USA Editorial
The story of Greek-Cypriot immigrants to the USA is the story of
nearly all immigrants coming to the country –the story of
generations of people who sacrificed themselves through hard work,
often manual labor, so their children and future generations could
have a life of the mind.
As a second generation Greek-Cypriot American, I pay homage to all
those hardworking people, foremost my father. He uprooted himself
from his home and family and supplanted himself into the US without
having many friends or knowing the language well. My father, as
most Greek-Cypriot immigrants, managed to achieve a certain level of
prosperity in his new country and passed on to his children a driven
work ethic and importance of education, so they could excel.
Community Organizations
The initial hardship of their new country was offset by close
community ties. Community organizations, such as Lampousa, served
as a link between new arrivals and ones already settled. These
organizations played a pivotal role in maintaining and preserving
traditional values and consolidating the Greek-Cypriot community
during the early years of settlement.
1930s
The first wave of Greek-Cypriot immigrants was in 1930. My uncle,
Costas Zampas, was included in this group. He came to the US
through Ellis Island and served in the Navy which turned out to be his
career. He passed away a decade ago at the age of 86. We are
blessed to still have with us Mr. Aristedes (Aris) Demetriou born in
Karavas in 1910. He, too, came to New York through Ellis Island on
February 18, 1930 and set up a beauty parlor in Manhattan and he
continued to work until 2006! He founded Lampousa in 1937.
1950s and beyond
The periods of greatest emigration were 1955-65 and after the
Turkish invasion, 1974-79. In the early years, the Greek-Cypriot
immigrants generally settled in the areas of the US where their
compatriots from Greece were already settled decades before,
primarily New York and Chicago. Employment opportunities were in
the area of cooks, tailors, shoe repairers, hair dressers –trades learned
from their homeland.
During the post-invasion years, the progressive Greek-Cypriot
community moved away from traditional work to occupations that
require a high level of education.
A common sentiment among them is their
feeling of good fortune in being able to live
and thrive in the US, while still maintaining
their roots in Cyprus.
Many Greek-Cypriot Americans remain
involved in political and lobby issues of
importance to Cyprus. A solution to the
present situation of the country continues to
remain on the edge of a dream for all justice
seekers in the world.
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