Blog Wars, The Diaspora, and the Outside Perspective, Part One
I know a lot of people read these blogs here on cilicia.com. Probably more so than any other Armenian blog out there. So, I'd like to put aside the seemingly frivolous album cover chatter and Pomegranate Music propaganda for a minute and bring up a few subjects I've been perplexed about over the last few months. Please feel free to comment, and please, have the KNATAGS to use your real name. The anonymous stuff is pretty weak. I can't even take the comments seriously. Bring something to the table, and put your name behind it.
As I prepare for my annual trip to Armenia next month, this time representing www.yerazart.org, (last year, the Tufenkian Foundation) I've almost coincidentally been an active participant in various Armenian related blogs across the WWW. So, Armenia is on my brain as of late, aside from the music stuff. Quite frankly, I am almost in shock as to the content I have encountered. Please refer to the end of my blog for a taste of what I am taking about. More to come in future blogs. However, today, I had the pleasure of driving some of my absolute closest friends to the airport on their way to Armenia- Baykar and Narine Dervishian. Baykar was born here and this is his first time to Hayastan. I have been after him for four years to go, and, now with his Hayastansi via Glendale wife of one year (she has lived here for 17 years), they are on their way. For Narine, it is her first trip back in over 17 years. They were both nervous, but, excited. Also, another bunch of my close friends (including the co-best man at my wedding, Josh Tevekelian) are heading to Armenia as well. In fact, they should be there right now at the airport in Yerevan. For one of them, Shant, it is his first visit to Armenia. The other, Bolo, has been, but, it has been a while since he last visited. 1993, if I am not mistaken. I've known these guys since I was 12 or 13 and met two of them at AYF Seminar (and ARF organization). Josh, I met at Camp Hayastan (another ARF affiliated cultural entity).
The other night I saw an acquaintance (Lucine)I met through Baykar and Narine at the couple's home a few days back where she just came back from Armenia. It was her first time there since she left Armenia in 1992. So, Hayastansis going back for the first time since they left, American Armenians who are going for the first time, and a few of us going for the umteenth time to do whatever we do. It is really amazing to see how deep, and rich our Diaspora is. And, amazing in other ways to see how focused and preserved the Armenian identity is here in the States ( and globally, for that matter) with the will to WANT to go to a place that has been outlined in our dreams, stories from forefathers, and from friends.
So, from my perspective in Boston, with friends living all over the US, I see an increased interest in visiting Armenia. Additionally, the number of youth programs spanning the AGBU to ARF to the ACYOA and beyond, young professional groups, and professional organizations with Armenian non profit organizations mobilizing to become active and productive focusing on Armenia directly, it is something I have never witnessed in my over 20 years of various activism in the Armenian community. This isn't even mentioning the number of Diasporan Armenians that have said goodbye to their comfortable salaries here in the US, and moved to Armenia to seek personal, community, or professional clarity. In almost all cases, the drive to go to Armenia is twofold, to see the homeland first, and then to ask what they can do to help.
What is amazing to me, is in perusing the Blogs on our vast WWW, the amount of negativity, baseless Diasporan bashing, and clear misunderstanding that is out there. I will detail in forthcoming logs the Blogs I feel that are questionable in their content, information sharing, and general intent. In closing, I will say that there are more than 3 million Diasporans out there, including those who left Armenia in the last 15 years who are now Diasporans. There is a lot of history, pain, cultural loss, and positive productive activity out there that many people may not be aware of from places such as (let's just pick a random place, for example), Vermont.
Basing the Diaspora on a few or many encounters in Yerevan at Cafe's and Restaurants (and, of course, there is nothing wrong with that, is there?) certainly does not sum up the Diasporan Experience and their ability or desire to work in tandem with their Hayastansi counterparts in Armenia. In fact, my encounters with well-intentioned, very polite, and downright incredible non-Armenians in Armenia and here in the States who "adopt" Armenia as a place to study, live in, or find themselves within, has puzzled me as to what their motivation is to be among us. I continue to ask myself, and now the readers of this blog, what is the draw to our culture. And in some cases, I am truly stumped at the generalization put in print or via blogs by our Odar friends and foes. Or, just the misinformed.
Let me give you one example of a Blog that has captured my infamous fancy. www.blogrel.com Let's leave it at that for now, get some of your comments, and then next time I'll pick up and develop my ideas a little further. Basically, what I am asking, is how do Armenians (Diaspora or otherwise) feel about things mentioned about us from the outside perspective. Do you feel they have sufficient information to make value judgements on our Experience? I am not judging, just asking.
Lastly, let me give you a quick taste of an Anti-Armenian comment made by some unknown guy in Cleveland, OH named Tim Russo. I won't dignify publicizing his website, however, here is a quote from the guy.
"And here is where I will now piss off both my Armenian and Jewish friends. Both diasporas have a hardline element, which spend a great deal of time, money and effort stunting the growth of each homeland by forcing their vision of their pet issue on its politics. For Armenians, it is the struggle with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh. For Israel, it is the settlements. Both are ethnic homeland arguments that eclipse every other issue.
The effect of following a diasporan-reinforced Karabakh hardline in Armenia has been the utter destruction of the country's democracy, the isolation of Armenia's economy, geopolitical paralysis in the region...you name it. The effect of a diasporan led Israeli settlements hardline? Where would you like me to begin?
When I was in Armenia, it broke my heart to watch a country with such potential simply rot because American hardliners played out their political pet peaves on the backs of average Armenians. Diasporans who (a) weren't born there, (b) wouldn't even live there, (c) would eventually come back to the states and sit in their air-conditioned SoCal living rooms surrounded by their Armenian trinkets, stroke this carefully quilted version of their ethnic destiny at an incredibly high cost...a cost they themselves never actually pay. But it wasn't really my problem."
Or, in a seemingly out of place blog on his experience in Armenia, he retreats to reminicing about his "good ol days" in Armenia. Play close attention to the innuendo between "civilized Europe" and the "animals" comment.
Tim Russo again says,
"So imagine you are a new arrival in Armenia, you just flew in from some civilized place in Europe, bright-eyed and bushy tailed, fresh on the ground to help save the world with some international aid organization, looking to make a good impression on your new co-workers. Said co-workers pick your jet-lagged body up at the airport, and instead of sensibly taking you home to bed at 1 a.m. they throw you into a party with a bunch of drunk animals dancing in a circle shoving liquor down their throats. Somehow, it seemed as appropriate a welcome to Armenia as anything."
Here is Tim Russo's email address, tjrusso@gmail.com
I personally and openly challenge Tim Russo to fly to Boston next year to attend an April 24th commemoration here in Boston or New York. I will introduce him to Armenian Genocide survivors. Then, after that, he wants to talk about a "price to pay", I will listen. Lastly, I openly wonder (and strongly doubt)if Tim Russo has been to Karabagh and met the Armenian residents who were attacked via missle and grenade launchers from Shushi and had to defend their land. Not to preserve an identity, but, merely to survive.
As I prepare for my annual trip to Armenia next month, this time representing www.yerazart.org, (last year, the Tufenkian Foundation) I've almost coincidentally been an active participant in various Armenian related blogs across the WWW. So, Armenia is on my brain as of late, aside from the music stuff. Quite frankly, I am almost in shock as to the content I have encountered. Please refer to the end of my blog for a taste of what I am taking about. More to come in future blogs. However, today, I had the pleasure of driving some of my absolute closest friends to the airport on their way to Armenia- Baykar and Narine Dervishian. Baykar was born here and this is his first time to Hayastan. I have been after him for four years to go, and, now with his Hayastansi via Glendale wife of one year (she has lived here for 17 years), they are on their way. For Narine, it is her first trip back in over 17 years. They were both nervous, but, excited. Also, another bunch of my close friends (including the co-best man at my wedding, Josh Tevekelian) are heading to Armenia as well. In fact, they should be there right now at the airport in Yerevan. For one of them, Shant, it is his first visit to Armenia. The other, Bolo, has been, but, it has been a while since he last visited. 1993, if I am not mistaken. I've known these guys since I was 12 or 13 and met two of them at AYF Seminar (and ARF organization). Josh, I met at Camp Hayastan (another ARF affiliated cultural entity).
The other night I saw an acquaintance (Lucine)I met through Baykar and Narine at the couple's home a few days back where she just came back from Armenia. It was her first time there since she left Armenia in 1992. So, Hayastansis going back for the first time since they left, American Armenians who are going for the first time, and a few of us going for the umteenth time to do whatever we do. It is really amazing to see how deep, and rich our Diaspora is. And, amazing in other ways to see how focused and preserved the Armenian identity is here in the States ( and globally, for that matter) with the will to WANT to go to a place that has been outlined in our dreams, stories from forefathers, and from friends.
So, from my perspective in Boston, with friends living all over the US, I see an increased interest in visiting Armenia. Additionally, the number of youth programs spanning the AGBU to ARF to the ACYOA and beyond, young professional groups, and professional organizations with Armenian non profit organizations mobilizing to become active and productive focusing on Armenia directly, it is something I have never witnessed in my over 20 years of various activism in the Armenian community. This isn't even mentioning the number of Diasporan Armenians that have said goodbye to their comfortable salaries here in the US, and moved to Armenia to seek personal, community, or professional clarity. In almost all cases, the drive to go to Armenia is twofold, to see the homeland first, and then to ask what they can do to help.
What is amazing to me, is in perusing the Blogs on our vast WWW, the amount of negativity, baseless Diasporan bashing, and clear misunderstanding that is out there. I will detail in forthcoming logs the Blogs I feel that are questionable in their content, information sharing, and general intent. In closing, I will say that there are more than 3 million Diasporans out there, including those who left Armenia in the last 15 years who are now Diasporans. There is a lot of history, pain, cultural loss, and positive productive activity out there that many people may not be aware of from places such as (let's just pick a random place, for example), Vermont.
Basing the Diaspora on a few or many encounters in Yerevan at Cafe's and Restaurants (and, of course, there is nothing wrong with that, is there?) certainly does not sum up the Diasporan Experience and their ability or desire to work in tandem with their Hayastansi counterparts in Armenia. In fact, my encounters with well-intentioned, very polite, and downright incredible non-Armenians in Armenia and here in the States who "adopt" Armenia as a place to study, live in, or find themselves within, has puzzled me as to what their motivation is to be among us. I continue to ask myself, and now the readers of this blog, what is the draw to our culture. And in some cases, I am truly stumped at the generalization put in print or via blogs by our Odar friends and foes. Or, just the misinformed.
Let me give you one example of a Blog that has captured my infamous fancy. www.blogrel.com Let's leave it at that for now, get some of your comments, and then next time I'll pick up and develop my ideas a little further. Basically, what I am asking, is how do Armenians (Diaspora or otherwise) feel about things mentioned about us from the outside perspective. Do you feel they have sufficient information to make value judgements on our Experience? I am not judging, just asking.
Lastly, let me give you a quick taste of an Anti-Armenian comment made by some unknown guy in Cleveland, OH named Tim Russo. I won't dignify publicizing his website, however, here is a quote from the guy.
"And here is where I will now piss off both my Armenian and Jewish friends. Both diasporas have a hardline element, which spend a great deal of time, money and effort stunting the growth of each homeland by forcing their vision of their pet issue on its politics. For Armenians, it is the struggle with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh. For Israel, it is the settlements. Both are ethnic homeland arguments that eclipse every other issue.
The effect of following a diasporan-reinforced Karabakh hardline in Armenia has been the utter destruction of the country's democracy, the isolation of Armenia's economy, geopolitical paralysis in the region...you name it. The effect of a diasporan led Israeli settlements hardline? Where would you like me to begin?
When I was in Armenia, it broke my heart to watch a country with such potential simply rot because American hardliners played out their political pet peaves on the backs of average Armenians. Diasporans who (a) weren't born there, (b) wouldn't even live there, (c) would eventually come back to the states and sit in their air-conditioned SoCal living rooms surrounded by their Armenian trinkets, stroke this carefully quilted version of their ethnic destiny at an incredibly high cost...a cost they themselves never actually pay. But it wasn't really my problem."
Or, in a seemingly out of place blog on his experience in Armenia, he retreats to reminicing about his "good ol days" in Armenia. Play close attention to the innuendo between "civilized Europe" and the "animals" comment.
Tim Russo again says,
"So imagine you are a new arrival in Armenia, you just flew in from some civilized place in Europe, bright-eyed and bushy tailed, fresh on the ground to help save the world with some international aid organization, looking to make a good impression on your new co-workers. Said co-workers pick your jet-lagged body up at the airport, and instead of sensibly taking you home to bed at 1 a.m. they throw you into a party with a bunch of drunk animals dancing in a circle shoving liquor down their throats. Somehow, it seemed as appropriate a welcome to Armenia as anything."
Here is Tim Russo's email address, tjrusso@gmail.com
I personally and openly challenge Tim Russo to fly to Boston next year to attend an April 24th commemoration here in Boston or New York. I will introduce him to Armenian Genocide survivors. Then, after that, he wants to talk about a "price to pay", I will listen. Lastly, I openly wonder (and strongly doubt)if Tim Russo has been to Karabagh and met the Armenian residents who were attacked via missle and grenade launchers from Shushi and had to defend their land. Not to preserve an identity, but, merely to survive.
posted by Raffi at 3:07 AM
15 Comments:
Oh boy did open a can of worms. This is stirring up all sorts of memories of discussions on this subject I used to have with non-Armenians living in Armenia and it was something they never could understand.
Where do I begin? First of all, Tim Russo needs to go to Kharabagh and ask the people there who fought that war. If you sit in a cafe in Yerevan and listen to only Hayastansis for a perspective on Armenians across the world, it is going to be a very bleak picture (not to say it's completely irrelevant, just a very narrow perspective on a much bigger picture). These are people who resent Kharabaghsis afterall.
The bottom line is this. The Armenian Diaspora is a beast in itself, but very much tied to Armenia for the right reasons. I don't want to pat ourselves on the back, but perhaps that is why the negative view is out there... we don't advertise our hard work because we expect it of ourselves, where all the US funded projects require a glossy full color brochure on every computer they set up. My AYF chapter alone has set up computers in Armenia that no one but the beneficiaries have ever heard of).
Of course with anything in life, there are two sides. Yes the diaspora has its problems, but it has also accomplished things that blow my mind.
1. The mere thought of someone going to Armenia, spending some time there without any real contact with the diaspora and formulating an opinion from that position is SO hypocritical. The reason diasporans are criticized there is the same reason I am calling you out on this Tim Russo. You judge us for meddling in a place we don't know enough about, but that's exactly what you are doing. This is a very intricate community of Armenians that is definitely hardlined... and I'm PROUD of that. You better believe I won't waiver on the genocide issue because genocide is nothing to waiver on. Millions of Armenians around the world are stilling waiting for justice on the fact that THEY WERE PUSHED OUT OF ARMENIA UNWILLINGLY!!!! Yes they established themselves, but how are we expected to just let that go when we see that Turkey CONTINUES the denial AND oppression? It's our obligation to the world to continue this fight.
2. I don't look to odars (in the literal translation of the word) to define me. I do what I do because that's what I believe and that's how I was raised. Tim Russo's comments along with others out there who may judge me or all these organizations are really irrelevant at the end of the day. They may be very nice people and a little misguided on the subject, but when you publically comment in such a manner on such a sensitive subject, I simply wish you might try to understand the subject a little more before making such strong judgements on a people who have been through so much. I would say the same about the Jews or any other group of people in the world who experience similar inhumanities. Just remember, when you insult the Diaspora, it's not just a few stubborn people here and there. That includes the old, the young, the men and women, the ignorant and brilliant, the ENTIRE COMMUNITY. Having said that, I think these comments are very inconsiderate. I invite you to come to Washington to see the people who care less about the air conditioned apartments that you apparently live in right now, if I'm not mistaken. There are people here who fight for the cause because of the moral obligation to their people and humanity itself. For me and many others, this isn't an "Armenian" issue, this is a "Humanity" issue and the thought of sacrificing our morality for a few years of economic growth based on lies is an a bandaid on a severed head.
I have more to say, but I have a feeling there will be more opportunities.
There's an interview ont he role of the Diaspora in democracy building in Armenia here:
http://oneworld.blogsome.com/2005/08/25/hayrenik-and-hayastan/
People are invited to leave comments, positive or negative on it.
Now there is a can of worms! :-)
So here goes...
I enjoy hearing the thoughts and impressions of non-Armenians on their trips to Armenia. I like most of the non-Armenians who have chosen to make their homes in Yerevan. I wish we had more voices to hear from, so that the perspectives would be more balanced. Tim's description of being welcomed to Armenia at 1am as being taken to circle dance with a bunch of drunk animals (instead of to sleep) would just as easily been described by someone else as an extremely positive experience.
Everyone generalizes, and sometimes makes completely off base assumptions. Some of them gain popularity and thus credence among non-Armenians. I have rarely heard of the Karabakh dispute being pinned on the Diaspora. Everyone in Armenia sacrificed for 15 years to keep it, and Petrossian had to step down for hinting he might give it up - none of that had ANYTHING to do with the Diaspora, and is clearly just wrong. So why does he say it? Who knows? But it's one voice, and these forums give us a chance to give feedback. We should.
Another big myth, that it's only the Diasporans beating to Genocide drums. Nope. It's true, Petrossians administration put it aside, but that was unpopular in Armenia (as was he) and was ineffective in appeasing Turkey. Kocharian has had the exact opposite policy, and NO Armenians ANYWHERE are just not willing to do Turkeys will on this. Most Armenians (Hayastantsi and Diaspora) are willing to have relations with Turkey with no preconditions. But most will NOT accept the Turkish terms of never mentioning the genocide again.
So those are my two drams worth...
Well we're sitting in the French airport now as Raffi M mentioned waiting for our plane to take us to Armenia for the first time for me and for the first time in 17 years for my wife Narine. To Raffi K I have to tell you, you've built a beautiful website here. Kudos to you. Armenia is a place i've wanted to visit my whole life. Never having contact with hayastantsis when I was younger I had a much different "expectation" than I do now of the country and it's people. I wonder as Raffi M says, how my perceptions will change yet again once I arrive there and spend some quality time with our relatives and other locals. When I was a kid in Armenian school, we learned all about the different territories of Armenia and about it's vast rich history and culture. Now I rely on websites like this to not only refresh my memory on these facts but in some cases, to see beautiful pictures to go along with it all.
I guess I have no real point to my conversation but to thank all that have made this website possible to give us a better connection to the homeland we all once came from.
Baykar and Narine
I plan to respond to this over time, but in the interim....
any idiot who actually read my entire post about the party in Armenia welcoming other expats to the country at 1am will know that it was, in fact, an expat party, which means that the "animals" being referred to were me, my expat friends, and other expats.
it's called self-effacing humor, requires a touch of irony, and enough lack of self-importance to allow yourself to be referred to in your own writing as a drunk animal. all of which is perhaps something the author of this post lacks.
This post has been removed by a blog administrator.
Sometimes, you have to set up the character of the person who is making offensive comments to a whole Diaspora (3 million people). Establishing your character as a "drunk animal" in your own words, is a good start.
My offer is still open Tim Russo, you come to Boston next April 24th and meet our Diaspora and Genocide survivors face to face. I will pay for your flight. Yes or no?
If you have not spent significant time in any Diasporan community for any length of time, you are not qualified to make baseless statements regarding on the Diaspora. And, we are not talking just about the LA area, (where, by the way, many of the Diasporans now were Hayastansis- some who fought in the Karabagh war). Have you been to Beirut, Allepo, Toronto, Montreal, Chicago, Boston, Washington, London, Jerusalem, Alexandria, Athens, Geneva, Istanbul, or any number of countless Diasporan communities who work hard toward the betterment of Armenia, whether it is political or social? Whether they are AGBU or ARF or non-partisan, like me. If you have, (which I doubt), I retract my statements.
More words of wisdom from "Armenian Expert", Tim Russo:
"The ARF, better known as the Dashnaks, are a political party with an odd history. They were baned for years as a terrorist organization by the previous Armenian regime of Levon Ter Petrossian. When Ter Petrossian was removed by a military coup, the Dashnaks were legalized in return for their support for the military's chosen successor, current president Robert Kocharian. They are now a fully co-opted apologist for Kocharian, and an essential tool in their electoral fraud kit."
One example will do, Tim Russo.
In my opinion, Tim Russo is a dangerous man with many tainted social and political impressions about the Armenian Diaspora. Lee Harvey Oswald personality type. I worry about you Tim, there was obviously poison in them drinks boy…yupp yupp (Garmear Veazzz Shoon)
Tim, the "drunk animals" comment had little to do with my reaction... you can defend yourself on that one and that's fair. But there were a lot of other things you said that were irresponsible. Don't distract people from the real issue, you attacked us with straight forward comments, now you deserve some feedback.
Everybody has right to his/her opinion.
For example, I completely agree with Tim on his observation on ARF. He is also right to mention that sometimes the tactical political interests of different segments of Diaspora can be in conflict with each other, and with the Armenian government itself.
Do not forget that Diaspora is not a homogeneous body - just because most of the blogs out there are written by the representatives of the US Diaspora, it doesn't mean that there's nobody else out there. There is a sizeable Diaspora in Russia which rivals (in size) with the US Diaspora, and they may have divergent views on tactics by the Armenian government.
Consider one recent example - the railroad that the Georgian government is thinking about building through Javakhk to Turkey. It is in the Javakhk Diaspora interests to see this happen. Yet it is not in the interest of the Armenian state to have an alternative to the Kars-Gyumri. Whose priorities should be put forth? The Javakhk population or the Armenian state?
I don't think anyone has said the Diaspora is homogenous, and they would certainly be wrong to say so.
I don't understand how the Javakhk railroad would be such a help to the people living in Javakhk. It is meant to get things from Turkey to Tblisi and Baku. Perhaps the cost of things would come down a bit for people along the way, but I can't imagine by much. Meanwhile, if Armenia was railroad link from Turkey to Georgia, it could negotiate much better rates for cargo coming through from Georgia - currently some of the highest rates in the world.
Nazarian is right about different interests and opinions in a very fractured and culturally different Diaspora.
The railroad through Javakheti is an interesting example. There can't be a railroad through Gyumri because the border is closed.
Okay, so it is Turkey keeping it closed and groups like the (ARF-affiliated) ANCA are lobbying to get the U.S. Government to put pressure on Turkey to open it.
However, when there is talk of opening the border, the ARF here in Armenia, and among many individual members in the Diaspora, oppose it.
Of course, the issue of the border is simply a political issue but even so, while groups such as the ARF say that it must be opened when it works in terms of propaganda, when Turkey gets close to doing so, the same party opposes any opening.
Of course, it is not this that keeps the border closed (it is Azerbaijan) but anyway.
Incidentally, having the railroad going through Armenia would be of benefit to Armenia. If it doesn't, the country will continue to remain isolated from regional economic and transportation projects.
However, the border needs to be opened first so what's the solution?
Hi all - not a ton of time to write, but blogs are allowed to have whatever opinion... if you don't like it, don't read it.
I don't like attacks and I discourage them on blogrel.
And finally, on the anon. side of things... I don't think that there is anything wrong with remaining anon.... if I could start over, I would have been anon. on the internet if possible.
If my workplace knew how much time I spent on blogs, I'd be in deep trouble. Or if I apply for a job or an internship or a grad program, I don't want them googling my name and finding photos of me at a party in college OR personal opinions that I wrote on a blog. Bloggers have a right to be anonymous and attacking people for that isn't cool in blogger etiquette.
I don't want to get too involved in this discussion... I have lots of other stuff going on right now, but I want to state that I try hard not to get too opinioned on blogrel and if someone attacks me or questions me for not being Armenian I can honestly say that it is not something that I am unaccustomed to dealing with but that I would prefer that people be more accepting of a variety of outlooks.
Thanks!
Katy
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