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ANKARA: Armenian Diaspora: Discovering Anatolia In Los Angeles

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  • ANKARA: Armenian Diaspora: Discovering Anatolia In Los Angeles

    ARMENIAN DIASPORA: DISCOVERING ANATOLIA IN LOS ANGELES

    Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
    Feb 3 2014

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    Living in the diaspora and dealing with emotions of disconnect
    and longing are very difficult to grasp for those who have never
    lived away from their homes, wherever that 'home' may be. Whether
    voluntary or forceful, physical separation from one's homeland is a
    major trauma that can morph into a perennial emotional longing. It
    might go unnoticed or can be repressed in some cases but this psyche
    reverberates a narrative of an imagined homeland noticeably amongst
    collectives that were exiled or survived massive traumas. The diaspora
    Armenians are prone to this nostalgic collective psyche pertaining to
    the massive human resources and economic losses during the collapse
    of the Ottoman Empire and after the fall of the Soviet Union.

    There is plenty of discussion on the Armenian diaspora in Turkey, but
    the lack of first hand experience is impeding potential interactions
    with the diaspora. This is because of the misrepresentations and
    miscommunication between Turkey and the diaspora. In Turkey the
    dominant connotation linked to the Armenian diaspora is 'radical'.

    After a month in the field I hoped to assess the relevancy of this
    prevailing perception and the intricate relationship between the
    Turkish and the Armenian diaspora identity.

    Perhaps the most significant challenges between Turks and diaspora
    Armenians -other than both being trapped in conventional large-group
    prejudices- have been the lack of interaction, dialogue and
    communication. Although I had previous connections, my most distinct
    encounter with the diaspora in their Southern California heartland,
    the city of Glendale, was a step that epitomized my own fears. At
    the same time it was a major confrontation of my expectations of
    the diaspora. I had a certain image of what could be dubbed as
    'Little Armenia' that I gathered from secondary resources such as
    news articles, books, journals and other publications. After all, as
    a former resident of the greater Los Angeles area I thought Glendale
    would not be safe for Turks and that I should not be there perhaps
    stemming from my own biases. More importantly, the now faded wave
    of violence towards Turks, diplomats and civilians alike, was in the
    back of my mind generating a certain typology of the diaspora. I was
    soon to realize that my biases were not well grounded. In fact, my
    month-long experience meeting with the diaspora Armenians was very
    inspiring. Stepping foot in Glendale, was almost as if I was in an
    Americanized Anatolian city, not too different than what I'm used
    to seeing in Turkey. Kabob restaurants, coffee shops, small stores
    and the Americana mall right on the Grand Avenue. The vivid image of
    men playing backgammon, drinking coffee and women rushing from one
    store to another shopping for the holidays reminded me of 'home'. It
    also resembled Chaussée de Haecht in Brussels where roughly every
    other person on the street is of Turkish origin. I felt I fit in just
    perfectly. The truth is my anxieties were relieved following my first
    encounter in the all-Armenian Glendale. Surprisingly, even the thought
    of visiting Turkey triggered similar fears amongst some diasporans.

    Perhaps, a courageous first interaction is all it takes as I assured
    my diasporan friends.

    I asked myself 'where is home' for the, what is it like living in the
    diaspora, where did they belong? I was able to meet diverse groups of
    diaspora Armenians and listen to their stories. To my surprise, there
    was a symbolic presence of Anatolia in Southern California through the
    descendants of Adana, MaraÅ~_, Kayseri, MuÅ~_, Diyarbakır, Antep,
    Elazıg and many more towns. Amongst those originally from these
    towns, very few have ever paid a visit but this didn't change the
    fact that majority did have a strong emotional bond, an emotional
    belonging that is not easy to describe. There was an imaginative,
    pastoral description of the homeland transmitted from one generation
    to the next one coupled with the enduring effect of loss and being
    lost in the third space. It was not a strong longing but rather was
    a reminiscence of the past particularly for those who seemed to be
    politically more active. Perhaps the third space was represented in a
    'refugee mentality'.

    It is unfair to take a holistic approach in defining the Armenian
    diaspora; the community is not a monolithic entity. Indeed, there are
    political and social diversities within the Armenian community in the
    greater Los Angeles area. Yet, the feeling of injustice, nostalgia,
    the traumatic past and the inability to form a certain belonging are
    collective identity markers overarching diversities. Some diaspora
    Armenians defined what they called a 'compulsory exile', as if they
    still have their suitcases packed, almost ready to go back either
    to their ancient homes or to the Republic of Armenia. This feeling,
    together with the perception of an unresponsive approach of Turkey
    towards their pain up until very recently has been containing
    the diaspora in a space of nostalgia, even in a constant state
    of mourning. It is a predicament that while the past should be
    commemorated dwelling in the past and the symbolic preoccupation
    with Turkey hampers diaspora's efforts to construct a viable future
    for the diasporan identity, but on the other hand it is a bond for
    the identity that has a core narrative of victimization. On one hand,
    it is up to the diaspora to find a constructive way out of this state
    but also equally up to Turkey to relieve the diaspora of this pain
    through groundbreaking initiatives.

    Besides this feeling of being lost, identifying the existence of
    the symbolic 'Turk' in the collective identity is puzzling. Even
    for those who have not actually met a Turk before there is still a
    certain perception. However, this is not a genuine interaction. During
    one of my meetings a young diasporan said: 'I was hesitant to join
    this meeting and normally I have negative sentiments against Turks,
    but you are cool and this conversation is going well'. Another said
    she felt she is being heard. The views expressed by these diasporans
    were very similar to my own self-fulfilling judgments and positive
    experience that came afterwards meeting with the unknown territory of
    the diaspora. Another diaporan said 'I wouldn't expect to have such
    a nice conversation with a Turk, ever!'. This perhaps signified a
    predicament of getting to know the 'other'. Likewise, such an anxiety
    of tackling an unknown space is present in the Turkish society. It
    is somewhat due to the alienation from the past, and with that both
    Turks and the diasporans are caught in the mechanism of hegemonic
    narratives hindering dialogue efforts. To be precise, majority of
    Turks are strangled in a one-sided history assessment and lack of
    empathy while majority of diaspora Armenians seem to be preoccupied
    with a sense of socio-political victimization and the overwhelming
    power of certain political groups.

    Nevertheless, through a first step of interaction Turks and the
    diaspora will be able to recognize that neither is 'dreadful' and
    can work on trust issues. As a result, the current alienation might
    diminish and both Turks and the diaspora can rediscover their 'home'.

    As the alienation perishes Turks and the diasporans are more likely to
    see one another from a healthier perspective that stems from personal
    and societal experiences. Both the diaspora and Turkey are actually
    going through major shifts in their approach towards one another, yet
    neither society is fully aware of this changing dynamic. Regrettably,
    the lack of communication is hindering the ability to see this
    perspective thoroughly.

    One of the biggest mistakes in assessing the diaspora is taking a
    holistic approach and observing the society through the more strident
    narratives and publications. Likewise, it seems like the diaspora
    too will have a difficult time in making their point as long as the
    dominant narrative is produced by strident political movements.

    *Senem Cevik is Assistant Professor at Ankara University. This article
    is based on the author's field research in Los Angeles, U.S.A.

    February/03/2014

    http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/armenian-diaspora-discovering-anatolia-in-los-angeles.aspx?pageID=238&nID=61899&NewsCatID=396

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