From The Peopling of New York City

Who I Am

My name is Jamie Edindjiklian and I am a freshman in the Macaulay Honors College at City College. I’m majoring in architecture. I love the vast qualifications of design, and really respect those who can create spaces for everyday interactions between people and the built environment. The future freaks me out. I’d rather take it one day at a time, but keep a particular plan in mind. I’ve played volleyball for six years, and competed this past fall on the team at CCNY. I am interested in all things related to art history and traditional forms of art. From a very young age, I could always remember visiting museums with my parents and younger brother. I was encouraged to think creatively, as well as to draw, paint, and have fun with art. I can definitely attribute my decision to major in architecture to the artistic influence of my parents. Architecture allows for the creative thought process in terms of design and structure that I began learning at a young age. I can find inspiration in daily occurrences.

I am a member of the Polish immigrant group for the wiki project. My favorite readings from this semester include many of the poems. I really enjoyed reading Kim Addonizio’s “Generations.” The nature of this type of text offers an entirely different perspective of history, immigration, and New York City than a textbook or novel. Where “All the Nations Under Heaven” offers us a lucid and unmistakable look at the past, poetry illustrates key items that are relevant to the author and specific topic; it offers a completely different experience.

Where I'm From

I am an individual whose values and customs are derived from two very distinct realms. Within my family history, as well as many others in our class, immigration and migration have played very important roles in shaping my personal identity as well as the characters of my family.

My mother was born fourth out of nine children to Irish parents. My grandfather emigrated from Galway, Ireland, and my grandmother was Irish American born to Irish immigrants. Their rather large unit flourished from the 1950s to the 1970s, and all eleven members of the family lived under the same roof in Forest Hills, Queens. My mother moved out of her parents’ house in the early 1980s to pursue an apprenticeship in a pottery studio on Spring Street in Manhattan’s SoHo area. She moved into an apartment directly above the studio, where she remained for several years. In order to further her educational endeavors, my mother began taking courses at Queens College. Being a ceramics major, she took several fine arts courses. As such, she met my father who was also pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts.

My father and his one younger sister were born in Yerevan, Aremenia. My grandmother is from Dilizhan, Armenia, and my grandfather is Armenian as well, but born in Bulgaria as his family sought refuge during the Armenian Genocide. He moved back at a young age when the country gained more stability. In 1980, my father’s family made the decision to come to America in hopes of attaining a better life. At the time, Armenia was under the control of the Soviet Union in the Cold War era. Libraries and churches were shut down by the government; individuals were not truly free to practice a faith or lead a comfortable lifestyle. . While they waited for their visas to be cleared, my father and his family spent three weeks in Rome, Italy at the Armenian Embassy. Money was scarce, but they came to New York and decided to call Astoria, Queens their home.

My parents met in college, and dated for five years before getting married in 1988. After my younger brother was born in 1992, my parents decided to transition from Astoria, Queens to Long Beach, Long Island. From a very young age, I could always remember visiting museums with my parents and brother. They encouraged us to think creatively, as well as to draw, paint, and have fun with art. I can definitely attribute my decision to major in architecture to the artistic influence of my parents. Architecture allows for the creative thought process in terms of design and structure that I began learning at a young age. I can find inspiration in everyday occurrences.

I can delineate myself as the product of two converging cultures. I am split 50-50 between Irish and Armenian with strong ties to each heritage.

New York and I

After a typical night in studio, I took the shuttle back to my dorm only to have a surprisingly academic conversation with the public safety official in the van at 4am. After seeing my last name on my id card, he asked of my origins. I told him that my father immigrated from Armenia, and my mother was American-born Irish. He then responded with, “Why do you say your father is from Armenia and you are not? You are from Armenia as well.” But I have never been there. I do not speak the language, so I cannot call Armenia my home.

I am a native of New York. I have lived here my entire life and it is the only thing I know. Long Beach is my abode. New York City is my locality. I have not been here long enough to call it a home. And while I see New York City as an enabler of opportunities, I am looking forward to the prospects that await.