My great great aunt was born in Turkey and is the reason why my family was saved from possibly dying during the Armenian Genocide, and indirectly is why we moved to the United States. She is a strong willed woman who is hard-working, confident and who loves nature, loves taking care of her family, animals and doesn’t care about what other people think about her. My mom grew up with her and idealized her spirit. She holds to  her own values and she lived over 107 years. She is a survivor and a fighter and when she gets an idea in her head, she is very stubborn. She married a Turkish many to save my family from possibly dying in the death marches many Armenians endured from 1915-1920. She moved to the USA in her 20s, and our family came because her cousins was study to be a Seminarian at Union Theological school in New York City She influenced my mom's childhood during summers specifically, when my mom would go to Long Island and spend time on Araxi’s farm. My mom could just be free, climb mulberry trees, with cats and even a dog that Araxi got for my mom and be in nature away from the city,  away from the concrete in the small apartment where my mom grew up. My mom would listen to all the stories of life in Kharpert Turkey and all the adventures of Araxi's life before coming to the U.S.A. My mom received a lot of love and attention from Araxi,  more than she actually got from her own mother and father. Araxi taught my mom to be creative to be positive, even in negative situations and to know how to see the good in other people.  Qualities that my mom has today, that she’s also gave to me include being creative and hard working. Through the influence that Araxi had on her, this impacts me today.  I don't give up because of COVID and not having a job, but just work harder and create and share with students an teachers however I can. I believe Araxi's strong personality is what made her survive.

 

I interviewed my mom to learn the story about my great aunt named arabic see. She grew up in Karpert or Elazig turkey which is the name today and she was born in 1897. The story that deeply impacted my mom is the fact that she grew up in Turkey and saved our family from possibly dying during the death marches that occurred in 1915. During this time the Armenians in the Turks had a relationship that was not good. And Araci actually married a man who is Turkish who saved my whole family. So eventually moved to the United States and she was a very creative and had strong personality and was powerful ideas that she would be able to say yes even the jobs or opportunities that she may not have known how to do but because of her confidence she would do it. She gave me many skills through my mom.