Registration closes November 11 for the November 21 conference in Watertown, followed by a special November 22 screening of the historic film The Melody of Armenia
WATERTOWN, Mass. — Every Armenian family has a story. Some have been lovingly preserved across generations. Others survive only in fragments — a faded photograph, a family name, a village remembered by grandparents, or a story interrupted by the Armenian Genocide. For many descendants, the desire to recover those stories has become a deeply personal journey of discovery.
On Saturday, November 21, Armenians from across the United States and beyond will gather at the Armenian Cultural and Educational Center in Watertown, Massachusetts, for the 10th Anniversary Armenian Genealogy Conference, a milestone celebration of a movement dedicated to reconnecting Armenians with their families, ancestral communities and shared history.
With just one month remaining, organizers have announced the finalized lineup of speakers and are encouraging everyone interested in attending to register before the November 11 deadline.
The conference, sponsored by the Armenian Cultural Association of America, begins at 9 a.m. and promises a full day of fascinating presentations, practical research techniques, new resources and opportunities to connect with others who share a passion for Armenian family history. Read more about the upcoming event on Asbarez.
Registration and additional information are available online.
What began as an effort to introduce Armenians to the tools and resources available for researching their ancestry has grown into a vibrant community of researchers, historians, genealogists and individuals seeking to rediscover their roots.
Over the years, Armenian genealogy conferences have demonstrated that reconstructing family histories once thought permanently lost is increasingly possible. Immigration records, Ottoman-era documents, church registers, community memorial books, historical photographs and advances in DNA testing are opening doors that previous generations could scarcely have imagined.
But Armenian genealogy is about much more than names and dates. It is about restoring connections severed by genocide, displacement and migration. It is about discovering the villages where ancestors lived, the communities they built, and the relationships that connect Armenian families across continents.
The tenth anniversary conference celebrates both the progress already made and the extraordinary possibilities that lie ahead.
This year’s conference brings together leading researchers and innovators whose work is transforming how Armenians discover and preserve their family histories.
Mark Arslan: Reconstructing the Armenian Immigrant Experience
A pioneer in Armenian genealogy, Mark Arslan began researching his Armenian ancestry in 1971. A second-generation American, he established the Armenian DNA Project in 2005 and developed the Armenian Immigration Project, an extensive database documenting the Armenian diaspora in North America before 1930.
His decades of research have helped countless families identify immigrant ancestors, trace their arrival in America and reconnect with relatives whose paths diverged generations ago. His presentation will introduce participants to resources and methods for navigating the complex world of Armenian immigration and naturalization records.
Gregory Jundanian and Lisa Misakian: Preserving the Armenians of Whitinsville
What happens when an entire community becomes the subject of a genealogical research project?
Gregory Jundanian and Lisa Misakian, co-founders of the Armenians of Whitinsville Project, will demonstrate how local history, family records, photographs and personal memories can be brought together to preserve the story of an Armenian American community.
Their innovative website serves as a modern “houshamadyan,” continuing the Armenian memory-book tradition that emerged in the diaspora beginning in the late nineteenth century.
Their work offers an inspiring model for other Armenian communities seeking to document their own histories before invaluable memories and records disappear.
Zeynep Devrim Gürsel: Discovering Armenian Lives Through Ottoman-Era Photographs
Photographs can reveal stories that written documents leave untold.
Zeynep Devrim Gürsel, a media anthropologist and Associate Professor of Anthropology at Rutgers University, is the author of “Portraits of Unbelonging,” an examination of Ottoman Armenian emigration to the United States during the politically turbulent years from the 1890s through the end of Sultan Abdülhamid II’s reign in 1909.
Her research offers a fascinating perspective on the visual documentation of Armenian migration and the ways historical photographs can help reconstruct the experiences of individuals and families navigating a world of political uncertainty and displacement.
Boghos Tchitchekdjian: Connecting Armenian Families Across Europe
Armenian family histories rarely respect modern national borders. Records of a single family may be scattered across Armenia, Turkey, France, the Middle East, the United States and numerous other countries.
Boghos Tchitchekdjian, co-founder and Vice President of Relais International de Généalogie Arménienne, will introduce participants to the important work being undertaken in France to preserve Armenian genealogical records and reconnect families.
RIGA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to making dispersed archives more accessible and providing free genealogical assistance to Armenians throughout the diaspora. Its work demonstrates the tremendous potential of international cooperation in overcoming the barriers that have historically complicated Armenian family research.
George Aghjayan: DNA and the Reconstruction of Armenian Family History
For descendants of genocide survivors, traditional documentary research often encounters an almost insurmountable obstacle: the destruction or disappearance of records and the rupture of family connections.
George Aghjayan, organizer of the Armenian genealogy conferences and host of “Hye Roots: Descendants of Ararat,” will explore how advances in genetic genealogy are helping to overcome these obstacles.
His presentation will examine the critical role of DNA testing in identifying previously unknown relatives, reconstructing family relationships and recovering connections lost through generations of displacement.
DNA cannot replace historical research, but when combined with documentary evidence, oral histories and geographic knowledge, it can become an extraordinary tool for rebuilding Armenian family histories.
The conference experience will continue well beyond the final presentation.
Beginning at approximately 6 p.m., participants will gather for a festive Armenian dinner catered by Kevork Boyajian and the Armenian American Social Club of Watertown.
The evening will feature an all-star ensemble of Armenian musicians:
- John Berberian — oud
- Mal Barsamian — clarinet
- Jason Naroian — vocals and drum
- Bruce Gigarjian — guitar
The dinner promises an evening of wonderful Armenian cuisine, traditional music and lively conversation, offering participants an opportunity to deepen the connections made throughout the day.
For many conference attendees, these informal conversations are among the most rewarding parts of the experience. A discussion over dinner can lead to the discovery of a common ancestral village, an unexpected family connection or a new research partnership.
The weekend’s celebration of Armenian heritage will continue on Sunday, November 22, with a special screening of the historic Armenian film “ԵրգնՀայաստանի” (“The Melody of Armenia”).
Presented jointly by the ARF Boston “Sardarabad” Gomideh, Watertown High School’s Armenian Club and the Armenian Genealogy Conference, the screening will take place at 2 p.m. in the auditorium of the new Watertown High School, 50 Columbia Street, Watertown, Massachusetts.
First premiered in 1930, “The Melody of Armenia” offers a powerful window into the lives of Armenian Genocide survivors attempting to rebuild their world in exile.
The film tells the story of Mrs. Ghazarian, an Armenian mother living in France during the 1920s. Of her six children, five perished during the Genocide. Only one son survived, and together mother and son struggle to establish a new life while carrying the overwhelming burden of personal loss and the destruction of their homeland.
Haunted by the memories of what she endured, Mrs. Ghazarian embodies the grief, resilience and uncertainty experienced by countless Armenian survivors.
Yet the film is more than a dramatic account of one family’s suffering.
It incorporates remarkable historical footage, including images of the burning of Smyrna, appearances by prominent Armenian figures such as Alexander Khatisian and Avetis Aharonian, and scenes depicting Armenian schools, scouting organizations and community life in France.
These images offer a rare visual record of a generation that experienced the destruction of its ancestral communities while simultaneously laying the foundations of a new Armenian diaspora.
For those attending the genealogy conference, the film provides a particularly meaningful complement to the preceding day’s presentations.
Where genealogy seeks to recover the identities and relationships of individual ancestors, “The Melody of Armenia” brings viewers face to face with the historical world those ancestors inhabited — their trauma, determination, institutions and enduring commitment to Armenian identity.
Together, the conference and film screening create a weekend devoted not simply to remembering the past, but to reclaiming it.
Proceeds from the film screening will benefit the ARF Archives project, an initiative dedicated to preserving and making Armenian historical materials accessible to future generations. Additional donations are warmly encouraged.
Tickets for the screening may be purchased online.
A trailer for the film can be viewed on Instagram.
For questions about the screening, call or text (818) 649-4726.