The Diaspora Evolves : Young Armenians Forging Identities in Yerevan and Glendale

In 2020, amidst a war between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the global Armenian Diaspora engaged in activism while experiencing collective trauma. Glendale, the largest Armenian-American community located in Greater Los Angeles, spearheaded a transnational social movement in response to conditions abroad. Despite Glendale’s significant presence of ethnic organizations and large Armenian population, some community members, including American-born diasporans in their twenties, expressed a desire for more meaningful engagement. This dissertation explores the reasons behind this crisis-driven desire to connect with the homeland and examines the limitations of long-distance ethnic connections. I focus on the role of ethnic organizations and enclaves in the Armenian Diaspora while addressing three research questions: 1) How do ethnic organizations shape ideas of identity, authenticity and belonging? 2) What influences participation in these organizations? and 3) How does a strong ethnic enclave affect locals’ relationship with organizations and their identity?Past scholarship on Armenians, including Bakalian 1993, concluded that American-born Armenians display “symbolic ethnicity” rather than direct action. I offer an alternative perspective centered on transnational action. Drawing on in-depth interviews, participant observation, photography, and fieldwork in Glendale, California and Yerevan, Armenia, I rely on a transnational framework to further migration, urban and gender studies. By focusing on diasporans’ experiences, I discuss their desire for new expressions of Armenian identity beyond traditional community expectations often tied to their ethnic organizations. I conclude by highlighting the internal requests from community members that call for inclusive goals and diverse participation in ethnic organizations and the broader community have significant implications for facilitating stronger feelings of belonging and transnational mobilization.