Category: Writers Block
I wrote this on the 27th of March, two days after Independence Day, and have been trying to decide whether I should post it here since then. After all, most here know how I feel about Greece. But this explains why I actually call myself a Greek and not merely a lover of the culture and country, so it's a bit different from the "Don't Call me an American" essay.
Several people have asked me why I call myself an Ellinida (Greek woman) and not a Philhellene (lover of Greek things). At first, the question makes sense. After all, there are plenty of people with no Hellenic blood who love Greek things. My first response is usually that I would be willing to give my life for Hellas and that most who simply enjoy Hellenic things don't feel this way. But this is not entirely true. There were many who fought and died in the War of Independence and/or who supported it in other ways who didn't share any Hellenic blood. At first, this presented me with a quandary. What would they be considered and am I like them or am I something different? Eventually, the answer came to me. While these Philhellenes must be honoured and respected as vital to the victory over the Ottomans, most went home after independence was won. Most didn't consider themselves Greeks, but rather, saw themselves as fighting to help reserect the ideals of the ancient past. To them, it was a romantic venture, in the sense of the movement of Romanticism. This is not altogether bad, as we needed help and it is always a good idea to remember our glorious past. Yet this love of all things Hellenic gradually faded as other issues came to take it's place. It's like the enviromentalists who join the Save the Whales campaign one year and then another to outlaw fox hunting the next. Some do it to stay trendy and others simply feel that one should take precidence over the other. It doesn't make them bad, as they're sticking to their ideals, but many join the causes which they feel deserve the most attention and which are overlooked. When a cause is won, even when there is still much to do, some of these will still move on. But for the real patriots, even when they later saw how bad things were becoming, they didn't abandon hope or Hellas. One could argue that this is because they were natives of the country, but if they seriously wanted to move to a "better" place, they could have done so in most cases.
Most modern Philhellenes come in three types, from what I've observed. The first is basically the tourist. Perhaps, he/she went there and liked the food, the music or the history of the culture. This type might return there yearly or may just go once or twice, have fond memories of the country and talk about it with his/her friends. The second type is the scholar. This person appreciates the language, be it modern, ancient or both, the history and the importance that the ancient Hellenes played in shaping Western society. He/she may even take an interest in the modern state. But when it comes down to it, he/she still doesn't consider him/herself to be a Greek. If there was a war between his/her native country and Greece, most of the time, this type of Philhellene would support the country of his/her birth and/or residence. The third type is much closer to the way that I feel, but still lacks one or two very important elements. This person has gained Hellenic citizenship or wishes to live there but still doesn't consider Hellas to be his/her country. He/she may or may not get involved in any conflicts with other nations and may or may not involve him/herself in the politics of Hellas.
I, on the other hand, feel in my soul that Hellas is my country and I would support no other. I love it for both the ancient and the modern culture, in times of good and of bad, and if given the chance to live there, I wouldn't leave unless there was a very good reason to do so, like a witch hunt of the blind or something just as unlikely. I see myself as a member of the diaspora who wants to return home one day, only I don't have the blood which many consider necessary for me to make that claim. Yet my mother was born in Italy, came here as a child and considers herself to be an American. I agree with her completely, as does all who know her. She exemplifies what one should be and loves this country over all others and doesn't even want to travel to see other parts of the world, not because she's closed-minded but because she simply has no interest and would rather travel cross country and see what's here. This fact and my own feelings about Hellas is why I often say things like "we", "our" and "my country", though of course, I don't say "here" because I'm not there yet. But my patriotism hasn't blinded me to reality. I am more than willing to discuss the shortcomings and flaws of my country in a civilised and critical manner, even if it makes me angry and emotional at the situation. But I also become very defensive when, without cause or logical backing and not in a joking manner, someone says bad things about Greece or Greeks in general. This national pride can also lead to much pain and hardship as I'm more affected by bad things in Hellas than most, particularly if they're disasters like fires and floods or seriously bad political scandals, of which there have recently been many.
In conclusion, this is why I don't simply call myself a Philhellene. Some people may disagree, but I think that it's the heart and soul that determines who and what you are, rather than only the blood or place of birth.
Very interesting, Eleni. And yes, I agree...if you've the soul and heart of a Greek, then you're a Greek. It's all about what's in the heart and soul that counts, in my opinion.