Armenian Enough

Armen Abelyan, founder of the NGO Equality Armenia, discusses the importance of embracing our LGBTQ community and its members while drawing on the rich and often forgotten history of the Armenian people. Now, perhaps more than ever before, it is clear that every single Armenian has a crucial role to play in securing the future of our culture and its continued existence. You can reach Equality Arme...

Do our possessions foster a sense of happiness and peace or can over-accumulation of material goods itself lead to anxiety and discomfort? What happens to all our "stuff" when we no longer need or want it? Sustainable minimalist expert Stephanie Seferian guides us beyond superficial decluttering to consider the broader implications, both personal and global, that our consumer culture promotes. Lis...

One of the least acknowledged populations in the Armenian community are Bolsahyes or Armenians from Istanbul. Armenians from Turkey are often subject to dual rejection - in Turkey, they are forced to repress their Armenian identity and in the diaspora, they must hide all aspects of Turkish culture, leaving them in a virtual "no man's land" of belonging. Tamar, whose Armenian parents hail from Turk...

The church can be a great source of comfort and support for many individuals. It forms part of a culture that we are often born into and from which we forge a sense of identity. But what happens when who you are conflicts with who you were taught you are supposed to be? For many LGBTQ folks, the church can be a source of pain and rejection. The love that is preached from the pulpits is not always,...

In the midst of turbulent times, we are confronted with the reality that we neither control nor fully understand the forces of destiny. What often appears to be a time ripe for despair may in fact be the beginning of our journey towards enlightenment. In embracing the mystery and accepting all that is, we uncover the immutable truth of the universe: that we are all one. As an intuitive energy heal...

ARPA Film Festival Director Maral Kazazian and Jury Liaison Sonia Keshishian tell us everything we need to know about this year's festival and the not-to-be-missed films of 2020. As a departure from previous years, this year's films will be streamed online and available any time from November 12th through 22nd, with all proceeds going to Armenia Fund. So, grab some popcorn and gather the family to...

Imagine the power that future generations of Armenians could harness if all aspects of their being were supported by teachers and parents alike? Join us for a deep dive into the state of Armenian private school education and how we must evolve to meet the needs of all our students and create a deeper sense of belonging in the Armenian community and beyond. You can reach Armen at his website www. A...

In our first official episode of Season 3, we turn the tables and allow story coach Anna Darian to interview Armenian Enough host, Lara Vanian-Green, about how she does & doesn't feel "Armenian Enough" and how her relationship with her Armenianness has changed over time. In her work as a story coach, Anna helps people utilize their personal stories to connect more meaningfully with their audience....

Martin Luther King Jr. once famously said, "In the end, we will not remember the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends." How can we, in the Armenian diaspora, cope with the silence of the world as our homeland is under attack? We are outnumbered, outgunned, and dealing with forces much more powerful on the world stage. Azerbaijan (and their ruthless attack on Artsakh) is backed by T...

100 Years from Home , airing on PBS SoCal on September 1, 2020, is a documentary about an Armenian woman returning to her ancestral homeland on the centennial of the Armenian Genocide, to search for the house her family was forced to flee a century ago. Filmmaker Jared White captures both the personal intensity and historical perspective of his wife, Lilit's, journey. Hear about the challenges and...

Last Fall, when we featured a two-part episode on racism in the Armenian culture [episodes #25 and #26], it was intended to be an ongoing conversation. Given the current momentum of the Black Lives Matter movement and the massive societal shift in consciousness regarding police brutality and systemic racism, we felt that it was more important than ever to hear directly from Black Armenians now. Is...

Last Fall, when we featured a two-part episode on racism in the Armenian culture [episodes #25 and #26], it was intended to be an ongoing conversation. Given the current momentum of the Black Lives Matter movement and the massive societal shift in consciousness regarding police brutality and systemic racism, we felt that it was more important than ever to hear directly from Black Armenians now. Ou...

Last Fall, when we featured a two-part episode on racism in the Armenian culture [episodes #25 and #26], it was intended to be an ongoing conversation. Given the current momentum of the Black Lives Matter movement and the massive societal shift in consciousness regarding police brutality and systemic racism, we felt that it was more important than ever to hear directly from Black Armenians now. Ou...

In the United States, as in many other countries, dogs are considered treasured companions and frequently pampered (more than some humans). However, they do not enjoy quite the same reputation in Armenia. Rampant street dogs and a historically agrarian culture have contributed to the low status of canine-Armenians. Oknooshoon (a combination of the word "help" and the word "dog" in Armenian) is a n...

Being Armenian and gay are largely thought of as incompatible identities in contemporary Armenian culture. However, Dr. David Alajajian-Fox posits that the two marginalized cultures actually share striking historical parallels in their search to define themselves as well as rise from the ashes of near destruction. How do we bridge the divide of generations lost? Who remains to pass along history,...

The journey into motherhood is at once uniquely personal and deeply universal. It is full of moments of profound love and fear, in turn. Some women are fortunate enough to have a tribe of other women to support and guide them through this rite of passage. For those who do not, Dr. Jenn and Dr. Sarine fill in as therapists, mothers, and best girlfriends with their aptly titled podcast, Is It Bedtim...

In this episode, we weave our way through South American and Armenian cultures, and the unique ebb and flow of belonging to several cultures simultaneously. We examine the relative importance of speaking mother tongues and the myriad ways we can inhabit our communities as full-fledged members without doing so.  

In this episode, we traverse beyond the physical challenge of running long distances and delve into the spiritual strength required to do so successfully, exploring the notion that training to push one's body beyond its limits may also have an effect on other areas of one's life. Armen Sarrafian reveals what it takes to run an ultramarathon and why the 2020 Artsakh Ultra Stage Race is a once-in-a-...

The death of a loved one is always difficult to bear, but when someone you love dies by suicide the effects of grief are multiplied. Suicide remains a taboo subject in just about every culture, and Armenians are no different in that respect. However, our culture does imbue death by suicide with an added layer of shame that ultimately serves a punitive purpose not merely for the deceased but for th...

Where do we get our news? Who do we trust to tell us the truth about what is happening in the world? Is all media created equal? Anna Kachikyan talks about her passion for storytelling and the importance of journalistic integrity, particularly in the Armenian community. From her days at TMZ to covering Armenia's Velvet Revolution for a diasporan audience, the trajectory of her career and her trail...

Few things in life hurt so deeply as watching (what seems like) everyone else experience that which you so deeply desire, what society expects you to achieve with ease. Infertility is often a lonely and isolating experience, and many women suffer in silence and even shame, which can prevent them from receiving the very support they need most. In this episode, Therapist Margrit Boghosian shares her...

At long last, we bring you the third episode in our ongoing Series on Dating! Mike Gabriel hosts his own podcast called MikedUpPod and is a co-host of The Anna Report, where he can be found doling out dating and relationship advice live every Monday evening. On this episode, Mike shares his candid views on dating and marriage from an Armenian male perspective. When it comes to romantic relationshi...

How do we, as a society, measure a woman's value? How should it be measured? How do we treat women who don't look the way society says they should? And what kind of damage are next-to-impossible standards doing to young girls and women of all ages? Elizabeth Megrabyan joins us for an honest and unflinching look at the price we sometimes pay in order to pursue perfection. [Editor's note: while eati...

Diasporan Armenians often go to great lengths to "stay connected to our roots," but there are many different kinds of roots, one of the most fundamental being our connection to Nature itself. What are we missing when we live our lives in concrete boxes, bombarded by electronics, seeking communion via social media? Who would we be if we allowed ourselves to feel the soil beneath our feet? To drink...

Armenian wine making dates back 4000 years BC, so it's safe to say that our people have a long history of experimenting with intoxicating beverages and flavors. Influenced by his family's tradition of brandy making, Melkon (along with his wife) reinterprets flavor profiles of traditional spirits using the environment as his guide, in more ways than one. Listen, be inspired, and experience them for...