Every year, the OIA Scholarship Committee (www.oia.net/scholarship) awards Armenian students studying in colleges in the United States strictly on a merit basis. For the 2002/2003 school year, the Committee reviewed 39 college student applications. The committee awarded scholarships totaling $12,000 to 11 exceptional students. As part of the scholarship application, every student is asked to submit an essay on a topic selected by the Committee.

The Voice editors realize that this is indeed a very challenging topic to write about in the sense that there is no single right answer. The reply would very much depend on an individual's own experience and background, as was the result this past year. Therefore, we have decided that over the course of the next two issues we will present four answers, so that you may enjoy the different views of four outstanding students who were rewarded by the OIA Scholarship Committee.

What aspect of Armenian identity matters most for its survival in the United States?

Essay I:

There is no aspect of Armenian identity that matters most. Rather all aspects, whatever their nature or how they are defined, contribute in forging what is caned the Armenian identity. Although I am relatively young, I have already noted that the large majority of Armenian Americans are devoid of many of the so-called "true" Armenian characteristics, but do show strength in at least one or two aspects. And, that is what really matters.

I know of an Armenian immigrant (with a green card) who speaks only his native Turkish, in addition to his broken English, does not belong to an Armenian church or organization, does not (read: cannot) speak Armenian at home, nor send his children to an Armenian school. But, what does he do that makes me admire his "Armenianness"? He owns and operates the most recognized Armenian restaurant in the area and through his talents and personality has introduced hundreds of "odars" to Armenian cuisine and culture. Day in and day out, with warmth and humility, he adds to the Armenian identity, and I can even say to the Armenian mystique.

Also, in my somewhat extended Armenian family, I have a dear relative who married an "odar" and sired three children. As in the previous example, the Armenian language was not spoken in the home, and Armenian schooling was not available. However, today each of his children belongs to one or more Armenian organizations, attend and have been married in Armenian churches, have visited Armenia (even before independence in 1991), and donated extensively to various charities in present-day Armenia. The point I am making? From a mixed marriage, so abhorred by many self-appointed "true" Armenians, I witnessed the genesis and growth of three solid Armenian families. That is real survival of our identity!

There are many other examples of Armenians who cannot speak the language, who cannot promulgate our history and culture, who marry outside their ethnic group, whose lifestyle and prime interests are not primarily Armenian-related, but who contribute mightily to furthering our Armenian identity, here in the US and in fact worldwide. I cannot disguise my pride for Armenians such as Kirk Krikorian, the indefatigable financier, Raffi, the children's troubadour, and of course the eminent Charles Aznavour, each of whom I understand speak Armenian minimally or not at all, and who have married "odar" wives. No one should question the contribution of each of these people to the survival of the Armenian identity, let alone Armenia itself.

In essence, I suggest it is not that many Armenian identity factors must exist and flourish in an Armenian individual to perpetuate Armenianness, but rather the manifestation of only a few, and perhaps even one, is sufficient to do the job. We as Armenians must encourage and express diversity in how we project ourselves as Armenians. By reaching out, praising the least of us for what we do rather than criticizing people for what we prefer that they do, and, equally important, by embracing newcomers to our Armenian family, we will insure that our small nation and its people with a three millennia history shall not quietly perish from this earth.

- Ludér Tavit Sahagian

Ludér Tavit Sahagian was awarded $1,000.00 by the OIA Scholarship Committee last year. He is in his fourth year of studies and is majoring in Political Science (Honors) at University of Massachusetts Amherst. His cumulative point average (GPA) is currently 3.94. Luder wants to further his studies in international relations and government.

Essay II:

It is certainly not simple to single out one aspect of identity, in this case Armenian identity, that would ensure the survival of any ethnic or cultural group in the United States. I think it is a combination of factors that would warrant the survival of Armenian identity in this country - often deemed as a large "melting pot." However, if I would have to make a choice, it would have to be Language.

Language is an element critical to Armenian identity. I see language as a depository of culture, tradition, values, and knowledge. After all, it was language that set apart Armenians from their Persian neighbors and Hellenic conquerors until the adoption of Christianity - which later became a powerful tool against assimilation. Based on the experience of many Armenian communities throughout the U.S., language seems to be the main force that helps secure the survival of Armenian identity. Let's take the instance of Fresno, CA and Worchester, MA. Both are two of the oldest Armenian colonies in the country, yet nearly all the Armenians that had settled there prior to the 1960s are almost fully assimilated. These communities had Armenian churches, bakeries, clubs. However, as the language died among the ensuing generations, so did their Armenian identity. While the churches still may exist in these communities, most of the community does not (as "Armenians"). An interesting comparison can be made with the thousands of Armenians that settled in Transylvania and Poland after the destruction of the city of Ani in the 11th century. These communities eventually became Romanian and Polish speaking, and completely lost their identity despite the existence of their churches and temporary traditions.

The case of Armenians in the Middle East has proven to be different. While language remains crucial there as well, Armenian Christianity has proved to be the main force to keep the Armenians from assimilation. Among Muslim majorities, the Armenians for the most part have been successful in keeping their identity. Religion became a barrier for many realities in society, such as intermarriage, which surely helped the situation. This is quite similar with the Jews, for whom Judaism has become a shield against assimilation and absorption by their host countries and cultures. It is perhaps taken a step further in Judaism, as there is an element embedded in their religion that ensures their survival in virtually all their communities in the world, as evidenced by the history of, say, the ancient Chinese and Ethiopian Jews that still exist today.

In short, I believe language is the most important aspect of our identity that will, for the most part, ensure our survival in the United States, where cultures and traditions have been known to disappear within a couple of generations. After all, with the existence of language can come tradition and culture. My conclusion is based on historical experience and modern realities.

- Harout Semerdjian

Harout Semerdjian was awarded $1,250.00 by the OIA Scholarship Committee last year. He is in his first year of PhD program in History and in Near Eastern Languages at University of California, Los Angeles. His cumulative point average (GPA) from his undergraduate degree at UCLA was 3.96.