Greek Americans (Greek:ΕλληνοαμερικανοίEllinoamerikanoí[eliˌno.amerikaˈni]orΕλληνοαμερικάνοιEllinoamerikánoi[eliˌno.ameriˈkani])[4] areAmericans of full or partialGreek ancestry. There is an estimate of 1.2 million Americans of full or partial Greek ancestry.[3] According to theUS census, 264,066 people older than 5 years old spokeGreek at home in 2019.[5]
Greek Americans have the highest concentrations in theNew York City,[6][7][8]Boston,[9] andChicago[10] regions, but have settled in majormetropolitan areas across the United States. In 2000,Tarpon Springs, Florida, was home to the highest per capita representation of Greek Americans in the country (just over 10%). The United States is home to the largest number of Greeks outside ofGreece, followed byCyprus andAustralia.
Another Greek, Don Doroteo Teodoro, was a sailor who landed in Boca Ciega Bay at the Jungle Prada site in present-daySt. Petersburg, Florida with theNarváez expedition in 1528.[13][14] He was instrumental in building the rafts that the expedition survivors built and sailed from present-day St. Mark's River in Florida until they were shipwrecked near Galveston Island, Texas. Teodoro had been captured by natives as they sailed along the Gulf coast shoreline toward the west, and was never seen again.[15] He was presumably killed by the natives.[16] Don Doroteo Teodoro is regarded as the first Greek to have set foot on soil which is today part of theUnited States.[11]Pedro de Candia (lit.'Petros the Cretan', a Greek adventurer and soldier fromCrete, is known for being a lieutenant ofFrancisco Pizarro who conquered the empire of Peru and founded the city ofLima.[11]
WhenFrancis Drake reachedValparaiso, Chile in 1578 he found there a Greek pilot, whose name was Ioannis. loannis acted as Drake's pilot as far asLima, Peru.[11] Ten years later,Thomas Cavendish met a Greek pilot by the name of Georgio, who knew the waters of Chile. Both of these Greek pilots must have been in the area for many years in order to have sufficient knowledge of the waters to act as pilots for visiting ships.[11]
There is a report that a Cretan Greek named Konopios operated a coffeehouse inNew England in 1652.[17] Records show that a Greek, Michael Dry (Youris), became anaturalized citizen by act of theGeneral Assembly of Maryland in 1725. This makes Dry the first Greek positively known to reside permanently in what is today the United States.[16]
About 500 Greeks fromSmyrna,Crete, andMani settled inNew Smyrna Beach, Florida in 1768. The colony was unsuccessful, and the settlers moved toSt. Augustine in 1776. In November 1777, a Greek chapel was established in St. Augustine, where Greeks could pray with their ownrites.[16] Almost 200 years later, the chapel was designated theSt. Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine by theGreek Orthodox Church, and it exists today as a remnant of their presence, having been built atop the site of the Avero House, itself believed to be the first site of Greek Orthodox worship in the United States.[18][19]
The first noted Greek American scholar wasJohn Paradise.[16] He was persuaded to immigrate to America byBenjamin Franklin andThomas Jefferson, whom he met in Europe. Paradise married into the notable Ludwell family, one of the most prominent colonial families inVirginia.[16]
Early records showMichel Dragon (Michalis Dracos) andAndrea Dimitry (Andrea Drussakis Demetrios) settled inNew Orleans around 1799.Michel Dragon was a lieutenant in theAmerican Revolution andAndrea Dimitry participated in theWar of 1812.Andrea married Michel Dragon's daughter,Marianne Celeste Dragon, and established a small community in New Orleans. The marriage between them in 1799 was the first known marriage between Greeks in America.[16] His son wasUnited States ambassador to Costa Rica& NicaraguaAlexander Dimitry.[21] Another Greek refugee namedGeorge Marshall also came to the United States around this period. He was born in Rhodes in 1782. Marshall joined the United States Navy in 1809 and he wroteMarshall's Practical Marine Gunnery.[22] Marshall had a successful naval career and became master gunner. His son George J Marshall also served in the navy. His son-in-law wasGeorge Sirian. Due to problems with the strait of Gibraltar, America was desperate for trade with Europe. Pirates ransomed Americans which led to two Barbary wars. America eventually formed the Mediterranean Squadron.
The Greek Slave Movement started in the 1820s during the influx of young refugees to New England. The movement contributed to countless paintings, sculptures, poems, essays, and songs. The death of Greek slaveGarafilia Mohalbi was a trigger for sympathy. She was featured in many poems and songs. The Greek Slave Movement was so popular in American media that sculptorHiram Powers createdThe Greek Slave. The Greek Slave Movement was an abolitionist tool to abolish slavery in the United States. The theme eventually exploded some examples include:The Slave Market (Gérôme painting),The Slave Market (Boulanger painting), and the slave MarketOtto Pilny.[25] Some of the young Greek refugees became abolitionists.
John Celivergos Zachos became a prominent educator. He was also a woman's rights activist and abolitionist.Photius Fisk was another abolitionist who fought for the anti-slavery cause.Gregory Anthony Perdicaris was a wealthy millionaire who created the framework for gas and electric companies.George Colvocoresses was a captain in the United States Navy.Colvos Passage is named after him.George Sirian was another seaman in the United States Navy. The George Sirian Meritorious Service Award is named after him. Harvard created an entire department forEvangelinos Apostolides Sophocles. Greek orphanLucas Miltiades Miller became a U.S. Congressman.
After the Civil War, the Greek community continued to flourish inNew Orleans,Louisiana. By 1866, the community was numerous and prosperous enough to have a Greekconsulate and the first officialGreek Orthodox Church in the United States.[28] During that period, most Greek immigrants to theNew World came fromAsia Minor and thoseAegean Islands still underOttoman rule. By 1890, there were almost 15,000 Greeks living in the U.S.
Immigration picked up again in the 1890s and early 20th century, due largely to economic opportunity in the U.S., displacement caused by the hardships ofOttoman rule, theBalkan Wars, andWorld War I. Most of these immigrants had come from southern Greece, especially from the Peloponnesian provinces of Laconia and Arcadia.[29] 450,000 Greeks arrived to the States between 1890 and 1917, most working in the cities of thenortheastern United States; others labored on railroad construction and in mines of thewestern United States; another 70,000 arrived between 1918 and 1924. Each wave of immigration contributed to the growth ofHellenism in the U.S.
Greek immigration at this time was over 90% male, contrasted with most other European immigration to the U.S., such asItalian andIrish immigration, which averaged 50% to 60% male. Many Greek immigrants expected to work and return to theirhomeland after earning capital and dowries for their families. However, the loss of their homeland due to theGreek genocide and the 1923population exchange between Greece and Turkey, which displaced 1,500,000 Greeks fromAnatolia,Eastern Thrace, andPontus caused the initial economic immigrants to reside permanently in America. The Greeks werede juredenaturalized from their homelands and lost the right to return, and their families were made refugees. Additionally, the first widely implementedU.S. immigration limits against non Western European immigrants were made in 1924, creating an impetus for immigrants to apply for citizenship, bring their families and permanently settle in the U.S. Fewer than 30,000 Greek immigrants arrived in the U.S. between 1925 and 1945, most of whom were "picture brides" for single Greek men and family members coming over to join relatives.[30][31]
The events of the early 1920s also provided the stimulus for the first permanent national Greek American religious and civic organizations. In 1922, as a response to the anti-Greek campaign and actions of theKu Klux Klan, theAmerican Hellenic Educational Progressive Association was founded.[32] AHEPA aimed to counter the xenophobic sentiments directed at Greek immigrants by promoting non-violence, educational outreach and the full Americanization of the Greek community.[32] Anti-immigrant sentiment, particularly among newspapers owned byWilliam Randolph Hearst, provided the background to sensational trials in the 1920s, including the conviction ofAlexander Pantages, Greek immigrant and movie theater pioneer, in 1929. His 50-year prison sentence was later overturned.[33]
Greeks again began to arrive in large numbers after 1945, fleeing the economic devastation caused byWorld War II and theGreek Civil War. From 1945 until 1982, approximately 211,000 Greeks immigrated to the United States. These later immigrants were less influenced by the powerful assimilation pressures of the 1920s and 1930s and revitalized Greek American identity, especially in areas such as Greek-language media.
Greek immigrants founded more than 600diners in the New York metropolitan area in the 1950s through the 1970s. Immigration to the United States from Greece peaked between the 1950s and 1970.[34][35] After the 1981 admission of Greece to theEuropean Union, annual U.S. immigration numbers fell to less than 2,000. In recent years, Greek immigration to the United States has been minimal; in fact, net migration has been towards Greece. Over 72,000 U.S. citizens currently live in Greece (1999); most of them are Greek Americans.
The front page ofAtlantis, Tuesday, November 14, 1972
TheAtlantis (1894–1973) was the first successfulGreek-language daily newspaper published in theUnited States.[51] The newspaper was founded in 1894 by Solon J. and Demetrius J. Vlasto, descendants of the Greek noble family,Vlasto.[i][52] The paper was headed by a member of the Vlasto family until it closed in 1973. Published inNew York City, it had a national circulation and influence.Atlantis supported theroyalist faction in Greek politics until the mid-1960s.Atlantis editorial themes included naturalization, war relief, Greek-American business interests, and Greek religious unity.[51]
As of 2020[update],Ethnikos Kyrix (Greek:Εθνικός Κήρυξ, 1915–) is the only Greek-language daily publication based in the United States. Headquartered in New York City, its articles focus on the Greek diaspora in the United States as well as current events in Greece and Cyprus. In contrast to its competitorAtlantis,Ethnikos Kyrix historically supported liberal causes in Greece and America, including the progressive forces ofEleftherios Venizelos in Greece and theNew Deal stateside.[51][53] A companion weekly editionThe National Herald (1997–) is in circulation and features similar content presented in English.[54] TheGreek Orthodox Archdiocese of America publishes the monthlyOrthodox Observer (1934–) in both Greek and English for news and information regarding the Greek Orthodox Church as a whole, as well as its American parishes.[55]
In 1967,Academy Award-winning film-directorElia Kazan published anovel,The Arrangement: A Novel, about a conflicted Greek American living a double life as an advertising executive and muckraking journalist. Kazan, who died in September 2003, was a Greek American.
The popular 1970s showKojak, featuredTelly Savalas as Greek American police detective Theo Kojak, and his brotherGeorge as detective Stavros. Kojak was originally supposed to bePolish (hence the name), but this was changed to match Savalas' profile.
The Famous Teddy Z was an acclaimed but short-lived TV series about a fictional talent agent named Teddy Zakalakis, portrayed byJon Cryer.
The TV seriesFull House was about a family that included Greek AmericanUncle Jesse Katsopolis, portrayed by Greek American actorJohn Stamos. Jesse's surname was changed from Cochran to Katsopolis after the first season because Stamos wanted to portray his Greek American heritage. Jesse's Greek dad was also a recurring character. Stamos reprises the role of Jesse in the 2016 sequel sitcom,Fuller House.
TheOlympia Cafe was a recurring sketch in the early years ofSaturday Night Live. More recently,Tina Fey has often joked about her Greek heritage on the show.
Tom's Restaurant, a Greek American owned business, has become one of the symbols of urban New York life.
Writer, performer and radio-commentatorDavid Sedaris satirizes growing up in a Greek American household insuburbanNorth Carolina in several of his essays.
Any person who isethnically Greek bornoutside of Greece may become a Greek citizen throughnaturalization by proving that a parent or grandparent was born as a national of Greece. The Greek ancestor'sbirth certificate andmarriage certificate are required, along with the applicant's birth certificate and the birth certificates of allgenerations in between until the relation between the applicant and the person with Greek citizenship is proven.
There are hundreds of regional, religious and professional Greek American organizations. Some of the largest and most notable include:
TheAmerican Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (AHEPA) is the largest community organization of Greek Americans. It was founded inAtlanta, Georgia in 1922 to counter the anti-Greek attacks by theKu Klux Klan during that time period. Its current membership exceeds 28,000. 385 active chapters are located in the United States with additional chapters in Canada, and Europe. AHEPA maintains a full-time staff at the AHEPA Global Headquarters located in Washington, DC www.ahepa.org
The Next Generation Initiative, a foundation that works with prominent Greek American leaders and executives to offer educational opportunities such asinternships and master classes through a network of more than 5,500 Greek American students and 2,500 professors on 200+ college campuses.
TheCouncil of Hellenes Abroad is a Greek government sponsored umbrella organization for Greek immigrant organizations worldwide.
TheHellenic Society Paideia has been promoting Hellenism and Orthodoxy since 1977 by placing Greek and Byzantium classes in high schools and universities, offering study abroad programs to Greece year round, and with various building projects throughout the country. Anywhere from 200 to 500 students travel to Greece with Paideia per year. Information specifically for the study abroad programs can be found atwww.hellenicstudiespaideia.org Currently "Paideia" is constructing a Classical Greek Amphitheater at the University of Connecticut and a Center for Hellenic Studies at the University of Rhode Island.[57]
The National Hellenic Student Association (NHSA)[58] is the independent network of the Hellenic Student Associations (HSAs) across the United States. By linking all the Greek, Greek-American and Cypriot students of the American educational institutions, the organization can promote ideas and projects and enrich the Hellenic spirit on campuses nationwide.
Manytopika somatéa (local councils) or clubs representing the local regional homeland of Greeks in America. Among the scores of such clubs, larger "umbrella" organizations include the Pan Macedonian Association (one example is the Drosopigi Society, in Rochester, New York, hailing from the village of Drosopigi in Northern Greece outside of the city of Florina) the Panepirotic Federation, the Pan Cretan Association, thePan-Icarian Brotherhood, the Pan Pontian Federation of U.S.A-Canada, the Chios Societies of America & Canada, the Cyprus Federation of America, the Pan-Laconian Federation of the USA & Canada, the Pan-Messinian Federation of the USA & Canada, the Pan-Arcadian Federation of America and several associations of refugees from areas in the former Ottoman territories.
^Adorno, Rolena; Pautz, Patrick (September 15, 1999).Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca: His Account, His Life, and the Expedition of Panfilo de Narváez. Lincoln:University of Nebraska Press.ISBN978-0-8032-1463-7., 3 vols.
^Lagos, Taso G. (January 13, 2018).American Zeus: The Life of Alexander Pantages, Theater Mogul. Jefferson, North Carolina:McFarland Press.ISBN978-1-4766-6838-3.
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New York –170,637
California –134,680
Illinois –99,509
Florida –90,647
Massachusetts –83,701
New Jersey –63,940
Pennsylvania –62,168
Ohio –54,614
Texas –47,622
Michigan –42,711
Maryland –33,733
Virginia –33,062
Connecticut –30,304
North Carolina –26,877
Washington –25,665
Indiana –23,993
Arizona –21,742
Colorado –20,239
Georgia –19,519
New Hampshire –18,434
Wisconsin –16,386
Missouri –15,920
Utah –14,088
Oregon –13,847
South Carolina –13,552
Nevada –11,977
Minnesota –11,782
Tennessee –11,345
Alabama –8,081
Rhode Island –7,485
Maine –7,164
Kentucky –6,887
Louisiana –6,636
Iowa –6,415
Kansas –5,315
Oklahoma –5,261
West Virginia –4,722
New Mexico –4,110
Idaho –3,869
Delaware –3,851
Nebraska –3,840
Arkansas –3,082
Montana –3,062
Mississippi –3,023
Vermont –2,987
Hawaii –2,479
District of Columbia –2,139
Alaska –2,129
Wyoming –1,701
South Dakota –1,180
North Dakota –690
138,269
134,956
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