A lot of it is predictable, they've seen it happen.

And one story that always kind of captures my imagination.

The street's lost culture.

And you're listening to Kearning cultures.

A quick warning before we start.

This episode contains a couple of references to violence.

I'm Dana Balutz, and this is Cunning Cultures.

Well, for me, it was totally unexpected.

Every time I stepped out of the van, I would get choked up.

And there were times when I was so overwhelmed emotionally

that my daughter Abby would stand between me and everyone else who was getting off the van

to just give me some room because I was

turning around because I was crying. I had no idea why I was crying. I don't think it's overstating

it if I say, you know, I'm a different person because of this trip.

New Barra Alex Alexandian grew up in Worcester, Massachusetts.

His family is Armenian all the way back generations.

And his first language was Armenian.

And he remembers Armenian food and music as a constant background to his childhood.

But there was also a whole in his family's history, one that he really didn't know how to fill.

I did not feel connected to the homeland, but that was really because my parents, never talked

about it. My parents were really serious about being American.

My grandparents never spoke about the Armenian Genocide.

...