Close to the Roots, Far from the Homeland

The most valuable birthday gift Armen Aikazunyan ever gave himself was celebrating his 31st birthday in his historical homeland. It was Armen’s first visit to Armenia, and now he no longer wants to leave and return back.

“I was very interested in Armenia and the Armenian language. My grandparents, who had visited Armenia in the 1970s, and my father told me a lot about it. My parents, my grandparents and I — we all spoke, read, and wrote in Armenian; our entire family studied at an Armenian school,” the hero begins his story.

Armen Aikazunyan was born in Buenos Aires. He is the great-great-grandson of a figure of the national liberation movement and one of the most famous fedayis, Gevorg Chaush. According to him, his family inherited patriotism from their renowned ancestor. For Armen, his homeland — Armenia — was first and foremost embodied by his family and himself: “If you love your family, it means you love your homeland as well, and you love yourself. Loving yourself means not being ashamed to say that you are Armenian and being proud of your traditions and culture.”
 

From Buenos Aires to Yerevan: Volunteering with Birthright Armenia

Armen’s love for his small homeland — his family — was also reflected in his unwillingness to break his mother’s heart: he never planned to leave Argentina, but circumstances reminded him of his dream to visit his historical homeland. His beloved mother did not support his decision, but Armen spoke with her about the importance of this wish, and, according to him, living conditions here are much better.

“My mother and Sevan Kabakyan, the head of Birthright Armenia, are cousins, so I knew for sure what I would be doing in Armenia. I volunteered in Vanadzor, worked in tourism, and wrote content for a travel agency. I stayed there for five months, then moved to Yerevan and continued doing the same in the capital,” Armen continues.



Armen sees his professional future in Armenia in the field of tourism: during his volunteering with Birthright Armenia, he traveled extensively across the country and fell in love with its nature. He has a special affection for Lake Sevan, Stepanavan, and the vishapakars.

The Main Thing Is to Stay United

“When I first arrived, I felt as if I were in a sleeping state: I knew where I was, but I didn’t know what to do. Then I realized that I could live my normal life here, just as I did in Argentina. My expectations were met in some ways and not in others. For example, I was surprised that Armenians don’t say ‘thank you’, ‘please’, or ‘sorry’ to each other; people are often rude. But I hope everything will change, and anyone can set an example. Because how you treat your compatriot is how you treat yourself and your homeland.



I don’t want to focus on the negative. There are many positives: it’s safe here, it’s pleasant to live here — this is our homeland,” the hero adds.

Having lived in a city with a large Armenian diaspora, Armen witnessed divisions based on political and religious grounds, but he is confident that the most important thing for Armenians is to remain united, no matter where they live.

Interview by Nare Bejanyan