Diaspora-Armenia relations

This is a subject that has interested me for a while: Diaspora-Armenia relations. It's something that tells an odar like me a lot about the Armenian people.

Armenianow.com have a story about ethnographer Hrak Varjapetian who moved with his family to Armenia eight months ago and has been investigating the similarities and differences between native Armenians and Diaspora.

His wife, Silva Dakesian, an English editor, is mostly dissatisfied with the people's rudeness. "When I came first it was very nice, I was happy that we understood each other," she says. "But then I started to notice that Armenian Armenians and Armenians from Diaspora do not understand each other. People give very coarse answers. For example, once I went to the library to look for a book and the librarian shouted rudely. Then as she knew that I am not from Armenia, she became very polite. Or in the yard of an art gallery I was looking at a statue of Lenin. A manager passed and I asked where the head of Lenin is, he said somewhat rough, 'Why the hell do you need it?'"

This doesn't answer one of my questions about Diaspora-Armenia relations, which is the future. How do the natives of Armenia see the Diaspora in the future of their country? And what contribution, if that is the right word, do the Diaspora think they can make to the homeland?

Posted by Matt on August 16, 2004 | TrackBack | Email to a friend