[habs2487]

I know this question may seem like a stretch but I was wondering if there are any Armenians in Alabama? I have lived here for over 18 years (originally born in Montreal, then moved to Enterprise, AL and now in Huntsville) and I was always curious to know how many Armenians there actually are here in the deep south. I am trying to keep the Armenian tradition in my family alive by continuing to learn the language and so forth but it is quite hard with the majority of my Armenian family back in Canada. If anyone is Armenian on the forum step forward and be heard or if anyone is curious about the Armenian heritage (cuisine, culture, etc..) feel free to post as well! There are many different nationalities in Alabama and I want to make Armenians apart of a it!

[Chris Balducci]

I doubt there is a recognizable Armenian community in Alabama. Most Armenian immigrants settled in the Midwest or East and West Coasts.

God bless,

CKB

[habs2487]

Yea that's what I've heard. Los Angeles has tons of them. However, I recall hearing about a group of students at the University of South Alabama in Mobile who put on a seminar or something similar to that about the Armenian Genocide and they had a good turnout so the interest is there.

[Chris Balducci]

Originally Posted by habs2487

Yea that's what I've heard. Los Angeles has tons of them. However, I recall hearing about a group of students at the University of South Alabama in Mobile who put on a seminar or something similar to that about the Armenian Genocide and they had a good turnout so the interest is there.

The ethnic group present in Alabama which I consider closest to the Armenians would be Greek Americans. They have a presence in the largest cities, such as Mobile and Birmingham. You should visit the Greek Orthdox Church in Malbis, a community east of Mobile acrossMobile Bay. It is beautiful!

God bless,

CKB

[habs2487]

Interesting. I'll have to check out some Greek places in B-ham. Mobile is a little far of a drive from Huntsville. Thanks!!!

[Byron1022]

Question? If you move from another country to America why would you want to stay "Armenian?" why not just stay in Armenia??? I am not being sarcastic. I really would like some foreigners to explain to me why would you move out of somehere where you obviously have an affinity to and then hassle yourself trying to "be" whatever you left behind.
Would it not easier to "be" actually where you are "there" and you don't have to try to be that and find other people that are also Armenian??????
Obviously I am from somewhere else. Never thought about the old stomping grounds, until Bama came into office and started destroying the place. NOW I am looking back.

[habs2487]

What if you got a job in Germany? Would you want to forget about being American and adopt every German tradition. Would you never talk to any Americans or try to locate them? Everybody has there roots and will never forget them, no matter where they live. You just try to integrate your heritage with the country you live in. I'm not Armenian...I'm Armenian-American. And I want to see just how many of us there are in Alabama.

[Threestep]

Google a Birmingham realtor with the last name Graphos. He is very active in the Greek community and may be able to give your search some direction.

[Sharks With Lasers]

Originally Posted by Byron1022

Question? If you move from another country to America why would you want to stay "Armenian?" why not just stay in Armenia??? I am not being sarcastic. I really would like some foreigners to explain to me why would you move out of somehere where you obviously have an affinity to and then hassle yourself trying to "be" whatever you left behind.
Would it not easier to "be" actually where you are "there" and you don't have to try to be that and find other people that are also Armenian??????
Obviously I am from somewhere else. Never thought about the old stomping grounds, until Bama came into office and started destroying the place. NOW I am looking back.

I'm from Michigan, but I'm half-Armenian by heritage. I'm fully American; I've known nothing but the United States, as has my mom and my grandparents. When it comes to real values, who we would fight for in a war, etc., there's no question who's side I'm on.

It's just about sharing culture and heritage than anything else, whether it's religious traditions, food, or general cultural activities such as dances or something like that. At my generation (and partly because I have other heritage as well,) a lot of this has been lost, and it's sad in many ways. I don't know any of the language, I've only been to an Armenian-based church a handful of times, and I barely eat Armenian food anymore. There's nothing wrong with preserving some of that.

[habs2487]

+1 cbmsu01 Pretty much same story with me. The Armenian heritage is naturally small and needs to be preserved.