1991_05 The Daily Collegian May 1991

              May 1991
Hye Sharzhoom
EDITORIALS, Page 3
Intermarriage among Armenian-Americans in
Fresno County: A Sociological Perspective
By Matthew A.
Staff Writer
Social theorists have for a long time
described American society as a "melting
pot" into which all ethnic groups simply
blend. However, more recently, many
pluralist theorists, using the analogy of a
'■mosaic" to depict American intermar¬
riage rates of Armenian-Americans in
order lo derive a sense of the degree of
structural and overall assimilation that this
particular ethnic group has reached while
living in American society.
Using marriage license records from
Fresno County, I have collected and ex¬
amined the records of marriages of people
of Armenian descent for tbe years 1930,
1960,andl990. Accesstoasimiliarstudy
of Armenian-American intermarriage in
Fresno County done by Beth Najarian,
who looked at the years 1940 and 1980,
allowed metocombine the two data sets to
make one large set.
Structural assimilation refers to the
occurrence of socially intimate relation¬
ships, such as friendship and marriage
between members of an ethnic group and
the mainstream society (Alba, 1985). Inter
marriage rates serve as a sensitive indica¬
tor of the boundary around an ethnic group.
Give Me Boston or
Give Me Death
By Joel Mazmanian
Contributing Writer
As I stare tunelessly at an old
photo of Larry Bird, I can't help but
remember the ol'days. Days when
visiting the famed Boston Garden was
a rouune. Heros like Bird, McHale.
Dennis Johnson (D JA and Robert Par-
nsh weren't simply DasketbaU players
to me. Over the years of triumph and
heartbreak they had grown to become
family.
My infatuation was not a ranty
in Boston, but rather a flourishing
emotion shared by countless Bostoni-
ans like myself - loyal Celtics fans for
better or worse.
After over a decade of life on the
eastcoast, my life changed. Fresno was
mynewhome. Thesunwastoohot. my
skin was too while, and the choreg
didn't taste right I wanted out.
Against my will, I made the best
out of living here. I often felt like an
outsider when I threw on an old Celtics
sweatshirt. Many times 1 would catch
dirty looks justforwearing green. Life
was tough, but so was I.
Instead of taking the conunuous
punishment from opposing Laker fans
in Fresno, I did what any loyal Bosto-
n i an/Arm en i an would do, 1 fought back
verbally and physically (on some occa¬
sions). Before long, 1 was respected as
"the Boy from Beanlown." Once again
I could openly support my hometown
dispiie my long distance living arange-
menL
Today, my pnde runs deep in my
viensand I insistonreturninganually to
Boston to catch a Celtics game or two.
Grandma's homemade kadeyif also en¬
courages the trip back East.
I believe you can take the kid out
of Boston, but you can't lake Boston
outoflhekid. I'm living proof! Ithank
Fresno for its acceptance, but I am
forever indebt to Boston, its people, and
of course, my Celtics!
If the intermarriage rate is high, which
means that members of different ethnic
groups intermarry freely, it is likely that
they do not see themselves as very differ¬
ent, and it is also likely that society in gen¬
eral does not treat the groups differently or
have various patterns of "racial enqueue"
which require that the groups remain sepa¬
rate.
Findings
The first nafMartant cokmmoh from the
analysis of these data is the overall inter¬
marriage rate of people of Armenian de-
scent in Fresno County for the years 1930,
1940, 1960, 1980, & 1990. The results
showed an inter-marriage rale of 50.9%
and an m-rnarriage rate of 49.1 % (with a
total of 324 marriages).
Table 1 shows that the rate of intermar¬
riage has increased between the years 1930
and 1990 in Fresno County among those
whose parents were both bom in a foreign
country, while showing very little change
among those whose parents were both
bom in the U.S., although it is very high
(over 90%). Generation has some impact
as to whether one is more likely to to inter¬
marry. The higher the generation, the
more likely one is to intermarry.
Table 2 shows that church affiliation is
related to intermarriage. 32.1%and31.4%
of the marriages that were performed in
the Armenian Onhdox and the Armenian
Protestant churches, respectively, were
intermarriages. This difference is statisti¬
cally insignificam. But, the percentage of
Tablet
1730
1940   I960
1980
1990
Both parens
114
16.9    44.9
72.7
42.3
foreign bom
(48)
(65)     (49)
(22)
(26)
Both parent!
100.0
94.4
90.6
bom in U.S.
(0)
(0)    (13)
<36)
02)
Total
10.4
17.6    58.6
83.1
71.6
148)
(65)    (70)
(71)
(67)
(Note: Read the table
in ihe following way. In
1930,10.4* of ihe 48 marriagea b
Fresno
County of people whote parent* were bom in a
foreign country were
intermarriage!.)
Tabk 2 - Intermarried Percentages
Armenian   Armenian-   Non-Armenian
Civil
Omodox
'rotestant   Religious
32.1
31.4
9Z5
66.7
(44)
£22)
(74)
(20)
Simon the Jpuse
By Jeff Ahronian
when we look at those who were married
in civil and non-Armenian religious cere¬
monies, respectively.
Discussion
interpreting this data is easier if I put it a
context in which we can compare them io
other white ethnic groups. Fortunately,
similar data is available on other groups.
Three somewhat similar groups that the
Aremenians can be compared well with
include the Ittha-ts, the Greeks, and the
Jews. All are similar Middle-Eastern/
Mediterranean cultures and immigrated to
the U.S. at approximately the same times
All of the groups are currently in their
third or fourth generations.
Alba found an intermarriage rate of 75rs
for Italian-Americans bom after 1950. The
interemarriage rate of Greek-Orthodox
Americans is 49%, according to
Aharonian( 1983), but this figure is likely
io be an underestimate because it does not
account for Greek-Americans who were
married in non-Greek Orthodox Churches.
The Jews are estimated to have an inter¬
marriage rate of approximately 31-40%
(Alba, 1985,Aharonian. 1983).
All things considered, il appears as
though the Armenian intermarriage rate is
among the highest of any of the compa¬
rable white ethnic groups. However, ihe
smaller the population of any group wiihin
lhe larger populaiio, the higher the miei-
mamagerate is likely lobe lor that group.
Milton Gordon, a sociologist, has stated
Jiafoncesuucturalhasoccured... all other
types of assimilation will naturally fol¬
low." From Ihese high rates of iniermar-
riage ihat I found, it can be suggested thai
ihe annua! distinctiveness of these Arme¬
nian-Americans has largely disappeared.
Alba refers to this state of ethnicity as the
"twilight" of ethnicity. The ethnicity of
the group remains visible but is vaguely
defined. The fourth and fifth generations.
being the first generations without direct
contact with anyone from tthj original
immigrant group will further assimilate
into American society. Alba is not staling
that the ethnic identity is or will fully dis¬
appear. He is simply stating that theeihnic
identity is different from before in that the
"ethnic" can lose the "identity" at an>
time. One is no longer stigmatized by his/
her ethnic origin. This lends support for
the assimilationist "melting pot" theory ot
American society.
From my own observations of the
Armenian community, it appears as though
the losses from the community, as a result
of intermarriage, far outweigh the gams.
In other words, as a desalt of iDiermar-
riage, more people seem to be 'leaving'
the Armenian community than 'identify¬
ing' with it. The "ethnic" seems to be
losing the "identity" much quicker and
easier than before.
However, further research is necessary
to actually determine whether these new
"mixed" families identify themselves as
Armenians and interact with the Arme¬
nian community or whether they gradu¬
ally dissociate form the Armenian com¬
munity. Interviewscan be conducted with
intermarried couples to determine their
degree of "Armenian-ness" (i.e. ethnic
identity) and whether or not they and their
children identify with and are involved in
the Armenian community.
like to hear your opin¬
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Editor,