidents. More work is being done to distance Armenia away from Russia and closer to the West and Europe. While I caution Armenia not to believe that the West and Europe will save and protect it and should develop its own economy and nuclear weapons, it is moving in the right direction (away from Russia). I don’t love Pashinyan; I hate corruption more and want to see a safe, prosperous, modern and more populated Armenia, and Pashinyan has finally been the one to begin doing those things. If Artsakh leaders return to Armenia, they are going to stir trouble that Armenia does not need. Artsakh is a DONE DEAL. PERIOD. just like Western Armenia. Whoever continues to bang those drums is again, a fool. We have what we have and should–no, MUST–do everything we can to make Armenia as powerful and prosperous as possible with as much help from the Diaspora as it can provide. If you don’t like Pashinyan or any leader, move to Armenia and vote against him in the next election.