Hehr 1

The Unification of the Greek Community in America

Aneesh Hehr
Honors 1000: Dr. Buccellato
27 October 2015

The calluses on Manos Laganas hand were unfamiliar to the texture of soft bread and
fried potatoes. They were a mark of the Lagana blood line, a family tree exclusively filled with
farmers.1 However, making a livable wage was becoming harder in Greece. Luckily, he made the
decision to move to America and relocated his immediate family (his parents) in 1921.
Furthermore, he was tired of seeing his father dedicate 14 hours of work in the fields to get very
little in return.2 With each generation the Lagana name became less and less prosperous. Manos
wanted to be the one to break the pattern. He had heard stories from his cousin, Alexander, about
the rich opportunity in America while growing up in Dara, a small village in southern Greece.
Alexander was a florist in New York who had helped Manos get to America. He even offered
him a place to stay. However, pride dictated that Manos should make his own living in Detroit, as
1 Marios Stephanides, Greeks and Cypriots, Michigan History Magazine Volume 56 Issue 2
(1972): 134
2 Ibid

Hehr 2
he hated relying on anyone else. Furthermore, he did not venture into America with blind hope
that he would stumble across riches. Manos had a rough idea that he would obtain a job with
Ford, however that did not work out (more on that later). Despite this drawback, he found many
reasons to stay in America. Many of these reasons came from his bond with his community. He
had great pride in his country, which was a common link between him and the Greek immigrants
in Detroit. Manos knew one thing for certain, regardless of how many years he or the Greeks
around him spent in America, they would always introduce themselves as Greek first and then as
an American.
Manos was nearing the end of another 12 hour shift at Coney Island.3 After finishing his
shift he bade farewell to the owner of Coney Island, Gust Keros, and made his way home. When
he was out of sight from the restaurant, he made an obscene gesture to both the restaurant and the
owner. He hated everything about the place, including the texture of the grinded meat and the
odor of the entire staff working in a scorching kitchen. Serving dishes with hot dogs and fries
made him want to hurt someone. However, he often blamed the food for the underlying problem.
When he took the job, he did not expect Keros to favor him over his other employees. However,
Manos was treated like complete garbage. He was accused for mistakes he never made, simply
because Keros did not want to offend his other workers. The fact that Gust was Greek only added
to Manos frustration. He assumed that he would understand the hardships that a fellow Greek
immigrant faced, but instead Manos found him to be a cruel man who forgot his roots.
As he was walking home, he muttered in his native tongue, If I have to work another
day in that hell hole, I swear I will grab a hot dog and shove it so far down Keros throat that
Before finishing his sentence, he was intercepted by a dirty glare from a fruit stand owner.
Manos had not grown accustomed to the fact that the English speaking natives despised hearing

3 Joe Grim, The Coney Capital of America, Michigan History (2012): 49

Hehr 3
anything but English. Ever since he heard about the attack on Italian immigrants, anxiety filled
him anytime he had to walk long distances.4 However, he could navigate the city of Detroit
relatively quickly, as if he was raised in it. The city had a very logical organization that could be
easily traversed, as if it was grid.5 Despite the enormous population, Manos never felt
overcrowded or congested as he did when living in Greece. It was a part of the city that he
grudgingly admired. Furthermore, he was often awestruck when he had to strain his neck to view
the tops of buildings, as the industrialization of Detroit showed no signs of stopping.6
While he admired certain aspects of the city, he hated his job. Manos original plan was to get a
job with Ford. He heard that with a bit of manual labour each day, he could earn a steady living.7
However, he was infuriated when he was denied the job due to his inability to speak English.8 On
top of that, it was given to a Turkish man. During this time, tensions existed between Turkey and
Greece.9 Thus, he wanted nothing more than to knock out the set of teeth he saw gleaming
through the mans spiteful grin. However, he refrained himself. Instead, he used that as
motivation to learn English. He filled his house with dictionaries, literature and news articles so
that he could become proficient in reading and writing English. He even tried to hold
conversations with vendors on the street to get a better grasp on the language.
In the meantime, he swallowed his pride and took a job at Coney Island, as the owner
was Greek. That was another thing that Manos found astonishing. He had packed up his things,
4Italian-Under Attack Immigration- Teacher Resources Library of Congress. Web. 12
Oct 2015
5 Witold, Rybczynski, City Life (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1995), 45.
6 Scott Martelle, Detroit { A Biography } (Chicago: Chicago Review Press, 2012), 101.
7 Ibid., 74
8 Ibid., 87
9 Where Greek and Turk Lock Horns, Detroit Free Press, 4 Dec. 1921, pg. E27

Hehr 4
traveled thousands of miles by boat to a foreign land, but there were times where he felt as if he
was still in Greece. In fact, he experienced this every time he went to Annunciation Church on
Broadway Street.10 When he attended church, he remembered the warnings that the elderly folk
in his village had given; If you move away from your mother land, you will be nurturing an
entire generation of children who do not know their language or culture! However he saw
children that knew the culture just as much as he did, if not more. They understood their identity
and culture even after learning American customs and tradition.11 Even though he noticed
American culture integrated in the lives of the kids, he never saw the pride in their community
falter.12 While they stitched themselves to the American flag, they ensured that the Greek identity
was attached with them.
By the time Manos reached home, his parents were fast asleep. The route to Monroe
Avenue and St. Antoines street remained the same, but he stayed out later every day. He never
got lost, he just found himself exploring the city. Manos was looking for a reason to stay in
America, to dispel the awful treatment that he received at work. Manos promised himself that the
day he could not find a reason, he would pack up his things and admit to his parents that he made
mistake. However, tonight he found his reason in the form of a news article while practising his
reading comprehension. He noticed that a committee of Greek-American aid was sending clothes
to Smyrna (which used to be a part of Greece) and the committee was composed of an equal

10 Marios Stephanides, Greeks and Cypriots, Michigan History Magazine Volume 56 Issue 2
(1972): 137
11 Craig R. Humphrey and Helen Brock Louis, Assimilation and Voting Behavior: A study of
Greek-Americans, The International Migration Review Volume 7 Issue 1 (1973): 37
12 Anastasia Christou and Russel King, Migrants Encounter Migrants in the City: the Changing
Context of Home for Second-Generation Greek-American Return Migrants, International
Journal of Urban and Regional Research Volume 30 Issue 4 (2006): 822

Hehr 5
number of Greek and American women.13 The term equal stood out to Manos. To him, this is was
a sign that Greek Immigrants were beginning to form a voice in the community. Moreover,
Greek Americans were participating in democratic social space. Opportunities like this helped
familiarize them with American customs and help their own people at the same time. He placed
the newspaper down and fell asleep with a satisfied smile.
He woke up the next day to a knocking sound at his door. He answered door and was met
with a tight embrace. It is so good to see you Manos! exclaimed the man at the door. Manos
recognized the deep, booming voice. Alexander, its been so long. Forgive my manners, but
what the hell are you doing in Detroit? After inviting Alexander into his home, his cousin began
to explain how his floral business did not achieve the success he had hoped for. Nobody
appreciates a beautiful bouquet of flowers anymore, it seems like all anyone cares about is
working and buying a car!14 Even with the unfortunate news, Alexander had a huge grin on his
face. Despite that slight inconvenience, I managed to sell the shop to an old couple for a lot
more money than I got it for. Manos was happy to hear that his cousin now had a small fortune
to his name. Since he had money, Manos thought that Alexander would move back to Greece,
like so many others Greek immigrants.15 Instead Alexander had a proposition that caught Manos
off guard. He revealed the true nature of his visit and said, Listen cousin, I was thinking that this
is the perfect opportunity to establish the Lagana name. Lets open up a restaurant. The idea
seemed crazy at first, but the more Manos thought about it the more it made sense. Whenever he

13 On Committee for Greek-American Aid, Detroit Free Press, Nov. 19 1922, pg. 15
14 Scott Martelle, Detroit { A Biography } (Chicago: Chicago Review Press, 2012), 95.
15 Stavros K. Frangos, Greeks in Michigan (East Lansing: Michigan State University Press,
2004), 16.

Hehr 6
saw examples of other Greek Americans, he always saw a common trait. They were all enduring.
Despite cultural and language barriers, they could establish themselves in a foreign land.16
This aspiration to start something new was not very common in Greece, as many of the
immigrants came from generations of poor families. Thus, Manos viewed this entrepreneurship
as an acquired American trait. Perhaps this trait was a necessary addition for the evolution of a
Greek immigrant in America. After a couple minutes of reflection, Manos replied, Well
Alexander, I work long hours at a job I hate under a boss who is a disgrace to all Greeks. I also
have my parents living with me and very little money to my name. When can we start? During
his entire stay in America, Manos always looked to other Greek Americans to provide him with a
reason to stay. For once he could be the one providing the reason for other Greeks, if not through
his success then definitely through his food.
Bibliography
Christou, Anastasia, and Russel King, Migrants Encounter Migrants in the City: the Changing
Context of Home for Second-Generation Greek-American Return Migrants.
International Journal of Urban and Regional Research Volume 30 Issue 4 (2006): 816835.
Frangos, Stavros. Greeks in Michigan. East Lansing: Michigan State University Press, 2004.
Grim, Joe The Coney Capital of America. Michigan History (2012): 49-52.
Humphrey, Craig, and Helen Brock Louis, Assimilation and Voting Behavior: A study of
Greek-Americans. The International Migration Review Volume 7 Issue 1 (1973): 34-45.
Italian-Under Attack Immigration- Teacher Resources Library of Congress. Accessed
October 12, 2015.
Martelle, Scott. Detroit: A Biography. Chicago: Chicago Review Press, 2012.
Moskos, Charles. Greek Americans: Struggle and Success. New Jersey: Transaction Publishers,
1989.

16 Charles C. Moskos, Greek Americans: Struggle and Success (New Jersey: Transaction
Publishers, 1989) 185.

Hehr 7
On Committee for Greek-American Aid. Detroit Free Press, Nov. 19 1922.
Rybczynski, Witold. City Life. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1995.
Stephanides, Marios Greeks and Cypriots. Michigan History Magazine Volume 56 Issue 2
(1972): 131-150.
Where Greek and Turk Lock Horns. Detroit Free Press, 4 Dec. 1921.