Group Maintenance and Ethnic Commitment

Greek Canadians have sought to preserve their Hellenic heritage in Canada through the formation of ethnic institutions. Most have retained their native language, married within the ethnic group, and supported community religious and secular organizations. Provincial and federal grants since 1970 have helped them to organize and operate Greek schools, festivals, folk-dance groups, social services, seminars, and conferences.

Leaders of organizations and cultural programs tend to be influential members of the community. Prior to 1939 most decision makers had relatively little schooling but were successful small businessmen. However, after the war, and especially after the late 1960s, younger immigrants with more education and new ideas started to penetrate the administrative structure of Greek communities and cultural associations in particular. Though women are underrepresented in these high positions, they play a central role in organizing cultural events – ethnic festivals, fund-raising events, ethnic and religious celebrations, folk dancing, and language schools.

The Greek Writers Association of Montreal was founded in 1979 to promote Greek literature and cultural activities in Montreal. It has published poetry collections and novels and organized conferences and symposia on Greek writers, often in cooperation with the Department of Modern Greek Studies at the Université de Montréal.

The Centre for Hellenic Studies and Research in Montreal, founded in 1980, studies issues important to Greeks in Greece and abroad, especially in Canada. It has initiated research projects and organized conferences and seminars in collaboration with universities, particularly the Université de Montréal. From 1983 to 1985 it launched the bilingual academic journal Études helleniques/Hellenic Studies. Government cuts have reduced the centre’s activities, and it suspended publication of its journal from 1986 to 1993 before reviving it in 1994.

Despite past efforts, Greek Canadians are uncertain about the future of Hellenism in Canada. The number of Greek immigrants to Canada fell sharply after 1981. Exogamy is steadily on the increase, especially among the second and third generations. De-emphasis on multiculturalism has been indicated by cuts of government grants for heritage-language schools and the increasing number of Canadians rejecting the policy of multiculturalism, particularly funding of ethnocultural organizations and programs. Membership and participation in the ethnic group are declining, mainly because of greater upward mobility. In the past, segregation, discrimination, and lower status gave rise to an ethnic infrastructure, but movement from entrance status to the middle class has reduced the need for ethnic institutions. Greek identity is changing and means different things to different generations; second- and third-generation Canadians tend to retain the customs and traditions that are meaningful to them, including religious beliefs and practices, Greek food and entertainment, and even those involving family cohesion and spiritual relationships. More generally, globalization of culture through communications, technology, and economic interdependence makes it more difficult for ethnic groups to maintain their cultural identity in a rapidly changing world.