This lecture was presented as part of a series of programs exploring various aspects of Armenian-American identities, Exploring Hybrid Identities of Armenian-Americans in Mass., supported by Mass Humanities under their Expand Massachusetts Stories Initiative.
In the under-studied area of Armenian-American history, the decades prior to the 1890s are especially murky, as a tiny number of Armenians began to form the basis for what would become a more substantial and established community; although the post-1890s decades are hardly well-documented either. Since history, Armenian-American history included, is more than just a recitation of organizations and entities, but is also made up of the stories of individuals, this presentation will combine family history with the early history of the Armenian-American community in New England and some of its developing institutions as a means to explore the early period of Armenian-American history and identity building in Massachusetts.
Marc A. Mamigonian is the Director of Academic Affairs of the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR), based in Belmont, MA, where he has worked since 1998.
