Listening to the Next Generation >> William

Most of my friends are not familiar with their heritage. If they are, it’s  not a driving factor in their life. I and most other Greek Americans I know associate with it very strongly. I think it’s really enhancing to one’s life to be living in America and have a strong ethnic backbone.

Got Greek? interviews William K. from George Washington University

My mother’s side is the Greek side.  My father’s side is of Lebanese and Syrian descent. My mom’s father was from a small village called Mavriki near Tripolis, which is on the Peloponnisos [Peloponnese]. Mavriki has about 50 to 100 residents, maybe up to 200 in the summer. My grandfather, Spiros Rigopoulos, left Mavriki with an older brother when he was thirteen years old. They found their way to Chicago and later made it to San Diego, California, which is where I am from.

Q: What did your grandfather set out to do when he came to the United States?

A: I’m not too sure. They left Greece under bad circumstances, such as living with dirt floors and without electricity at times. In Chicago, they stayed with an uncle who had them work at his grocery store. His name was Sam Stavrakis. Mr. Stavrakis had extreme religious views, and the brothers left Chicago for San Diego. The other siblings live in Chicago and Greece. It is their families I’ve gone to visit when I’ve travelled to Greece.

Q: So your mom grew up in California. How did she and your father end up meeting?

A: My father is a tax accountant in San Diego. She was a client of his.

Q: You said your father is half Lebanese, half Syrian.

A: My father’s father is Lebanese, and my father’s mother was Syrian. My father’s side has been in the United States since the early 1900s, longer than my mother’s side. My paternal grandfather was born here in the United States. This side of the family is largely based in Indiana and the Midwest.

Q: Growing up, did you then identify with the Greek, Lebanese and Syrian cultures? What was that like?

A: I identified more strongly with the Greek side. I was raised in a Greek Orthodox church, but not born into it. My father was raised Orthodox, but my mother did not belong to a church for much of her early life. When I was five, we all started going to church together as a family. I was baptized when I was six, a fairly late age for baptism. Later, I was an altar boy and became involved in GOYA [Greek Orthodox Youth Association]. I also took many trips to Greece. That was a very strong factor in me identifying more closely with my Greek side. I attended Greek school for a period of time as well. In terms of the other side of my ethnicity, I always acknowledged it. When we would visit my father’s family, we would have Lebanese and Syrian food and attend the Orthodox Church. But the ethnic overtones were not quite as strong. I think the Greek culture is very proud and often dominant over other ethnic roots within Greek Americans. Many times, half-Greek Americans identify almost completely with their Greek side.

Q: In your case, where do you think that might come from?

A: It’s from my trips to Greece. The language and religion are also important.  But I think in general, Greek Americans are very proud in almost a way that’s kind of unique to most other ethnicities. Across the board, almost any Greek person you meet will have some sort of pride in being Greek. I think it’s almost an intangible.

Q: Talk about your experiences in Greece. How old were you when you first went there?

A: I was five when I first visited. I went back at ages seven, nine, eleven, and thirteen. I also went in 2006 and 2008, totaling eight visits. I usually stayed in Mavriki, the village I described earlier, for four to seven weeks at a time over the summers. A pretty big part of my childhood took place living in the village of fifty people with donkeys, soccer, church and good food. That was a very unique experience, to say the least. It opened my interest into the importance of being Greek and Greek American, which I think are two different things. But it just opened my eyes towards an international perspective and a different way of life. All my trips were virtually the same until 2006. That year I did a one-month study abroad program in Athens through AHEPA’s [American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association] Journey to Greece. I had found out about the trip through my uncle Alex Rigopoulos, who has been involved with AHEPA. And of course, I was looking for an excuse to go to Greece. I also visited Greece for Easter 2008 after studying abroad in Spain.

Q: When you spent time in the village as a child, did you make friends with children there over the years or hang out with cousins?

A: I did all of those things. I have a lot of family between my second, third and fourth cousins. I developed a lot of friends, although more so when I was younger. During my first few trips, I didn’t really have a grasp of the Greek language. When you’re seven years old, it doesn’t matter what language you speak. I really started to build my Greek skills in the latter years, especially when I went on my own without my parents and I was forced to speak Greek. During my last trip, I could communicate very proficiently. Every now and then, it would help to have an English-speaking cousin help me with a random word I couldn’t recall. For the most part, I felt very comfortable, satisfied and accomplished about what I learned on my own. The language really came later when I had a real urge to learn and was more aware of the importance of learning it. I was in Greek school for two or three years, and absolutely hated it. I ended up dropping out to play sports. Looking back, I wish I had stayed in. But at the time, I was not interested in it.

Q: Going to Greece as an adult on the more recent trips, how was it different from your earlier experiences?

A: I guess the most profound feeling I had was when I went on the Journey to Greece program. For most of the students on that trip, this was their first time to Greece. They didn’t know a word of Greek or have any expectations. For me, it was a chance to go back. When I first got there, I felt like I had returned to a second home. Logically, that makes no sense. I couldn’t tell you how to get around Athens. I knew only a handful of people in the country, almost all of them family. But in some weird way, it seemed like I was home, in whatever sense you want to use the word “home.” I absolutely love the country. I’ve had some of the best times of my life there. It’s definitely kind of defined me as a person in terms of identity.

Q: In terms of where you live, do you have any objects that you associate with your Greek heritage?

A: My family’s home is in San Diego. If you walked in the front door, you would see gray Greek columns inside. If you looked to the right, you would see pictures of me when I was seven in a foustanella [traditional Greek soldier’s costume] in the village. I’ve been trying to get them taken down since I was seven, but they’re not going away anytime soon, unfortunately. There’s a little decorative bowl with walking canes made from rhubarb plants that my uncle had made in the village. We have a painting of the Parthenon above the piano. We also have a few other paintings of different island views and scenes in the family room. All the bathroom wallpaper is the Greek key pattern. My mom’s license plate says Zito [long live]. Where I live now, I have a Greek flag above my bed and a picture of Mavriki that I took and won an award for when I was in middle school.

Q: So how does your Greek connection inform your sense of self?

A: I think it does in a couple ways. I think at the most basic level, it’s interesting to not only hear in my mind or see on a piece of paper where I come from, but to actually go back there and see how different that place is from what I’ve grown up with. It’s quite an opportunity to see the life you could have had if your family had stayed in Greece, compared to what you have now: what would be the same or different? I think that’s very powerful and a great opportunity to have. I thank my mom for taking me. She hadn’t been to Greece in many years before introducing me to the country. I truly respect that, especially now that I’m starting to realize the magnitude of it as I get older. In terms of my life here, I was an altar boy and in GOYA [Greek Orthodox Youth Association], and visited Greece many times. What I’m starting to realize now, as to what really interests me is that being Greek American is a very different thing from being Greek. I feel almost like being Greek American is almost a sub culture. I feel very fortunate. Most of my friends are not familiar with their heritage. If they are, it’s  not a driving factor in their life. I and most other Greek Americans I know associate with it very strongly. I think it’s really enhancing to one’s life to be living in America and have a strong ethnic backbone.

Q: Did you see My Big Fat Greek Wedding?

A: I did. I thought the movie was a successful satire of Greek culture.  Some scenes  I could relate to. For example, the grandfather’s use of Windex. My own grandfather had a similar habit. He had aloe plants in his backyard of his house. Whenever he would have a problem, he would go get some aloe from the aloe plants and claim that it would be a cure, whatever the ailment.

Q: One of the central themes in the movie revolves around the main character’s decision to marry somebody not of Greek descent. For you, does your Greek heritage play a role in your relationship choices, and maybe thinking about having a life partner?

A: I’ve been dating the same girl for four years. She’s not Greek. Lately, I’ve kind of been thinking about what’s important: finding someone who’s good for you? How will I factor in the ethnicity part and the religious part? It’s hard to say I shouldn’t be with this person because they’re not Greek. I feel like in today’s age, that’s very ignorant.

Q: Are there any negative or frustrating things you find about the culture in the community here or in Greece?

A: Comparing my Greek side to my Arabic side, everyone on my Arabic side all live in the Midwest so they are very calm and kind people. The character of my Greek family is more varied. I think that’s because Greeks generally have strong-willed characters. This sometimes creates interesting familial relationships, but there is never a dull moment. In terms of societal elements, I think the economic and political situation in Greece is difficult, especially after the December 2008 riots that exposed systemic societal problems. In my mind, some of the things that make Greece such a great country also hurt it. Greece has the greatest potential, but there are so many things holding it back on many levels. Both the government and the citizens need to get their heads in the right place, and lead Greece down a path of strength, stability, and prosperity.  The riots exposed many problems of Greek society: poor access to education, a corrupt police system, and widespread fringe political movements. You don’t find similar events like this in many other places in Europe. It’s a very complex set of issues but I think a lot of the things that make the culture so special, if not unique, contribute to a lot of society-wide deficiencies.

Q: In terms of being Greek, what does that mean to you?

A: I think being Greek is adopting a set of cultural ideas such as food, religion, and language. Broadly speaking, I think it’s how you approach life or a world view. This includes being social, active, smart, and successful. Getting back to Greece is also an important component. Everyone has a responsibility to just not be aware of their heritage, but try to make it over there if you can at least once. It’s really quite a special thing to have in life.

Q: Before we wrap up, is there anything else you would like to mention.

A: I think I expressed all my general thoughts towards being Greek American. It’s given me a whole lot in terms of friendships, interesting experiences and personal satisfaction. I definitely want to see myself and others continue to observe and pass on this cultural awareness.

Q: Thank you for your time and interest.

A: Happy to do it.