Through my blog I want to explain my connection to this investigation and how my family are affected by the Armenian Diaspora. I will start by discussing my own experience in terms of the initial steps I took to discover my heritage and roots.
For the first 18 years of my life being an Armenian in Britain wasn’t a very conscious part of my being. I grew up in Kent with my Essex born English mother and older sisters who had little desire to seek out their own non-English identity. My Israeli-Armenian father moved out when I was a baby and other than the fortnightly visits to his house, I was pretty oblivious to my foreign baggage.
Growing up, our father would often try to encourage us to visit Israel with him to meet my Armenian family there.
Aged four or five I visited Israel, meeting my father’s family for the first time, including my grandmother. It would prove to be the first and last time I met her as another 12 years would pass until I visited again.
Returning for a two week holiday when I was 17 I started to understand my roots a little more.
Before starting university I decided to travel to Israel and the wider Middle East for six months.
During my travels I spent Christmas, New Year and other holidays with my Israeli-Armenian family which had a real impact on me and I began to seriously look into the story of my family. Slowly my surname was becoming more than just an interesting conversation point.
These initial steps have paved the way for me to research my own background and roots. Through this project I hope to further that research and understanding, as well as telling the compelling story of the Armenian diaspora who are littered round the globe in their millions.