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Greek immigration to America was propelled by the Greek War of Independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1821. This began with approx. 40 orphans who had survived the Greek Revolution. -
The first significant Greek community to develop in the USA was in New Orleans, Louisiana during the 1850s.In 1860, it’s estimated that 328 Greeks were living in the USA, with the majority residing in California, Arkansas, New York, and Massachusetts -
At the turn of the century, Greek immigration to America mainly consisted of young men, some as young as fourteen, sent by their families for work. These men were expected to return to Greece with money for their families. Many of these Greek immigrants settled in major cities on the east coast such as New York, Chicago, and Baltimore. Most initially worked in these cities as dishwashers, laborers, shoe shiners, and street peddlers. -
In the 1930’s Greek immigration to America continued to decline, decreasing by 53% from the previous decade, with only 22,921 new arrivals.1939 saw the break out of WWII, right at the end of the decade. -
28 October 1940 saw Greece enter WWII with the Italian invasion. The subsequent Greek victory in not only defending the country’s territory against the invasion but also in the successful offensive, pushing the Italians back deep into Albanian territory was viewed immense support and euphoria globally. Greek Americans led fundraising initiatives and support for Greece in their diaspora. Greeks were viewed with admiration and respect in the USA. -
ollowing on from the conflicts during the previous decade, the 1950’s saw a resurgence in Greek immigration to America. In 1953, the Refugee Relief Act allowed 17,000 Greeks to arrive to the USA.Then in 1957, additional legislative changes saw approx. 1,504 Greeks arrive to the USA. -
In 1965, the Immigration and Nationality Act abolished the quota by country system. Many Greek Americans took advantage of the new law and brought members of their families to the USA. -
1981 marked Greece’s admission into the European Union. As a result, annual Greek immigration to America declined to approx. 2,000. Most Greeks immigrating, instead opted to settle in nearby European countries due to the ease of movement within the European Union. -
The 1990’s continued to see a decline in Greek immigration to America, largely as a result of the European Union migration policies but also due to Greece relative economic prosperity. Between 1990 and 1999, approx. 25,403 Greeks arrived in the USA.