Professor's book traces the history of Armenians

By TASHA GALLEGOS

Isabel Kaprielian-Churchill, a professor of Armenian and immigration history, recently had a book published titled, “Like Our Mountains: A History of Armenians in Canada.” The book covers different aspects of Armenian life in Canada, starting from the time the first immigrants arrived in the country in the 1880s.

The book is available now.

“It’s all kind of exciting,” she said with a childlike smile. “It’s like being pregnant and giving birth. It’s a long thing.”

Kaprielian-Churchill said her book deals with initial settlement, work experiences, church struggles, art and literature, education, games, songs and the Armenian Genocide.

“I show what the community was like before the genocide, and then I deal with the post -enocide community and how [the community was] transformed,” she said.

Kaprielian-Churchill’s mother is a genocide survivor, so she feels strongly about the Turkish government’s lack of recognition of the genocide.

“Officially, the Turkish government does not recognize the genocide as a genocide,” she said. “It’s OK if you use the word ‘annihilation.’ It’s OK if you use the word ‘eradication.’ They just don’t like the word ‘genocide.’ ”

She said that if Turkey were to recognize the genocide, it could bring the Turks and Armenians together.

Kaprielian-Churchill was born in Canada and speaks Armenian. She spent much time conducting research and in her book, used sources in English, Armenian and French archives, oral histories, diaries, and memoirs and letters.

Kaprielian-Churchill said she was encouraged by one of her professors to go further than Armenian life in her hometown of Hamilton, Ontario, and look at Armenians throughout Canada. She moved to the United States almost 10 years ago and has been teaching at Fresno State for nine years.

Kaprielian-Churchill said she wasn’t sure what kind of promotional activities she would do for the book.

“I’ll probably go on some kind of speaking tour,” she said.