Engagements with the Past and Armenians' Settlement Journeys in Canada

Abstract

Examinations of migrants’ experiences have traditionally been confined to host country experiences. More recent studies consider the homeland-hostland relationship as a dynamic one, while also paying attention to the impact of events that happen outside these two landscapes. This article seeks to build on these latter works by considering the homeland-hostland connection from a different angle and argues that, when it happens, the post-migration discovery of homeland communal and personal histories results in salient personal transformations. Moreover, these hostland experiences are largely facilitated by encounters with the larger ethnic community. The examination draws upon data collected on Armenian migrants from Turkey to Canada.