with Alexander Kitroeff
The American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (AHEPA) founded in 1922 grew to become the largest Greek American institution second only to the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. It was established to combat the racism and xenophobia that the Greeks encountered in America in the 1910s and early 1920s and to encourage Greeks to Americanise as a way of protecting themselves. It made considerable headway in achieving those goals in its first decade of its existence. So much so that it was in danger of falling victim to its own success as racism and xenophobia waned with the outbreak of WWII and Greeks became slowly but steadily accepted into America’s mainstream. But at that point AHEPA deftly pivoted and embraced Hellenism as well as Americanism and continued to adapt in the following centuries allowing it to celebrate its centenary in 2022 as Greek America’s largest secular institution. This presentation will examine AHEPA’s 100-year history and explain why and how it adapted so well to the changing American landscape and Greek America’s identity.
For those wishing to purchase Professor Kitroeff’s latest book, follow the link
