The Greek-Australians 1950’s-1970’s A Question of Identity

American Third Generation

The second generation parents had made life easier for their children. One third generation Castellorizan girl born in Sydney in 1957 explains "they had a harder life, we have it easier, my parents have worked hard for us, made it a lot easier for us". (13)

The third generation Kytherian and Castellorizan children strongly resembled the children of the middle-class Australian parents. In America however the situation was different in regard to educational advancement amongst third generation Greeks. G. Kourvetaris found that

" Both education and professional achievement are highly valued among members of the third generation. In an empirical and comparative study of six ethnic groups, it was found (Rosen, 1959; 47-60) that a high level of aspiration and achievement exists among members of third generation Greeks. " (14) The difference between the Australian and American third generation can be partly explained by the fact that the third generation Kourvetaris is referring to is an earlier generation which reached maturity in the 1940's. Furthermore the difference can be attributed mainly to the difference in attitude to education in the American and the Australian culture. In America there is a lot of pressure on children to attend a college if not a university after graduating from high school whereas the same attitude does not prevail in Australia, if anything there is a strong anti-intellectual trend within the society. While within the Greek community in Australia amongst the first generation it is considered very prestigious for children to attend university; but this attitude does not extend to the third generation.

Apart from attitudes towards education, the Australian and American third generation Greeks also differ in other areas. George Kourvetaris points out that in America "...one finds little or no interest among members of the third generation in maintaining the ethnic institutional aspects of Greek culture such as language, family traditions, and endogamous marriages." (15) But these findings do not apply to Australia, at least not in regard to the people interviewed for this historical study of the Greek family in Australia. Although many of the third generation had

Family Traditions

not learnt the Greek language, they regretted not having done so and wanted their children to learn it. One third generation Castellorizan boy born in Sydney in 1960 explains that if he has children: "I wouldn't mind them learning the Greek language because I've regretted that I haven't learnt it when I was young." (16)

Many of the third generation felt that it was useful having a second language and have attempted to learn Greek in their later years by taking a modern Greek course at the Institute of Languages at the University of N.S.W. A young third generation Castellorizan girl explains that "I can't speak Greek very well... I can understand it more than I can speak it... That's why I went to the Institute of Languages to learn." (17)

Also in regard to 'family traditions' the third generation of Greek-Australians differed from their American counterparts. In Australian Greek 'family tradition' the third generation are maintained by the grandparents. They become of major importance to the third generation. Culture and Greek traditions are retained for the sake of the grandparents. Many of the third generation attended Greek church though "always with my grandparents... I used to go to Sunday school and Greek Church every Sunday". (18) Some even went as far as saying that even if they married an Australian they would still go to church "I think I'd go Christmas with my grandparents and say Easter just for them." (19) The third generation Kytherian and Castellorizans had close contact and high regard for their grandparents and made an effort to visit them regularly independent of their parents. "Well lately, since I've been on holidays I see them three times a week, maybe four times a week... I enjoy their company and they enjoy my company and they're good people." (20)

Greek Young Matrons' Association

The grandparents exerted a strong control over the third generation and usually influenced them into becoming involved in Greek organisations and activities such as the sports groups for youth, organised by the Castellorizan club, activities for youth conducted by the Kytherian organisation and especially in organisations such as AHEPA and the Greek Young Matrons' Association. One young third generation Kytherian girl born in Sydney in 1960, 'Suzanne Coronias' admitted that "...well sometimes I don't want to go but my grandparents encourage me to go and mum". (21) The second generation parents also strongly encourage their children to attend these organisations because "...it would please my grandparents." (22)

The involvement of the third generation in these organisations pleased the grandparents and parents because it meant that the third generation were socializing within a Greek circle and might meet possible Greek marriage partners. The formation of the Greek Young Matrons' Association in particular was an overt attempt by second generation parents to ensure that their children married Australian born Greeks like themselves by providing them with an organisation which would offer social activities and cultural events in which young Greek people could participate. (23) The Greek Young Matrons' Association organised

" ...a number of children's concerts, performed in the Greek language ...significantly inspiring the children to take an interest in their cultural heritage. At the same time debates were organised in which many of the teenagers participated. " (24) The association also has an annual Ball at which young Greek girls of the second and third generation can make their debut and become known, and possibly seen and selected by an appropriate Greek Australian male. The organisation is mainly made up of upper middle and middle class Kytherian second generation women as well as second generation Greeks from other parts of Greece.

Participation in this organisation meant that their children would not only marry an Australian born Greek but probably a person from a similar social class.

Although both the Kytherian and Castellorizan third generation children had close contact with their grandparents and attended some Greek functions for the sake of their grandparents and parents, they also differed between themselves. The third generation Castellorizan children whose parent shad experienced prejudice and status and made up the Australian middle and lower middle classes; tended to be concerned and more aware of ethnicity and Greek culture. Whereas the third generation Kytherian children whose parents had been brought up in the New South Wales country towns, where they had been usually accepted b the local towns people, and one or the other of the second generation Kytherian parents had a university education and constituted the upper middle and middle classes in Australia; were usually less concerned by 'Greekness' and things Greek. The third generation Kytherian children noticed the difference in attitude between themselves and the other children who attended the social functions of organisations such as AHEPA. (25)

" ...the kids there that we meet consider themselves very Greek... everything they do you know like everything is done very 'Greekly'... they feel strongly about Greece, like somebody was talking about Greece, 'Oh yes, Greece, it is the best country in the world, it is beautiful, it's wonderful, we should all live there', and things like that... I think we have got much more of an Australian life style in our lives than theirs, theirs is much more Greek than ours. " (26) G Kourvetaris found in his study of three generations of Greeks in America that "The more assimilated a member in the third generation, the higher his socio-economic status," (27) which also would apply in Australia. However it seems that it is not just 'assimilation' which causes changes in attitude amongst the third generation but also their membership of a particular class which influences their behaviour and causes them to be less preoccupied with ethnicity.

" As a rule, members of the third generation have incorporated the value, attitudes and norms of the American middle and upper middle class subcultures. Social class in more important to them than ethnicity. " (28) Even though the third generation Kytherian and Castellorizan children differed in their degree of commitment to Greek culture, both groups of third generation children supported endogamy. It was their 'inherent sense of family loyalty' which made both Kytherian and Castellorizan third generation favor marrying a Greek. Like the second generation who had "the advantages of having a wife of the same faith, capable of conversing in the native tongue of the parents and discharging her true duties to the family" emphasized by their first generation parent told them and "warned of the dangers of mixed marriage, the loss of... Hellenic identity..." (29) the third generation also had the problems involve din intermarriage stressed to them by their second generation parents. One young third generation Castellorizan boy aged fifteen explained

" ...I think it helps in a way if you marry a Greek girl because as Dad was saying before... it's complications sometimes later on... If you've got to love a Catholic in a Catholic Church, but you've always wanted to marry in a Greek church... and when it comes to going to functions and that... when you've involved with Greek people, Greek speaking people, it's a bit hard to for the person to, you know, sort of get into the conversation when they can't speak... " (30) Although the third generation maintain that it is preferable to marry a person of Greek origin for the sake of the family "you have something in common with a Geek girl, there's more for marriage, there's more changes of it being a success... common background and common interests" (31) unlike their parents they were not adamant about it and added "I'd marry whatever guy appeals to me... I'll probably will marry a Greek... I'd like to, but I'm not just going to go after guy just because he's Greek, whatever, if a guy comes to me and is a nice Australian guy..." (32) Like their second generation fathers before them, the third generation children were influenced by the Australian or western romantic tradition where a person marries because of love but whether they would ultimately marry outside their culture is a separate issue.

The only person who was married amongst the third generation who were interviewed as 'Irene Pandos', twenty-five years old, a third generation Greek Australian, a town planner; described the type of life she was leading when she was younger and single as 'Australian' and who "used to bring home Chinese, Jewish, Australian boys, whomever I liked at the time;" (33) married a second generation Kytherian boy. Although she led an 'Australian' single life, once married, she maintained,

" ...I would say I'm quite prejudiced, I don't really think that intermarriages should occur if someone wants to keep their culture because each time I've seen it happen, the Greek always loses his, the Australian never comes into the Greek culture... My cousins who have got one parent Greek and one parent Australian are not Greek, they don't think like Greeks, they don't act like us, they don't regard themselves as Greek, that is the most important thing. " (34) It appears that once married the third generation regress and adopt the traditional Greek attitudes or they maintain a certain continuity in attitude with their grandparents, depending on the way one looks at it. However 'Irene Pandos'' response may be atypical of the third generations' attitude but until further research has been conducted amongst a large group of married third generation couples one cannot be sure. George kourvetaris, in a study of "Patterns of Generational Subculture and Intermarriage of the Greeks in the United States" has made some tentative propositions such as "there is more intermarriage in the middle and upper middle class third generation Greek Americans than among upper or lower extremes of an ethnic stratification system." (35) One cannot be sure if the same applies to Australia since no statistics exist on intermarriage amongst the third generation however the proposition is an interesting one and should at least be considered.

Apart from the existence of 'continuities' such as preference for endogamy between the different generations of Greeks in Australia there have also been major structural changes between the second and third generation particularly in regard to Greek morality. Many third generation Greek girls no longer feel compelled to remain virgins in order for a marriage to take place; but maintain that sexual relations are permissible as long as love is present and marriage is to follow. (36) A third generation Castellorizan girl born in Sydney in 1957 describes the type of morality which prevails amongst the third generation in the late 1970's -

Sexual Relations

" I feel that if a girl loves a boy and she's gone out with him for a while, it, I don't know, I'll just say it would be okay to have intercourse, but then if he loves her he should really want... but then they might not be prepared financially and they might not be able to afford to get married. You don't sleep with every Tom, Dick and Harry. " (37)

But the third generation Greek men are not as 'liberated' as the Greek women in regard to Greek morality. This difference between third generation girls and boys is not unusual for it is also found nit he wider Australian community. Although many middle class Australian women have changed their attitude to morality, many of the middle class Australian men still feel the same way as many of the young third generation Greek boys who assert that,

" If a woman is a virgin or not before she is married, well, it shouldn't make a great deal of difference but if she is cheap, well you know... well if she plays around with a lot of men... Personally, I'd like to marry a virgin... because it is a sign that a girl has not been around with other men. " (38) Thus by the third generation there is the formation of a distinct and definite 'Greek Australian' subculture where Greek and Anglo Saxon life styles have merged so thoroughly that they cannot be divided in the mind of the third generation. Besides this cultural merger there has also been a desire for endogamy amongst the third generation, out of inherent loyalty to the Greek family and particularly to their grandparent who were very important influences in their lives. Although continuities existed, changes have also been wrought between the second and third generation I regard to attitudes toward education and career and attitudes toward Greek morality. These changes have not been caused by a movement away from the core of Greek culture from one generation to the next but mainly by the influence of class position upon the children of the second generation.