Greek Americans

What it’s like going to a hospital in Greece

Written By: Penelope Conomos Benis

A minor leg injury forced me to find a public hospital during my vacation in Milos, Greece this past week. I eventually found the community clinic of the island, located on the outskirts of Milos’ capital city, Plaka. So, with my passport in hand, I rolled my car into the driveway of a whitewashed building that my phone claimed to be a hospital (though there was no sign visible on the outside to confirm as much), and I hesitantly parked and limped down the driveway with some trepidation.

The Miracles We Witnessed at Ionian Village: A Photo Essay

Written By: KTE Executive Board

Over the past two weeks, members of KTE have spent time with Ionian Village on a transformative pilgrimage to venerate holy relics and visit Holy sites in Zakynthos, Kefalonia, Aegina, Patras, Kalavryta, Athens, and Glyfa.

While experiencing this once-in-a-lifetime spiritual journey, we witnessed real miracles and venerated a piece of the true cross that Christ our God was crucified on.

Choose it or Lose it: Holding onto Your Identity in the Greek Diaspora

Written By: Niko Wilk

Photo via Shutterstock.

The United States of America, being a relatively new world superpower, has been viewed as a symbol of religious freedom and economic opportunity for generations of immigrants seeking a new life from their troubled homelands.

America held the promise that all walks of life could prosper with the unalienable rights of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” American values for these waves of immigrants – albeit influenced by Anglo-Saxon principles of monarchist Great Britain – forced naturalized citizens to make a personal decision on whether passing down their heritage and history to their American-born offspring is a priority.

The Decline of Greektowns: A Crisis of Identity and a Call to Action

Written By: KTE Executive Board

Across the globe, once-thriving Greektowns are fading. These historic neighborhoods — built by the hands of immigrants who brought their language, religion, and traditions from the mountains and islands of Greece — are now marked by silence and decline.

In cities such as Chicago, Melbourne, Montreal, and New York, Greektowns were more than ethnic hubs; they were sanctuaries of Hellenic identity and centers of communal pride. But today, many of these once-vibrant areas are slowly dissolving into the urban landscape; their distinct character weakened by time, assimilation, and neglect.

Why Easter is the best-kept tradition in the Greek Diaspora

Written By: KTE Executive Board

This year’s Easter Sunday is unique in that Catholics, Protestants and Orthodox Christians will celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ on the same day – April 20, 2025. It’s a convergence that only occurs about once every four years, due to the ecclesiastical differences between the Gregorian and Julian calendars, which differ in their calculation of Easter.

Unlike Western Christian denominations, Orthodox Christians follow the older Julian calendar and observe additional guidelines, such as ensuring Easter always falls after Jewish Passover, to preserve the biblical sequence of events. Yet despite Easter Sunday falling on the same day this year, one needn’t look too hard to spot the stark differences between Orthodox Easter traditions and the Easter traditions celebrated by other Christian groups in America. It’s gotten to the point where Greek-Americans have started calling their Easter “Greek Easter” in recent years to differentiate it from its Western counterpart.

Fighting for Family Land in Greece: A Diasporic Dilemma

Written By: Penelope Conomos Benis

When my father passed away in 2017, I was faced with a dilemma experienced by many Diasporans: should I preserve my ancestral footprint by claiming inheritance to family property in Greece?

After years of fact-finding, investigative research, and a hefty amount of internal debate, I’ve come to realize the answer is dependent on navigating both the emotional and practical facets of this age-old question. The following article will serve as part one of a two-part series addressing the complexities of land endowment in Greece.

5 Ways to Get Your Greek Citizenship Done Faster

Written By: Christophoros

As many in the Greek Diaspora know all too well, getting your Greek Citizenship can be a long and difficult process. This is because people are often stuck communicating with the Greek government through consulates and embassies in America, which are often understaffed and poor at communication.

We at KTE have heard countless stories from Greeks living all over the world about how hard it is to track down all the necessary documents to make their Greek citizenry official, even after multiple years into the process. Well, we figured, enough is enough. As Greek Americans who have been through the process and whose father is a lawyer, here are five ways to get your Greek Citizenship done faster.

I Moved From Chicago to Greece: Here’s Why

Written By: Will Anagnos

I was raised in a Greek American home. Both of my parents were second-generation Greeks and deeply rooted in their cultural traditions. We went to church every Sunday, celebrated all the Greek holidays, and lived what I thought was a pretty typical Greek-American life. But there was one thing I never fully embraced: the language.

Despite being surrounded by Greek culture, I never learned to speak Greek. In fact, I flunked Greek school, and my parents didn’t really push me to learn.

Why young Greek Americans should go to Ionian Village

Written By: Christophoros

For Greek Americans everywhere, Ionian Village is the best way to connect with their heritage through faith, fellowship and culture.

Ask thousands of Greek Americans over the years about Ionian Village (IV) – the Greek Orthodox summer camp held near Patra, Greece for young Hellenes – and they will use phrases like “life-changing” and “the best summer of my life” to describe it.

Raising a Family in the Spirit of Hellenism

Written By: Penelope Conomos Benis

As parents, we have a profound influence over what we expose to our children. It’s a big responsibility, and oftentimes a challenge given the surrounding forces of social media.

With respect to our Hellenic heritage, we are tasked with the onus of teaching our children its multifaceted composition: Orthodoxy, culture, and stewardship. As a mother of three sons – now college aged and beyond – I often reflect on the parental decisions my husband and I made: both positive and regretted, amid raising our children in the intended spirit of Hellenism.

Why Greek Orthodox Christianity is under fire in America

Written By: Pericles

When I was a young boy, I remember coming to church with my Father, who served as the priest of our small parish of less than 100 families. Growing up, I served on the altar through new parish assignments and all the milestones of life, even well into college.

Young men who serve on the altar understand the mission to serve the Lord and assist the priest with the preparation of the holy and sacred mysteries every Sunday. That was my life, every Sunday for as long as I can remember. Over the years, I began to notice a great shift in the congregation as I peered out from behind the altar – I saw less and less young people in the pews than from when I was a young boy. These changes got me wondering and got me worried. I wanted to try and make sense of the apparent drop off in participation from kids I used to see every Sunday.

Why Greek Americans should visit Greece

Written By: Stavros

Greece is one of the most popular summer tourist destinations around the world – known far and wide as the perfect vacation spot for many reasons.

For one, as an EU member state it is accessible, and English is commonly spoken by Greeks living there. Also, most places have fair prices. The natural beauty in the mountains and at the beaches draws in tourists by the hundreds of thousands. It is a place where it is easy to relax, but also safe to explore.