Repatriate! Don't listen to your parents!
It's funny that one of the top reasons young American-Armenians cite for not moving to Armenia is their parents complaints. Along with the weak job market, this is one of the top 2 reasons I hear from young Armenians who would like to move to Armenia.
What the hell? I grew up hearing my parents generation moaning about how if only there was an independent Armenia... if only Turkey gave us back our lands. Just 50 years ago, hundreds of thousands of Armenians from the middle east repatriated to Armenia. SOVIET Armenia. Now that was pretty crazy, but they did it because it was the only Armenia we had.
Today, Armenia is independent, safe, is "connected" (lots of flights, cheap to call, internt), has loads of business opportunities, is affordable, and offers a lot more... but Armenian parents in the west either can't stand to see their babies so far (well they can retire in Hayastan too) or they consider it a bad career move. Oh come on. We are not the broken nation we were after the genocide where we have to worry about where our next meal is coming from. We can afford to do something more with our lives than fill another corporate slot in the US if that isn't for us.
Yes, moving to Armenia isn't for everyone, but if a young Armenian is thinking about it... I find it unimaginable that it is the PARENT that is the primary obstacle. Thinking that they're doing the right thing, but instead depriving their kid and Armenia of something that is irreplaceable.
For some reason I needed to get that off my chest this morning. I wish Armenian parents would be more supportive of such a decision, and in fact more encouraging. Perhaps more parents can start thinking of getting a place in Hayastan and semi-retiring in Armenia themselves...
Rant over.
What the hell? I grew up hearing my parents generation moaning about how if only there was an independent Armenia... if only Turkey gave us back our lands. Just 50 years ago, hundreds of thousands of Armenians from the middle east repatriated to Armenia. SOVIET Armenia. Now that was pretty crazy, but they did it because it was the only Armenia we had.
Today, Armenia is independent, safe, is "connected" (lots of flights, cheap to call, internt), has loads of business opportunities, is affordable, and offers a lot more... but Armenian parents in the west either can't stand to see their babies so far (well they can retire in Hayastan too) or they consider it a bad career move. Oh come on. We are not the broken nation we were after the genocide where we have to worry about where our next meal is coming from. We can afford to do something more with our lives than fill another corporate slot in the US if that isn't for us.
Yes, moving to Armenia isn't for everyone, but if a young Armenian is thinking about it... I find it unimaginable that it is the PARENT that is the primary obstacle. Thinking that they're doing the right thing, but instead depriving their kid and Armenia of something that is irreplaceable.
For some reason I needed to get that off my chest this morning. I wish Armenian parents would be more supportive of such a decision, and in fact more encouraging. Perhaps more parents can start thinking of getting a place in Hayastan and semi-retiring in Armenia themselves...
Rant over.
posted by Raffi K. at 9:39 PM
20 Comments:
Agree with you 100%.
The present Armenian parents have had it much toooo easy making a soft life for themselves and their progeny.
They did not have to sacrifice as much as their parents did after the Genocide.
If the young generation of today does obey so blindly and be scared to leave a comfortable life in the west, maybe Armenia is better off without them.
I wish I can retire in Armenia.
This past year, I have made preparations to repatriate. In fact, I bought home in Yerevan. However, this home will remain empty until I can find a way to support myself and my family financially.
Currently, I only know how to make $ in the USA.
In short, I'm looking for ways to make a living in Yerevan....You talk of business opportunities...could you elaborate? I would be very interested to see how other diasporans have sustained themselves financially in Yerevan.
To the first anonymous commenter, I'd like to mention that many of the parents against repatriation are those who immigrated to the US themselves, usually from the middle east. Not an easy life they led - but I think they are mistakenly trying to protect their kids from the same, while simultaneously just staying where it is easiest for them.
To the second anonymous commenter, I assume you've been to Yerevan if you just bought a place there. Did you not see the business opportunities growing on trees? The need for still better restaurants, bars and budget hotels in Yerevan to serve a more affluent and demanding set of locals and tourists? the need for normal accommodations outside of Yerevan? The success many western franchises would enjoy? The need for more professional real estate agencies? A need for a big home depot like store? Almost every interaction and transaction there should give you business ideas.
i agree with Raffi.. i think any westerner going to Armenia with some saved capital and minimal amount of brain, can have a successful business in Armenia as the opportunities are plenty with one of the fastest growing economies of the world. However, that does not mean there everything will be without problems.. on a side note, i'd like to draw your attention to this article http://www.hetq.am/eng/economy/0702-asargsyan.html and ask how Serge Sarkisian can even consider becoming Armenia's next president while his brother and his other cohorts rob the nation by not paying any taxes from their gov't supported monopoly businesses.
I have often wondered why there is no McDonalds, Burger King, Subway, etc. in Armenia while neighbouring countries do have some of these.
anonymous: I am glad there are no McDonalds' or Burger Kings in Armenia. Let's keep it that way please.
Raffi: Don't want to disappoint, but there are lots of Hayastantsis that speak out against repatriation (at least the immigrant ones). Here in L.A., I can assure you that the ones who come from Armenia are quick to complain about it, i.e. "Only the idiots are in charge now, all the good Armenians left, too much corruption, etc."
There was an Armenian TV program here in L.A. called "Pari Louys." The host, Stepan Partamian (a Western Armenian) finally announced that the show would be ending because first he was going to spend all of 2007 touring the United States's various Armenian communities, and second, he would be repartriating to Armenia in 2008. The phone calls he would get were interesting. Many Hayastantsi immigrants would discourage him ("Why go there? There is nothing there"), but he was very tenacious about it.
As for myself... I don't know. I've only spent 2 weeks in Hayastan, back in 2005. I very badly want to go again. I'm not even 21 yet, so we'll see how things turn out in the future.
Repatriation to Armenia is perhaps a dream of many young individuals in the West, including myself. I have traveled to Armenia multiple times and are well aware of the positives and the many negatives it carries.
I believe the problem many young people face is leaving a career in the US or western world. Raffi, I agree with your comment about just filling a corporate slot, however, many people have worked very hard to achieve that slot and it is difficult to completely leave that behind. The Young professionals who are climbing the corporate ladder are perhaps the ones who may reap the most benefit from moving to Armenia, and vice versa. Yet it is difficult to expect them to do so. Furthermore, it is that crowd that dislikes and is turned off by the rampant corruption and the multiple other problems that Armenia has.
There are also 2 other groups of young individuals who may have plenty of nationalistic aspiration but may be in a field such as healthcare or law where it may not be very easy to start up a business in Armenia. I would use myself as an example. There are many healthcare needs in Armenia, however, as a physician one can not maintain the same standard of life. Furthermore, Armenia already has more physicians than it needs. The healthcare crisis in Armenia (if it can be called that) is a problem of access to care, and not absence of care. There are plenty of doctors, but people do not want to pay for healthcare, and do not necessarily feel the need to see physicians. What can you say to a lady who has hypertension but refuses to take meds because she does not believe that she has an illness. Unfortunatly, mistrust of healthcare professionals and lack of preventive care are so rampant that a young physician finishing up residency can not start or maintain a practice in Armenia.
In the case of lawyers, many learn law here in the US and it may not even apply to laws in Armenia.
The bottom line is that many young Armenians (25-35) would like to move to the Armenia, however, the same support structure is not there for the young professionals. I'll use Israel as an example here. Many of my colleagues move back and forth very easily changing almost like changing jobs. I hope that Armenia reaches that point along the way, where the professional corporate world matures enough that it can compete with jobs in the west. At that point, it will see a huge influx of YP's. Until then, the more entrepreunal individuals such as the loggers on the repatriate blog will have to lead the way.
i can't help but comment about the article nabasdak refered to...it's not surprising, really, but it is so sad..so horrible... so inhumane... so unjust.. i have no words... why are we Armenians so humble? don't we have quest for justice?
Bravo hetq and Edik Baghdasaryan for the article!
Maybe the parents' generation moaned about "if only there was an independent Armenia" and other such things, because they didn't think it would actually happen and they felt safe saying those things. And now when it did happen, they go "Oops, I didn't mean it..." In any case, it seems to me that there are many people who talk about patriotism and how much they love Armenia, but only from far away, and very few would actually come here to turn this country into a better place. That's unfortunate. But if they don't want to come, that's fine too - we will survive without them.
Anonymous said: "lots of Hayastantsis that speak out against repatriation... Only the idiots are in charge now, all the good Armenians left, too much corruption, etc."
My response to that? Well I met some Hayastantsi settlers in Lachin. They had believed the government promises of assistance and employment if they settled there. The promises of course, were not kept, and the family was embarassed to return to Yerevan and tell everyone they had made a bad decision. I think we partially have the same situation going on with Hayastansti immigrants in LA. Many of them need to convince themselves they made the right decision, that Armenia is crap. Even as they watch their kids grow into gang-bangers, and have (gasp!) pre-marital sex, and other unimaginable things that "would never happen to their family".
Not all of them of course, but I think this factor is an important one. I also think a lot of them are fed especially bad tales from their relatives left behind in Armenia, milking them for remittances.
Arin, certainly for some it is easier to make the move than others - career and family-wise. But I do believe much of it remains psychological (not necessarily in your case). For example, that 30/35 year old who has bought real estate in the US 5 or 7 years ago, and has seen it appreciate by half a million dollars - can easily sell and move to Armenia, buy a house in cash and start a business. I don't see it happening.
I know two American-Armenian lawyers who have started law offices in Yerevan, and both are extremely successful. For doctors it is harder, because the client base with money is smaller - but the need is probably much greater. From all the stories I hear, Armenian hospitals overall need massive training and western influence. The folk remedies still being pushed can be frightening, the non-professionalism, etc. In any case, I would argue there is room for at least a couple of good American-Armenian physicians to make a "good living", whatever that means. I think (from observation) a lot of people would rather trust them than a local - especially the westerners in town.
I do see Armenia joining the EU in about 20 years. It is already unrecognizable from 20 years, 15 years, and 10 years ago, I don't think that is so unrealistic. Even so if not, it will be knocking on the door...
That corporate slot is becoming less lucrative and more difficult to come by in America. The generation of young Armenians whose education is behind them, have a significant amount of work experience, some money saved, and possibly a young family in toe may be projecting to their future here and feel uneasy. They don’t know what is going to happen to their position/industry and feel disposable, if they are critical thinkers don’t totally believe that this great economy that Bush talks about applies to them and know that globalization is already hitting hard, paying back these war debts is going to hit hard, there are so many issues in the throws including their corporate sponsored health care. So they think about their options and repatriation, a dream that many people have on different levels, is one of them. The older generation hears the stories of people who have repatriated and got ripped off or badly taken advantage of and the effects are felt ten fold. It appeals to the sense of security the young generation still has here. Those stories may be minimal compared to the ones of people who are going and find a happy existence but the fear is enough to allow these young adults to feel that their parent have a point. I mean, they have examples to showcase for once in their parental lives. The image that has been created is that you’ll take your hard earned livelihood to Armenia with this beautiful dream then some guy with a black suit is going to show at your door the second everything is in place and take it all away from you and you are left with no legitimate protection from this kind of action. If you told these older Armenians the story of the 2 lawyers the first thought is going to be that “their success is going to be short lived. They re likely paying people off in order to stay in business and when the time is right someone will take their business away and send them packing.” Might be real, might not be but until this is dealt with there are going to be those young adults who listen to their mommy and daddy. And that is why, I think, you aren't seeing that 30/35 year old who has the money to do more with it in Armenia isn’t cashing out and moving home.
Raffi,
I pray for the day that my loans are paid off enough so that I can make a living in Armenia. I will let you know when I open an office in Armenia and perhaps you'll be my first patient for a regular physical. I certainly hope that day comes. I don't think it is too far away but I need to finish training first.
Joking aside, I agree with the previous post from Lisa. There is generalized fear however this is becoming less and less of a factor as more and more young professionals are traveling to Armenia and learning more about it.
I don't think that the Armenian government has a plan for repatriation of Armenians living abroad. The unwritten policy since the independence has been to silently encourage migration of people to foreign countries. This, basically, has been an export. The remittances sent home by these migrant workers are what keeps Armenia afloat. As soon as Armenians abroad stop sending money home, the economy will collapse.
If someone wants to go to Armenia and make a decent living, s/he has to rely on generating cash flows from abroad through exporting services (software development, catering the tourism industry, etc.). Exporting goods is not a viable option. I don't think finding a 'job' is an attractive option. Being an entrepreneur is probably a better way of making a living.
Unfortunately, the entrepreneurial skills of the young Armenians in the West have been dulled. Since school kids are brainwashed to become employees. Not much effort is done to encourage entrepreneurship.
I have set myself a target to be living, working , and raising a family in Yerevan eventually. This is a difficult undertaking. Personally I am fed up with the situation here in the UK, and whilst it is a great country, and has done amazing things for it's people - the problem lies in me. I am frustrated that Armenia is there, and I am not ! I think this is a problem many young diasporan Armenians have today. There is a conflict of mind. Some crazy thing is saying "go" , the other part ( in my case, parents) are saying the usual: "Why do you want to go there? You cant live there.." etc.
As for working in Armenia, I know this is going to be the major issue for me. I hope to start a business one day, but for that I need capital, I don't have capital, to get capital, I need to live in the UK for at least another 5 years. I don't want to do that, either. Sometimes I even wish I was just either not Armenian, or born in Armenia - so this conflict would dissappear.
An Armenian government repatriation plan interests me somewhat. There are two ways of looking at the situation - perhaps Armenia should sort the welfare of its current inhabitants before encouraging even more? Or the other argument is that diasporans moving in bring cash, money, jobs, so perhaps encouraging them more would be of benefit.
I was discussing with a friend the possibilty of perhaps in the future the Armenian foreign ministry ( in my experience the only decent ministry in Armenia ) opening a "Ministry of Repatriation" or a wing of the foreign ministry. This could be responsible from everything to general information via a website answering the common questions about citizenship, how much is an apartment? How much can you live on? Can I use healthcare? What are my rights. The system could then go even further, perhaps by registernig potential repatriates. A visit to the ministry could then arrange contacts with estate agencies, trusted partners, etc . At the moment there is nowhere to go that has all the knowledge and facilities to aid in repatriation, and If the Armenian government could eventually do this, it would make young people like myself a lot more confident. Perhaps even a brochure, at least to instill confidence something like "come home to armenia" but not for a week, for 2 years. There are millions of ways this could be implemented, but obviously funding is key, and the argument of citizens first, which I totally understand.
There is then the option of creating the whole system as a charitable organisation, or perhaps a private company, with state endorsment. Either way, something needs to be done to help young people who have the dream, but are scared to make it into a reality. I think we could see large numbers of people repatriating eventually.
Harmick, these are excellent ideas. When the Diasporan Armenians repatriated and went to live in Armenia in 1961, it boosted the economic development of the ASSR. These people brought with themselves skills and knowledge that were in need at the time. The skillful people with work ethics were pretty much in deficit then as a result of Stalin's purge policies.
The Akhpars, as the Diasporan Armenians are called in Armenia, enjoyed the respect of the locals. They also brought with themselves entrepreneurial skills and opened up small businesses which, although illegal, were allowed to function by the state as they generated value added activities and thus could be 'taxed' by the OBKhSS (the economic crime police unit) employees.
To everyone who is waiting for "the right time" or "a good opportunity" to move to Armenia:::: That's what you'll be doing... waiting.
Since I had to discover this the hard way, I'll be picking up and just going to Armenia in 2 months... and no, I don't have a job there.
The point is... there is ALWAYSSSSSS going to be a reason to "wait". A cousin's marriage, a graduation, friendships, parents... they don't stop just because you'd like to move. So really, JUST DO IT!!! :)
See u guys soon :)
Raffi, dagavin California es?
I visit Armenia every year since 2002. I love it, yet the opportunies that are mentioned above are a catch 22. Yes you can excel in business in Armenia, however the moment you start to make abnormal profits, they will come after you...unless you are a American business. By this I mean you pay taxes to the American gov't, then most "thugs" won't bother you. I can tell you personally after being born in armenia, growing up their, and coming back...things have changed, people are not the same. Faces are not the same, its like the erevantsi's have left erevan and all the villagers have moved in. But that should not be a factor for people to complain. Do you love your mother, only in the best of times? Surly not. I plan to move back giving that i can find a career there. In 2005 I started 'directly helping' my people, that year I gave 50 bookbags (which included notebooks, pencils, pens, etc) to refugee kids. In 2006 we gave 100 bookbags. This year in July we hope to accomplish 150. This is a task that anyone can accomplish if they are dedicated. The pesimistic comments i got before starting my first donation process were tremendous, but in the end...helping Armenia works.
There are positives and negatives about moving to Armenia (just like anywhere), but I choose to look at the positives, because most of the negatives are being worked on/will be worked on soon. Armenia progresses so fast....I agree with Shoosh - no time but NOW to move, or else there'll always be excuses.
Last I heard, in 2005 a team of people went to London to be trained in MacDonalds, with training finishing in 2 years, which makes it 2007 a McDonalds opening...but I haven't heard anything recently.
A Diasporan couple visited us in Yerevan, the wife said "I don't know how you can live here." I said "I love living here, it's Armenia!!"
From an Armenian By Choice
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