There is More to Being Armenian Than a Last Name Ending in “ian”

By TALAR HOTOYAN-HANCHERIAN
Talarlori@rocketmail.com

I always felt a deep attachment to my Armenian heritage. From our fine foods, soulful music, and our beautiful dances, to our rich language and alphabet. But more than anything, I felt attached to the strong history of Armenia.

As a child, my mother would sit me down to talk to me about where we came from, why we are here, and where we hope to be in the near future. During these moments, I would block everything out, feel  the veins in my body pump and my blood would flow with passion. I did not know where these emotions came from.

I was intrigued hearing about our kings, our domination of the world, our suffering, the betrayal we faced by other nations over and over, how we lost our people, our women and children to surrounding jealous countries, who longed to be more like us.

I went to an Armenian Elementry School in Scarborough, (Canada) called Sourp Khatch. In each class there were only about 8 to 10 kids, sometimes fewer. It was a small school which also taught English and French, but the only class that affected me was Armenian History.

I remember learning about every war, blood shed, death, every song, every dance, every poem and every other nation that took our richness. I felt proud to be from such a rich culture.

After I graduated from Sourp Khatch, I went to an English Academy where there were no Armenian kids. I hardly made friends, or fit in with anyone because nobody knew what Armenian was, and could not relate to the subjects that were so important to me. So I started educating them about my culture, but I was mocked and made fun of. But still I was proud.

What gave me strength to stay proud of my roots, was not my parents. It was listening to Armenian music, because it made me feel like I was living the pain of today’s life and the pain of the life our ancestors lived before us.

I made a promise to myself I would remain proud and happy of my Armenian roots and that I would always fight to keep our heritage alive. It frightens me that today’s generation of Armenians are not properly educated. Many are not aware of our history or of where we are heading in the near future. If we are not properly educated, what will we pass on to our children about our ancestors or of our heritage? Slowly Armenians will be so assimilated that our rich culture that has survived for so many years will start to fade.

 It is so difficult for me to feel connected to the Armenians of my generation when they do not see being Armenian the way I do. I feel that we need to love one another, respect each other, educate each other, and marry one another to further continue our identities.

I have learned that pride is within and that it takes sacrifice and love for our culture to keeps us alive. Every time I try to discuss this topic, the topic I am most passionate about, I am looked at as if I am from a different planet.

We need to encourage our Armenian youth to continuously stick together, to  keep an old-fashioned Armenian heart with  a modern open mind that will keeps us together forever. We need this to happen for our own identities.You can rip out my skin, take off my flesh, blood and bones, yet underneath it all, I will always be Armenian.