| May 6, 1999 |
SPECIAL ESSAY ATTRACTING OUR YOUNG TO HELLENIC CULTURE AND HERITAGE by Professors, Michael C. Geokas and A. T. Papathanasis |
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| Many believe, that the Greek-American Community has "lost most of its young" due to intermarriage and the modernizing and homogenizing imperative of our ultramodern society. Others remind us, that many of the young in Greece, have been lost as well (Dehellenized) because of the same forces. This is a matter of concern to most ethnic minorities in America, especially those who are interested in maintaining their Culture and Heritage. On November 16,1998 an article appeared in New York Times entitled: "To Bind the Faith, Free Trips to Israel for Diaspora Youth." Thus, Jewish organizations are planning to finance a trip to Israel for any Jew aged 15 to 26 for 10 days. This program (named "Birthright Israel") will cost $300 million over five years and will be financed by the Israeli Government, a group of major Jewish donors and the Council of Jewish Federations. The assumption is that even a brief period spent in Israel, can form an attachment to Judaism. However, the issue of the Greek-American youths is somewhat different from that of the Jewish youths. This analysis will discuss certain issues, concerning the Greek-American young of today. WHAT MAKES THE YOUNG TIC? The young of the second and third generations, born into Greek-American Families (mainly the High School Seniors and College Freshmen), are driven by forces of the highly competitive and demanding American Society. Similar to the young everywhere, they wish, and rightly so, to have everything and to have it now, or as soon as possible. This generation has been shaped by prevailing values of the Second Demographic Transition in the Western World, with strong emphasis away from traditions and altruism and sharply towards progressiveness and self-fulfillment. Philosophically, progressiveness means a tendency to vigorously embrace the new, to look critically at the present, and to largely ignore the past. The young pursue their education and establish their priorities, mainly as a tool for professional success and upward mobility in the social ladder. With the advent of computers the sky seems to be the limit for their dreams. Most of them, after High School and College studies, pursue professional education such as Law, Business, Engineering, Medicine, Dentistry and other professions. We should keep in mind that most of today's young, value independence very much and work through school, with or without assistance from parents. The competition for entering distinguished professional schools in America, is very strong and success depends on: the reputation of the College they have attended, their scholastic achievement (Great Point Average [GPA] scores and scores on Qualifying Examinations),on a successful personal interview, and on strong recommendation letters Family support is important during the College years because, if the student has to work more than 20 hours per week, might finish College, but with a low GPA, which makes entry into a good Professional or Graduate School problematic. THE GREEK CONNECTION: During the hectic High School and demanding College years, when students do part-time work as unskilled individuals, learning the Greek Language and adhering to Hellenic Culture, are seen as a luxury and somewhat irrelevant to the main struggle for success. This is why, much depends on the family and the ability and willingness of parents to instill very early, elements of Culture, Heritage, and Language. The Jesuits say: "Give me the Child, to give you the Man". Some parents take their children to Greece during the summer vacation. In most places the Church is partially effective, during primary and secondary education, but, without re-enforcement, its role is quickly attenuated in later years (among high School Seniors and College Students). Most of our young-like the young everywhere-do not attend Church regularly, and they might go to Church on Christmas and Easter, in the latter case, until "Christos Anesti" is pronounced and then hastily disappear. In places with a Greek language School, the outlook is much better. It must be stressed that impetus should come from parents, especially if they are both or one of them, of Greek origin and that other incentives are weak anyway, because the Greek Language, appears to the young as irrelevant to their main push in life: "Upward Mobility". In contrast, Spanish, French, German and even Chinese and Japanese Languages, appear relevant and as an advantage to professional pursuits, because the countries in question are sizable and influential in global economy. However, despite all of this, maintaining the magnificent Greek language among our young, is paramount and will be only partially reviewed here. FUNCTIONS OF PRIMARY ORGANIZATIONS: Returning to efforts of maintaining Language, Culture and Heritage among our young, it must be emphasized that Greek-American Communities and Organizations, in this vast nation, are in great need of developing systematic and sophisticated programs (Lectures, Seminars, Book and Art exhibits, evening Classes, Music Collections, Movies, tape-recordings, CD-ROM discs etc.) with emphasis on all three, Hellenic Culture, Heritage, and Language. Without such programs Hellenic Culture will slowly but inexorably disappear in the coming decades of the next century. Similarly, many Jewish Americans, for instance, believe that their own Community is in a course of demographic suicide (1.6 births per mother and over 52% intermarriage). Because the American Jews (like the Greek-Americans) fail to reproduce and find it very difficult to hold their young within the faith, they appear to face cultural extinction, despite their enormous success within American society. There are a good number of excellent but parochial and narrow in scope (First Level) Greek-American Organizations (determined by region of origin in Greece) e.g. Arcadians, Messinians, Epirotans, Kythirians, Roumeliotes, Macedonians and others. Their members gather at least annually for a grand social event, such as a Dinner-Dance, with good food and a festive atmosphere, during which not a single word is spoken about Culture, Heritage and Language. There are no handouts, or pamphlets, or books, describing what we have in terms of Culture and what needs to be done to preserve it. Nothing is said about the need for career development programs for the young, which could boost their success in society and could instill in them elements of Hellenic Culture and Heritage. Only a few of the (First and Second level) Organizations in big cities such as Boston, Philadelphia, New York, Chicago and areas of New Jersey, have indeed adopted some Cultural events, e.g. lectures, seminars and similar functions, but there are not enough to make a wide impact. The message is this: we need greater sophistication with the active participation of professionals and academicians, in order to pursue such high quality activities. Typically, most Organizations have weak financial support, except probably for AHEPA and UHAC. The new slogan should be: "that there is strength in Unity and that Unity of purpose and effort, will bring financial support," which is indispensable for successful collective undertakings. Finally, it is blatantly obvious that there is a crying need for special programs for our young men and women, who are striving to succeed and would enormously appreciate any help from our Community. The few scholarships sponsored by individuals or societies are good but not enough in numbers or amounts of money involved, to make a strong impact. It is hoped, that such youth directed programs, might help our young to realize, the significance of belonging to a Community of Americans and Canadians, of Hellenic ancestry and to appreciate the value of Greek Language, Culture and Heritage.
A REALISTIC PROGRAM FOR OUR YOUNG. A realistic and sophisticated program appropriate for the American and Canadian scenes, should include the following: 1. CAREER DEVELOPMENT: These will be Programs designed to assist the young in fulfilling career aspirations. This can be the most powerful tool in the hands of our Organizations, operating at the grassroots level. Today, there is nothing closer to the heart of the young, than success in securing a place under the sun, by pursuing a successful career, through formal education. This is a sacred mission for most of them and they will do literally anything, (they will even stand on their heads like Ben Gurion of Israel), if that could enhance their chance of success in upward mobility. This is where the Community and career development programs come in. Counseling services, pamphlets and brochures, are available at Colleges and University campuses, yet there are several neglected areas. Items like motivation, encouragement, correct study habits, time budgeting, perseverance, development of leadership qualities, role-modeling, self-confidence, self-assurance and the need for hard work and other relevant issues, under the heading of: "A Formula to Success," are not found at Colleges and Universities. Thus, a custom-made, Community directed Program, for High School seniors and College freshmen, can be of enormous value for helping our young to succeed and for demonstrating that our Community cares about their future. This is a low cost approach for attracting the young to the fold of Hellenic Culture and Heritage. This view is buttressed by 16 years experience of career development Programs in Northern California (Dr. Geokas) for admission to Medical, Dental, Veterinary and Pharmacy Schools and allied Health professions. These programs were highly successful and were for this reason introduced into the Congressional Record twice (in 1976 and 1983). Central to Career Development programs will be an expected appreciation by the young, regarding the genuine efforts of our Community to secure their success in upward mobility. Such programs fostered by our local organizations across the United States, a country where, normally, there is no free-lunch, could be a powerful device in achieving our goal: to stimulate the interest of our young in the affairs of our Communities and to encourage their participation and support of Cultural and Hellenic Heritage related activities. Academicians (we have a good number of them) Professionals, Business people, Executives, Politicians and others, can play an important role in this endeavor. The Brain-Power required for this task is plentiful within our Community. What is needed is meticulous organization, strong will, and concerted action to set up the programs, by coupling our efforts to the dearest of their life's goals and aspirations: their career and strong desire for achievement. Financial support can probably become available according to a recent superb article in the National Herald, concerning the 50 richest Greek-Americans in the United States. Even a modest contribution from each of these powerful individuals and from many others, will make a sizable amount, for supporting special programs for our young, through a National Foundation which could distribute Grants in aid to local Organizations for College student-scholarships and other activities. 2. ENTERTAINMENT: Programs that are entertaining and at the same time, highlight Hellenic Culture and Heritage, can be singularly effective. Music and Dancing Festivals are indeed very effective tools in this respect and of course they have the same appeal to the young all over the world. They closely resemble Rock-Concerts in America, that attract hundreds of thousands of ecstatic youths every year and are big events, with live media coverage. But even at a smaller scale, one has to observe the delirious and screaming youths during a Michael Jackson concert to appreciate the loud message: that Music has a powerful and sustained influence and casts a real spell over the young, in all societies and so does dancing for that matter. So far, Dancing Festivals have been used in an uncoordinated manner. An annual dancing festival organized by the Church in our area, has been very successful year after year. -Thus, Greek music concerts organized locally, or given by a grand orchestra from Greece, with tours in key cities and in large Communities, can do wonders for young and adults alike, in boosting Hellenic Culture. There can be additional benefits from these events, such as, concomitant fund raising and widespread positive media publicity. Yianni, Ntalaras, Nana Mouskouri and others can be enticed to participate in such an effort. -Furthermore, well organized and strictly supervised annual or semiannual Dancing Festivals, specifically designed for the young in the United States and Canada and boosted probably by dancing groups from Greece, could be spectacular. In addition, the need for a National, Greek Folk Dancing Ballet, becomes obvious and could make an enormous contribution to the cause of reviving the interest of our young in Hellenic Culture and Heritage, through Music and Dancing. It is certain that magnificent Greek folk-dancing will be an integral part of ceremonies during the 2004 Olympics. The experience of those of us who attended the Convention for Greeks Abroad in Thessaloniki, was absolutely superb in this respect. The performance of several dancing groups was outstanding. 3. FILM AND THEATER FESTIVALS: Well organized film and theater festivals touring key cities in the United States and Canada, with large Hellenic Communities, can be very effective in financial terms and in spreading the message of Hellenic Culture and Heritage. Greece is endowed with enormous talent in theater, which so far has been almost unutilized. 4. SCHOOLS: Formal schooling with a well designed curriculum for Greek Language, History and other subjects, is highly desirable and certainly very effective, and will require, steady, long term efforts. This project needs good planning and organization and can utilize young enthusiastic teachers from within and outside Greece. The recent establishment of the Athenian Academy, as the first Greek public school in the United States (in Pinellas County in Florida, which includes the City of Clearwater) is a spectacular development, and should be copied by most of our local communities. The overwhelming necessity for a private, first class Greek-American University in the United States, is blatantly obvious and will become the subject of a special essay. Book and Journal exhibits (In Greek and English) held periodically at Hellenic Cultural Centers and at the premises of the Greek Orthodox Churches, can be very useful. A special edition of an Illustrated Greek History, both Ancient and Modern, in Greek and English, is needed. An Illustrated Geography Book of various areas of Greece with emphasis on Archeological sites and on the Islands, is necessary. Additionally, bilingual Teachers could be recruited among the retired members of the Profession in Greece, in the US and elsewhere, with a strict requirement of fluency in both Languages. 5. CHURCH MUSIC: As related to melody the music in our Church in America has been less than outstanding for a variety of reasons. Some of the Church Choirs are weak, with a peculiar music adopted years ago, and with no attempt made since then, for subsequent improvement. The use of organ music is not enough to bridge the gap. At times, there have been some feeble attempts to encourage the parishioners to sing along, with little positive effect. This observation is no criticism but merely a statement of fact, as we see it, and can actually be turned around to advantage, by organizing a few Church singing groups, similar to the famous Byzantine group "Ioannis o Koukouzelis" of Thessaloniki for periodic tours, in United States and Canada. These functions can be self-sustained financially, by charging a fee for presentations outside the Church. This will be the impetus for further improving local Choirs. As an aside, it is well known that our Church is magnificent in Liturgy, in Hymnology (with deep philosophical meaning), in doctrine and in organization. Thus, improvements in Musical expression and certainly in the quality of its Sermons, could make our Church the envy of other Christian Churches. This is important because our Culture, Heritage and Religion are closely connected. Specifically, upgrading the quality of sermons, is absolutely crucial for attracting our young and older people alike. Today, there is an abundance of sophisticated Professionals, holding University degrees, who attend sermons in our Churches. Unfortunately, our Church has been very slow in catching up, to this glaring fact. The Church cannot upgrade its sermons by relying only on Clergy. Very few hold Ph.D. degrees and there is no formal Continuing Postgraduate Education for them. Thus, selected Academics and Professionals can make an enormous contribution to our Church. The Church podium should be opened to talented and highly qualified individuals, who are knowledgeable and wish to speak on Sundays, during service, on issues of paramount contemporary importance to parishioners, especially on issues of concern to our young. Such a sea change, will substantially improve dwindling Church attendance among the young and will increase overall Church membership. 6. TRAVEL: The young are fascinated with travel and they dream of it constantly. A serious effort could be made to provide cheap travel tickets to groups of Greek-American and Greek-Canadian youths, to tour Greece. Conversely, youths from Greece could come to the US and Canada with organized tours and could interact in many ways with the young of our Communities. It is known that Jewish youngsters spend time in Israel under various arrangements (Kibbutz etc.). Such experience could be catalytic for attracting our young to Hellenic Culture and Heritage. Live images are stronger than words. 7. SPORTS: An organized effort to promote soccer (upcoming sport in United States) among our young, in North America, with a chance to attend or watch soccer games between Greek teams and their competitors, could be significant. The contagious enthusiasm and emotions generated during soccer, baseball and other games are well known and need no special emphasis. 8. SATELLITE BROADCASTING: Broadcasting of special programs (sports, festivals, ceremonies etc.) from Greece via Satellite will have a good effect on young people. This however will take meticulous program planning and outstanding professional supervision. The transmission of the ceremonies during the Convention for Greeks abroad in Thessaloniki, is a case in point. Local special TV programs for teaching the Language right at home, by experienced teachers can do wonders. Transmissions from Greece by ERT, will further boost cultural links with, and desire to visit, Greece. 9. FORMAL LECTURES AND SEMINARS: Certain of our communities in North America have sporadically organized Lectures and Seminars on subjects concerning History, Politics, Economy and the like, as well as on significant contemporary issues relevant to Hellenism. Conferences organized by the Spyros Vryonis Center in Sacramento for instance, should be expanded to involve not only Scholars but also other sections of our Community, including the young. A number of academicians from American, Canadian and European Universities, and from Greece, can make an enormous contribution by speaking on Hellenic Culture and Heritage and on other issues of concern. Specifically, the considerable number of Greek-American Professors, who are members of faculties at Colleges and Universities in United States and Canada, represents an enormous, yet largely untapped asset, for our Community and for our Church, both of which some critics describe, as rather disinterested or outright antagonistic, towards them. This phenomenon cannot stand and should be rectified as soon as possible for the benefit of both, Community and Church. 10. WEST COAST: In the West Coast of the United States, there is a crying need for an independent Greek-American TV station, with frequent programming relevant to Hellenic Culture. This will probably be the most powerful tool, especially for teaching the Language to young children right at home. Other minority groups enjoy extensive programs designed for their communities. Additionally, satellite transmissions from Greece can be very valuable, with good programming for the young. Another crying need within the San Francisco Bay Area is a Hellenic Cultural Center (HCC). For reasons that are not clear, such a project has never been actively pursued in this area and many people attribute the lack of impetus for a Cultural Center, to poor understanding of its huge potential for young people, in our Community. A modern HCC in the San Francisco Bay Area is long overdue, and there is nothing else at present to take its place. The HCC is envisaged as a Center for Cultural, Theatrical, Musical, Educational (Lectures, Seminars, and Conferences on Hellenic Issues) Artistic, Scientific, and Archeological events (e.g. exhibits of antiquities from Greece), for fund raising, and other Community activities. Most of these events cannot be hosted at Churches and Cathedrals due to their non-profit, tax-exempt status. An HCC will be of enormous value to the Greek-American youth in the Bay area. 11. NEWSPAPERS AND PERIODICALS: With a few striking exceptions, there are a number of rather anemic newspapers and periodicals in America, devoted to Hellenic-American issues. We need improvement both in quality and quantity. Our Community has shown a low degree of support for Greek-American Mass Communication Media. This attitude must change. We urgently need a first class, National bilingual Daily Newspaper, which will cover both United States and Canada. Its beneficial impact on the Greek-American community, from coast to coast, will be crucial, with the 21st century just around the corner. Moreover, the use of personal Computers, of e-mail and the Internet, can do wonders in promoting Cultural, Educational, career related and other initiatives. The information revolution is upon us and it belongs mainly to the young. 12. SUMMARY: There is an urgent need for a revival within the Greek-American Community. The recent unglamorous parade for the 25th of March in New York, should come as no surprise and should be a wake up call for all Americans of Greek origin. Much better organization and planning are required, to develop effective programs for our young in North America, concerning Greek Language, Culture and Heritage. Our Church cannot do this without community initiatives. A Culture-Heritage Task-Force for United States and Canada, should be formed, for developing a Master-Plan along the lines of this study, designed to attract our young into the fold of Hellenic Culture. The time to act is now. Efforts by the Council of Greeks Abroad, like the Youth Conference in Chicago on April 17, 18, and 19th 1999, and activities of other Organizations are good, but not enough. The development of an ultramodern Greek-American University in the United States, will be an absolute blessing for our young, and a tremendous source of pride for our Community. Some might say that it is already late and that the profusion of mixed marriages, makes such plans unrealistic. We sharply disagree with this argument. Hellenic Culture has strong enduring qualities and should not to be underestimated. The Culture is so fabulous, rich and engulfing, that even one parent can enrich his family with it. Furthermore, local Task-Forces should be developed soon and should coordinate their efforts with the National entity. For preservation of Greek Language, efforts should start at home by parents, assisted by TV. Programs right at the family room, and at the earliest possible age. Regular instruction at School can be effective, only as a continuum to parental home instruction, otherwise, it will be considered as learning of just another foreign language. In the absence of such a winning combination, formal teaching of Greek Language by dedicated, well paid and committed bilingual professional teachers, will be just as effective especially when combined with special TV programs for children and adults. The large surplus of bilingual teachers in Greece, could be tapped for this task. Charter Schools like the Athenian Academy in Florida will be an absolute blessing. Finally, modernization and global homogenization, are proceeding at a fast pace and the issues discussed here have an inherent urgency. Boosting of cohesion among Creek-American Organizations is urgently needed. The present fragmentation and lack of coordination are deplorable. Moreover, we need a think-tank of Scholars and other Professional experts, to produce a sophisticated 21st Century agenda. We should utilize all Brain and Financial-Power at our disposal. A National Foundation should be created by the richest Greek-Americans, for support of local Programs. This is a rational approach for survival of Hellenic Culture in the coming decades.
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| M. C. Geokas, M.D., M.Sc., Ph.D.* |
A. T. Papathanasis, Ph.D.** |
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| *PRESIDENT **VICE-PRESIDENT |
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| SOURCES: 1. Laurie Goodstein: To Bind the faith, Free Trips to Israel by Diaspora Youth. New York Times, November 16,1998. 2. Dirk J. van de Kaa: Europe's Second Demographic Transition. Population Bulletin, Vol 42(1)March 1987. 3.Michael C. Geokas and Barbara J. Branson: Recruiting Students for Medicine: Annals of Internal Medicine 111: 433-436,1989 4.Dan Georgakas and Charles Moskos: New Directions in Greek American Studies. Pella Publishing Company, Inc, NY, 1991. 5. Ari Shavit: Vanishing. As American Jews fail to reproduce and as they intermarry, they are facing cultural extinction. New York Times Magazine, June 8, 1997, p.52. 6. Michael C. Geokas: Hellenic Diaspora Goes to Thessaloniki. Hellenic News of America, Vol 9(6), February 1996. 7. Michael C. Geokas: A Greek Cultural Center in Northern California. The National Herald, December 13-14, 1997. |
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