Chicago is home to a large Greek community, and its college students consistently look for ways to connect away from their motherland or “the old country,” Greece.
Nearly 30 Northwestern University students from various parts of Greece, including Athens, Kefalonia, and Ioannina, gathered recently to enjoy Amita Motion fruit juice and Ion Chocofreta chocolate wafers while conversing in a mixture of Greek and English (otherwise known as Greeklish).
The meeting, held in a small classroom, transitioned into a game of “Would You Rather?” The room was filled with laughter and strong opinions as participants debated mostly food-themed options such as “pastitsio or yemista?” and “kourabiedes or melomakarona?” This was the first meeting of the Greek American Legacy Association (GALA).
The meeting was significant despite its modest size, as it marked the first time many of the college’s Greek students from across Chicago came together to connect over their culture and heritage. Other universities, such as the University of Chicago, Loyola University Chicago, the University of Illinois Chicago, and DePaul University, have active chapters of the Hellenic Student Association, a national organization with a similar purpose to GALA.
At the University of Chicago’s HSA, events include movie screenings, such as Zorba the Greek and Man of God, guest speakers, and dinners. For UChicago sophomore Alexandra Matthews, the main focus is the connections she makes with other students at these meetings.
“There was one event where they had a really big turnout, bigger than usual,” Matthews said. “I went with one other friend who was Greek, and we just hung out. It was fun to have an event where I could actually socialize with people. There were people I didn’t know were Greek, and they were there.”
Meeting Greeks in Chicago
Through events such as these, Matthews has been able to meet other Greeks—who then became close friends and acquaintances—on campus.
“Someone lives across the hall from me who’s Greek. I’m not super close with him, but we text each other to see if we’re going to the upcoming HSA event,” Matthews said. “I definitely have made very real friendships. You make some friendships where you didn’t talk to someone for a long time at an event, but then recognize them on campus and say hi.”
Despite the resources available to Greek college students in Chicago, the transition to college and unfamiliarity with the local Greek community can make forming these friendships difficult.
Loyola University sophomore Taia Bissias was active in her Greek community in Los Angeles. However, finding other Greeks required extra effort, making it harder to connect with her identity after having strong ties to her church growing up.
“I was a scared little freshman. Everyone was nice, but I didn’t have my footing yet,” she said. “Staying connected has been more difficult because I’m in a new place. I’m still navigating and testing the waters. I’m still trying to find my community.”
Despite the difficulties in finding a “parea,” the Greek term for a friend group or companionship, other students find that shared Greek values make connecting natural.
“The Greek environment is a very nurturing one,” Matthews said. “Being in a Greek community emulates that feeling you may have had at your church or Greek school growing up. You have a home away from home.”
Kallioras builds on this, tying it to the idea or moral code of “philoxenia,” which literally translates to “love of the foreign” in Greek.
“It comes from being open,” Kallioras said. “Philoxenia is where you invite people in, whether that’s into your house or your personality. We love to have a good time. We take things lightly. We’re just here enjoying the moment.”
Some students choose to connect with other Greeks outside of campus organizations, often finding others through social media or mutual connections. This is the case for Georgopoulou, who has yet to attend an OCF or GALA meeting. Instead, she connected with a Northwestern Greek on Instagram and expanded her network from there.
“We started talking, and then I asked her if she knew any other Greek people,” Georgopoulou said. “She told me she does. We made a group chat on WhatsApp and found a date to meet up.”
Greek students in Chicago forge these connections outside of campus organizations by drawing from specific cultural aspects that resonate with them the most. Northwestern freshman Lydia Georgopoulou, an international student, occasionally sings Greek music with friends to find cultural and social fulfillment.
“Ever since I came to the US, I started listening to Greek music almost every day,” she said. “I listen to Anna Vissi on repeat.”
Matthews, on the other hand, often relates to other Greek-American students’ experiences in Greek schools. The Greek school typically takes place one or two days a week in a church, and students of all ages can come to learn about the language and culture.
“I feel like everyone has funny stuff that happened to them during Greek school,” Matthews said. “One of my best friends and I first started to bond because we were talking about funny memories. We were laughing really hard. That’s when we clicked. Every Greek kid has a similar upbringing in many ways.”
In addition to HSA and GALA, which are both ethnicity-based, there are chapters of Orthodox Christian Fellowship at the aforementioned universities. In addition to the chapters, OCF Chicago unites Orthodox students, many of whom are Greek, from the wider area of Chicago to attend religious events in the city.
“We do events with OCF Chicago all the time. They’re definitely connected,” Matthews said. “There’s a church near campus that OCF will go to every Sunday. Anyone who wants to go can carpool with other people.”
Connecting with an ethnic identity evidently takes work, but it’s scientifically proven to be worth it. According to a 2022 study by Eirini Gallou, a professor at the University of Strathclyde Glasgow and a native Greek, connection to heritage improves social and general well-being. Bissias’ unique relationship with her Greek culture exemplifies this.
“It’s a very special feeling when you feel comfortable belonging to a culture,” she said. “Whenever I am around Greek people in Chicago or people are speaking Greek, it does give me a sense of comfort. It’s very different from what I’m used to. There’s nothing like it.”
By Stephania Kontopanos
