Dispersion

In this episode, Jean-Paul and Sacha have a candid conversation about their Indigenous identities as they relate to land and place, and the complexities they face in navigating their identities while living in urban spaces. This episode explores tensions between Indigenous ways of knowing and relationships with the land, and the ownership words utilized in Diaspora Studies. 

In this episode Randal and Dilmurat discuss the inseparable nature of their cultural and religious identities, and how histories of persecution based on religion have contributed to a strong sense of peoplehood within their religious diaspora communities. This episode explores fluid and intersecting identities, and cross generational education. 

In this episode, Anu and Anastasia explore how conflicts in the homeland influence community cohesion and mobilization, and cultural preservation in diaspora. They discuss how conflicts in their respective homelands influenced their own career trajectories, and generational differences in how those living in diaspora interact with events taking place in the homeland.

In this episode, Samira and Shayan discuss how food contributes to identity formation and cultural connection, and how they have come to understand food as a political tool. This episode explores community building, multiculturalism, racism, and cultural erasure and assimilation as they relate to food. 

A quick teaser of what to expect for season 2!

In this episode, Greg is joined by his daughter, Talar, to explore how different generations of Canadians identify with both their homeland and hostland. This episode dives into what it means to have different layers of identity and how one's identity may be diluted with more milk, or strengthened by more coffee over generations.  To learn more about the themes presented in this episode, refer to these papers from Diaspora: A Journal of Transnational Studies: Chryssanthopoulou, V. (2015). Reclaiming the homeland: Belonging among diaspora generations of Greek Australians from Castellorizo. Diaspora: A Journal of Transnational Studies, 18(1-2), 67-88. https://doi.org/10.3138/diaspora.18.1-2.67Lowe, L. (1991). Heterogeneity, hybridity, multiplicity: Marking Asian American differences. Diaspora: A Journal of Transnational Studies, 1(1), 24-44. https://doi.org/10.3138/diaspora.1.1.24Chernobrov, D. & Wilmers, L. (2019). Diaspora identity and a new generation: Armenian diaspora youth on the Genocide and the Karabakh War. Nationalities Papers, 48(5). DOI:10.1017/nps.2019.74Guest Bios:K.M. Greg Sarkissian is a founding member of the Zoryan Institute, in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1982, and in Canada in 1984. He is the chief strategist of the Institute since 1990 and has been President since 1995. Along with his colleagues and Board Members, he has established the Genocide and Human Rights University Program in partnership with the University of Toronto. As the Director of Economic Affairs of the Institute’s two journals, he initiated the partnerships with the University of Toronto Press for Diaspora: A Journal of Transnational Studies and Genocide Studies and Prevention, followed by Genocide Studies International. A graduate of the University of California in 1972, he is founder and president of Byron Hill Group Companies since 1985 and Servocraft Limited Canada, since 1982 and Yorkbridge Plastics Packaging since 1996. In 2019, Greg was appointed to the Order of Canada, one of the nation's highest honours systems.Talar Sarkissian is a Development Manager at Oxford Properties, working on multi-phased, mixed-use projects, masterplans and industrial developments. Prior to joining Oxford Properties, Talar worked in Boston at Banco Santander in Portfolio Management and Credit Card Risk. After completing her MBA, she worked in New York at Speakup and Margaritaville Media (both Media-Tech startups) in COO and Business Development roles respectively. Talar completed a BS in Economics from Babson College, a bi-lingual MBA from IESE in Spain and a MSRED from Columbia University. She was class president of her MBA program, received the service award at Columbia and is now the co-chair of the Multicultural Alliance ERG at OMERS and a member of the Sustainability Team at Oxford Properties.