Teacher Reflects on Culture, Change in Yerevan
The Catfish of Yerevan
An Armenian-American educator explores generational differences in cultural consumption and the evolution of Armenian society through a personal lens. The author, visiting Yerevan, draws connections between a contemporary rap song about fake personas and the country's transformation over decades. She reflects on her own family's relationship with Armenian music and culture—from her parents' 1981 visit with a vinyl record of Artashes Avetyan to her 1991 cassette smuggling during the first Artsakh war—contrasting past experiences with present-day Yerevan's bustling streets and modern amenities. The piece examines how younger generations engage with global pop culture while living in postwar Armenia, where many have lost family members to recent conflicts.
