Read more
Zusatztext In this compelling contribution to ethnic studies, twentieth-century Armenian American history comes to life in all its hues and shades. Alexander’s incisive exploration of the trials, tribulations, and triumphs of Armenians in the United States is a must-read for those interested in identity and culture in America. Informationen zum Autor Benjamin F. Alexander is Adjunct Associate Professor, New York City College of Technology, USA. Klappentext How has the distinctive Armenian-American community expressed its identity as an ethnic minority while 'assimilating' to life in the United States? This book examines the role of community leaders and influencers, including clergy, youth organizers, and partisan newspaper editors, in fostering not only a sense of Armenian identity but specific ethnic-partisan leanings within the group's population. Against the backdrop of key geopolitical events from the aftermath of the Armenian Genocide to the creation of an independent and then Soviet Armenia, it explores the rivalry between two major Armenian political parties, the Tashnags and the Ramgavars, and the relationship that existed between partisan leaders and their broader constituency. Rather than treating the partisan conflict as simply an impediment to Armenian unity, Benjamin Alexander examines the functional if accidental role that it played in keeping certain community institutions alive. He further analyses the two camps as representing two conflicting visions of how to be an ethnic group, drawing a comparison between the sociology-of-religion models of comfort religion and challenge religion. A detailed political and social history, this book integrates the Armenian experience into the broader and more familiar narratives of World War I, World War II, and the Cold War in the USA. Vorwort A political and social history of the Armenian-American community, including immigrants and their children and grandchildren, from the World War I era through the mid-1970s. Zusammenfassung How has the distinctive Armenian-American community expressed its identity as an ethnic minority while ‘assimilating’ to life in the United States? This book examines the role of community leaders and influencers, including clergy, youth organizers, and partisan newspaper editors, in fostering not only a sense of Armenian identity but specific ethnic-partisan leanings within the group’s population. Against the backdrop of key geopolitical events from the aftermath of the Armenian Genocide to the creation of an independent and then Soviet Armenia, it explores the rivalry between two major Armenian political parties, the Tashnags and the Ramgavars, and the relationship that existed between partisan leaders and their broader constituency. Rather than treating the partisan conflict as simply an impediment to Armenian unity, Benjamin Alexander examines the functional if accidental role that it played in keeping certain community institutions alive. He further analyses the two camps as representing two conflicting visions of how to be an ethnic group, drawing a comparison between the sociology-of-religion models of comfort religion and challenge religion. A detailed political and social history, this book integrates the Armenian experience into the broader and more familiar narratives of World War I, World War II, and the Cold War in the USA. Inhaltsverzeichnis List of FiguresList of MapsAcknowledgmentsIntroduction1. The Contested Homeland: World War I and the Genocide 2. Years of Adjustment: Armenian Americans in the 1920s3. The Tourian Affair: Contested Memories and an Archbishop’s Murder4. “To Supply Armenia with Architects”: The Coming-of-Age of the American-Born Generations 5. Fighting on Many Fronts: World War II and Its Aftermath 6. The Armenian Americans’ Cold War 7. A House of God Divided: The Formalization of the Church Split 8. The Power of a Word: Naming and Claim...
