Diversity and unity of ethnicity perception: a case study of the Armenia community in the Netherlands

The terms “diaspora” and “ethnic community” have become catchwords in both academic literature and social-public discourse. They often refer to migrant groups as a “community” or “diaspora” to study migrant populations or to pursue political claims. In current academic debates the role of heterogeneity in diasporic communities remains underdeveloped. The internal diversity within communities may create difficulties for ethnic-focused/migrant organizations in finding common grounds for the community unification. The paper presents a case study of Armenian diaspora in the Netherlands based on participant observations and interviews with key representatives of Armenian migrant organizations in the Netherlands. The Dutch Armenian diaspora is a heterogeneous group, since they migrated from different countries (Turkey, Lebanon, Iraq, Iran, Russia, Armenia) between 1950-2000s. They thus have different socio-cultural backgrounds. The paper focuses on the perception of “sub-ethnic” differences by ‘‘twice migrants’’ that have more than one ‘‘homeland”. It analyses the main tensions within the community and highlights key strategies that migrant organizations apply for creating a united diasporic community. An analysis was done of the methods employed by organizations to unify the Dutch Armenian community. The research shows that historical memory is a powerful tool for overcoming “sub-ethnic” differences and negotiating group mobilization. In the Armenian case, the main uniting factor for mobilization is the memory of the Armenian Genocide (1915) and the claim for the Genocide recognition. The reproduction of memory of the Genocide provides an idea of common belonging. Furthermore, it is a concept that mobilizes migrants to consider and reflect on the current problems occurring in Armenia and in Armenian communities worldwide.