Maral Posted March 21, 2006 Report Share Posted March 21, 2006 (edited) My daughters pointed something out to me...one of them is reading a book...and when she gets home later I will post the title...one of the scenarios is about the mother forcing the daughter to eat the prepared dinner...and that there are lots of starving Armenians who would appreciate a meal... my older daughter mentioned that she has read the same inference in another book....there must be a good reason that people talked about these 'starving Armenians' right? Interesting non? Arpa...any thoughts? Edited March 21, 2006 by Maral Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted March 21, 2006 Report Share Posted March 21, 2006 My daughters pointed something out to me...one of them is reading a book...and when she gets home later I will post the title...one of the scenarios is about the mother forcing the daughter to eat the prepared dinner...and that there are lots of starving Armenians who would appreciate a meal... my older daughter mentioned that she has read the same inference in another book....there must be a good reason that people talked about these 'starving Armenians' right? Interesting non? Arpa...any thoughts? Maral If you don't mind me answering, I think that saying came from the Genocide era. The Christian missionaries did collect donations during that time to help Armenians and the papers of the time wrote about the Armenian suffering in great details. Also some of the Armenian orphans came to America and lived in orphanges thus creating the starving Armenian phrase. If this explanation is not accurate my apologies to Arpa. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vava Posted March 21, 2006 Report Share Posted March 21, 2006 In Peter Balakian's book, The Burning Tigris, he spends quite afew chapters discussing the missionary movements in the United States and their championing the cause of the Starving Armenians. I believe the term first appeared on the American landscape during the Hamidian massacres in the 1890's, and not the Genocide of 1915. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maral Posted March 21, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 21, 2006 (edited) Ok that's exactly what I was telling the girls last night... just wanted to show them that there is so much proof out there for the genocide and the turks still try and deny it... I guess I just grasped a concept that has been around for a while Edited March 21, 2006 by Maral Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fadix2 Posted March 21, 2006 Report Share Posted March 21, 2006 Near East and Middle East committees has published paintings titled 'starving Armenians' They are probably those having popularised those expressions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zartonk Posted March 21, 2006 Report Share Posted March 21, 2006 As vava mentioned, Balakian's book provides an in depth analysis of the role of the Armenian Genocide in the flourishing of humanitarian movements and campaigns in America and Britain. The orphaned, malnourished survivors represented the situation of Armenia herself. I have also heard that this stereotype was the reason that Vostanig Adonian changed his name to a stronger, Russian Arshile (steel) Gorky after arriving in the States Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sip Posted March 22, 2006 Report Share Posted March 22, 2006 They might have been referring to me, before I went to the buffet today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted March 22, 2006 Report Share Posted March 22, 2006 They might have been referring to me, before I went to the buffet today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arpa Posted March 22, 2006 Report Share Posted March 22, 2006 (edited) They might have been referring to me, before I went to the buffet today. Yervant’s take is close. And, Sip, one more trip to the buffet we’re gonna khorovel your tuffet :) As in many other opinions you may find mine about the subject a little heretical. I have, at times been astonished how some Armenians are extremely sensitive about this term. I have seen some of them spin into a tizzy and almost ready to physically attack those who may have used. Even though very few even remember. Only today, at work, however the conversation came to Italian heritage, one special older gentleman, and I mean gentle man is of Italian heritage. Somehow the word “guniea” came about. Do you guys know that among other epithets some refer to the Italians as “guineas”(I can explaine if needed). It turned out he or none of the others knew the origin of it. I was explaining it to them as related to me by a Catholic priest of Italian ancestry. And, of course, any time we talk about Italian heritage things like “mafia”, “pasta fazule” etc. come up. And this Italian gentleman was so amused by all the talk, he added a few of his insider jokes. A long time ago, I had practically just arrived in America I worked with an even older, he had to be old as you will see, this was in a small American town with no Armenian residents, when he saw my surname he immediately recognized it as Armenian. I was amazed. When asked how, he said; “of course, who can forget the ‘starving Armenian’”. He was a young man during those years. I took it as a compliment, and we talked about the subject. It also turned out that he was not a “fan” of the Turks, to put it mildly. As I said above, I have seen some Armenians take extreme offense at the term. Their take may be interpreted in today’s terms. Fortunately, today there are far less “starving” Armenians, and , relatively speaking a smaller percentage of Armenians are on public assistance, to many going to the welfare office is tantamount to death. So to me a term as that cannot be an insult but a compliment, an acknowledgement, a proof that someone knows about us and our history. The term came about during and after the Genocide. As it is the case America is a country of slogans. We can cite some of the slogans, both pro and con during times of crisis, particularly during the big wars. We all remember “Rosie the Riveter” etc. During the Genocide and its aftermath many a mother(father) would use the fate of Armenians, particularly children to impress on their children to be frugal, unwasteful and generous. During mealtime when their children would not be thrilled with the food, such as spinach etc. play with it, not finish their plate and so on, the parents would admonish them saying; “You should be thankful, remember the Starving Armenians”. Besides, they would also remember the “starving Armenian” in their prayers of thanks at the dinner table and urge their children to donate their pennies for the cause. There were many concerted drives to raise funds, mostly, as mentioned by Yervant organized by the missionaries, be they Protestant, Catholic or else. The coinage stuck, and even today there may be some who remember it. Is it insulting or painful? An insult is not an insult unless the recipient actually feels and thinks that one is what the insult refers to. I have said this before; We can call any one crazy except those who think they are crazy. It also reminds us of another American cliché; “You can call me anything , just don’t forget to call me for dinner”. Starving Armenian, prosperous Armenian any kind of Armenian. Just keep the letters and cards coming. Another reason we have been called “starving Armenians” is because Sip is always beating the rest of us to the buffet table. Hey Mosjan, can we tie him down when the dinner bell rings? :) Edited March 22, 2006 by Arpa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azat Posted March 22, 2006 Report Share Posted March 22, 2006 Domino is correct as well as there were printed campaigns with that slogan as well by the church to collct money for the orphans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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