Greek Orthodox Education in New York City: Mapping the Greek Diaspora

Scholars working in the fields of immigration, religion, and ethnicity have moved beyond older models of assimilation by employing transnational and diaspora frameworks in studying immigrant communities in the United States. These frameworks have not readily made their way into the subfield of history and education, where the secondary literature continues to give urgent attention to the public schools and the ideals they have yet to fulfill in terms of offering an equal education to all children (Reese, 2005). While scholarly interest in religious educational alternatives continues to grow, particularly among Catholic, Jewish, Protestant, and more recently, Muslim educational configurations, the current historiography has yet to grapple with the rich and dynamic intersection of religion, immigration, and education over the course of the twentieth century (Carper & Hunt, 2007; Ravitch, 2003; Fraser,1999;).

The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America offers a compelling example of an understudied religion and religious institution that has sought to sustain linguistic, cultural, and religious education for over one hundred years in the US. Drawing predominantly from the archival repository of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese in New York City, this poster session illuminates the complexities of one of the Greek Orthodox Church’s most enduring institutions, the afternoon language and parochial schools as they emerged in New York City in the twentieth century. Investing these schools with the work of ethnic survival, while not a new phenomenon among European immigrant groups of the early 1900s, became a long-term undertaking for Greek Americans and the Greek Orthodox Church.

Using digital humanities tools (MapHub and Omeka) to map and narrate the growth of the afternoon language schools and parochial schools in New York City broadens our understanding of the Greek diaspora community. The historical narrative reveals that settlement patterns among Greek immigrants throughout the five boroughs consistently bolstered church and school community growth. While the passage of federal immigration laws in 1924 halted immigration from southeastern European countries, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese was formally incorporated in New York City during this time period and located its headquarters in Manhattan, in close proximity to the largest number of churches, schools, and Greek immigrant population. While the Archdiocese focused on the growth of Greek language and parochial schools, New York City experienced a severe economic crisis that began in the post-war period and culminated in the 1970s, just as a new Greek immigrant population began arriving and settling. The time, effort, and financial investment that was channeled into building and expanding parochial and afternoon schools was sustained in most church communities despite the accelerating urban decline which prompted migration to the suburbs.

This research details on a granular level the settlement patterns of Greeks in New York City through their schools and churches and in light of the larger socioeconomic issues facing the New York metropolitan area. In a broader sense, it is a case study for how we can understand the workings of diaspora communities through patterns of religious and educational communal institutions.