ABSTRACT
Arek Zakarian's level of assimilation into American society was never quite complete, however. She seldom left the house, except for occasional trips to church and family gatherings; she remained a resident alien, and rarely interacted with non-Armenians. She cooked and cleaned, helped behind the scenes in the tailor shop, and never missed an episode of As the World Turns, every plot turn of which she understood despite the language barrier. Arek's prospects for marriage were excellent. She was desired by many parents looking for brides for their sons, as was the custom in the Armenian cities as well as villages. Arek, along with several other girls, had gone to see a wedding procession in the village. To get a better view, the girls climbed on the roof of a house, a common thing to do. Photographs in Armenian Village Life Before 1914 show such wedding processions, with large crowds gathered round and spectators on roofs of buildings.
