100

It is often argued that it takes knowledge in “only” one hundred selected topics to qualify any person as an educated Armenian.

There is no such thing as right or wrong, and there are no rules about who is Armenian and who is not. It is generally accepted that those who speak the language are considered to have made the grade. But that is often deceptive, as absence of knowledge cancels the value of linguistic proficiency. This column is about the knowledge element of being Armenian.

I believe that, as a small nation of people, anybody who elects to be considered (or claims to be) Armenian should be given the title. But that’s easier said than done. After all, we own quite an elaborate culture with a unique language, and a very special brand of Christianity. There’s more to our identity than just being born into it.

Some years ago, I had the privilege to head a task force of parents and educators at my children’s school in Los Angeles, to prepare a list of “things” we believed each student graduating from an Armenian school should know in terms of Armenian literacy . It was our attempt- as parents, devotees of Armenian schools, and as educated Armenians- to define the parameters of our identity beyond language, religion, and a willingness to belong.

I will let the 100 points of interest shape your own impression. I will not elaborate. As far as I’m concerned, mastery of even a limited number of these topics is good enough. The doors must remain open to all those who want to be identified as hye, provided they know why!

Here’s the list. It is not compiled by priority or importance.

1- Your family name & family tree
2- William Saroyan
3- The Tricolor (yerakooyn)
4- Mt. Ararat & the city of Ani- as spiritual homeland
5- Yerevan
6- Lake Sevan
7- Battle of Avarayr & Vartan Mamigonian- 451 AD
8- Cilicia- sovereignty & the Crusades
9- The Ottoman Empire
10- The Young Turks
11- Christianity & Gregory the Illuminator- 301 AD
12- The First Republic 1918-1921
13- Soviet Armenia 1921-1991
14- Independence & the Third Republic 1991-present
15- Battle of Sardarabad (1918)
16- Mustafa Kemal
17- Pan-Touranism
18- Treaty of Sevre & Wilsonian Armenia (1920)
19- Repatriation- from the spiurk to Armenia (1946-1948)
20- Earthquake (1988)
21- The Karabagh Conflict
22- Khatchkar
23- Sasoontzi Tavit- mythology
24- Haig Nahabed- patriarch
25- The Aypupen & Mesrob Mashdotz - 406 AD
26- Zoravar Antranig & the Armenian liberation movement
27- Tigran the Great- conquest & expansion (Dzove Dzov Hayastan)
28- Gomidas
29- Khrimian Hayrig
30- Governor George Deukmejian of California
31- Monte Melkonian- from Visalia to Yeraplur
32- Architecture- important features
33- Etchmiadzin
34- The Badarak & church etiquette
35- Nareg- Armenia’s own holy scripture
36- The Armenian Quarter of Jerusalem
37- Antelias & the Catholicosate of Cilicia
38- Genocide & dispersion
39- Armenian land claims
40- The survivor generation & Antranig Zaroukian
41- Armenians in Istanbul- past & present
42- Hye Tahd- Genocide documentation, education, recognition & reparations
43- PACs- The Armenian Assembly & the ANC
44- Prof. Vahakn Dadrian & Genocide historiography
45- Prof. Richard Hovannisian of UCLA (& the Oral History Project)
46- The Madenataran
47- US-Armenia ties
48- Iran today
49- The “Trkeren khosoghin hayeren badaskhane” campaign
50- Turkey today
51- Russia-Armenia relations
52- Georgia today
53- The Kurds - friend or foe?
54- ASALA
55- Turkey & the European Union
56- Azerbaijan today
57- The Armenian Diaspora
58- Armenians in the US- Worcester, Fresno, & elsewhere
59- Political parties- SDHP, ARF, ADL
60- Armenian studies in American Universities – UCLA, U. Michigan, Harvard U. etc.
61- Armenians living on historic lands today- the Hemshins
62- The AGBU and Alex Manoogian
63- Armenian newspapers
64- Cities of ancestral origin- Van, Zeitoun, kharpert, Hajin, Aintab etc.
65- Armenian culinary specialties
66- Sayat Nova- koosans & ashooghs
67- Movses Khorenatzi
68- English language writers- Levon Surmelian, Michael Arlen, David Kherdian, et al
69- Dzizernagapert
70- Why Turkey denies the Genocide?
71- Glendale
72- Treatment of Armenians by the American media
73- Assassination of Vazgen Sargsyan & Garen Demirchyan in Armenia’s parliament (1999)
74- Attempts to pass Genocide resolutions in the US Congress
75- Armenian internet web-sites
76- Assimilation v. Integration
77- Madagh
78- The Mekhitarists- Venice & Vienna
79- The pomegramite as national symbol
80- Armenians in the Olympic Games
81- Your local congressman
82- Project Save- photographs of ancestors
83- Traditional holidays- Paregentan, Vartavar, etc.
84- The Duduk
85- Persian Empire & the Armenians of New Julfa
86- Countries that have recognized the Genocide
87- Armenians in the Arab world- Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, Palestine, Iraq etc.
88- The Armenia Fund
89- Armenian Schools
90- Arshile Gorky
91- Armenia’s economy
92- Aram Khatchaturian
93- Armenian Christmas
94- Hagop Baronian
95- The Golden Age of Armenian culture (vosketar)
96- Contemporary pop culture- concerts, TV, theatre etc.
97- NAASR & the Society for Armenian Studies
98- Dialects- Arevmeda/ Arevela hayeren
99- Collectibles- books, stamps, coins, newspapers, craft
100-Typical Armenian traits- the good, the bad, the ugly

Clearly much has happened since the” List of 100” was first compiled in the year 2000. I can think of many other topics that have emerged since, that are equally essential for an up-to-dated study of the Armenian experience. While the core of the list may stay the same, some topics may be removed and others added, thus accommodating the necessity to include the most relevant information for a satisfactory attainment of “the big prize” i.e. Armenianess.

Here are 7 more:

meg: Petro-politics. Oil from Central Asia will pass in the vicinity of Armenia (and Turkey)- via the Nabucco pipeline- on its way to where it’s coveted most- Europe and the US. There’s no limit to the insatiable thirst for the black brew, and it has bearings on all countries in its way.

yergoo: Peter Balakian- is the pre-eminent American-born scholar to take on the topic of the Armenian Genocide. His work “The Burning Tigris” (2003) is a masterpiece as a study of the Genocide from the American perspective. A must read. He has lately published another marvel entitled, “Armenian Golgotha”- another must read.

yerek: The assassination of journalist-intellectual Hrant Dink in Istanbul (2007) has shifted the Genocide recognition debate from” might-makes-right” to an issue of human rights.

chorss: Robert Fisk- If you wish to know what odars think about us read Robert Fisk’s columns in the The Independent. He writes regularly, eloquently, and freely in defense of the Armenian cause.

hink: The 10/10 Protocols (2009) may yet change Armenia. But is has already changed the dynamics of the Armenia-Diaspora relations (maybe forever). The government in Yerevan has unwisely chosen the politics of exclusion, playing a very risky game of "We know what we're doing" with the Turks without a most reliable ally by its side- the millions of Armenians who live outside the borders, while keeping their ties alive.

vetz: Corruption in Armenia. The small nation of Armenia will suffer, lose population, and its viability as a relevant nation, as long as its leaders lie, cheat, bully, harass, intimidate, and steal at the expense of the people they are supposed to inspire, lead and protect.

yot: Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code (adopted in 2005. Yes! In modern times) is proof that Turkey is not free or democratic, and is in fact devoid of the basics of a civil society and cannot be trusted.

The next item on the list ...is the one you had on your mind. If you insist that’s the one to add to the list, then so be it! I thank you for your consideration, and love you all the same.