Heritizmous!


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Posted by Constantine on August 27, 2001 at 20:30:02:

Hello everyone. I am a 31 year old, first generation Greek-American living in Malibu, CA. Both my parents are immigrants. My Grandparents were farmers and sheep herders in Macedonian province of Greece.

I have been to Greece many times and lived there for 3 years of my life.

I took a look at some of the commentary on this board and this is what I would like to voice as my 2 cents:

Aside from a handful of Greek-American kids that I grew up with, the mojority of Greeks, that I have met in my life, are not pushing our people's futures further in this country or Greece.

I love my heritage. I speak, read and write the language. I embrace Greeks as family where ever I go. But I am disheartened by some of the "sapila" that I see here in the States and in Greece.

Most Greek kids that I grew up with were very spoiled. They are now adults. They are not motivated, they mooch off of their parents and they smoke cigarettes and swear every chance they get and they treat women like 2nd class citizens.

If you go to Greece, you will wonder how the country functions when all the men are at the kafenia, smoking and talking about everything and nothing all at once.

I grew up very Greek but most of my friends were other ethnicities (Irish, Italian, French, German, English). I played lots of sports and studied a lot. I went outside the Greek circles in my community and reached out.

I think it made me a much more versatile, open-minded, less separatist and much more humble person than the rest of the Greeks I know.

If you look at the solidarity that the Jews have in this country, it makes you wonder what the Greeks could do, collectively, if we all stopped the back-stabbing and unsophisticated jealousy amongst us.

Recently I heard a news story on TV that stated Greeks are the wealthiest minority in America PER CAPITA.

I think there are only 3 million Orthodox Greeks in North America.

My plea... Let's keep making money, marry within our culture, raise our children without our parents' and our own prejudices and grow, as a people, in a positive direction...

When you meet people, make them walk away saying, "Wow, I never met a Greek person before. He or she was such a good and positive person.

I wish you all the best in your future endeavors.

Peace,
C

PS. To the Greeks who run this site. Bravo Palikaria!



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