The New Generation has not Failed us Completely After All
By: Ashur Sada. May. 1, 2008
They may go clubbing too much, they may drop high school, and they may not know
the difference between ‘Yima’ and ‘Baba’ but the new generation of Assyrians
growing in the West, hasn’t failed us after all. Our parents and other older
generations have always feared that our new young generation would be lost in
the West and forget about their nation. And it looked like it was going to be
that way for some time. But thanks to the internet, and the way it brings us
closer and more aware of events around us, the new generation is somewhat back
on the right track. It seems that they finally do care, just like our parents’
generation did, and even more sometimes. I see it on
Assyrian Voice and other
websites everyday, and it amazes me.
Caring about the mother tongue
One of the first signs that the new generation is starting to care, is their
willingness to learn the Assyrian language. Both spoken and read. Some of them
are buying books, engaging in church classes, or just buying a book online and
starting to learn. It is as if all of a sudden, learning the Assyrian language
is a cool thing to do, unlike in the past, when it wasn’t and only English
mattered. The new generation growing up in the West seems to be more concerned
about the language than they have been in the past. Again, the influence of the
internet and all the peer-pressure they face, is creating a new feeling of
'inevitability' for them. They also realize that in this connected world of
ours, English is no longer enough, and any language you can learn is a bonus,
and why not make it the Assyrian language? and of course, language has been tied
hand in hand sometimes with your feeling of nationalism and patriotism.
Assyrian Nationalism in the Diaspora
National feelings are also on the rise amongst the new generation. Assyrians
born in America and other countries in the Diaspora are showing more and more
interest in going back, and being part of the Assyrian people back home,
including their April 1st parade.
You have people born in the west, who are more passionate about helping and
making a change. Some would like to see, and even be part of an Assyrian army.
These could just be words, and will not necessarily be translated into action,
but still, the right nationalistic ideas are there. Those educated in the west
are also taking the lead in bringing awareness to our plight, issues and name.
They have been doing a lot of advocating to the US and other European
government. Even lobbying is slowly and finally becoming a reality.
Not to mention some youth, who had no idea what it was to be Assyrian, who are
now taking the lead and doing fundraisers to collect money and send it to their
brothers and sisters in Iraq.
Pride in the Church
It is not just national and cultural issues that are starting to interest
our new generations. The Assyrian Church of the East has its share too It seems
like the new generation is very passionate about our church and to keep it
alive. When the latest church issue broke out some 3 years ago, the youth on the
two sides were more fanatical and engaged into the ensuing debate than their
parents and grand parents. In fact, you could argue that the youth is to blame
for inflating the issue and making it much larger than what it should be. It is for
that very reason why Assyrian Voice took a hard decision and decided to close
down the old ‘Assyrian Church’ forum discussion section. It was creating way too
many divisions and further splitting our nation. Whether this passion for our
church is inherited from the parents, or if it will be passed to the next
generation, are things to be seen and hoped for.
It is not all perfect and bright. While there is more cultural, national and
religious awareness amongst our youth, a lot of issues still exist. Some of
which are getting worse. Here in Toronto for example, we have been seeing a very
disturbing trend, where a lot of young Assyrian males are not continuing their
education past high school; some even stopping short of getting their high
school diploma. Being proud and aware of who you are is great, but is not enough
if you want to make a difference. It is good for our new generation to have an
interest and passion in their nation and culture, but that is not good enough.
We need education and more education to reach higher places. We have also heard
a lot about Assyrian youth in Fairfield, Australia being active with criminal
activities and gangs, including drug dealing. Seems like all the great things
being done by our generation, is being offset by a minority, who choose to take
the wrong path and do all the negative things. But it is important to remember
that a few bad and rotten apples will always exist, and no generation is ever
perfect.
From One Generation to Another
The new generation has the keys to the future and success of this nation. They
are the ones who will connect with the older generation and inherit what they
have to pass on to them. They are also the link to the next generation that is
to come after them, which could either make it or break it for our existence as
Assyrians in the Diaspora. Will it be a generation that will only know
‘Assyrian’ as a word, or will they feel, speak and act like one? Our parents and
older generation did their best to produce a new and vibrant generation, and the
fruits are finally showing. Let us hope our new generation will do the same to
the next generation, and help the Assyrian legacy be a strong one in the West,
in a way that our Assyrian name and people back home is not jeopardized.
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