The Greeks in America (In America Series)

By Jayne Clark Jones

Book Overview

No Synopsis Available.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0822502151
• ISBN13: 9780822502159
• Release Date: January 1990
• Publisher: Lerner Publications
• Length: 71 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Age Range: 10 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 5 and higher

Customer Reviews

The unique story of Greek immigration to the United States

Okay, you have seen the movie "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" and while you laughed yourself silly you want to know if it is an accurate portrayal of what Greek-Americans are like. One way of finding out without actually having to leave your home and find a Greek-American community is to read about the story of "The Greeks in America" by Jayne Clark Jones. This volume is part of the In America Series, which is juvenile series about immigration that looks at the most different types of ethnic backgrounds.Jones begins by reminding her young readers that the concept of democracy first began with the ancient Greeks and when she talks about the first wave of Greek emigration she means the colonies established in the Mediterranean as a means of solving the growing population of the city-States. After that emigration meant the empire carved out by Alexander the Great. After that point the story of Greece is one of being conquered by others and when Jones turns to the specific topic of Greek immigration to the United States in her second chapter she is talking about refugees fleeing a Greece that was occupied by the Turkish Empire. Even after Greece won its independence the country's problems, coupled with the prospect of prosperity in the United States, led to the main wave of Greek immigration. This is covered in the third chapter, which also looks at the obstacles face by these immigrants, but which focuses more on how the Greeks solved these problems. In noting the high number of Greeks who repatriated back to their homeland, Jones underscores the uniqueness of these immigrants and how the political turmoil in Greece during and after World War II was an important concern.The final chapter, as in all volumes in the In American series, looks at the contributions to American life of citizens of Greek descent. This includes not only recognizable politicians like Michael Dukakis, the former governor of Massachusetts and the Democratic nominee for President in 1988, but also the opera singer Maria Callas, the director Elia Kazan, the actor Telly Savalas, and Alex Karras, who was known for playing football before he became an actor. Surprisingly there is nothing about gyros, the wonderful Greek addition to American cuisine. The illustrations in this volume are all in black & white, providing both historic and contemporary looks at the history of Greek immigration and the achievements of Greek-Americans. Jones does give young readers a real sense of the truth behind the humor in that popular movie that provided most Americans with their first look at Greeks in America.