News

Հմուտ էր դահիճը. Լավ էր մտածել, շատ էր փորձարկել, անվերջ երազել, Թե ինչպես է պետք վերջ դնել կյանքի այնպես, որ մինչեւ հոգին մարմինը լքի, անվերջ գալարվի, Որ մինչեւ մարմինն իր վերջին շունչը փչի, ապրած կյանքի ամեն մեկ պահի շունչը անիծի, Որ մինչեւ աչքին երեւացող վերջին պատկերը խամրի, անվերջ անիծի իրեն ծնողին:

This struggle...It keeps me awake at nights. It courses through my veins; it kicks at my beating heart ruthlessly. It lights an inferno in my soul and my body smolders under it. It wracks my mind and my emotions, for what is the place of an Armenian-American living in America? We struggle and fight from seas abroad so that our homeland off in the horizon will remain untouched and prosperous, without any hindrance. Yet when have we asked ourselves the question, “Will I ever live in my homeland again?”

When I was first asked to write a guest column for Haytoug that addressed the issue of a “white genocide” and the perceived evils of assimilation, I was tempted to write this entire piece in Kra’par (Classical Armenian). After all, it is my humble opinion that if you do not know how to read Kra’par, then you’re not a “real Armenian.” Then I thought to write it in Armenian but I couldn’t decide what language to water our mother tongue down with – Turkish? Arabic? Russian? Farsi perhaps? But then I thought, “The one language that we all can or should understand is English .” – plus, I don’t know how to use an Armenian keyboard or anything that resembles one. So using the King’s English, let’s address the issue of Armenian assimilation and the “jermag chart.” (I hope I’m not the only one who sees the irony in that.)

Reddit is the brainchild of Steve Huffman and Alexis Ohanian, who started the site fresh out of college in 2005. When I first googled Reddit and read this, like any good Armenian, my eye was immediately drawn to the –ian, and I felt proud that I could add another name to my list of brainy Armenians. So when I found out that Alexis Ohanian would be in Yerevan (where I live) for a few months, I knew I had to track him down and talk to him.

It is not uncommon to hear certain pundits sound off about how Armenians are too ‘hung up’ on the Genocide. It is said that 1915 has become the sole ‘obsession’ of Armenians, especially in the Diaspora. Whether discussing genocide resolutions or the recent Turkey-Armenia Protocols, Armenians are told they need to “move beyond” the Genocide issue and put more emphasis on things like culture or helping the homeland. Sadly, at times, it is fellow Armenians pontificating these notions.