The Seeds of our Future

The struggle to maintain one’s identity and culture outside of his or her homeland is not a new one for Armenians. For centuries, we have survived exile, dominion under foreign powers and life on foreign soil.

Despite even the decimation wrought by the Genocide, Armenians everywhere transformed their existence from one of refugees, orphans, and scarred survivors to flourishing, tight-knit and successful communities. Through the invaluable strength of organization, we were able to build new schools, churches, and cultural institutions. Thanks to the perseverance and will of our parents and grandparents, the youth of today were provided the proper avenues for maintaining their identity and preserving their heritage in the diaspora.

But this struggle to stay Armenian outside of our indigenous homeland has always been daunting. In the Western societies of Europe and North America, especially, the fight against assimilation and apathy is a daily challenge. The cultural homogenization now propelled around the world by the process of globalization has only further expanded this obstacle.

Adding to this complexity of life in the diaspora is the changing landscape of communities themselves. An influx of more recently arrived immigrants from Armenia has challenged the traditional dynamics of many diasporan communities. What’s more, regaining an independent Armenian Republic—one with all the powers available to a state and an impetus to engage the seeds of its nation spread across the globe—has opened a new page for what lies in the future.

These realities demand the need to take a fresh new look at the state of the Armenian Diaspora and grapple with the modern challenges that face it. In this special Tri-Regional AYF collaborative issue, we set out to do just that.

One thing continues to remain crystal clear: more than ever, it is the responsibility of the youth today to recognize the accomplishments of previous generations so as to build upon them with vigor and determination, and ensure an even brighter future for generations to come.

The countless Armenian diasporan communities and the Republic itself are like the seeds of a sunflower. While some are larger than others, they exist in unison to form our blossoming Armenian Nation.

It’s up to our generation to keep that flower beautiful.