Eva Boleti was born and raised in Athens, and she has lived in Spain, Monaco, Belgium, Portugal, and Vietnam where she studied, worked, and volunteered in cultures, arts, and languages.

Eva holds a Bachelor of Arts in French Language and Literature from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, a Master’s in Cultural Studies from the Catholic University of Portugal, and a Master’s in Secondary Education with a focus on Greek, French, ESL/DL, and Society and Culture from Western Sydney University.

She is currently based in Sydney, Australia, where she is a PhD researcher in the areas of Greek diaspora at the University of Sydney. Eva’s interests among others include history of arts, diaspora, ethnography, nostalgia, homemaking, memory, and linguistics.

Keywords: Immigration and Diaspora; Diasporic Studies; Greece & Australia; Transgenerational Identities; Memory.

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Exploring Greek-Australian Transgenerational Identities Through Nostalgia

My research is driven not merely by academic curiosity but by a personal impetus. It explores the familial narrative of my grandparents, who, after enduring the hardships of the post-WWII era, emigrated from rural Peloponnese to Australia in 1958. Over two decades, they established themselves through diligent work, owning fruit shops and News agencies in Bowral, New South Wales. Subsequently, in the 1980s they resettled in Greece with their two daughters, navigating a complex process of adaptation within Athens' distinct socioeconomic and sociocultural milieu, contrasting it with their rural Peloponnesian roots.

As a third generation (repatriated) Greek Australian, I have navigated the complexities of dual identity through the immigration experiences of my grandparents, mother, and aunt, as well as through my own cyclical re-immigration or, as I will mention later, through my repatriation. This journey has inspired my research on the understudied area of third-generation Greek Australians and their connections to their historical homeland, focusing on their nostalgia. My research findings will contribute to our understanding of this cohort.

Multiculturalism, provenance, identity, and domicile constitute key elements within the discourse surrounding the conceptualisation of “Australianness.” The examination of Australian identity is intricately enmeshed with two major historical phenomena—migration and colonization. Against the backdrop of these interwoven historical occurrences and the consequential termination of exclusionary policies, such as the White Australia Policy, the preeminent presence of Greek Australians emerges as dynamic contributors to the nation’s collective social and cultural identity.

To investigate the Greek presence in Australia, particularly through the lens of affective relationships between Australia and Greece, it is important to examine how these relationships are shaped by nostalgia and how they affect the transgenerational identities of Greek Australians. The main research question focuses on understanding how nostalgia for Greece impacts the identity formation of Greek Australians across the most recent three different generations. This analysis will explore three generational waves of Greek Australians, starting with the large migration influx after World War II.

For the first generation of Greek Australians, who arrived in the post WWII period, nostalgia is closely tied to their search for a better life in Australia.

The second generation, born and raised in Australia, faces a somehow complex relationship with Greece. While influenced by their parents’ nostalgia, their own sense of identity is often characterized by a hybrid blend of their Greek heritage and their Australian experiences. This generation may experience nostalgia for Greece through family stories, despite having never lived there personally. It is crucial to refer to the severe racism the second generation faced, which often made the expression of their Greek identity, including language, music, and food, less common. In other words, their Greek identity was often masked.

By the third generation, although the connection to Greece might be expected to become even more abstract, this generation often reflects their grandparents’ nostalgia in a new way. With the decline of social racism in Australia, the third generation re-engages with Greek heritage in a manner that feels like a revival of their grandparents' romanticized nostalgia.

The primary aim of this research is to investigate how nostalgia influences the identities and experiences of Greek Australians across three different generations. Nostalgia, as a socio-emotional and cultural phenomenon, serves as a key analytical device because it encapsulates the longing for one’s homeland and the impact of migration on collective and personal identity.

This research utilizes an interdisciplinary methodology incorporating anthropology, history, sociology, cultural studies, and philosophy to comprehensively analyze the experiences of Greek Australians. To enrich the qualitative fabric of this study, a variety of archival materials is employed, providing a comprehensive backdrop to the primary data. This includes photographs, correspondence, and diaries sourced from significant repositories such as the State Library of New South Wales, the Dardalis Archives of the Hellenic Diaspora at La Trobe University, the Greek Centre of Melbourne, the National Library of Australia, and the extensive archives of the Hellenic Historic and Cultural Centre.

The core of the research involves primary sources on immigration, particularly focusing on semi-structured interviews with twenty-one Greek Australians. These interviews were pivotal for obtaining personal accounts of lived experiences that reflect how nostalgia affects contemporary Greek Australian identities. This dual approach ensures a multi-dimensional understanding of the migration experience and its lasting effects on identity formation.

The semi-structured nature of the interviews allows participants to share their stories in their own words, offering personalized insights into their migration experiences, cultural practices, and the role of nostalgia. This method provides a platform for participants to express their views and emotions in a way that structured surveys might not, thus enriching the qualitative data collected.

Understanding how nostalgia shapes the identities of Greek Australians offers insights not only into individual experiences but also into broader dynamics within multicultural Australia. By elucidating the complex relationship between nostalgia, migration, and identity, this research wishes to contribute to the growing discourse on multiculturalism and belonging in Australia.

At a public level, the findings can inform community programs aimed at fostering cultural integration of newly arriving immigrants and understanding of the issues they confront. As Greek Australians navigate their identities in a contemporary context, insights derived from this research can assist in bridging generational gaps, promoting intergenerational dialogue as well as reinforcing cultural heritage. The role of nostalgia in maintaining ties to cultural roots has implications for social cohesion, particularly in a rapidly globalizing world.

Growing up as a third-generation Greek Australian, I have witnessed firsthand the challenges and triumphs of navigating a dual identity. The stories of my grandparents and their resilience in the face of adversity resonate with me and inform my understanding of belonging. This connection drives my desire to contribute to the academic discourse on migration and identity, particularly focusing on the often-overlooked third generation.

As I embark on this research journey, I am motivated by the need to explore how nostalgia serves as both a bridge and a barrier for Greek Australians in maintaining their cultural heritage while integrating into Australian society.

Despite the genuineness and physical vulnerability of the data collected, a significant challenge faced during the research process was the emotional nature of the interviews. Many participants shared deeply personal stories of longing, loss, and adaptation, which sometimes resulted in emotional responses during the sessions. Managing these emotional dynamics while ensuring that the interviews remained productive required adaptability and sensitivity.

An additional methodological challenge involved, the deterioration of archival materials posed a challenge for transcription and interpretation. Some letters and diaries were difficult to read, which sometimes impacted the depth of analysis. However, these challenges reinforced the importance of employing a robust methodological approach that included both personal narratives and archival research to enrich the study’s findings.

October 13, 2024