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General Historical AccountsTotal articles: 71A Legend of the Old West By Steve Frangos The National Herald Steve Frangos, c. 2003 George Caralambro is a legendary figure of the American West. A Greek who came to America in 1857 from Asia Minor, Caralambro has been ignored for far too long in standard Greek-American historical accounts. When Caralambro does see mention his life is usually swept aside a An Odyssey Through Story and Song By Steve Frangos The National Herald The history and experiences of Greek Americans West of the Mississippi River is getting ready to take to the airwaves. As you read this article, editing and production are underway for “Greeks Out West; An Odyssey Through Story and Song” a multi-part radio series to premiere on KGNU Books, Journals, Reports, and Other Ephemera Received By Steve Frangos The National Herald Every year the National Herald receives literally dozens of new books and other published materials to review. Each new publication reinforces the claim that Greeks in the United States are experiencing an unprecedented surge in documenting their individual lives, their extended families, the histor Apostolos Pavlos Greek School Still Teaches Valuable Lessons Today By Steve Frangos The National Herald If Greeks in the United States of America were only as aware of their collective history as they are of their favorite television programs, we wouldn’t have half the problems we now have in what is loosely labeled, “World Hellenism.” The Early Days of the Apostolos Pavlos School By Steve Frangos The National Herald The Apostolos Pavlos School curriculum, along with the language component, stressed learning the Bible. On Sunday afternoons, Constantine DeFotis, one of the founders of the school would teach children lessons from the Bible. Michael Nichols laughed softly when he told me, “I sent 8 years (when he first attended the Apostolos Pavlos School), and it was the best thing that ever happened to me. Really. The Tale of the Greek White House Peanut Vendor By Steve Frangos The National Herald In 1910, Steve Vasilakos came to the United States from a small village just outside Sparta. He was 25 years old, with a wife and three children. Vasilakos never saw any of them again, nor any of his many grandchildren. His life would be spent in Washington, DC selling peanuts and popcorn from a pushcart. Living an exceedingly frugal lifestyle Vasilakos sent all his available money home. Displaying Hellenism for Eighty Years By Steve Frangos The National Herald For over a century, museum exhibitions on the Greek presence in North America have offered the wider American Society interpretations on the meaning and maintenance of Greek culture and society in the New World. I focus, here, exclusively on those exhibitions initiated and/or presented by Greeks between 1904 and 1984. Byron’s Sword and the Saga of Lucas Miltiades Miller By Steve Frangos The National Herald The saga of Lucas Miltiades Miller, a Greek immigrant, did not stop with his death. His family carried on a search for his belongings which eventually altered Greek American history. The facts are sometimes more dramatic than any subsequent legend. The Untold Saga of Col. Lucas Miller By Steve Frangos The National Herald Lucas Miltiades Miller, born in Livadia, Greece on September 15, 1824. He was the first American of Greek descent to serve in the United States Congress. He was elected as a Democrat to the 52nd Congress as a U.S. representative from Wisconsin serving from March 4, 1891 until March 3, 1893. The Mystery Of Jamake Highwater By Steve Frangos The National Herald Even six years after his death, the exact relationship between the man known as Jamake Highwater and the Greeks of North America remains a mystery. Jamake Highwater, whoever he may have been, was never who he claimed. More confusing still, many of the allegations about this man’s Greek identity are also unquestionably false. Mystic Daredevil of Niagara Falls By Steve Frangos The National Herald George L. Stathakis was the fifth person to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel. Since 1901, 16 adventurers have traveled over the Falls, with little more than a few inches of wood and metal as protection. Fragments of a Greek Soul: Book Review By Steve Frangos The National Herald “Greek Soul: Memories of a Detroit Childhood” by Stelyani Sandris is the only book we will ever see by this author. Stelyani Sandris died on November 13, 2000 after a 19-month struggle against a brain tumor. Ms. Sandris was born, Stella Changas, on July 4, 1939, in Detroit, Michigan, the sixth child of Greek-immigrant parents. This child of Ereni and George Changas was only two years old when her father died. Advice on Getting Published By Steve Frangos The National Herald I am a Greek-American writer. As a full-time writer on the history and culture of Greeks in North America I am among less than a dozen people who regularly write and get published. Regardless of what you may hear about the predictions on the future of Greeks in North America, I am truly among the last of my kind. Let Us Save the Forgotten Greek American Press By Steve Frangos The National Herald The Greek-American Press, so vibrant and productive for well over 100 years, is from an archival point of view now nearly gone. Libraries and archives around the country that once held long runs of Greek newspapers, magazines and books have had to cull these materials from their collections. How Did Those Greek Festivals Get Started In America? By Steve Frangos The National Herald As with so many things in Greek American history, no one really knows who started the Greek Festival. Outside of the liturgical calendar, it’s safe to say this is the one social event celebrated by nearly every Greek Orthodox Church in the country. This one event has so aided and changed our society and culture in North America, one would imagine that some enterprising folklorist or cultural historian has documented its origins and development. Nothing could be further from the truth. Continuing Faith and Fervor of Utah’s Greek Community By Steve Frangos The National Herald One of the real pleasures of being alive at this precise moment in Greek American history is being able to read all the historical publications the community is now producing. Long abandoned by scholars, Greek Americans are avidly taking on the responsibility of writing and preserving their own historical experiences. Greek Zest for Life Manifest In Seasonings By Steve Frangos The National Herald Watching Kosta Kantaras boom out orders in his kitchen in Mason City, Iowa you would never guess he was 83 years old. While no more than five feet, six inches tall (at most), Kosta’s personality – and certainly his voice – fills the room. Exhibiting the Greek American Experience, Community Keeps its History Alive By Steve Frangos The National Herald A number of museum exhibitions about the Greek American experience have opened all across the country. This says nothing for the existing museum exhibitions already on permanent or seasonal display. In fact, several touring exhibitions on Greek Americans from various parts of the United States are making their way across the country as we speak. TechnoGreeks, Politicians, Cops and Altar Boys - All Contribute to the Evolution of Colloquial Language By Steve Frangos The National Herald New words or phrases seem to enter the English language everyday. Not unexpectedly, many new words are coined using Greek individuals, myths or ideas as their base. More often than not, these are not completely new words, but rather a change in usage of an older word, euphemism or phrase. Readings on the Future of Greek America By Steve Frangos The National Herald While many things can be said about contemporary Greek Americans, being close readers of academic journals is not the first thing that comes to mind – which is a shame, for Professor Dan Georgakas, the guest editor of the latest issue of the Journal of Modern Hellenism (Volume 21-22, 2004-05), has devoted more than 25 years to producing special issues devoted to Greek Americana. Photographs Outside of History: What they Reveal By Steve Frangos The National Herald Every so often, incredibly valuable Greek American historical documents float into public view. All we have to do is wait for the unexpected to rediscover these lost historical gems. The Chicago Daily News Photographs – 1902-33 website on the Library of Congress’ National Digital Library Program is one such treasure house of visual images. The Indomitable Andrew T. Kopan By Steve Frangos The National Herald The Greek American community experienced a great loss on July 1, with the passing of Andrew T. Kopan, one of its greatest scholars and historians. He was 82 years of age. The Origins and Myths of AHEPA By Steve Frangos The National Herald Since the American Hellenic Educational and Progressive Association (Order of AHEPA) is a secret fraternal organization, it should come as no surprise that no authorized narrative history of the Order now exists. Much has changed within AHEPA since it was founded in the early 1920’s. Captain Costentenus: The Tattooed Greek of New York City By Steve Frangos The National Herald Among the Greeks of Old New York, none were more remarkable than, or had such a unique influence on American politics as, George Constantine Alexandrinos. George Sirian, an Intriguing, Romantic Figure By Steve Frangos The National Herald According to Marshall-Sirian family descendents, Lieutenant Robert Randolph, the USS Constitution's purser, took George Sirian, who was originally from the island of Psara, after Sirian completed his formal schooling, to Portsmouth, Virginia to meet the great naval gunner and fellow Greek immigrant George Marshall sometime around 1833-34. Greek Orphan Becomes Top U.S. Navy Gunner By Steve Frangos The National Herald Within wider American Society, George Sirian, one of the pioneer Greek immigrants of the 1820's, continues to receive recognition in a fashion that no other Greek American historical figure can now claim. An orphan and refugee from the 1824 Ottoman massacre on the island of Psara, young Sirian was destined to lead an extraordinary life. For reasons lost to history, he has never received his place of honor in the annals of Greek American history. J. London's 'Tales of the Fish Patrol' By Steve Frangos The National Herald It is often said that the Greeks of the 1880-1920 wave of migration brought few of their traditional trades with them to North America. This is yet another spurious stereotype offered as documented fact. Yannis Phokas: Juan de Fuca Indisputably Greek By Steve Frangos The National Herald Juan de Fuca the early explorer of the western Pacific was not a Spaniard, but a Greek, Ioannis (Yannis) Phokas, from the Ionian island of Cephalonia. The Greek mariner claimed that, in 1592, while exploring the coast of what was to become North America and Canada, he had discovered a great inlet between 47° and 48° Latitude. Yannis Phokas: The Legend And Lore of Juan de Fuca By Steve Frangos The National Herald The historical records and subsequent legends surrounding the life of Yiannis Phokas, the man the Spanish knew as Juan De Fuca, are as complex and fully documented as any notable figure in history. Phoutrides: Proud Son of Ikaria By Steve Frangos The National Herald For anyone spending time reviewing the private papers of early Greek intellectuals in North America, the sudden loss of Aristides Evangelos Phoutrides is heard about over and over. The vivid memory of this man as a friend, scholar, teacher and colleague remains undiminished for countless individuals. Book Tells Story about Greeks in Wash. State By Steve Frangos The National Herald What are enduring historical and social facts? Which details of everyday life need we carefully preserve for future generations? How do we write about our lives and experiences as accurate objective accounts of Greek American history during our times? These are all questions no one is asking Greek Americans. No academic researcher. No Greek Government official. No other clerk or elitist expert scribbling at their desk. Saint Photios Shrine Tells Story of New Smyrna Colony By Steve Frangos The National Herald The Saint Photios Shrine in St. Augustine, Florida is the first and only National Greek Orthodox Shrine in the United States. Of special interest then is the upcoming yearly celebration of the Saint Photios Shrine. Philip Tedro: A Greek/Arab Legend of the American West By Steve Frangos The National Herald Philip Tedro was one of less than a dozen Greeks who participated in the United States Army’s experiment with the use of camels as dray animals in the American southwest. Just prior to the American Civil War, these Greeks were involved with driving and caring for the animals, as well as much-needed scouts for the U.S. Army. The Internationalization Of Jolly Old Agios Nikolaos By Steve Frangos The National Herald Of all Christianity’s saints, few have entered popular imagination as fully and penetrated the average consciousness as completely as, or are more beloved than, Agios Nikolaos (Saint Nicholas), Bishop of Myra. A saint in every major denomination of the Christian church, little of this humble man’s real life is known. Most of what is written about St. Nicholas is called the "Golden Legend." Publishing Flurry Helps Preserve Our “Nea Istoria" By Steve Frangos The National Herald Unbelievable as it may seem, Greek American history is being written everyday. The histories I am speaking of document the full sweep of the Greek experience since the early 1900’s. In an unprecedented host of new memoirs, we hear of life and actions in mainland Greece and Asia Minor, as well as Chicago and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Greek Farmer is a Global Hero By Steve Frangos The National Herald In more civilized times, Demetrios Dimos receiving of a Slow Food Award would have been front-page news all across the Hellenic Diaspora. In 2002, this gastronomic equivalent of a Nobel Prize was bestowed on Dimos. This one man single-handedly prevented the extinction of the Katerina breed of cow which is indigenous to Greece (www.slowfood.com ). The Zangaki Brothers: Lost in the Sands of Time By Steve Frangos The National Herald The history of Modern Greece is forever tied to the actions of those Greeks forced into the Diaspora. Economically, socially, and culturally, these individuals transformed the country and people they left behind. Part of the complexity involved in studying the Hellenic Diaspora is that these Greek sojourners, or those who were a part of centuries-old communities, also influenced the very countries and societies into which they ventured. Sometimes, these individuals, also albeit unintentionally, altered world history. The Incredibly Talented Alexander Dimitry By Steve Frangos The National Herald Alexander Dimitry, the oldest son of Andrea and Marianne Dimitry, proved to be a man of colossal learning and rare intellect. Born on February 7, 1805 at 4 St. Anne Street near Jackson Square in New Orleans, he was to have a highly distinguished career as a scholar, lawyer, orator, linguist and diplomat who read and spoke 12 languages, ancient and modern. A True Greek American War Hero By Steve Frangos The National Herald Hercules E. Korgis was one of the most decorated American heroes of World War I, single-handedly procuring the surrender of 256 German soldiers in France on November 5. Last week, we focused on his accomplishments on the battlefield. This week, we’ll be taking a closer look at the man himself. Hercules E. Korgis: The Greek One Man Army By Steve Frangos The National Herald Hercules E. Korgis was one of the most decorated American heroes of World War I. On at least four occasions this Greek immigrant served with such distinction, both the United States and the French Governments awarded him with a host of metals. Greeks And Coffeehouses Now Forever Linked In The Urbanite Mind By Steve Frangos The National Herald In the popular culture of Western Europe and North America, Greeks and their descendants have long been associated with the art and business of coffee brewing. The direct identification of Greeks in the United States with coffeehouses, diners and restaurants is the most enduring of all contemporary stereotypes. Sculpture In Athens To Honor Greek Battalion From World War II By Steve Frangos The National Herald On Saturday afternoon, May 28, in the Military Alsos Park in Athens, Andrew G. Saffas’ Soldier Memorial Monument, will be unveiled and formally dedicated in honor of a very special group of World War II veterans. Passing On Our Great Visual Heritage: Hold Onto Old Photos By Steve Frangos The National Herald Like Greeks everywhere, one of the topics I spend time talking about with other Greeks is, plainly put, dead Greeks. My parent?s are in their late seventies, so I find myself frequently in conversations with them about wakes and funerals they now seem to more and more often attend. American Katharevousa: Just a Legend By Steve Frangos The National Herald There are various American folk tales about the Greeks and their language which simply will not die. While on the Internet just the other day, I ran across yet the latest version of an American folk tale about the Greek language in North America. This time the legend was being sent from Greece. Oh, Those Sweet Greek Americans! By Steve Frangos The National Herald Now that Easter time is here, one of the high points for children (adults, too) is the vast array of sweets, chocolate and other candies produced by the candy industry at this time of year. Tracing the History and Origins of The Gyro By Steve Frangos The National Herald The gyro, the spicy meat sandwich, is a recent addition to American fast-food traditions. As with the creation of the Greek Hot Dog or Greek-style chili (see last week’s issue, page 1), the exact history of the gyros is not precisely known. The Natural History of the Greek American Sandwich By Steve Frangos The National Herald Throughout North America, the Gyro sandwich is associated universally with Greeks. For a product which did not exist until the late 1960’s, it’s as easy to locate today as the venerable American hot dog. At Hellenic festivals all across the country, Greek Americans have learned to have a separate serving line for this extremely popular item. Greeks and their Gardens:An Important Part of Life By Steve Frangos The National Herald With the advent of each new Spring, I am always surprised that, in all the writings on Greeks in North America, none remarks on the collective Hellenic love of gardening. No matter which generation, wave of immigration, or region of the country we talk about, Greek gardens and gardeners can always be found. Reading Greek America By Steve Frangos The National Herald Whether anyone likes to admit it or not, Greek America is starting to dissolve. While Greeks, or persons of Greek descent, hold more academic positions in North America presently than at any time in the history of this country, no academic is focused exclusively on Greek American Studies. Omogeneia Mourns the Loss of Helen Papanikolas By Steve Frangos The National Herald The Greek American community mourns the loss of Helen Papanikolas, one of the country?s leading writers on Utah?s immigrants and their experiences, passed away on Sunday, October 31 after a long illness in Salt Lake City, Utah. She was 87 years of age. The First Lady of Greek-American Studies By Steve Frangos The National Herald ROUND LAKES, Ill.-Not long before his death, Seraphim George Canoutas took the train to Chicago from his home just outside of Boston. A retired lawyer, community activist, and sometimes writer, Canoutas was paying his own way to spend a few weeks with two fellow immigrants: Paul Koken and Theodore Constant. He was not in good health. At The Edge of Greek Literature By Steve Frangos The National Herald An astonishing book of only 114 pages “This Child Died Tomorrow: The Holocaust Diary of a Greek Boy” by Nestor Matsas (b. 1932) has such rich material embedded within its few pages that it is difficult to know where to begin unpacking all that this volume holds and suggests. The Greek Minister of Siam By Steve Frangos The National Herald ROUND LAKES, Ill.-Konstantinos Gerakis is one of the most famous of all Greeks in the history of the Diaspora. More than a dozen books in English, French, Portuguese, and Thai record the exploits of this man’s life in historical accounts, diaries and novels. Greek Tobacco Moguls in America - PART 3 By Steve Frangos The National Herald NEW YORK. - The meteoric rise of the Greek cigarette makers in the United States from the 1870s to the 1920s is often treated as a freakish economic boom for a small number of individuals with little long term consequences for Greek American history. Nothing could be further from the truth. Greek Tobacco Moguls in America - PART 2 By Steve Frangos The National Herald ROUND LAKES, Ill.-Between the mid-1880s and the end of World War I, Greek-owned cigarette manufacturing companies sprang up in Philadelphia and Boston with the vast majority of these companies settling, ultimately, in New York City. Greek Tobacco Moguls in America By Steve Frangos The National Herald ROUND LAKES, Ill.-The role of Greeks in the development of the international tobacco trade is one of the most unusual chapters in the history of the Modern Greek Diaspora. Monuments of the Spirit By Steve Frangos The National Herald ROUND LAKES, Ill.-The raising of an obelisk in western Michigan to one’s Greek immigrant parents is perhaps the most unique expression of love and remembrance yet seen in North America. Anyone traveling to Big Rapids, Michigan can now visit Ferris State University campus’ new Circle of Inspiration and see this monument. A Street Paved with Memories By Steve Frangos The National Herald ROUND LAKES, Ill.-Jennie Constantinides Vlanton has presented Greek America with a wonderful gift. It is nothing more and nothing less than her memories of growing up Greek in North America. Long-Forgotten Greek Alaskan By Steve Frangos The National Herald ROUND LAKES, Ill. - Eustrate Ivanovich Delarof, the first documented Greek explorer and merchant, to arrive in Alaska, is a shadowy figure in Greek American historical accounts. Why this should be the case escapes all explanation. Eternal Be Their Memory By Steve Frangos The National Herald ROUND LAKES, Ill. - Greek America is only vaguely becoming aware of the manner in which historical landmarks directly shape their collective history. Cemeteries, as part of the general impact of Greeks on the American landscape, have seen increasing attention in the Greek American press. Diving Into Greek American Literature By Steve Frangos The National Herald ROUND LAKES, Ill. - What is the full scope of Greek American fiction? This is not an idle question. At least three or four times a year aspiring Greek American writers will ask me how they can get their manuscript published. Honoring Freedom and Virtue By Steve Frangos The National Herald Round Lakes, Ill. - “Founded on Freedom and Virtue” is book every Greek American needs to read. The full title explains why: The Object of Lord Byron’s Affection By Steve Frangos The National Herald Round Lakes, Ill. - Teresa Makri is something of a lost figure in the Greek War of Independence. While this young Greek maiden was to lead a very ordinary life her image became immortalized as an international symbol of Grecian beauty. No one denies that the simple love poem, written with her in mind, is now a recognized classic. The First Modern Greek Books in the West By Steve Frangos The National Herald ROUND LAKES, Ill. - The printed word has always figured greatly in the many methods Greek Americans have employed—and still do—to enlighten Americans about Hellenic culture and history. Yet, long before Greek immigrants arrived in the United States, “Greek learning” had already influenced how Americans understood the Greeks and their culture. The Pioneers of Confection in America By Steve Frangos The National Herald ROUND LAKES, Ill. - Few Greeks today realize that from the early 1870s until just after World War II, their compatriots held a commanding presence in the American confectionary industry, dishing up tons of sinfully sweet treats from behind the counters of their candy stores and ice cream parlors. In fact, the Greeks’ early presence in this trade can be documented from a wide variety of sources. Even Smoke Rising: Stories of My People By Steve Frangos The National Herald Round Lakes. - In Zen Buddhism, when a novice monk is seeking to understand the world he is instructed to focus on “bare attention.” At the very moment of perception, before “thoughts” take over, before preconceived concepts intervene—at that precise nanosecond—the diligent student is urged to attempt something else. From the Beginning: Educators of the Nation By Steve Frangos The National Herald It is no exaggeration to say that education has been at the very heart of Greek migration to the Western Hemisphere. For those only familiar with the history of Greek immigrants from the 1880 to 1920 period, the notion that education has always played a major role in the Greek experience in the New World may seem presumptuous. Yet, even the most cursory of historical surveys can easily demonstrate this claim. Photography and the Greek American Scene II By Steve Frangos The National Herald In the study of Greek American culture, each historic picture raises a thousand questions. Unlike their American counterparts, Greeks do not first ask who, what, when, where and why. Photography and the Greek American Scene By Steve Frangos The National Herald Few Greek Americans realize that literally hundreds of historic photographs exist documenting our collective experience in North America. These photographs of Greeks and Greek Americans are as near to you as your home computer. Grassroots Efforts to Preserve Hellenism By Steve Frangos The National Herald Round Lakes, Ill. - The Greeks in the United States have reached a new era of self-understanding. Without consent from Washington, the Phanar, or anyone at the University, Greek Americans around the nation are making every attempt to systematically preserve their history and heritage in North America. The Sweet Smell of Success By Steve Frangos The National Herald WILTON, Iowa. – From the early 1900s until just after World War II Greek immigrants were a commanding force in the ice cream and soda fountain business. Little remembered today is the fact that the nostalgic reminisces of small-town America very often feature a Greek-owned candy store. In Sinclair Lewis’ 1920 novel, “Main Street,” the panorama of stores along this archetypical American small-town street includes “the Greek candy-store [with] the whine of a peanut-roaster, and the oily smell of nuts” (New York: Harcourt, Brace: 34). Or in the WPA-produced “New York: A Guide to the Empire State,” (1940, reprinted 1976), we hear this association even more clearly stated: “No town of any size would be complete without a Greek candy kitchen.” |
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