Hello and Parev (getting in touch with my roots, and not with hair dye)

[Hyegirl]

Hi

I am from a mixed fam and didn't grow up as Armenian as I would have liked (after all, it is a pretty cool heritage, you gotta admit, with our history and stuff) and never had the chance to be around a large, loud Armenian community until almost the end of college (and still don't live near one). I am looking to learn more about being Armenian instead of just American.

Ok, you can all congratulate my on my awesome heritage or just serve lokum instead. Your choice, but I'm leaning toward the food myself.



Tstesutyn (phrase from website, don't hate if I misspell. I can't read the alphabet yet.)

[MrHyeSev]

Re: Hello and Parev (getting in touch with my roots, and not with hair dye)

Welcome Hyegirl, where are you from?

[Hyegirl]

Re: Hello and Parev (getting in touch with my roots, and not with hair dye)

Welcome Hyegirl, where are you from?

Thank you. I hale from the depth of suburbia of the US.

[Mos]

Re: Hello and Parev (getting in touch with my roots, and not with hair dye)

It's too late I'm afraid. If you haven't grown up as Armenian there's little you can do. Being Armenian is a metaphysical thing, at your situation you may be just Armenian at the very surface at best. Because in the end of day you will remain at core, American.

[MrHyeSev]

Re: Hello and Parev (getting in touch with my roots, and not with hair dye)

For Mos if you don't live in Armenia or raised there you're not Armenian
(according to Mos)

[Hyegirl]

Re: Hello and Parev (getting in touch with my roots, and not with hair dye)

It's too late I'm afraid. If you haven't grown up as Armenian there's little you can do. Being Armenian is a metaphysical thing, at your situation you may be just Armenian at the very surface at best. Because in the end of day you will remain at core, American.

I'm sorry I wasn't raised Armenian enough for you. I will just give up on caring about it and walk away. jk.

I know I am part. I will always be only part and die American at heart, but I will die proud of that part. Darn proud! I am going to learn some Armenian eventually even if I just teach myself, I have already been involved in Armenian American public affairs at times, I have been in the Armenian club at college for a time even if I didn't drive an hour out for late night parties, choose Yerevan before almost any other international vacation/volunteer option, will teach my future kids a little Armenian and to be proud of Armenia, it's history, it's people, and faith in our Lord (301 AD baby). What is is, and I accept that, but no one has the right to deny me the right to that part of my heritage, however in part it is, and which informs part of who I am, any more than the Turks had the right to deny my family's ability to live freely and in Armenia as Armenians. I let that go for too long (originally mostly because I get my coloring from the other parts of my family, and I didn't grow up around much of any Armenians I wasn't directly related to and thus didn't think I had the right to claim that as any part of my heritage), but however little my Armenian-ness may be, however meaningless it is to you, it is MINE, and one day, more so than today. I don't pretend to fit in, but neither do I pretend it doesn't matter.

[Mos]

Re: Hello and Parev (getting in touch with my roots, and not with hair dye)

For Mos if you don't live in Armenia or raised there you're not Armenian
(according to Mos)

That's not what I'm saying. I'm saying being raised in an Armenian household and environment with Armenian values.

I'm sorry I wasn't raised Armenian enough for you. I will just give up on caring about it and walk away. jk.

I know I am part. I will always be only part and die American at heart, but I will die proud of that part. Darn proud! I am going to learn some Armenian eventually even if I just teach myself, I have already been involved in Armenian American public affairs at times, I have been in the Armenian club at college for a time even if I didn't drive an hour out for late night parties, choose Yerevan before almost any other international vacation/volunteer option, will teach my future kids a little Armenian and to be proud of Armenia, it's history, it's people, and faith in our Lord (301 AD baby). What is is, and I accept that, but no one has the right to deny me the right to that part of my heritage, however in part it is, and which informs part of who I am, any more than the Turks had the right to deny my family's ability to live freely and in Armenia as Armenians. I let that go for too long (originally mostly because I get my coloring from the other parts of my family, and I didn't grow up around much of any Armenians I wasn't directly related to and thus didn't think I had the right to claim that as any part of my heritage), but however little my Armenian-ness may be, however meaningless it is to you, it is MINE, and one day, more so than today. I don't pretend to fit in, but neither do I pretend it doesn't matter.

It's good that you will put some effort in. All I am saying is that a person can't change identities overnight. An identity is a metaphysical concept that really is obtained through one's upbringing and the values and mindset the person obtains through that upbringing. This upbringing and mindset is much more important than blood, because you will very often see pure Armenians who are the farthest thing from Armenian. Identity in general has very little to do with blood, because those minuscule differences in genes affect very little the person as a whole. So I encourage to learn more about Armenia, Armenian history, culture, etc. All I'm saying is that because of your upbringing and development you will always stay American. Now the Armenian culture to you seems to be more an "exotic interest" at the moment and maybe an attempt to add something more to the bland American identity or an identity crisis - that's how it seems to me.

[Hyegirl]

Re: Hello and Parev (getting in touch with my roots, and not with hair dye)

MOS, maybe you should give me some benefit of the doubt and get to know me from more than a couple of posts before you judge me and my motives/perceptions.

[Mos]

Re: Hello and Parev (getting in touch with my roots, and not with hair dye)

MOS, maybe you should give me some benefit of the doubt and get to know me from more than a couple of posts before you judge me and my motives/perceptions.

I learned enough from your few posts. It's pretty obvious your situation.

[Hyegirl]

Re: Hello and Parev (getting in touch with my roots, and not with hair dye)

I learned enough from your few posts. It's pretty obvious your situation.

Perhaps I should clarify this line, "I am looking to learn more about being Armenian instead of just American." I have been studying Armenian culture, history, etc. as I was able for the last several years as an interest, which yes, may several years ago have had some influence in establishing more of who I am as an identity (and there are certain things about family that become more important to continue for the future when you realize how close you care to losing them from illness), but something that is genuinely of interest to me, which is why I keep coming back to it as an interest over the years (and this actually helps me understand my mom and her family more) and actually had some influence on the book I am finishing research for on ethnicity, race, and the ideas we have about people based on it.

BTW, as for wanting to be exotic, the only other person I know in CA who celebrated Santa Lucia and whom I am not related to is part of a xxxish cultural group I have been affiliated with in recent years, so yeah, I am already living a pretty WASP life... I've learned that exotic is in the eyes of the beholder. Also, culture, ethnic and otherwise, does not define all of who I am. If you need to put me in a box, go right ahead. I am who I am regardless of what strangers think. (Unless of course you're are paying or feeding me. jk.)

You do however seem to have some very strong opinions about what it is to be Armenian. Perhaps you could offer some insights on what it means to be raised Armenian to my book as I eventually develop the Armenian chapter? Are you by any chance a resident of the US?