Articles by Lalai Manjikian

About Lalai Manjikian (30 Articles)

Lalai Manjikian holds a PhD in Communication Studies from McGill University (2013). She currently teaches in the Humanities department at Vanier College in Montreal. Lalai writes and teaches in the areas of human migration, refugee social exclusion and inclusion, the ethics of migration, media and migration, intercultural communication, and diaspora studies. She is the author of Collective Memory and Home in the Diaspora: The Armenian Community in Montreal (2008). Lalai writes a monthly column, titled “Scattered Beads” for the Armenian Weekly.

The author with François Bugingo, the founder and president of Reporters Without Borders in Canada and an avid advocate for freedom of press around the world, at the Rwandan Genocide commemoration event at Montreal’s City Hall.

Building Bridges: From Kayseri to Kigali

Special for the Armenian Weekly Nothing makes genocide more real than looking into the eyes of someone who has survived the unthinkable. I am always at a loss for words when I meet genocide survivors. What can I possibly say to them given what they have gone through? The author with François [more...]

July 2, 2014 // 3 Comments

Only a few weeks ago, I browsed through pictures of Kessab in bloom posted on Facebook.

Kessab: Deep Roots Under Attack

This article is the second in a two part series written by Armenian Weekly columnist Lalai Manjikian. To read part I, click here. Every fall, my father who was born in Kessab, plants tulip bulbs in his Montreal garden, miles away from his ancestral land. I like to think he does so in an unspoken [more...]

March 25, 2014 // 7 Comments

An image from the author's childhood in Kessab.

Kessab: Deep Roots amid Fallen Leaves

This article is the first in a two part series written by Armenian Weekly columnist Lalai Manjikian. Part II will be posted tomorrow, March 25. To read part two, click here. It is that autumn season again in Montreal when fallen leaves brighten the city. Nothing burdens me right now, as I feel the [more...]

March 24, 2014 // 10 Comments

All Roads Lead to Refugees

I have always been drawn to the themes of uprooting, displacement, border-crossing, and the ongoing connections between old and new homes. Perhaps because I carry some degree of transmitted trauma associated with forced displacement, I’ve been propelled into wanting to understand how humans [more...]

February 10, 2014 // 8 Comments

Hamazkayin Forum 2012 in Armenia: Calling all University Students

If you have never been to Armenia or have visited before and are looking for a trip that is centered around our centuries-old riches and cultural gems, then look no further. For the past 17 years, the Hamazkayin Student Cultural Forum has created the opportunity for hundreds of young Armenian [more...]

June 11, 2012 // 0 Comments

A part of my own story, of where my life journey has taken me, overlaps with Turkey’s story.

Manjikian: Facing Your History

I am far from being a historian, but it is safe to claim that we all have a history. And there are various types of stories that characterize our existence—personal, medical, family, cultural, religious, and racial, to name but a few. A part of my own story, of where my life journey has taken me, [more...]

January 30, 2012 // 10 Comments

Weekly columnist Lalai Manjikian with her grandmother.

Kessab Roots: A Survivor’s Story

As a Diasporan Armenian connected to Armenia, as well as historical Armenia (currently in Turkey), part of the multitude of attachments I carry is with Kessab, a region and a town located in the northwestern part of Syria, on the Mediterranean Sea, at the Turkish border. Apparently, it has been [more...]

November 19, 2011 // 19 Comments

Over two decades, the Sourp Hagop Kermesse in Montreal has become an institution, has been emulated by other communities, and continues to draw big names in Armenian music who perform, with large crowds attending not only locally, but also from other parts of the Armenian Diaspora.

Manjikian: Tradition and Togetherness, and ‘Kermesse’

As certain neighborhoods of London were rising up, in large part due to social inequalities and racial tensions, I couldn’t help but wonder about how some governments and municipalities address cultural difference in their cities. Multi-ethnic communities and public spaces are said to be [more...]

September 6, 2011 // 0 Comments

Manjikian: All in a Day’s Train Ride

Some days on the commuter train are more interesting than others. A few weeks ago, as usual, I took the commuter train home from the downtown station. I was in store for an eye-opening trip, little did I know. Living in a part of town where the Armenian population is relatively dense, I am used to [more...]

July 15, 2011 // 3 Comments

Leaving my teenage years behind (something Aznavour laments so masterfully in “Hier Encore”), his songs continue to resonate with me—as life progresses, as situations and perspectives change and evolve—and his songs take on new hues.

Manjikian: Ode to Aznavour

Start spreading the news: Aznavour is taking over Manhattan! An early gala celebrating Armenia’s 20th anniversary will take place in New York City on May 20 and will pay tribute to globally renowned songwriter and singer Charles Aznavour. Leaving my teenage years behind (something Aznavour [more...]

May 17, 2011 // 6 Comments

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