A Moment of Remembrance in Honor of my Ancestors

The Armenian Genocide Memorial in Yerevan - photo by Rita Willaert

A little more of a political post today, but something dear to my family.  Today is the Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day, recognized by Armenians everywhere on April 24th of each year.  This year marks the 98th anniversary of what is widely recognized as the first day of the genocide in 1915.  My great grandparents fled their home in Sivas Turkey in 1897 (just around the time of the Hamidian Massacres that killed up to 300,000 ethnic Armenians living in Turkey) and 1906.  Not all of the family made it out - although there is very little information about those that got left behind - beyond the story that they left and never heard from their family back home again.


The Kaprelians around the time they left Turkey to escape the violence there.




They travelled on the La Gascogne (pictured above) in August 1906 and you can see here the ship manifest from their processing at Ellis Island.


The SS Obdam.


The ship manifest from the SS Obdam that the Dildarians travelled on in 1897.

There are still people today who deny the fact that a genocide took place.  Who protest the "labeling" of it as genocide.  But the fact is that it happened, and that there are so many families world-wide whose ancestors experienced it.   They estimate that close to seven million people make up the Armenian Disapora world-wide (the United States has the third highest ethnic Armenian population in the world - following only Armenia and Russia).

Take a moment today to remember the suffering that the Armenians experienced at the hands of the Turkish at the time, and also to remember the Armenians in your lives today - those that bring joy and happiness...as well as good food ;)  Armenian culture should be known and celebrated!

A Family Visit - Aunt Miriam in NYC

Last week was Aunt Miriam's visit to New York City... her first visit since 1992. I can't even tell you how much I was looking forward to it! We had a couple of really terrific walks around Central Park (the foliage is beautiful right now!):



We had lunch at Grand Central Station:


But my favorite was this last Saturday. We spent the entire afternoon wandering around Ellis Island, really enjoying our family's heritage and introduction to this country. We had a lot of family come through Ellis Island during some of it's busiest immigration years. I felt really happy to share Ellis Island, a place I have enjoyed twice before, with her and with Felipe. Each had meaningful connections, us with our family's history, and Felipe with his own immigration to the United States - very different from my great-grandparents experience, but in many ways the same.


Overlooking the Registry Hall, where her grandparents (my great-grandparents) were processed when they arrived in 1907.


By the Wall of Honor where Uncle Marty had our family's name engraved to commemorate their arrival at Ellis Island.


Mugrdiche and Aznive Kaprielian on the Wall of Honor


Felipe and I inside overlooking the Registry Hall


Immigrant v.2005 ;)

We had a wonderful time at Ellis Island, thoroughly enjoyed the Museum, and probably could have spent more time there if it weren't for the fact that we were already there until closing as it was! After that we had a lovely dinner at our favorite restaurant Virage. It was the perfect way to finish up a terrific visit. I am already looking forward to her next trip out here...which I hear will be spring of 2012!