Life As An Armenian

[Nané]

Do you ever feel like LIFE is harder on you because you are Armenian?

 

What problems do you face as an Armenian by identity (external conflicts) and an Armenian by nature and essence (internal conflicts)?

[Pilafhead]

None that I know of. Maybe sometimes when I'm dressed in just jeans and a flannel, old jermags look down at me.



Besides a hot temper?!...

The main internal conflict is the feeling it is my duty to pass along the heritage to my children and grandchildren. It's a self-imposed responsibility that I'm gladly accepting, but it still does add a bit of pressure.

[Ogen]

The only thing i have a problem is that NO ONE has ever heard of Armenians or Armenia for that matter. Mer Mayra kaghakne yev voch mega keade menk ovenk gam oore mer seerelee Hayastane. I hate it when people ask me what my nationality is and when i say i'm Armenian, they draw a blank face and go..." What the hell is Armenian" We are people too and no one knows about us or what the Turkish did to us in 1915

[Azat]

I feel like life has been easier for me becasue I am Armenian, not harder.

 

No external conflicts, just internat. I for some reason feel like i need to do "Armenian things" to be part of the group because I do not want to loose my heritage.

[MJ]

None.

[Nané]

I envy you. Really

[MJ]

I am ready to provide weekly classes in shaping proper self-confidence. Free up to certain level.

[armeniangirl83]

Here are much Turks, but they are i think every were, but here are more Turks than trees. But what i would to say: It's shit for me when i walk in the big cities here and they (Turks especcially) known that i'm armenian. An Turk had once a time said: ''What are you Armenian? We have killed them, why do you in live?

'Such things said them. Or one girl in my school, she Turks. She has asked to me:what are you? I had said Armenian. And you never believe what they asked!!:What is that an Armenian and where is Armenia?

 

And she is NOT a dumb girl. She know it.

 

But when anti-turks hear that i'm an armenian and also a Turkhater, they are happy, and don't do anything to me.

 

I live in Europe but it's here also dangerous to say that you're an Armenian.

 

But now i most to go to my art lessons on school. I'm a little bit late!!!

 

web page

[Nané]

Oh Martin, self-confidence is not what I lack Its just that sometimes I find the "Armenian" and the "Homosapian" inside me going head to head But things are improving with time ... its a constant maturation process

Thanx for the offer though

[alpha]

Life as Armenian in Yerevanian dialect can be classified as: kaif

[MJ]

Dear Aneta,

When the "Armenian" and the "Homo Sapian" in you go head-to-head, let the "Homo Sapian" prevail.

Keep processing mature constancy.

P.S. By the way, from the way it sounds, it seems like "Homo Sapian" is Armenian, too. What's the problem?

[ April 06, 2001: Message edited by: MJ ]

[koko]

Has any of you experienced personal rasicm from turks or others, for beeing armenian?

[edg]

I experienced that only once back in California but my friend and I got back at him really good.

[armeniangirl83]

koko : Has any of you experienced personal rasicm from turks or others, for beeing armenian?

 

Yes we have. The Turks are the badest rasist.

[Boghos]

I strongly believe, to mw own sorrow, that an Armenian´s worst enemy is another Armenian. Why ? Well, this by itself would require a book. Please just make some of Baliozian´s words mine. Not all just some.

 

Actually up to the fall of the USSR Armenians were usually very well regarded almost everywhere. Immigration mostly from Armenia has changed that dramatically. Please do not start a shouting match over this. It is true. Most people pay for the exceptions. But thatps how it is. Genocide immigrants were viewed as hard working, reliable, polite, etc. The new arrivals have quite a different image.

[edg]

Boghos jan do you have a lot of Armenian immigrants in Brazil?

[Berj]

Boghos,

No shouting. Just read your own lines. And after reading them for some 10 times, count how many Hayastantsis with "quite a different image" you've got on this forum.

[ARMINE36]

In my opinion, I think life as an Armenian girl is hard. I think there are too many demands to be the perfect girl.

[Boghos]

I have been to this forum almost from the beginning. I have deep respect for many of the people here, for a variety of reasons. It makes no difference to me if they are Hayastantsis, from Syria or wherever. I have never made that distinction.

We must however recognize realities for how they are, and not for how we wished they were. When an Armenian judge in California expresses her thoughts about how the reputation of Armenians have been essentially destroyed, one must wonder what is happening.

I have no desire to judge Armenians from this or that place collectively. I am not interested in sweeping value judgement statements.

Moreover I see no harm in discussing these issues openly. Actually I have done it already, in this very same place. If I remember correctly MJ was one of the active, and as usual worthy participants.

One is still to explain to me why, and this is a disapora phenomenon, Armenians so much envy and despise their own countrymen. Yes, this is a sweeping generalization. But I am afraid it is a proper one.

[Boghos]

We don´t have a lot. About 25 000. Most, 20 000 living in São Paulo (two schools, three churches, AGBU and a an ARF center), a few thousand in Rio and the rest spread around the country.

The great majority immigrated in the 20´s and 30´s from Turkey, via Syria, Lebanon. A few hundred came later from Egypt, Lebanon. Finally we got some from Armenia. Brazil did not attract much of the post WWII immigration waves out of the Middle East or Armenia.

This is not a very old, but it is a dying community. Literacy in Armenian is very low, probably 10% at the most. The Armenian schools cannot compete with the best schools in the country, hence most parents do not have their kids educated in those schools.

It is also a reasonably insular communtiy, even though there are long standing contacts with the much larger (100 000) and better organized Argentine community.

We have an Armenian consulate in São Paulo which responds to the embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina. This is an unusual arrangement, but it arose from the lobbying of the community at the federal level. There is a subway station called Armenia. And one member of parliament of Armenian origin.

[Berj]

No problem Boghos jan, let's discuss it. As much as I have read in the news, the local Armenians are making the biggest fuss over this "reputation" thing. All other ethnic groups understand that immigrants usually behave like that.

[shiner]

There is no doubt that recent immigrants form Armenia have contributed their fair share in damaging the positive reputation of Armenians. But I think just as big of a factor is time; no ethnic group is as "clean" as it was 50 years ago. Armenians from other countries also have more negative elements among them than they did half a century ago. We are almost at the point where all ethnic groups, in particular immigrants, are being viewed negatively. The young generations of all nationalities are picking up on bad habits their parents and grandparents never imagined. I think it is the disadvantage of Westernization and stepping into the 21st century. Armenians have fallen victims to it as has everybody else.

 

I myself used to worry about the negative image of Armenians today, as compared to a few decades ago. Then I realized that all nationalities are in the same boat (in terms of being viewed more negatively today than a while back). A more accurate way of analyzing this, is comparing Armenians of today with other groups of today (not Armenians of today to Armenians of yesterday). How are Armenians today viewed as opposed to other nationalities? And I think we should compare immigrants with immigrants, old timers with old timers, scientists with scientists, etc. Then we should draw one big general conclusion, as to where Armenians stand among the worlds other ethnicities.

[dragon]

Interesting topic, which reminds you about the challenge of life, harder life than the Hell sometimes, full of hate, ignorance, intolerance most of the time, but it is devine language and respectful culture at the same time: it is the place where contradictions meet and make your life more meaningful and full of love.

 

Dragon

[Berj]

Almost every time I talk with a European (who has never been to Armenia) about Armenians, the first direct or hidden estimation of our character I get is:

"You're cunning and greedy"

 

This lable is a big shame for me. Considering that Hayastantsis are at least not greedy, I want to know which country's Armenian community and emmigrants behave this way to bring this shame on us? Surely, I'm generelising.

[Boghos]

The impression I always get is that people think of Armenians, rightly or wrongly, as savvy businessmen. Stereotypes are always dangerous but it is interesting to note that Armenians unlike Jews do not face the same type of prejudice even though their diasporas are similar in some respects.

 

Perhaps the fact that Armenians never in a major way engaged in banking, with the exception of the Ottoman Empire, contributes to that. Perhaps thousands of other reasons as well.

 

I think, we, as a people are not exempted from having greedy or generous individuals.