In Western Civilization's dark ages, genealogy was reserved for the elite. Things are different now--genealogy has become one of the most popular hobbies in the world, and no one needs to be rich or famous to have one.

"There are no Armenian records" is an oft-quoted statement that now is not true. The statement has been dispelled by the Armenian Genealogical Society in locating family-type records of value to Armenians. Chapter 2 lists 238 rolls of Armenian microfilm, 159 of which are now available for research. Microfilming goes on and there are now several hundred more rolls in storage waiting to be indexed and copies made for genealogical research....

So, don't waste time or energy thinking of all the, "why I shouldn'ts." For some, being an ancestral orphan may be true. For most, it need not be. Genealogy is for everyone and Armenians are no longer an exception....

Alex Haley's best seller "Roots" and its subsequent television dramatization gave great impetus to genealogy work and people's desire to discover family origins. Haley seemed to capture the reason for this interest: "In all of us there is a hunger, marrow deep to know our heritage -- to know who we are and where we have come from. Withoutt this enriching knowledge there is a hollow yearning. No matter what our attainment in life, there is still a vacuum, an emptiness and the most disquieting loneliness."...

Without written records, time takes its toll. The past becomes distorted, dim, and then lost. If Armenian families are to survive in history, family continuity in written genealogies must be recorded and preserved so there will be fewer historical orphans to ask: Who were my people? When and where were they?...Who am I?