FROM LEBANON TO UTAH: THE JOURNEY OF THE DAGHLIAN FAMILY Utah Armenians

by Lisa Boghosian


When Robert and Nora Daghlian were married in 1971, they thought they'd spend the rest of their life in Lebanon. He was a successful businessman, and owner of several hardware stores. She was active in volunteer work for different organizations. Neither ever would have guessed that thirteen years later they'd end up in Salt Lake City.

"We moved to Utah," explains Mrs. Daghlian, "because of my brother-in-law Raffi, and because of the war. Just before we were married, in 1966, Mormon missionaries came to Beirut and rented two floors of our apartment building. One of the floors they used to live in and the other they used for church services, lectures, and a school.

Some of the missionaries spoke Armenian, others spoke Arabic, but the Lebanese and Armenians in the building went to them regularly to learn English, conversing about life in Utah. We were very friendly with them, and toured them all over Lebanon. They are now quite well known doctors in Salt Lake City.

"Around that same time, Raffi decided he wanted to study medicine in America. So after talking with the missionaries about the States, they convinced him that Utah had many good universities and was a nice place to live. He left Beirut in 1968, and moved to Utah to pursue his education."

Years later, with war in their backyard, the Daghlians decided to take a vacation and visit Raffi. "I went to America in 1977," says Mr. Daghlian. "Then two years later, the whole family went for three months.

Every summer for five years, Nora, our daughter Lara, son Jamil, and I went to Salt Lake to see Raffi. Finally on our last trip in 1984, when we had our baby girl Sarine, we decided to make Utah our permanent home. The situation in Lebanon wasn't getting any better. So we flew back to Beirut, packed our bags, and landed in Salt Lake on May 28, 1984."

One of the first things the Daghlians did when they arrived was open up a grocery store, just next door from where they live today. "In Lebanon," says Mr. Daghlian, "my hardware business was very successful. But in America the hardware business is very large, and there is a lot of competition. So, I decided to open a grocery store instead. Three and a half years later, I added a small deli to the store. Nora spent hours during the night making different middle-eastern foods, sometimes she was up until three in the morning. People were waiting in line to get in the store for her food. It became so popular that in 1989, we remodeled the store and turned it into an 84-seat restaurant.

"We are located right near the University of Utah, so we get a lot of professors and students. There is also a large medical center, so many nurses and doctors come on their breaks.

Through word of mouth, newspaper articles, and even a spot on the Channel 2 News, our business is doing very well. We also are catering large weddings, art openings, and events at the University. Nora still makes all the food, and my children help behind the counter, and at the cash register. It's a family business."

Running such a demanding business, however, has left them with little time to integrate into Utah life. "It is so different here from Lebanon," remarks Mrs. Daghlian. "I have been here eleven years, and still haven't gotten used to it.

We have a few Armenian friends, but there really isn't a feeling of an Armenian community here. We don't have a church. There isn't an Armenian school. Sometimes, Armenians organize a march outside the Federal building in Salt Lake to commemorate the Genocide. But usually, there are about 20 or 30 people who attend. Every year, they also have a dance that is held in the Greek Church. Many more people show up to that.

"Our children have integrated much more than we have- Sarine especially, since she has really grown up here. Lara went to the University of Utah, graduating in business, and now works for Discovery Card. Jamil is finishing college, but he prefers Lebanon to here.

All of them, though, love the outdoors- which makes Utah a great place for them to be. If you are an outdoorsy type of person, Utah is wonderful. There is great skiing in the winter and hiking in the summer."

But will Utah be the Daghlian's final destination? Well, that depends who you ask. Mrs. Daghlian says they're definitely moving back to Lebanon. Mr. Daghlian says their next move will be to California. Time will only tell- you just never know where you're going to end up next.