This paper explores the diverse values that ethnic minorities of mostly mono-ethnic Armenia assign to language in the identity construction process. Despite their cultural and religious variety, the ethnic minorities of Armenia have a common feature: none of the groups descends from the territory of the current Republic of Armenia, and in each instance immigration happened under Tsarist or Soviet rule. Diverse social and historical factors linked to migration define the pertinence of language for individual ethnic minorities. In some cases, these factors also affect collective self-perception in a way that is contradictory with actual language practices and actual linguistic skills.