November 29, 2021
What’s in a Name?
What does a name mean to you? Is it how people refer to you or is it a story? Let me paint a picture: there is violence, discrimination, and brutal killings. Concentration camps, death walks, and the splitting of families. You probably instantly thought of the Holocaust when in fact this was the scene for Armenians in 1915 to 1917. Out of 2.1 million Armenians living in Ottoman Turkey at the time, it is estimated that 1.5 million died. A lucky few escaped the horrors and survived; my great-grandfather and his sister were one of them. Emerging from these events is the name Cherian, an everyday reminder of the resilience in my blood by wearing the same name they did.
The Armenian Genocide is a tragedy within my family that is felt with great sorrow. I grew up hearing the stories about how my ancestors lived in a small country in the middle east and were discriminated against based on their religion and customs. As I have gotten older, I heard details of my history that were gruesome but also inspiring. My great-great-aunt Mahkri Cherkinian witnessed her entire family killed in front of her. Despite the horrendous events, she found strength within herself to fight back against the Turkish army and escape to America. Some would have given up after losing their entire family, but Mahkri chose to fight. At the arrival to Ellis Island, Cherkinian was shortened to Cherian, the now infamous building block of my family. It was not until years later that Mahkri found her brother in America as well, in whom she thought was dead. Her brother was my great-grandfather Levon. The rest of this story is standing right here in front of you.
I did not expect when growing up that my last name would hold such a great weight with the interactions I have. “Cherian'' connects me with other Armenians instantly, with one of us recognizing the patterns in the spelling or pronunciation. This connection comes from the shared history that our ancestors have gone through, in addition to the acknowledgement that we both have a similar aspect of strength within us and our families. Armenia is a small country with social and political issues still arising. Based on the demographic, it makes it even more significant and exciting to meet another Armenian. A relationship made over only a name.
The former name “Cherkinian” represents freedom fighters, the many relatives my family still have no trace of, and my own existence today. Although I go by Cherian, I try to honor my ancestors with a different name, one that signifies the horrors they went through. Some might see a name as what is called during attendance. But for me, it is part of my heritage and connections, and for that, it is so much more than a name.