sooren simon apkarian

American born Armenian, Sooren Apkarian, a lifelong member of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) in Michigan, spent a working life of 38 years in a cold-rolled steel mill (Detroit Steel Corporation). He was employed as a Steelworker in Detroit. He retired in 1985 and set about writing his memoirs. "My Armenian Heritage" is the autobiographical narrative of Sooren Apkarian's roots, his development as an Armenian nationalist, and his two voyages to his ancestral homeland in 1971 and 1975. On his trips Sooren was overwhelmed with emotional feelings, family and food. From his shocking meeting with his paternal uncle Avo, a near facsimile of his father, to gatherings with daily waves of dozens of previously unknown relatives, each of whom was giddy with excitement and who shocked the author with their love and hospitality. This work covers the gamut of family relations, the yearning for familial love, the detrimental effects of communism, national pride and Armenian history.