Bridging the Borders

This Indigenous Peoples’ Day, we honor our ancestors by pushing back against the myths and misinformation that have long erased our own community’s story. While race itself is a social construct used to justify oppression, geography is factual: Armenians are indigenous to West Asia. Modern recognition matters not because labels define us, but because state and federal census categories directly shape access to resources, protections, and representation. For Armenians, being counted as West Asian isn’t symbolic; it’s a step toward equity, visibility, and justice in a system that has too often misclassified us out of existence. PLEASE SHARE THIS POST to raise awareness and dismantle the old narratives that were never ours to begin with. ❤️💙🧡

April marks both Armenian Heritage Month and Arab-American Heritage Month — two powerful observances that reflect the richness of diasporic communities from one of the world’s most diverse regions. In that spirit, we’re proud to introduce the idea of West Asian Heritage Month as a way to honor the region more broadly and push for better inclusion in global social justice narratives. “West Asia” is a decolonized geographic term, rooted in indigenous identity and offered as an alternative to Eurocentric labels like “Middle East” or “Near East.”

West Asia is home to Armenians, Yazidis, Assyrians, Kurds, Circassians, Dagestanis, Persians, Arabs, Jews, and many others — each with distinct cultural traditions, languages, and histories deeply tied to the land. These communities have long practiced various religions such as Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Yazidism, and more. Many are also permanently displaced indigenous peoples living in diaspora, whose survival, resilience, and cultural revival deserve recognition.

As an indigenous peoples’ organization, Bridging the Borders believes in building solidarity between West Asian communities and coming together for visibility, representation, and shared liberation.

This week marks the start of Armenian Heritage Month, alongside Eid al-Fitr and César Chávez Day — a powerful intersection of culture, faith, labor, and identity. Eid celebrates joy after hardship and spiritual renewal; César Chávez Day honors labor movements that fought for dignity across communities; and Armenian Heritage Month uplifts our survival, contributions, and culture in the face of ongoing erasure. Alongside celebration, we’re also confronting rising Armenophobia both online and here in LA, where anti-Armenian rhetoric and systemic exclusion often go unchecked. At Bridging the Borders, we stand for intersectionality and solidarity, because our stories are stronger when we tell them side by side.

1 — An Armenian family is welcomed into a Muslim family’s Eid celebration, sharing food and joy under the stars.
2 — Armenian and Latine farmworkers stand together for dignity, justice, and labor rights.
3 — An Armenian family passes down stories, food, and traditions during Heritage Month.
4 — In Glendale, an Armenian man is comforted by friends as he faces discrimination due to his identity.