One Family’s Quest to Give Back and Stay Connected to their Roots
(Published in the Armenian Reporter, by Nyree Abrahamyan)
Voskevaz – Armenians living in the Diaspora have always felt a tug to return to their homeland, or see it for the first time. In recent years, with more and more airlines flying to Armenia, quick and easy visas at the airport, a plethora of options for accommodations and a growing tourism industry, the dream of visiting Armenia is becoming increasingly accessible. According to the Armenian Tourism Development Agency, the Armenian Diaspora represents 62 percent of all tourist arrivals.
It’s wonderful to see growing numbers of diaspora Armenians in the country each year, and even more uplifting that many are opting to volunteer during their visit. Another growing trend among Diaspora Armenians is to visit with the entire family, or as many members of the family as possible. We have been following the stories of some of these families, many of whom are here with members representing three generations. And while they all seem to feel a common bond that is strengthened and deepened when they visit their homeland together with their loved ones, each family’s stories, their reasons for visiting Armenia and their experiences are unique.
For Cynthia Erickson and the three generations of her family who came to Armenia to participate in building projects with Fuller Center for Housing, their recent three-week trip to Armenia was not just a visit to their homeland, but a mission to directly participate in its development.Cynthia started working with Habitat for Humanity in Armenia in 2003. She led teams in 2004, 2006 and 2007. This was her first year working with Fuller Center and her team consisted of nine people, six of whom were members of her family: her mother Satenig, aunt Cathy, uncle Dan, sister Ann Marie, son Bradley and nephew Orin.All three generations of the family were born in the United States. Cynthia’s grandparents (Satenig’s parents) were born in Western Armenia. Her grandfather had immigrated to the United States from Van and worked on the railroad in North Dakota. Her grandmother was in Palu (near Kharpert) during the Genocide, and shortly thereafter, with the help of an uncle in Rhode Island, she was able to get as far as Havana, Cuba, where there was a community of Armenians. She and her husband met through correspondences. He came to Havana, where they were married and together they returned to North Dakota, where they had nine children.
Although the family has been in the United States for almost a century, their ties to Armenia are as strong as ever. Satenig and her sister, Cathy, had visited the country on a few occasions, and on a visit in 1985, they discovered first cousins living in Yerevan. Since then, they have been extremely close with their Yerevan family. Cousin Lilit, who was only a baby when they met in 1985, was with them on site at the build where I met them in Voskevaz. Cynthia’s 21-year-old son, Bradley, joined her in Armenia for the first time on a building project last year, and her sister, Ann Marie, had visited in 1997 and 1998.
The group worked for three weeks, first in Markahovit, where their main tasks involved concrete mixing and pouring a concrete floor, then in Tashir, on a build in cooperation with the ARDA Project (Armenian Relief and Development Association), where they covered up seams in the ceiling, plastered and painted the walls. Their last couple of days was spent in Voskevaz village, near Yerevan, doing similar heavy labor work.
“It was hard work,” said Dan Igielski, Cathy’s husband who was in Armenia for the first time, “Much harder than I thought it would be. I’m wondering how they expect old folks like us to keep up.” Though the last part was said half jokingly, he was serious about the hard work. “It’s not just window dressing,” added Ann Marie, “Fuller Center is really making a difference. What we did was hard, and it mattered, and it made a difference for these families.
“As team leader, Cynthia could not have been happier with her group. “Everybody adapted really well to it,” she said, “We got our bucket line down really well… My mom was like our social ambassador. She helped the women in the kitchen and did some bucket line work as well. She was even on the ladder doing some ceiling plastering.
“Cynthia will to return to Armenia with another Fuller Center project next year. This year, it was a special treat to have so many members of her family as team members, but she knows that regardless of where people are from or their degree of personal attachment to Armenia, what really matters is their hands-on participation in improving people’s lives.
Still, there’s no denying that as a family of Armenian descent, there is something special about volunteering in Armenia. “Being of Armenian descent we feel ownership to this country,” said Ann Marie, adding with a laugh, “I don’t know if it’s always appreciated, but we really do. And there are limits to how you can help and see the difference. You can donate to organizations, but you never actually see it happen. Here you see it happen. You do it with your own hands. You wear the injuries.” The last remark was a tongue in cheek reference to her wrist, which she sprained on the job.
Though most members of the family live in areas of the United States that don’t have very active Armenian communities and speak little or no Armenian, language was never an issue. Emotional connections can build bridges right over language barriers. “There’s a lot of exchange that happens just through expressions and gestures,” said Cathy, “People are always opening their homes to us, even if their home is just a domik, and sharing with us whatever they have.” Domiks are basically construction containers, tiny one-room houses that were meant as temporary housing after the 1988 earthquake. Some of the homes that they worked on helped people finally move out of their domiks, 20 years after the earthquake. Her husband, Dan, was equally touched by the welcome they received. “The food that the families prepared for our lunches and their hospitality was just outstanding,” he said.
For Orin and Bradley, the younger members of the family, volunteering through Fuller Center is not just a great way to give back, it helps them create ties with their homeland, making Armenia, its people and its culture a reality rather than a vague and distant concept. It also opens doors. The two were offered a year’s stay to help with one of the projects in Vanadzor!
People living in any diaspora often face an inner dilemma. They want so badly to stay connected to their roots that they cling to any fragment of the past that remains. But more and more, families like Cynthia’s are taking a fresh new approach towards reconciling the rift that is caused by displacement. By actively participating in the shaping of today’s Armenia, they affirm that their roots are not just a thing of the past, but living roots. And the best way to stay connected to them is not to mourn for what they used to be, but to help them grow strong and healthy.