University Press of America The Armenian Diaspora: Cohesion and Fracture

The Armenian Diaspora is a case study of the Armenian diaspora in Manchester, England. This study examines the complex social and political processes at play that maintain and shape Armenian identity. Professor Aghanian uses a comparative analysis in order to understand other Armenian communities throughout the world and other self-defined diaspora groups, locating similarities and differences between the various groups. Professor Aghanian introduces the study by her definition of diaspora and an examination of classic and contemporary theories of ethnicity while she outlines how we construct our sense of identity in different settings. The tone of the study lends itself to a narration of the long, rich, and often traumatic history of the Armenian people: their adoption of Christianity; the rise of Armenian nationalism; the dispersion of the Armenians throughout the world; and their eventual independence. The outcome of the study is a close look at how Armenians successfully balance lives rooted in a particular territory while sharing very different cultural and social spaces. Their experience emphasizes their ability to combine resources and networks from multiple locations (transnationally) in order to maximize their freedom and independence from the confines of any nation. Ethnic consciousness is experienced in a variety of ways, nevertheless, wherever and however they are living they feel Armenian.