PRESS RELEASE
Armenian Studies Program
University of Michigan
Ingrid Peterson Administrator
1080 S. University, Suite 3633
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1106
Phone: 734.763.0622; Fax: 734.763.4918
email: irjp@umich.edu

Armenian Studies Program Focuses on Diaspora
Lectures given by visiting scholars culminates in diaspora roundtable

ANN ARBOR, MICH., December 18, 2009-
While the Armenian Studies Program at the University of Michigan (UM)
does not have official theme terms, this past term could be
unofficially named a diaspora term, with five related lectures
culminating in a roundtable discussion. All six events will be posted
on the Armenian Studies Program website ()
either in the form of a video or audio recording with accompanying
PowerPoint presentation. These events have been a product of research
and collaboration of three Manoogian Simone Foundation Fellows;
Visiting Scholar Susan Pattie, Pre-doctoral Fellow Lucila Tossounian,
and Post-doctoral Fellow Sarah Mekdjian.
As a Visiting Scholar with the Armenian Studies Program and
anthropology, Ms. Susan Pattie Ph.D. returned to her alma mater to
continue her research as well as teach undergraduate and graduate
level courses, "Telling Lives: Ethnography, Memoir and Oral History in
Diaspora" and "Embodied Identities: Ethnicity and the Senses,
respectively. On Monday October 26th she presented a public lecture
entitled "Imagining Homelands, Performing History: Poetry and
Performance Among Cypriot Armenians." In this lecture Pattie showed
how in the 20th century twin symbols for martyrdom/loss and
regeneration appeared in poetry and song as a way for Armenian
communities to create
a new image of themselves. On November 18th, Ms. Pattie also
presented a talk sponsored by the Armenian Research Center at the
University of Michigan-Dearborn entitled "Food, Culture, and Identity:
An Illustrated Talk about Armenian Food traditions." This talk
explored ways in which Armenians
create and maintain identity through hospitality and food and how
Armenian
food traditions have changed considerably over time and around the
world.
Ms. Lucila Tossounian of Argentina and Ph.D. candidate in
anthropology at the University of Buenos Aires presented "Armenians in
Argentina: The
reinvention of Homeland(s)" on Monday November 9th which was
co-sponsored by the Center for Latin American & Caribbean Studies at
the U of M. This lecture looks at the development of the Armenian
community in Argentina and the affects of Armenian’s independence from
the Soviet regime had on Argentine Armenians. Ms. Tossounian also
presented a talk for the Armenian Research Center on December 15th
entitled "Genocide and Memories of the Armenian Diaspora in
Argentina." Drawing from the Argentinean experience of the military
dictatorships and the ‘desaparecidos’ (the disappeared), Tossounian
analyzes how the Argentinean national response created a human rights
rhetoric
that offered the Armenian community spaces to bring awareness to the
genocide commemoration. Ms. Tossounian’s research focuses on Armenian
communities in Argentina, which she has been studying since
1999. Ms. Tossounian is also co-director of The Armenian Genocide:
Ways of Transmission and Ways of Action research group at the
University of Buenos Aires.
Ms. Sarah Mekdjian Ph.D. of Paris successfully defended her
Ph.D. dissertation in Geography at the University of Paris X Nanterre
in November 2009 receiving the highest honors. Her thesis is entitled
"From the Enclave to the Urban Kaleidoscope: Los Angeles in the prism
of the Armenian Immigration". On Monday, November 23rd Ms. Mekdjian
gave a lecture entitled "A Critical Reading of the Elite/Mass Model:
Towards Democracy in the Armenian Diaspora." Using the example of the
Armenian diasporic communities in Los Angeles to illustrate dynamics
and limits of an "elite/mass" model, Mekdjian shows that the diasporic
institutions use this construct as a strategy to maintain their power
and legitimacy. As a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Michigan
(U of M), Ms. Mekdjian continues to explore the impact of immigration
on major American cities, comparing the Los Angeles and Detroit
metropolitan areas. She will be teaching a course during the Winter
semester entitled "Immigrants and place in contemporary urban America".
On December 7th the Armenian Studies Program presented "Studying the
Armenian Diaspora," a roundtable discussion drawing on the work of
these three scholars. Additionally, the roundtable was moderated by
Prof. Khachig Tololyan Ph.D., Professor of English at Wesleyan
University and editor of Diaspora Journal. Ms. Pattie presented on
"Diasporas of Diasporas: the Importance of Polycentric Research." The
second presentation by Ms. Mekdjian, "The Challenge of Distance and
Dispersion: Making Sense of the Global and Local." Ms. Tossounian shed
light on the perspective of the academic, making the researcher’s
experience the subject of study with "The Outsider/Insider:
Doing Fieldwork as a ‘Native Anthropologist’ in Diaspora."
Prof. Tololyan brought these presentations together drawing from his
vast expertise before opening to questions. Recordings of these events
are accessible on the ASP website under the category of ‘Events and
Programs’ through links by event title.

Armenian Studies Program
The University of Michigan’s Armenian Studies Program promotes the
study of Armenian history, culture, and society. A member of the
University of Michigan International Institute, the program organizes
educational opportunities for students, faculty and the community.
For more information, contact the Armenian Studies Program at (734)
763-0622 or visit

University of Michigan International Institute
The University of Michigan International Institute houses 18 centers
and programs focused on world regions and global themes. The institute
develops and supports international teaching, research, and public
affairs programs to promote global understanding across the campus and
to build connections with intellectuals and institutions
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