Grassroots mobilization and Diaspora politics: Armenian interest groups and the role of collective memory

Abstract

This article examines the grassroots mobilization of Armenian‐Americans and the role of two ethnic interest groups: the Armenian Assembly of America (AAA) and the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA). It is hypothesized that reliance upon traumatic collective memory and religious symbolism are related to some successful grassroots movements. Interest‐group publications, press releases and ‘Congressional Action Alerts’ are analysed and interest‐group leaders interviewed to ascertain the roles of collective memory and religion in mobilizing Armenian‐Americans during the 1997 White House visit of Azeri President Gaidar Aliev. It is determined that genocidal memory is important in providing a cohesive group ideology for Armenian‐Americans, while religion is important in contributing to the opportunity structure for ethnic mobilization.

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