Oral+History+-+Armenia

=﻿Oral History: Armenia= Armenia: A country in the Middle East, as different as different could be from what we know - or maybe not. This project was started simply as the only thing I could think of, seeing as the only major events any of my relatives would know about were things anyone could write an oral history on. What was I to do? I thought back; What had interested me in American History class recently? I thought of many things, all seeming too "ordinary" an idea. Then, I remembered something I'd learned almost a year ago, in seventh grade, Hitler mentioning when questioned about the Holocaust, "It will be forgotten. How many people remember the Armenians?"

The Armenian Genocide was too long ago to base anything on, but maybe not the afteraffects and what it was like living in America with an entirely Armenian family. Not only that, but I knew just the person to talk to about it; My step-grandpa, George. I initially did my research on how Armenians came to America after the Genocide, but found myself fascinated with the people themselves, leaving from that topic and straying to a new one, no longer focusing on specific events, but looking into the lives of the people in these tight Armenian communities. I suppose where I went fit into the category of my research better than what I'd started with, but there is indeed a clear change, even within the interview itself;


 * 1. So, to start off, what were some interesting world events going on when you were growing up? **

//World War Two was going on at the time, back when I was a little boy. Other than that, I don’t really remember! //


 * 2. I’ve been told your mother was a mail-order bride. About when did she come to America, and what were the circumstances of the marriage? **

//Not really. I think she came in 1904, or someplace around there. She worked in Illinois, that’s where she worked with her uncle, I believe it was. I don’t really know how she met my dad - I think it was through an Armenian church or something that connected them. And then he was a barber, and they came to Milwaukee, and went to visit with another Armenian man, and basically, Armenians kept introducing other Armenians to one another. A lot of Armenians changed their names to make them more “American”, but kept the -ian’s at the ends of their names to preserve their Armenian heritage. My mother worked making batteries during World War Two. //


 * 3. When and how did your dad come to America? **

//He came to the United States - He was supposed to be on the Titanic, but his papers were not in order, so his family didn’t know he was alive until a couple weeks after the ships sank. But he got here, and came here because their country was a bit of a mess. //


 * 4. So, truthfully, what were some of the struggles you went through at school while you grew up that were related to your race? **

//None. Well, other than the kids immediately assuming I was Indian, and my food struggles - I wanted American food, like all the other kids at school, but my mom just didn't know how to cook it. And I didn’t live in a house - I lived above my dad’s barber shop. //


 * 5. What were some of your friend’s opinions on the whole matter? **

//They thought it was pretty funny, but they never made fun of me - at least not directly. //


 * 6. Were there any times that you really liked being Armenian? Like, related to people you knew or experiences you had? **

//I think always. I love being Armenian. I am proud. It doesn’t embarrass me, it never made me feel bad. That’s why we Armenians are so close, one town could be like one family. //


 * 7. What are some traditions you might remain attached to today? **

//It’s mostly the food! Even your mother will tell you, our food is awesome. We’re a bit like the Greeks, how we celebrate Christmas in January. Easter is also very big. We’re actually a bit like Jews, except we’re Christians! //


 * 8. Last, I’m told your mother made some very nice hand-made doilies. How much effort did these take? And what other traditions did she follow? **

//My mom followed the cooking traditions, and living under her means... And, you know, don’t waste. But the doilies were made just with a needle and thread, and she never followed a pattern. Also, she believed in very Biblical ideas, like the man being the boss. But, overall, I love being Armenian. They’re such good people. She was also from the mountains, so she lived in a climate very similar to ours, but my father lived on the coast, so it was almost a desert, where he lived. Isn’t that strange? I always thought it was interesting. // Interesting indeed. These doilies are extremely intricate, made by hand, and, as George said, without crochet hooks or patterns. Plenty of these can be found framed in George and Beth's home, all made by his mother, and all extremely beautiful. They told me that she made them on the months-long trip to America, since it was the only thing she could really do in that time. However, this is not what I, personally, consider the most interesting, important part of this project.

The primary source for this report is probably what changed it entirely; An Armenian cookbook. Most would have misgivings about using such a source for any formal report, a feeling I shared in the beginning. However, this cookbook contains inside information; Life stories from the authors of the recipes. Since Armenian recipes were traditionally passed orally from mother to daughter, they were constantly adjusted to the tastes of the area, and many of these authors put little notes to the side to conversationally convey how the recipes were to be made. Since Armenia really has no formal system of measurement, Armenian chefs cook "using their eyes", meaning the recipes are literally made out of "pinches of this" and "dashes of that", all summing up to the fact that there can be several different recipes for the same Armenian meal. There were even historical pieces of information, including where Armenians traditionally went during and after the Armenian genocide, places such as Greece, Syria, and, surprisingly enough considering their situation at the time, France. The book overall had enough information to make one look at the tiny pile of notes taken from my online resources and scoff in pity of the pure cluelessness. Armenian people truly care about their history and each other, and their communities are so tight that one Armenian town is like one family, as my grandfather mentioned before.

It's easy to be surprised by how much one can learn from something put together by a local community, without even an official publisher. In many ways, the best resources are the ones that come from the people who lived through what you want to learn about, not any historical sites. It makes one think - What about other places? I've learned so much about //this// place, but it makes me want to know about //that// place, too. There is value in looking at cultures other than our own, because you might get tired of who you are, but you will never tire of learning about other people. Who knows? You might even learn something fascinating about yourself.

=<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Bibliography - "Cooking like Mama" - The Armenian cookbook. It has no formal publisher, but it was put together in June, 2001 = =<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">George and Beth Manian = = =