When were the major waves of immigrants from Greece to the United States?

•  The Greek population in the United States was very limited until the 1880s.
• The largest waves came from 1900 to 1920, and were mostly young males who wished to make a fortune and then return (although 70% did not) to their native Greece.
• Greek immigration continued and still continues to this day, at a lower but constant rate.

From which regions of Greece did they leave?

•  In the early 20^th century, most immigrants from Greece were immigration from Laconia, and more specifically, the city of Sparta in Southern Greece.
• Immigration since then has been diversified from all parts of Greece.

Push Factors

•  The most notable “push factor” for Greek immigrants were poor economic conditions prevalent in Greece during the late 19^th century.

 Pull Factors

• The United States economy in the late 19^th/eary 20^th century allowed for many unskilled urban jobs to open up, perfect for Greek migrants.

Where did they settle, and why?

•  Most Greeks originally settled in urban areas, especially in the Midwest and Northeast.
• New York City is still the largest home for Greeks in the United States, especially the Astoria section of the Queens borough.
• Greeks continue to move southward and westward, and there are large populations in California, Illinois, Massachusetts and Florida.

Employment

•  The first Greek Americans were drawn to lower wage jobs, such as factory laborers, peddlers, busboys, etc.
• As they became more established in America, many Greeks went on to own small businesses, including flower shops, groceries, and restaurants.
• Many Greeks have completed the upward trend in occupational status; there are many third and fourth generation Greeks who are leaving their traditional family businesses and pursuing highly professional jobs in the medical fields, dentistry, law and academia.

Assimilation

• While Greeks do not come to mind when noting typical immigrant discrimination; many generational conflicts do exist within families. The movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding captures these conflicts in a humorous tone and was quickly made popular.

Contributions to the United States

• Greek Americans have contributed to the United States in many different ways, including academia, film, literature, music, journalism and, most notably, politics.
• Famous Greek American politicians include former vice president Spiro Agnew, Massachusetts governor Michael Dukakis and former Senator Paul Tsongas.
• George Stephanopoulos, a political commentator as well as a former advisor to Bill Clinton, is perhaps the most well-known Greek American active in the political spectrum today.

Interesting Facts about Greek Immigration

• Greek culture has remained very traditional, as seen by the very few changes that the Greek language has undergone in the last millennia.
• Greek weddings are still usually done in Greek, and the traditionalism and festivity of the wedding is unparalleled.

Resources Used for this Report
Gale Encyclopedia of Multicultural America, 2^nd edition.  Edited by Jeffrey Lehman.  New York: Gale Group, 2000.