Creating Greeks and Greek-Americans: Geographic and Educational Identity Constructions at the Socrates and Koraes Greek-American Schools

Abstract

This paper reveals the complex intersectionalities of immigrant identity construction, nationalisms (and national exceptionalisms), and how Greek culture/language schools in the United States significantly influenced and created a Greek and Greek-American Identity. Drawing on the Chicago experience and the Socrates and Koraes Greek-American Schools, this paper interrogates the collaborative relationship between the Greek state, the Greek community in the United States and Greek culture/language schools. Part I of this paper discusses the spatial/scalar character of the construction of the Greek culture/language school phenomenon, and the role of the Greek state played in fixing the definition of “Greekness” by establishing a normative historiography and national identity for the homeland. Also considered in this part is the complex relationship of immigrant identity construction, nationalisms and the construction of Greek national identity using geography and history. Part II surveys the empirical dimension of the phenomenon of Greek culture/language education in the United States. Early Greek immigrant efforts sought to preserve a Greek cultural identity through the Greek culture/language schools. Over time questions arose on what type of Greek identity would be (or could be) preserved in the United States.