What kind of Armenian are you?

[Chubs]

Hello friends, since Armenians have one of the most diverse Diasporas I would like to hear some of your families stories and origins. Post what country your family came from or went to.
Ill start.
(Fathers side) father is an Armenian from Tehran. My grand mother is also one. My grandfather was a Artsahk Armo from Baku.
(Mothers side) My mother is an Armenian Italian born in Milan Italy. Her mother was a native Italian. Her father was a Lebanese Armenian
I am a first generation American Armenian. (Yes I am a nasty mafia AP glendale Armenian)

I would also like to add that my grandfather was the driver for the Shah of Iran before the revolution. Due to tensions he actually paid for my grandfather and grandmothers one way trip to Los Angeles. My grandmothers family was supposedly from the province of Van, and moved to Iran and changed their name to Nabati.

[Mher]

Re: What kind of Armenian are you?

Great idea man. It would nice to hear about everyone's background. Mine is not quiet as interesting.
Both sides of my family trace their history back for over four hundreds years to Iran, to Shah Abbas' deportation of some 300,000 Armenians from Nakhichevan to Isfahan in 1604. Originally Isfahan, then Armenian villages for a while, and Tehran for about 50 years. Though I did have a lot family members on both sides who repatriated in 1970 from Iran. We left Tehran for the holy kingdom of Glendale in 2002.

[Artashes]

Re: What kind of Armenian are you?

The holy kingdom of Glendale. Good one. The only time I went to Glendale was to visit Silvia Woods Harp store. I'm told she closed shop though.
My grandmother was (DerGarbedian) was born in Constantinople in 1901. By the time she was 14 she could speak 7 languages & write 5 of them. Only once, in a fit of anger did she tell me that on a certain day, suddenly the turks attacked every Armenian walking on the streets below a window she was looking out. It reminded me of "Crystal Night".
They may have stoped the continuous murdering because of foreign outcry in Constantinople, but in the beginning they tried to murder every Armenian openly. She said the entire street & sidewalk was completely covered in blood.
She was a fair skinned ,red headed Armenian girl and was hidden till my grandfather (her future husband) got her & some of her family out.
My grandfather (Humparsunian/Humparian) was born in Romania while his mother was visiting relatives that lived there. But he was western Armenian. Other than he joined the US army in WW1, I have trouble tracking because as little children I didn't have the presence of mind to asked pertinent questions. That was my mothers side.
My fathers side I know even less. I know they were eastern Armenians. I know my grandfather went into western Armenia twice. Once with the Russian army & once without. All he would tell his son (my father) is it was extremely ugly. My grandfather got his wife (Maruse Baghdasrian) out and went through many countries in order to get to America.
My grandfathers name was Simone Katangian.
The other side made it to France, then America. Or some went to France and some to America. Confusing.
Both sides saw horrors but would not talk. There was always a quiet or missing section as if they just suddenly were Americans & just appeared.
I didn't understand until after they passed & I started digging.
They didn't want the children to know.
Artashes

[Eddo211]

Re: What kind of Armenian are you?

What kind of Armenian are you?

The kind that gives the other Armenians a bad name......at least according to Turks.

[hrai]

Re: What kind of Armenian are you?

The kind that gives the other Armenians a bad name......at least according to Turks.

bell ?

And as for me....................Yerevantsi, yes a hill-villager ................................sitting on Eddo's shoulder.

[Eddo211]

Re: What kind of Armenian are you?

bell ?

No bell is just a Scottish pain in the butt, and no Azeris either......these are Turks who display/claim to be Graywolfs, some are kids but there are some real ones out there from western sites to middle eastern sites.

[Chubs]

Re: What kind of Armenian are you?

The kind that gives the other Armenians a bad name......at least according to Turks.

In what way lol? You are a Kardashian?

[Haykakan]

Re: What kind of Armenian are you?

My family roots go to western Armenia from towns like Kharbert. My grandmother told me her grandfather was the mayor of the town when the genocide started. They buried their belongings and got out of town just before it was put to the sword. My grandmother grew up in Krasnadar and endured the German invasion and occupation. She was the toughest women i have ever known who survived the genocide and WW2 and raised my father all alone since her husband never returned from the front. Her family was the Palians who were renowned architects who built many buildings in Turkey. My mothers side is from another town in western Armenia. My parents were both born in Armenia and both became doctors. Both sides were victims of the genocide who lost many family members and were dispossessed fleeing for their lives and found refuge in Armenia. I was born in Yerevan but have lived in the Detroit Area since childhood.

[Artashes]

Re: What kind of Armenian are you?

I can remember my father telling me that his father told him of Alexanropol in 1915.
My grandfather went into western Armenia once with the Russians & once (maybe more/confusing) without, and they launched through Alexandropol or were pushed out or withdrew to Alexandropol. The way the wording is, it's hard to tell which. I remember that my father was told it was extremely tense & everyone was confused & nervous/traumatized.
The way my father pronounced "Alexandropol" was different than the way he pronounced all other words. I instinctively new he was pronouncing the word like his father said the word & not like an American would say it. More subdued with imfisis on different letters & kind of like rolling the r or letter(s) before it.
Bits & pieces are all I have.
Artashes

[Eddo211]

Re: What kind of Armenian are you?

In what way lol? You are a Kardashian?

It was sarcasm kid.....read my post to hrai. I take it as a complement when I get told that statement by military Turks and a few Ergenekons (a Turkish general in one instance).

Both sides of Grandparents were Armenians.....two were genocide survivors with my grandfather (mother side) at age of 14 carrying his Mosin Nagant 91/30 that was taller than him (lol). He was assigned in provided escort (too young to go with the big boys).....bare footed he protected the fleeing Armenians through the mountains towards Bagdad (journey of two months) while Turkish regulars and Kurdish bandits were taking shots at them in pursuit.
Less than half made it due to enemy and more so to harsh environment/lack of food
He never saw his 16 year old brother that joined the other Fedayees who made a stand back in his village in Urmia. He never talked much and died when I was a kid but I never forget the eyes that said more than words.
I was born and raised in Iran.....my other grandparents side goes back a few generations in Iran like Mher.