Armenian Genocide Recognition
106 years after the start of the armenian genocide; the year the usa formally acknowledged it. finally, a surreal moment of peace amidst a rollercoaster of emotions i feel as an armenian-american immigrant born in yerevan, raised in los angeles, living in the diaspora — halfway across the world, away from my homeland. joy, grief, pride, sorrow, love... displacement… home.
in 2021, biden became the first us president in 40+ years to keep his campaign promise and formally acknowledge the armenian genocide, something turkey has vehemently denied and threatened countries to stay silent about for over a century.
it’s not the end of our collective work but it is a monumental step for the us, armenia, and human rights efforts around the globe that seek to educate and grow from past atrocities so that history does not repeat itself.
i could feel a transformative shift in the energy that evening. a collective sigh of relief. a brief moment of peace in the universe... in this photo, i felt the gerazants spirit of my ancestors, and immense gratitude to live in a diverse city that still feels like a home away from home.
