REPORTERS ON THE JOB
David Clark Scott World editor
Christian Science Monitor, MA
May 21 2007
~U Who Are You? While in Nagorno-Karabakh, a disputed territory claimed
by Azerbaijan and populated mostly by Armenians, correspondent Nicole
Itano was struck by two things. First, while talking to young Armenians
about their future, she expected them to tell her that their most
important ally was the US (see story).
"Surprisingly, they said it was Russia," says Nicole. "The older
generations all speak Russian. Fewer of the younger ones do, but many
of them know people who have migrated to Russia for work. They don’t
need a visa to go there."
The other surprise? How often she was asked about her ethnicity
during interviews. "They knew I was American, but asked about my
ethnicity. I’m half Japanese, half Mexican. But, because of my surname,
they thought I might be Italian. The question seems important here
because ethnicity is more important to Armenians than nationality. If
you’re Armenian, your defining identity is not found in your passport
or your place of citizenship."