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

[Mos]

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

I know a person only has so much time in their life and childhood is usually where most identity is formed but I don't see why a person can't reconnect with their culture at any point in time.

They can "reconnect" and to a point bring on back some of the identity, but it will be mostly from the surface. They won't be able to change the core which is formed throughout childhood and adolescence.

[bell-the-cat]

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

You can’t even answer what it means to be raised as an Armenian.

It means "you think exactly like me, and you agree with everthing I say". That's his definition of being an Armenian.

[bell-the-cat]

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

So Armenian names are all of sudden "middle eastern" I suggest you do some research.

Hyegirl is obviously referring to the post-9/11 histeria where the US State Department classed Armenians as middle-eastern, potentual terrorists, included Armenia in their "axis of evil" garbage, and made all Armenian imigrants living in America report to immigration officials for interrogation. It's mentioned in posts in this very forum if you want to check back. I remember it, you seemingly don't.

[Mos]

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

Hyegirl is obviously referring to the post-9/11 histeria where the US State Department classed Armenians as middle-eastern, potentual terrorists, included Armenia in their "axis of evil" garbage, and made all Armenian imigrants living in America report to immigration officials for interrogation. It's mentioned in posts in this very forum if you want to check back. I remember it, you seemingly don't.

Armenia was never listed in "axis of evil" check your facts and the mistake that the US State Department made is classify Armenian citizens as requiring "extra screening" upon coming to the US, however it was quickly removed after uproar from Armenian community.

U.S. Drops Armenian Men from List of Visitors Who Must Register
By JOHN M. BRODER
Published: December 19, 2002

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 18 — Reversing course, the Department of Justice has dropped Armenia from the list of countries whose adult male citizens living temporarily in the United States must register with immigration authorities.

The turnabout, on Tuesday, followed loud complaints from the government of Armenia and Armenian groups in the United States over a notice, published by the department in the Federal Register last Friday, that added Armenia, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to 18 countries already listed in the so-called special registration program.

"I don't know why Armenia appeared on the list in the first place," said Arman Kirakossian, the Armenian ambassador to the United States. "We have no terrorist groups in Armenia. We are part of the campaign against terrorism."

Armenia is a predominantly Christian country, the ambassador noted. With the exception of North Korea, the 20 countries that remain on the list are Arab or predominantly Muslim.

Mr. Kirakossian said that roughly 1.5 million people of Armenian descent were living in the United States, at least a third of them here in the Los Angeles area. He said he had no estimate of the number of Armenians in the country on temporary visas who would have been forced to register with the immigration service.

The ambassador said that as soon as the notice appeared last Friday, he and other Armenian officials contacted the White House, Congress and the Justice Department to try to have the decision overturned. Armenian-American groups joined in the intensive lobbying effort, which continued through the weekend.

"What we were told was it was a misunderstanding, a mistake," Mr. Kirakossian said.

Jorge Martinez, a Justice Department spokesman, offered no explanation for the original decision or the change.

"I am not responsible for what is published in the Federal Register," Mr. Martinez said. "All I can say is that two new countries were added this week: Pakistan and Saudi Arabia."

The program requires men over the age of 16 from countries considered sources of potential terrorists to appear before officers of the Immigration and Naturalization Service to be interviewed, fingerprinted and photographed. Failure to register can result in criminal charges and immediate expulsion

http://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/19/national/19VISA.html