Three Generations, Three Visions, One Destiny

My father’s generation was distinguished by selfless struggle for the survival and subsistence of the Armenian nation: by giving birth to multiple offspring to compensate for the loss of parents and siblings; by providing their children with education (something they were deprived of); by rebuilding on foreign soil what they had lost on their native land; by instilling in their children the belief and dream of restitution. They endured enormous pain and misery, led by a firm conviction that they were paving the way for success for the future generations.

This amazing belief and awareness of my father’s generation had a positive impact on individual and family levels. Regretfully, it did not spread to the communal level, where antagonism and fraternal infighting often prevailed, instigated primarily by selfish partisan leaders who were trying to regain their lost glory. While asserting their destructive agenda, they did not even shy away from splitting the community and the Church. The condition of the newly relocated communities would have been much better had there been a leadership which looked after the welfare of the community, rather than that of their own cliques. The likes of my father, who resigned from their political party when ordered to attack fellow Armenians, had a higher awareness of nationalism than many so-called “national leaders.”

It was the destiny of my father’s generation to endure Genocide and forced deportation from their age-old birthplace. Although my generation, which was born in the Middle East around the 1950s, was instilled with the ideals of Return, the anti-Soviet propaganda and the unpleasant experiences of those who had immigrated to Soviet Armenia created mixed emotions. With the emergence of Beirut as the “capital” of the Armenian Diaspora, we adopted Lebanon as our “second homeland” where we could lay roots. However, the Lebanese Civil War that erupted in 1975 mangled all plans and convictions, forcing the majority of my generation to either seek temporary emigration to the Arabian Gulf or to voluntary relocation to Western countries. I chose the former route. While growing up in Lebanon I was heavily involved in the local Armenian cultural and athletic life. Because during the first eight months of my stay in Saudi Arabia I managed to find only four Armenians to befriend, my whole conscious and mentality were transformed. Upon befriending them, I did not care to ask about their political or religious orientation. Their Armenianness was enough. It was then that I realized the futility of petty partisanship which antagonizes fellow Armenians and even leads to fratricide.

A vibrant Armenian community might unknowingly “enjoy” that luxury, but the day often comes when a handful remain lamenting their fate. So with that depressing yet realistic vision in mind, why not strive today to prevent that nightmare from ever coming true? I resolved there and then that I would lead my life with that vision and would spread it around me, encouraging and supporting those who think likewise and chastising those who sow seeds of disunity and antagonism. My twelve years in Saudi Arabia and my activities since relocating to Los Angles in 1989 are a testament to my conviction to that vision.

If the words “survival” and “subsistence” denote the generation of my father, the words “national preservation” and “reclamation” could denote our generation. What then would be the words that would denote the generation of our offspring? Finding an answer to this question has been on my mind even before I had formed my own family, knowing full well that a lot depends on the actions of my generation. Back in March 1978 I had written a poem in Armenian entitled “Legacy,” pondering about the legacy that our grandparents and parents left us. I ended it with the question: "What kind of legacy will we leave to our children?" The question was an open invitation to evaluate our conduct. Our fathers’ generally succeeded in their mission of “survival” and “subsistence.” What was the success rate of our generation in preserving the nation and reclaiming the loss, thus paving the way for the achievements of the next generation? We definitely did not achieve as much as our fathers did, despite all the advantages we enjoyed, thanks to their sacrifice. Yes, the turmoil of the Middle East and the negative impact of globalization that flattens nationalist aspirations contributed to our shortcomings, but we could have achieved much more.

Let’s not delude ourselves that because we have survived for thousands of years, we will continue to survive one way or another. Let’s be aware that we are on a downhill path and a major shift of strategy is needed to stop the bleeding and to change direction. The pace of historical progress in this century has been extremely fast. What used to take centuries is now being accomplished in decades. We have to keep pace with these developments. The trio that played a major role in our survival and subsistence a century ago, church-school-club, is not as effective anymore. What proportion of our youth is being educated by this trio now? Combine this with the depopulation of Armenia and the pathetic mentality of its leadership and you’ll realize the dire situation we are in as a nation.

How can we get out of the quagmire? If each one of us treats the members of the community at large the same way he/she treats family members and if each one of us becomes aware that we are equally responsible to the “we” as much as we are to the “I”, then we would launch a huge wave that would lead to the betterment of our nation. It is this legacy that we should be leaving to our youth.
Speaking of our youth and their vision, earlier this month my son, Razmig, broke the news to us that he got accepted to a prestigious university to pursue his MBA studies. In his application, where it was required of him to write about his family, he had mentioned the following:

“The opportunities I have today are a result of the efforts of my parents and grandparents. My parents raised me with three core principles: be thankful for what you have, work hard to take advantage of the opportunities around you, and work hard to provide opportunities for those who are less fortunate. A few years ago, I developed an interest in physics and came across a quote that speaks volumes. Sir Isaac Newton once said, ‘If I have seen further it is only by standing on the shoulders of giants.’ Here is one of the most accomplished individuals in history, yet rather than taking sole credit for his work, he recognized the investments made by his predecessors. As members of society, our duty is to work hard to take advantage of the opportunities presented to us, and then create opportunities for those who are less fortunate. My parents and grandparents are my giants and I strive to one day be the shoulder for others to stand on.”

The example of my son and of other representatives of his generation tells us if we bear in mind the sacrifices of our fathers and their vision of the future, and follow their path and act selflessly in their manner, our hearts will also be full of joy with the vision of a brighter tomorrow.

Allow me to conclude with an illustration that depicts the necessity of developing a mentality in tune with modern thinking and circumstances. Several months ago, during a discussion with my son, he used a pie to depict the Armenian nation. He stated that members of my generation were cutting it into pieces, trying to secure as big a portion as possible for themselves. Some were even bringing in foreign powers to help them secure a bigger portion, negligent to the fact that the foreigner was having his cut, too. My generation’s vision, he stated, should not be securing as big a portion as possible, but to enlarge the overall size of the pie, thus increasing the size of everyone’s slice. After all, the fruits of the labor of successive generations determine the destiny of a nation.