Where are They Now?

Profile Dan Georgakas and Event Update

Dan Georgakas Lecture
By Contributing Writer, Elena Kerasiotis

"If we don't know our past, you lose you identity. In Greece you know you are "an American", and in America, "there goes that Greek guy."

Dan Georgakas

Family and friends gathered at the Assumption Church on April 19, 2007 to reminisce with author, Dan Georgakas. In the audience were, Mike Vlahantones, Mary Ann (Williams) Trainor, Gabriella and Jim Jacobs, Kathy, Belle and David Wiecha (nee Zguris (Ruhl) and Helen Balton (nee Vlahnatones). Also among the guests present were Attorney, John Korachis and educator, Dr. Michael Syropoulos. All could be found nodding and smiling as, Geogakas, vividly spun the tale of their youth. Georgakas was welcomed by Philoptochos President, Rena Chirpas, and then introduced to the audience by long time friend, John Korachis.

Many had brought books and mementos to share with Geogakas, who recounted personal stories of Southeastern High School, Chatham Ontario, and Wayne State University.

Georgakas, a Professor of Byzantine Studies at Queens College, New York, a prodigal returning to his Detroit roots, shares that his true Odyssey wasreturning to Greece. He confides to the audience that a major defining experience in his life was returning to the village of his father in the Peloponnese, Psilocastro, in 1960, "This trip showed me who my parents really were. I even slept in the same bed my father slept in the night before leaving for America." He goes on to say, "Our fathers and mothers really saved us from poverty."

His book is the reconciliation of his youth and the man he has become, his answer to being Greek in America, and finally, "Coming to grips with becoming a Greek American in the Motor City." Photos available in Gallery.

Where Are They Now?
By contributing writer Elena Kerasiotis

Dan Georgakas

And Growing up Greek in Detroit is just what happened to Dan Georgakas who was born in Detroit's Eastside in 1938. In his memoir, My Detroit, Growing Up Greek and American in Motor City, he tells the story of the entire community through the prism of the parish of the Assumption Greek Orthodox Church then located on the far east side of the city on Beniteau.

Georgakas explains, "I wanted to give voice to the Greeks of Detroit and share their true stories, those that depict the early period of Detroit's industrial renaissance and the struggle of this pioneer generation to assimilate."

"People may remember my father, Xenophon Georgakas, who was partners in The Sportsman's Bar, which was on Jefferson and St. Jean outside what was then the Hudson Motor Company I left Detroit in 1966 but have been in and out on a regular basis. I do not have any blood relatives in Detroit, but I have several close friends that remain in the area."

Georgakas' accounts of Detroit are poignant, filled with contrasts and comparisons from his vast grasp of Greek literature, poetry and history, as well as, his personal experiences. The pages are crafted to draw the reader into the story to such an extent that one finds personal memories, though forgotten, become once again vivid and bright. His recount of his visits to Delmar Grocery in Detroit's Greektown force the abrupt recall of the sounds and scents so familiar, you could almost taste the dark pungent vinegar laced Kalamata olives that were stored in barrels beneath the cramped cheese display case, and hear the warm greeting of its proprietor, "kalo sorisete paidia".

Charles Moskos, author of Greek Americans--Sruggle and Success and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences says of the book, "Dan Georgakas writes with power, intelligence, and keen wit. My Detroit is a unique contribution to our understanding of the American ethnic and social experience. It is a rich gathering of personal memoirs combined with broad social insight. The book is essential reading not only for Greek Americans but for anyone who wants to know more about an important era in the history of Detroit."

A recent five star review on Amazon.com states, "Dan Georgakas' questioning mind makes the history he presents unique, original and interesting. Refreshingly, My Detroit is not a rehash of conventional thinking."

Georgakas a professor at Queens College-City University of New York, shares that it is important to keep his reader engaged and interested in his characters and themes. He will be in the Detroit area on April 19, 2007 as a guest of the Assumption Community. The lecture begins at 7:00pm and promises to be an entertaining experience.

Dan Georgakas is Director of the Greek American Studies Project at the Center for Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies at Queens College-City University of New York. He is an editor of the Journal of the Hellenic Diaspora and a columnist for the National Herald weekly. Among his non-Greek hats, he is a film critic and is a long-time member of the editorial board of Cineaste film quarterly.

Terry Poulos, writer for the Greek Star in Chicago, IL, recently attended a sold out lecture for the Hellenic Museum and Cultural Center, which featured Georgakas. He contacted Malista.com and recommended Georgakas for a Malista profile feature. Malista is grateful to its readers and encourages suggestions and areas of interest for future feature articles.

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