Diaspora Identity and a New Generation: Armenian Diaspora Youth on the Genocide and the Karabakh War

Abstract

In this article, we explore the role of the early 20th-century Armenian genocide and the unresolved Karabakh conflict of the 1990s in identity shaping among the new generation of Armenian diaspora—those who grew up after the establishment of the independent Armenian state in 1991. We draw on original interviews with diasporic youth in France, the United Kingdom, and Russia—diasporas that were largely built in the aftermath of the genocide and the Karabakh war. Diaspora youth relate to these events through transmitted collective memories, but also reconnect with the distant homeland’s past and present in new ways as they engage with new possibilities of transnational digital communication and mobility. Their experiences of identity shed light on how the new generation of diasporic Armenians defines itself in relation to the past; how this past is (re)made present in their interpretations of the Karabakh conflict and in everyday behaviors; and how diasporic youth experience the dilemmas of “moving on” from traumatic narratives that for a long time have been seen as foundational to their identity.

Growing up with a long-awaited nation-state: Personal struggles with the homeland among young diasporic Armenians

“…Many interviewees report following media coverage of national events to stay in touch with matters of importance to the Armenian community. As we demonstrate in a separate article, the accessibility of information about political events in the region through digital media brings them closer, while opening doubts about what to believe (Chernobrov and Wilmers, 2019). As a result, A W connecting emotionally to Armenia as a symbol of common heritage, many interviewees, in the UK and France particularly, express disconnectedness from or even opposition towards the politics of the Armenian state.…”

“…Here, the agency and population are excluded, as the problem is attributed to external, historical forces. Self-A the Karabakh conflict (Chernobrov and Wilmers, 2019). Such positions led several participants to identify a role fo V 33, UK W (Mina, 23, France) into the society, characterising the diaspora as Western and progressive in mentality.…”

“…Here, the agency and perspective of the state's population are excluded, as the problem is attributed to external, historical forces. Self-distancing from the state emerges in particular in young diaspora Armenians' reflections on the Karabakh conflict (Chernobrov and Wilmers, 2019). Such positions led several participants to identify a role for today's diaspora in bringing 'a new way of thinking' (Vazgen, 33, UK) or 'a vision from the West' (Mina, 23, France) into the society, characterising the diaspora as Western and progressive in mentality.…”

“Everything is Connected to the Genocide.” Intergenerational Memory, Diaspora Mobilization, and Armenian Youth Identities in Jerusalem

“…Practices of remembering are embedded within specific social contexts, subject to rules of how to remember that are associated with particular memory communities. 17 Following Chernobrov and Wilmers' analysis of diaspora Armenian youth identities in France, the United Kingdom, and Russia, 18 and Gül Kaya's research on Armenian youth identities in Canada, 19 the current research draws on the theoretical concepts of postmemory, past presencing, and transnational memory to understand the role of the Genocide and practices of remembering in shaping youth identities within the specific context of Jerusalem's Armenian community.…”

Navigating labels, seeking recognition for victimhood: Diaspora activism after mass‐atrocities

“…The role of the Holocaust in shaping the identity and trajectory of the Jewish diaspora may be the most obvious example. For the Armenian diaspora, the 1915 genocide and struggle to gain recognition for it has been an important unifying and mobilizing force (Chernobrov & Wilmers, 2020; Kasbarian, 2018). The memory of mass‐atrocities in the past can serve to explain the dispersal from the homeland, activate also the younger generation and motivate the preservation of tradition and language.…”