Documenting the diaspora in the US

A non-profit organisation in New York is dedicated to telling the experience of Greeks and Cypriots who moved there discovers PAUL LAMBIS

Since its inception, the Hellenic American Project (HAP) has been chronicling the existence of the Greek and Cypriot diaspora in the USA, from the first wave of mass migration in the early 1900s to the present.

“The Hellenic American Project is a non-profit programme that operates as a research facility, archive, Greek and Cypriot American library, art and event space,” founder and director Nicholas Alexiou said.

Although the programme has been in existence for more than three decades, it was only officially established in 2012 with the goal of cultivating a seamless narrative that encompasses the Hellenic American experience through resources that are also available to the public.

“Our initiatives include conducting oral histories organised by generation and occupation, analysing population data, curating and digitising cultural artefacts and books, and organising academic symposia and cultural events,” Alexiou told the Cyprus Mail.

Alexiou was born in Volos, Greece in 1959 and emigrated to the United States in the 1980s to pursue graduate studies in sociology. His remarkable teaching performance at Queens College, City University of New York, exhibiting an appreciation for knowledge, abilities, attitudes, and a dedicated work ethic, earned him the President’s Award for Teaching Excellence.

“I have always had an interest in social and political theory, ethnic studies and research, and this led to the establishment of the first archive-library-museum for the Greek and Cypriot diaspora of New York,” he said.

“Although New York has the highest concentration of Greeks and Cypriots in the United States, there was no research, archival centre, or museum, and the Hellenic American Project filled that void.”

“Our programme has created a space for Greek American diasporic studies,” he explained, “because after a century and a half of continuous presence in America, we know very little about the Greek and Cypriot contributions to American society, or even to their ancestral homelands.”

Alexiou maintains that the history and literature of the Greek communities in America should be included in the educational curricula of all Greek American elementary and high schools. “I strongly believe that American-born Greeks and Cypriots must first understand their own cultural identity,” he added.

According to Alexiou, the most recent US census found that about 1.5 million Americans are of Greek heritage, with nearly 100,000 residing in New York. “The Cypriot American community as a whole numbers around 55,000 people,” he said. “An intriguing new finding suggests that Greeks born in America outnumber those born in mainland Greece.”

HAP has many robust archives in its possession, including the archive of the Voice of America’s Greek broadcasting service (1942-2014), a federal organisation and one of the network’s original language services that covered historic turning points in modern Greece, from the civil war in the late 1940s to the country’s accession to the EU, as well as Greece’s struggle to remain an integral part of it. “The Voice of America’s historic broadcasts are an important resource for the study of US-Greece-Cyprus relations since the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974,” Alexiou added.

“The Hellenic American Project includes a fantastic art exhibition, which was shown at the Greek Consulate of Greece in New York and the Greek Embassy in Washington, DC.”

HAP has had several notable moments over the years that have drawn attention to the programme as well as Alexiou and his team’s efforts to preserve Greek and Cypriot cultural identity in America. In 2013, HAP was featured on NBC’s Morning Show, drawing an estimated 15 million viewers. Although HAP has had many prominent visitors from Greece, including former Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras in 2016, Alexiou is hopeful that Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides will also visit when he is next in the US. “Our paths crossed many years ago, when Christodoulides was studying at Queens College.”

Like most organisations and initiatives of its kind, HAP depends on grants and donations to stay afloat. “At the moment, donations are going towards conducting oral histories, which includes videography, editing, interviews, and website maintenance.” More substantial funding is required to curate and digitise archives, organise cultural events, symposia, art exhibitions, and research writing on specific topics,” Alexiou explained.

Although HAP is open to anyone who wishes to join its programme, Alexiou insists that to meet the entry criteria, one must have a passion for research, show respect and remain free of bias. “The Hellenic American Project is an excellent resource for students and researchers interested in the Hellenic American experience, assisting those who qualify and utilise the archives and resources with scholarships, internships and credits.”

Among the many activities currently underway at HAP, Alexiou and his team are working on a special project to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus through interviews with Cypriot Americans, documenting their experiences and discussing the significant role of the Cyprus lobby since 1975. “The Hellenic American Project curates the archive of the late Lambros Papandoniou, White House correspondent for 30 years, which includes much of the Cyprus issue.

“With the support of Philip Christopher, President of the Pancyprian Association of America and Pseka (Justice for Cyprus), we hope to have a year-long exhibition open to the public, raising awareness of the invasion through photographic archives.”

To find out more about the Hellenic American Project, visit www.hapsoc.org