M A G A Z I N E • S P R I N G 2 0 1 9 • PRESERVING GREEK y h p a r HERITAGE IN THE U.S. g o t o h P s o i l E SPRINGTIME IN GREECE 8 1 0 2 AND MUCH MORE © SPRING 2019 PAGE 2 The Best of the Greek Chicago & Beyond PO Box 344 · Elmhurst, IL 60126 USA www.windycitygreek.com Spring Issue 2019 Special eGuide PUBLISHER PMEA Communications, LLC FOUNDER & EDITOR Maria A. Karamitsos LAYOUT Diane Adam Design CONTRIBUTORS Gabi Ancarola, Kristin Callahan, Paula Grevas, Chryssoula Katsarou, Eleni Karamitsos, Maria A. Karamitsos, Roula Marinos Papamihail, Crystal Megaridis WindyCity Greek is a digital magazine bringing you the Best of Greek Chicago & Beyond. All material in this publication ©2019 PMEA Communications LLC. Reprints by permission only. COVER IMAGE ©2018 Elios Photography FOLLOW US Click on the image & become a VIP today! SPRING 2019 PAGE 3 From the desk of Founder & Editor Maria A. Karamitsos Welcome to our 1st quarterly issue! Earlier this year, we announced the change to a quarterly format. This will allow us more flexibility so we may serve you better. It’s time to think SPRING!It ’s been a long, cold winter here in Chicago, and we’re so ready for Spring. I love Spring, as everything awakens from the winter slumber. I don’t know about you, but I cheer at the sight of the first blooms. And that all brings us steps closer to Summer! Just in time for Greek Independence Day, the theme of this issue is Preserving Greek Heritage in the U.S. This mission is near and dear to my heart. It’s critical that we take the time to document our history — our collective Greek history as well as our family’s history. If we don’t, it will be lost to time. These stories are important to perpetuate our history, heritage, and culture. We salute all the people working tirelessly in this effort. In this issue we’ll talk preserving our Greek history and more. We hope you enjoy our very first quarterly issue! H A P P Y S P R I N G ! We need your help to keep sharing the Best of the Greek World! It's becoming more & more expensive to produce this publication and maintain the website. We want to keep our publication free, so people across the globe may find out about the innovative and exciting en- deavors of Greeks around the world. If you're enjoying WindyCity Greek, we humbly ask you for your support, so we may continue to bring you the Best of the Greek World. We appreciate it! Sponsor us today! SPRING 2019 PAGE 4 In this issue ... COVER STORY: Preserving Greek Heritage in the U.S. Greek-American museums are essential to preserving and sharing our Greek culture in the U.S. Learn about them. MUSEUM SPOTLIGHT Hellenic Museum of Michigan: Chronicling and Celebrating Michigan’s Hellenic Legacy GREEK INDEPENDENCE DAY PARADES Commemorate Greek Indepence at one of these U.S. parades PERSONAL HISTRORY AWARENESS MONTH Capturing Your Family History—the Time is Now TRACING YOUR FAMILY STORY Don’t know where to begin? These resources will get you started. BOOK REVIEW Wheat Songs: A Greek-American Journey PRESERVING “OLD” ATHENS Learn about a new program that’s helping to preserve the character & history of “old” Athens WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH Sacramento Kings’ Matina Kolokotronis: Changing the Game for Women in Sports TRAVEL Why Spring is the best time to travel to Greece LIFESTYLE & HEALTH Time to ‘Spring Clean’ Ourselves READ New books to add to your list www.windycitygreek.com SPRING 2019 PAGE 5 COVER STORY Preserving Greek Heritage in the United States: The Importance of Greek Museums There are many organizations and societies in the United States that are working diligently to preserve our Greek heritage, history, and customs. Additionally, Greek-Americans have established museums around the country to capture, archive, and share our beloved heritage. Just why are they so important? Read on. By: Maria A. Karamitsos Census reports indicate there are approximately 1.5 million people of Greek heritage in the United States. If you ask a Greek, they will tell you that number is understated by at least half. Some 3 million people in the U.S. have some Greek ancestry, though many don’t celebrate it or have a connection to it. There are many reasons that may be attributed to this – interethnic or interfaith marriage, loss of language, desire to assimilate, etc. However, countless people, as they age, develop a desire to seek their roots – just look at the rise in the popularity of DNA testing and genealogy research. We know that Hellenes have a long, illustrious history, and Greek- Americans share a storied tale as well. Many of us have been regaled with stories from a parent or grandparent about their immigration to the U.S. My father tells the story of how he came here “with $9 in his pocket”. With little-to-no immigration to the U.S. over the last several decades, we’re moving further and further from the immigrant experience. The more removed we get from direct experience with Greek immigrants, the greater the risk that we’ll lose that collective history forever. Moreover, we don’t learn about things like the Greek Civil War or the Burning of Smyrna in school. And just what was life like for a new immigrant in their era? Sometimes the memories are painful, and they don’t share them with us. Other times they don’t share because they think there will be more time. If we don’t capture and preserve the stories, they die with our forefathers. National Hellenic Museum Collections Manager Margaret Fraser (right) in- terviews Maria A. Karamitsos (left) to record her oral history at the Frank Maybe Pappou’s AHEPA pin means nothing to you. You know that Kamberos Oral History Center at National Hellenic Museum in Chicago. picture from a dance at the Trianon Ballroom in Chicago, that has a ton IMAGE: NATIONAL HELLENIC MUSEUM Continued on next page SPRING 2019 PAGE 6 COVER STORY of faces, and you have no idea who they are? Perhaps you have no use – become even more vital. Not only are they a repository for the artifacts for Yiayia’s trunk that stored her belongings for the trek to America. And of our history and the stories of our lives, they are also a cultural center – what’s the deal with that old bayonet that Pappou stored in the base- a place to learn, to remember, and to celebrate our traditions, our culture, ment? We all have family items our Hellenism. we believe are insignificant, but each piece is important. Each We’ve identified sev- piece tells a story, can spark a eral Greek museums in memory, even make us pon- the U.S. of varying size. der our ancestor’s life in the There may be more, motherland and their early days or others only in the in the U.S. They can also help idea stage, gathering people trace their ancestry. This momentum or financial is where the Greek-American support to move for- museums come into play. Our ward. Keep reading to museums lovingly and thought- learn about these mu- fully archive and display these seums. Be sure to visit items to help keep the history them on your travels and heritage alive for future gen- throughout the U.S. and erations. And not just for those support them in their of Greek descent, but for the efforts. And if there’s greater community to learn and one in your town, be understand who we are. Know sure to visit often, so that the average American stu- we may continue to dent does not learn what Greece preserve our precious has contributed to the world – Hellenic history and Chicago’s National Hellenic Museum is the largest Greek museum in unless they seek out the infor- heritage. the United States. IMAGE: NATIONAL HELLENIC MUSEUM mation. Therefore, the museums – and all the Greek organizations GREEK MUSEUMS IN THE U.S.* National Hellenic Museum Oral History Center, thousands and community’s journey to Michigan. Hellenic-American Cultural Cen- 333. S. Halsted Street thousands of oral histories have Through artifacts, oral histories, ter & Museum of Oregon and Chicago, Illinois been recorded and preserved. documents, and photographs, the Southwest Washington NHM hosts exhibits, events, lec- museum will document and pre- Fr. Elias Stephanopoulos Hall, Mission: To share the legacy of tures, Greek language classes, serve the heritage of Greek-Ameri- 2nd Floor Hellenism and to preserve the Greek dance lessons, and more. cans, to pass on from generation to Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox stories and honor the contribu- generation. Cathedral tions to the United States of Hellenic Museum of Michigan 3131 NE Glisan Street Greek immigrants and Americans 67 E. Kirby Founded: 2009 Portland, Oregon of Greek heritage. Detroit, Michigan Find: Exhibits, events, lectures, Mission: To gather, preserve, and Founded: 1983 as Hellenic Mu- Mission: To share the richness of Written Family History program to share knowledge of the Hellenic seum and Culture Center. Re- the Hellenic Heritage and con- document individual histories. (Greek) American experience branded 2009. serve the contributions of Hellenic Read more about Hellenic Museum in Oregon and SW Washington, culture in shaping out world today of Michigan in this issue starting with the earliest immi- Find: Extensive collections and and in the future. As part of that grants and continuing into the fu- archives of more than 17,000 mission, they strive to chronicle the ture.