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17.06.2013

TRANSFORMATIONS OF THE ARMENIAN DIASPORA: CHALLENGES AND POSSIBILITIES

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Vahram Hovyan
Expert of the Center for the Armenian Studies, “Noravank” Foundation

The Armenian Diaspora, which was formed in consequence of the Genocide, has undergone definite transformations over a period of all these decades; these transformations were connected with the “demographic” shifts taking place inside the Diaspora. Acknowledgment of this transformation is important for both facing the challenges and taking advantage of the provided opportunities.

The Essence of Transformation

In consequence of the Genocide the Armenian communities were established in the Middle and Near East countries – Syria, Lebanon, Iran, Egypt, etc. The groups of Armenians who managed to escape from the Genocide also settled in the European countries – Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, France, and other European countries, as well as in the United States, Canada, etc.

As a result, however, the migration of the Armenians from the Middle and Near East countries towards the West – Europe, U.S., Canada and other developed western European countries had been observed. This is proved by the continuous shrinkage of the number of the people in the Armenian communities in the Middle and Near East countries against the background of the continuous growth of the Armenian communities in the western countries.

Thus, if in 1960s the number of the Armenians in the US was about 250 thousand people1, at the beginning of the 21st century it has been 1.2 million2. Meanwhile, if, e.g. in Syria, the number of the Armenians in 1960s was about 150 thousand3, before the recent crisis their number was 65-70 thousand people4.

In order to make picture clearer and more substantive, in the charts below the dynamics of the number of the Armenians in the Middle and Near East countries and some western countries as compared with the early 1960s is brought.

Table 1
The number of the Armenians in the Middle and Near East countries


Table 2
Number of the Armenians in western countries with the biggest Armenian communities


The following main factors further the migration of the Armenians from the Middle and Near East to the US, Canada and European countries:

1. The higher living standards in the western countries. The Armenians from the Middle and Near East have started migrating to the developed western countries in the anticipation of wealthier life since the mid 20the century.

2. Easy adaptation to the western social and cultural environment. The Armenians, being Christians, easier adopt European and American social and cultural habits and, correspondingly, are easier integrated into these societies than the Muslims. So, the European and American social and cultural environments, which are closer to the Armenians, are triggering migration of the Armenians from the Middle and Near East towards western countries.

3. Dominating Islamic environment. It is to some extent strange to the Armenians. Despite the secular character of the states and tolerance towards Armenians, nevertheless, there were no broad political and civil liberties, which would provide Armenians conditions for self-actualization. This explains the political passiveness of the Armenians in these countries.

And the in recent decades the rise of Islam has been observed in the region. It is proved by:

• The 1979 Islamic revolution in Iran, where the secular shahdom turned into religious state (Islamic Republic of Iran);

• Being of the pro-Islamic Justice and Development Party at the helm of the state in Turkey since 2002;

• The “Arab Spring” initiated in 2011, in a result of which “...the nationalist political forces lose their power and are substituted by radical Islamists”5.

4. Domestic and external collisions. The Middle and Near East is unstable region which countries are constantly suffering from domestic and external collisions. The external collisions manifest themselves in form of wars – Arab-Israeli conflict, Iraqi-Iranian war (1980-1988), the Persian Gulf War (1990), Iraqi-American war (2003), etc. And domestic collisions are manifested in form of revolutions, civil wars, coups and instability in these regions. In this aspect the 1975-1990 civil war in Lebanon and the 1979 Islamic revolution in Iran are remarkable. As for Syria, “in the period of 1949-1970 15 coups took place in Syria”6. And the current “Arab spring” is another fresh evidence of instability of the Middle East region. Such a “boiling” situation in the region threatens security and normal life of the Armenian communities.

One way or another, large-scale migration of the Armenians from the countries of the Middle and Near East to the western countries essentially impacts the inner structure of the Armenian Diaspora. The Armenian communities in the Middle and Near East are gradually thinning out; meanwhile some Armenians communities in the western countries are growing and becoming more influential.

Thus, in consequence of the inner transformations, alongside with the comparatively small Armenian communities spread all over the world, key Armenian communities in a number of countries – USA, Russia and France, are getting more influential7.

Challenges and possibilities

Transformation of the Diaspora has both positive and negative consequences.

The main challenge is the sharpening of the issue of preserving Armenian identity. It is known that the Armenians in the western countries are closely integrated into the societies of these countries; they easier lose such components of their national identity as their mother tongue, communication, national culture and history, national self-consciousness, etc. The problem of language is especially acute because among the Armenians in the US, Canada, France, Russia and other Christian countries the number of people who speak their native language is constantly shrinking from one generation to another. And under such conditions “... their further national identity becomes unknown and obscure. Losing their language and main features of the national character and psychology, the national self-consciousness and acknowledgement of the national interest are gradually dulling”8.

Mixed marriages, which are wide-spread among the Armenians in Russia and other western countries, are another factor contributing to the assimilation of the Armenians.

In the countries of the Middle and Near East the Armenians are to some extent isolated and they differ from the ruling Islamic environment which broadly encourages preserving of the national identity features (language, religion, culture, national self-consciousness) and minimizes the number of marriages with people of other nationalities, and this cannot be said about the Armenians in the western countries and Russia. The kindred social and civilization environment, system of values as well as civil liberties keep Armenian communities and the societies of these countries open which creates a fertile ground for convergence and, at the same time, it constitutes serious menace to the preservation of the national identity.

The existing situation, alongside with the challenges, also provides some possibilities which can considerably help Armenia and Diaspora. Among these possibilities, three can be distinguished:

1. Formation of considerable Armenian capital. Western countries and Russia are among the economically developed countries where economic stability prevails. This circumstance, as well as ample opportunities for business activity, allows Armenians spreading economic activity, acquiring economic capabilities, in consequence of which the main part of the capital of the Armenian community is formed. It is not a mere chance that well-known Armenian businessmen are from the Armenian Diasporas in the western countries and Russia (K.Kerkorian, V.Hovnanian, A.Abrahamyan, etc.). Though while speaking about capital we mostly mean financial and economic capabilities, it would not be out of place also to consider the Armenians who are involved in the administrative structures, financial and other institutions and who achieved eminence in the western countries and Russia.

2. Spreading lobbyist activity. The western countries provide their citizens with broad democratic and civil rights and liberties for spreading social and political activity. In case of proper self-organization this circumstance provides the Armenian communities opportunities to spread lobbyist activity in favour of Armenia and Diaspora. It is also important that the western countries (US, Canada, France) and Russia are “heavy-weight” countries in the modern world in the aspect of economic and military-political influence. Correspondingly, the lobbyist activity spread in these countries can be of great importance.

3. Increasing of the intellectual potential. Besides the economic and military-political influence, the advantage of the western countries and Russia, as compared to other countries, is the developed scientific and technical infrastructures. The Armenians, who received education in these countries and are involved in the work of the scientific-technical institutions, constitute the intellectual potential of the Armenian Diaspora, which corresponds to the highest criteria. It means that the Armenian communities in the US, Canada, France and Russia are able to prepare skilled personnel in different branches of knowledge. And proper estimate and efficient usage of this potential can largely contribute to the development of Armenia.

Thus, as a result of the “demographic” shifts, which take place in the Diaspora today, on the one hand the problem of preserving of the national identity is becoming even acuter, but on the other hand “...the main part of the Armenian Diaspora is centered in the developed industrial countries with efficiently functioning democratic institutions”9, which, alongside with high intellectual potential, open up new possibilities on the way of realization of the nationwide goals.

1 Գասպարյան Ս., Սփյուռքահայ գաղթօջախներն այսօր. մշակութային կյանքի ուրվագիծ, Եր., Հայաստանի պետական հրատարակչություն, 1962, էջ 246 (Gasparyan S. Armenian Communities Today: Outlines of Cultural life, Yerevan, Yerevan State University, 1962, p. 246 (in Armenian)

2 “Armenian Diaspora” Encyclopedia, Yerevan, 2003, p. 33 (in Armenian)

3 Գասպարյան Ս., նշվ. աշխ., էջ 246։ Gasparyan S. the mentioned work, p. 246

4 “Armenian Diaspora” Encyclopedia, Yerevan, 2003, p. 508 (in Armenian)

5 Syria Surge: Expert says toppling Assad’s regime would endanger the Armenian community http://armenianow.com/news/politics/34004/middle_east_politics_impact_armenia

6 Սագօ Արեան, «Արաբական գարուն»-ը և Միջին Արևելքի (Sago Arean, “Arab Spring” and Armenians in the Middle East” (in Armenian) http://www.noravank.am/arm/articles/detail.php?ELEMENT_ID=6888

7 In consequence of migration from Armenia over the post-Soviet period the number of Armenians in Russia increased up to 2.2 million people. “Armenian Diaspora” Encyclopedia, p. 457 (in Armenian)

8 Հակոբյան Ս., Փիլիսոփայության հիմունքներ, Եր., Երևանի համալս. հրատ., 1994, էջ 284 (Hakobyan S., The Principles of Philosophy, Yerevan, Yerevan State University, 1994, p. 284 (in Armenian).

9Yengoyan A.P., Ideological Bases of Social and Political Transformations in the Post-Soviet Armenia, Yerevan, RAU, (in Russian)


“Globus” analytical journal, #5, 2013

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