Driving Question: How can we define the parameters of ‘Greekness’ in modern Greek society?

Giannis Antetokoumpo Case Study

• He’s one of the most celebrated basketball player in this era but growing up in Greece he was considered a foreigner
  • Faced racist attacks
  • Threats of deportation
  • Had never even been to Nigeria
• Life is incredibly hard for African immigrants in Greece who can’t get legal residency or citizenship which denies healthcare, jobs, and ability to play sports
  • He only got citizenship 6 years ago
• Now that Giannis is all popular, some Greeks embrace only him
  • But racism still is rampant with a sport commentator calling Giannis’s brother a monkey
• I think Giannis is Greek culturally, socially, and legally because the only culture he has been immersed in and understands since youth is Greek, but I don’t think Giannis is Greek by blood since his ancestry is Nigerian. But the only person who can decide who he truly is, is Giannis himself.

Who and What is Greek

Someone can be Greek nationalistically, socially, culturally, or ancestrally. They could also be a combination of some or all these factors. Someone who is a nationalistic Greek is one who’s passport is Greek. Someone who is socially Greek is someone who has been immersed in Greek culture to the point where the way they interact with others is set by Greek social norms. Someone who is culturally Greek is one who participates in characteristically Greek cultural events, listens to Greek music, wears Greek fashion, eats Greek food, and is somewhat knowledgable of Greek history because of spending a considerable amount of time in the country (especially form a young age). Someone who is ancestrally Greek has a substantial evidence of close family lineage is be traced back to Greece.

Who and What is European

Someone who is European can be European in a legal context, as in, their passport notes that their nationality is from a European context. Someone can be European in a social context by leading life in the social norms of the European country they are from since they’ve spent a considerable amount of time in the country. Someone can be European ancestrally because they have substantial evidence of a close family lineage from a European country.