Latest / The Story of Armenia: Survival Through Empires and Genocide — Fexingo History / The Armenian Diaspora: How an Ancient Nation Rebuilt Itself
Transcript
- Lucas: So we've talked a lot about Armenia within its homeland — the kingdoms, the soviet period, the wars. But I've been thinking about a piece of this story that's just as essential: what happened to the Armenians who survived the genocide and were scattered across the world. Luna: The diaspora, right? I mean, there are more Armenians outside Armenia than inside. Lucas: Exactly. And that's a crazy statistic — estimates vary, but roughly 8 to 10 million Armenians worldwide, with only about 3 million in the Republic of Armenia itself. So the diaspora isn't just an afterthought; it's the majority of the nation. And it didn't just happen by accident — it was shaped by specific policies, institutions, and a few key figures. Luna: Where did most of them go after 1915? Lucas: The first wave went to the Middle East, because that's where the deportation routes led. Aleppo in Syria became a major hub — it's where many survivors ended up after the death marches. Then Beirut, which grew into a sort of Armenian cultural capital for decades. There were also large communities in Jerusalem, Cairo, and even Baghdad. Later, as the French Mandate over Syria and Lebanon solidified, many Armenians moved to Marseille, which had a sizable community by the 1930s. Luna: And the United States, I assume? Lucas: Yeah, but that was a slightly later wave. The first big Armenian immigration to the US happened in the 1890s after the Hamidian massacres, but the genocide survivors started arriving in larger numbers after the 1924 Immigration Act quotas allowed it. By the 1930s, you had thriving communities in places like Fresno, California, and around Boston and New York. But the real shaping force of the diaspora wasn't just where they went — it was the organizations they built. Luna: Like the AGBU? Lucas: Exactly — the Armenian General Benevolent Union, founded in 1906 by Boghos Nubar, who was the son of an Egyptian prime minister and a wealthy landowner. Nubar was also the leading Armenian diplomat at the Paris Peace Conference in 1919, where he pushed for an independent Armenia. But the AGBU became the backbone of the diaspora: it funded schools, hospitals, and cultural programs in almost every major Armenian community. It's still active today. Luna: And there was Calouste Gulbenkian, right? The oil guy? Lucas: Yes — Gulbenkian is fascinating. He was an Armenian from the Ottoman Empire who became one of the richest men in the world as a negotiator for Iraqi oil. He used his wealth to fund Armenian churches, schools, and the Armenian national library in Paris. But he was also famously reclusive; he rarely spoke about his philanthropy. Still, his foundation, the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, remains a major supporter of Armenian culture globally. Lucas: But beyond the big names, the diaspora thrived because of a network of community institutions: churches, schools, newspapers, and political parties. The Armenian Apostolic Church, with its headquarters in Etchmiadzin, maintained a spiritual unity, but the diaspora also had its own sees — like the Catholicosate of Cilicia, which moved to Antelias, Lebanon after the genocide. That became a symbol of diaspora autonomy. Luna: Did the political parties survive the genocide? Lucas: They did — especially the Dashnaktsutyun, which had been the ruling party of the First Republic. After the soviet takeover, the Dashnaks went into exile and became the main political voice of the diaspora for decades. They organized protests, lobbied governments for recognition of the genocide, and even ran armed groups during the Karabakh movement. The other major party, the Hunchakians, also remained active, especially in Lebanon and Syria. Lucas: One thing that strikes me is how the diaspora managed to keep the language alive. In places like Beirut, there were whole schools — like the Armenian Evangelical College or the Mesrobian School — where all instruction was in Armenian. That wasn't easy; the host countries often pressured them to assimilate. But they resisted, and that's why you still have third- and fourth-generation diaspora Armenians who speak the language fluently. Luna: So the diaspora became a kind of parallel Armenia. Lucas: Exactly. And it was crucial during the soviet period, when the homeland was cut off. The diaspora sent money, books, and even technology. When the 1988 Spitak earthquake hit, it was the diaspora that mobilized massive relief — the AGBU alone raised tens of millions of dollars. They also played a huge role in advocating for Armenian independence, pushing the US Congress to recognize the genocide, and supporting the Karabakh movement. Lucas: But there's a tension too. The diaspora and the homeland don't always see eye to eye. Some in Armenia feel that the diaspora is too focused on the genocide and not enough on the present, while some in the diaspora criticize the corruption and oligarchy in Armenia. Still, the connection is deep. For a lot of Armenians, the diaspora isn't just a scattering — it's a strategy for survival. Luna: That makes sense. It's like the nation learned to exist everywhere. Lucas: Yeah, and it's a model that other diaspora nations — like Jews or Greeks — have followed. But the Armenian case is unique because of the intensity of the genocide and the fact that the homeland was under soviet rule for so long. The diaspora became the keeper of the national flame. Lucas: You know, I was thinking about this while preparing the episode — how many of these episodes we've been able to make because of listeners like you. It's a history show, and it's ad-free, and that's only possible because a handful of people chip in monthly through buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. It's not a big ask; just knowing that people care enough to support it keeps us going. Luna: Yeah, it's a small way to keep this kind of deep history accessible. Lucas: Exactly. And speaking of deep history, let's go back to the diaspora's cultural renaissance in the 1950s and 60s. Beirut, in particular, became a hub for Armenian literature, music, and theater. The poet Paruyr Sevak, though he lived in Soviet Armenia, was influenced by diaspora writers. And groups like the Armenian General Benevolent Union funded publishing houses that printed books in Armenian, keeping the language alive in the face of assimilation. Luna: What about the genocide recognition movement? That seems to be a big part of diaspora identity. Lucas: It's central. For decades, the diaspora lobbied governments to recognize the genocide. The first major success was in Uruguay in 1965, and then in France, Canada, and eventually the US — though the US recognition came very late, in 2019. The diaspora also pushed for Armenian Genocide memorials around the world, like the one in Tsitsernakaberd in Yerevan, and many others in places like Montebello, California, and Sydney, Australia. Lucas: One of the most interesting figures in that movement was Vahan Papazian — a Dashnak leader who survived the genocide and later wrote a memoir about the Armenian community in the Ottoman Empire. He testified at the 1919 trials in Constantinople, and his accounts were used to build the case for genocide recognition. He spent his later years in the United States, advocating for the cause. Luna: So the diaspora wasn't just a refuge; it was an engine for justice. Lucas: Absolutely. And it's not static. In recent years, the diaspora has been reshaped by new waves of emigration from Armenia itself — economic migrants, especially after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the 2008 financial crisis. So the diaspora is always evolving, but the core mission remains: to ensure that Armenia, both as a homeland and as a global network, survives. Lucas: And that's a story we'll continue to follow as Armenia navigates its post-Soviet independence, the Nagorno-Karabakh conflicts, and its relationship with the diaspora. But for today, I think we've covered how the diaspora became not just a backup plan, but a central pillar of Armenian identity. Luna: Thanks, Lucas. That really tied together a lot of threads. Lucas: You're welcome, Luna. It's a privilege to tell these stories.