half-armenian

[ckBejug]

Originally posted by jilbagh heyyyyy look at my ass...i was born and raised in tulsa, oklahoma where the armenian population was like 50 if that...there was not armenian school...my mom between work and takeing care of the house taught me armenian in the car when we took my sister to piano lessons...now, jahannam you've heard me talk armenian...going to public school (respectable in oklahoma, can't move on past 5th grade without knowing all 50 states and capitals), and growing up without any armenian influence, im not that bad eh? and i take pride in it because politically the small armenian community there got a lot accomplished also! only thing that went bad was my moms reaction when i came home one day with a white girl...hehehe

BRAVO! English was the first language I learned to read and write but after we came here I went to Armenian schools all my life so I never had that problem of not having the resources at hand to learn the language, etc. I give mad props to any parent who takes the initiative to teach their children the language when other resources aren't available. What bugs me like nothing else is the fact that kids who haven't seen a day of Armenian school in their life speak Armenian with eachother more often (and far better) than those who hail from Armenian schools. But why should I be suprised? It was such a joke to be standing around in the parking lot after school and hear parents talking to eachother in english. You're in the parking lot of an ARMENIAN school, which you're forking over lots of money for, don't you think the least you should do is speak Armeian there?? You can bet these parents don't go home and speak to their kids in Armenian either.

As for the half-Armenian issue. It's not an issue. I know 'full' Armenians that I consider to be less Armenian than any of you guys in here. Even if you don't speak the language... Have you guys who don't speak Armenian ever thought of learning the language? I agree with Baron and Mousey that language is important, you guys are missing out on some incredible iliterature and poetry and music etc... but knowing that you feel Armenian inside and out and say as much (instead of being like others who'd rather not say the're Armenian) I would never say you're too americanized just because you don't learn the language (unless you say you don't want to). I'd just urge you to learn it.... =)

[Chrisk]

This i a very interesting thread.
I'm half armenian (mom canadian) and I was born and raised in a small city near toronto where there was like 4 other armenians. My dad enlisted me in an armenian saturday school when I was younger but that didn't help me learn the language at all because everybody was much more advanced than me. My mom..never learned the language and my dad never taught us (3 kids). I've always had a lot of armenian pride in myself but if you can't speak it.....you are definitely shunned by the armenian community and are less likely to feel welcome at armenian events. Since I moved to toronto, however, I've been doing my best to meet more armenians..and i'm slowly trying to learn the language.

[ILOVETATA]

When I was a kid, my parents only spoke Russian because of the enviornment we lived in, but they raised us Armenian. Even though I'm not fluent in Armenian (slowly learning from my dad) but if I hear two Armenians talking to one another, I'll get the idea as to what they are saying. I can't read or write in Armenian, but that doesn't really make me any less of an Armenian. I write for the school newspaper and I mention Armenian restaurants that people can go to, and in April I'm going to be writing about the Genocide, even though the editors don't want me to. They can't stop me! LOL. The point is that you can be half Armenian and still be brought up as full. It just depends on how you potray yourself. Every person is different. I know some people that are full Armenian and they are so shy to mention that they Armenian. Others who are half might be pride to say they are Armenian. It just depends on how you were brought up and how you see yourself. Just my opinion

[Inna]

I also was brought up by parents who only spoke russian at home..and living in a city where the only other armenian family around is my uncles family causes a lot of problems when ur trying to learn about ur own culture...my parents knew this and taught us everything they knew about armenian traditions, values, and history, minus the language since they barely spoke it themselves. and as for learning the language now..thats a completely a different story..how can someone learn the language if there is no one who can teach it to them?? i for one cant teach myself proper english grammer let alone teach myself a language that i havent spoken for 12 years

[surferarmo]

Originally posted by jahannam you wouldn't say that if you knew how to speak Armenian.
you're just defending your case.
being a grade A Liar...
oh I mean politician.

You want to defend yourself. You speak the language and you have nothing else going for you.

Answer me this J. I know spanish, does that make me hispanic?

No one has been able to answer that question.

[loseyourname]

Originally posted by surferarmo You want to defend yourself. You speak the language and you have nothing else going for you.

Answer me this J. I know spanish, does that make me hispanic?

No one has been able to answer that question.

Being Hispanic is nothing more than a matter of perception. At least for census purposes, any person who considers himself Hispanic can call himself that and it will be recorded as such. You should have seen how indignant some of them got, too, when I told them that they were Caucasian and had to put that as their race. Interestingly, Hispanic is the only Caucasian ethnicity that receives its own section. The US government doesn't give a xxxx if you're Italian or Armenian or anything else unless you're Hispanic.

[Anonymouse]

Originally posted by loseyourname Being Hispanic is nothing more than a matter of perception. At least for census purposes, any person who considers himself Hispanic can call himself that and it will be recorded as such. You should have seen how indignant some of them got, too, when I told them that they were Caucasian and had to put that as their race. Interestingly, Hispanic is the only Caucasian ethnicity that receives its own section. The US government doesn't give a xxxx if you're Italian or Armenian or anything else unless you're Hispanic.

Mexicans who are for the most part mestizos, are Hispanic, not Caucasian.

[xBaron Dants]

Originally posted by surferarmo You want to defend yourself. You speak the language and you have nothing else going for you.

Answer me this J. I know spanish, does that make me hispanic?

No one has been able to answer that question.

Doesn't make you hispanic, no.

You sure are a lot closer and more aware of hispanic culture than I am, though.

[fstkhnan]

I dont care if i sound racist here....but HISPANIC PPL SUCK!!!!God I hate them.......sometimes they're like Turks for me!!!lol

[Dan]

so what if you sound 'racist'. who cares. everyone is racist. as long as there is difference, there will be people to point out those differences, and there will be power relations. Equality is a fallacy, and it cannot be achieved. And it should not be achieved. Different people can't be equal. They are either superior or inferior. Only people on the same level can be equal. The anti-racism propaganda is a load of BS.