ARMENIAN WESTERN COMMUNITIES DIFFER FROM EASTERN
20.06.2007,
01:09
Armenian communities in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus differ from those in the United States, Canada and France, Eduard Melkonyan, a historian, said at a conference focused on Armenian communities’ problems and development prospects.
YEREVAN, June 19. /ARKA/. Armenian communities in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus differ from those in the United States, Canada and France, Eduard Melkonyan, a historian, said Tuesday in Yerevan at a conference focused on Armenian communities’ problems and development prospects.
He presented key differences between eastern and western Armenian communities.
In his words, Armenian communities in western countries had a decades-long record – they were formed after Armenians displacement from their homes by Ottoman Turks in 1915 – while the communities in post-soviet territory emerge now. Their essence differs from western ones’, Melkonyan said.
He said western immigrants remember horrible events of 1915 and suffer from loss of homeland while relatively recent migrants are mainly job seekers who maintain ties with their relatives in Armenia.
The expert thinks the immigrants in post-soviet territory are easily adapting to new conditions thanks to their Russian language knowledge and other visa regime.
Besides, there is greater room for employment in post-soviet countries than in other countries.
At the same time, Melkonyan pointed out xenophobia as a grave problem there.
The conference was organized by Noravank and Caucasus Media Institute in association with Yerkir Union of NGOs.
The conference will wrapped up on Wednesday. M.V.-0---
He presented key differences between eastern and western Armenian communities.
In his words, Armenian communities in western countries had a decades-long record – they were formed after Armenians displacement from their homes by Ottoman Turks in 1915 – while the communities in post-soviet territory emerge now. Their essence differs from western ones’, Melkonyan said.
He said western immigrants remember horrible events of 1915 and suffer from loss of homeland while relatively recent migrants are mainly job seekers who maintain ties with their relatives in Armenia.
The expert thinks the immigrants in post-soviet territory are easily adapting to new conditions thanks to their Russian language knowledge and other visa regime.
Besides, there is greater room for employment in post-soviet countries than in other countries.
At the same time, Melkonyan pointed out xenophobia as a grave problem there.
The conference was organized by Noravank and Caucasus Media Institute in association with Yerkir Union of NGOs.
The conference will wrapped up on Wednesday. M.V.-0---
