Still believe the Australian census figures?

[fyrOM]

I know what you mean Rogi…I don’t just belive anyone or anything…but there is usually a little bit of truth in every great lie.

[Soldier of Macedon]

After about 3-4 generations most people's knowledge of Macedonian is probably limited to dedo and baba, especially in the case of Aegean Macedonians, who came here mostly in the 1950s and 1960s.

You're making an incorrect generalisation here based on your own assumption, and it's wrong, besides, your 3-4 generation example can be applied to Macedonians from the republic also. I know several Egejci, half of which are light-weight 'grkomani' that can easily be turned back to the truth, who have been here for 3 generations and the last of them speak Macedonian as good as I do. If you were brought up in an area where Egejci and Macedonians from the republic regularly interacted, you would know exactly what I am talking about.

In the context of Aegean Macedonia, i think maybe 3-4 generations of Grkomans where the Macedonian language/customs have been completely lost and where intermarriage with Greeks/Prosfyges is likely to have occured.

That's another generalisation, and I know for a fact that this is not the case across the board.

I cannot acknowledge/do not recognise the alleged 'Greekness' of a billingual person who is "Macedonian 99% of the time".

Good to hear, neither can I.

The fact is that they are not Macedonians, and if they were, then they would acknowledge this and write it in the census.

There are reasons why some don't declare as such, most of them stemming from ignorance. These people are not yet lost to the Macedonian nation.

[Mastika]

You're making an incorrect generalisation here based on your own assumption, and it's wrong, besides, your 3-4 generation example can be applied to Macedonians from the republic also. I know several Egejci, half of which are light-weight 'grkomani' that can easily be turned back to the truth, who have been here for 3 generations and the last of them speak Macedonian as good as I do. If you were brought up in an area where Egejci and Macedonians from the republic regularly interacted, you would know exactly what I am talking about.

The longer period of time which Aegean Macedonians have been living in Australia (on average) has led to them becoming faced with greater pressures to assimilate. You are correct in saying that the logic can also be applied to Macedonians from RoM, it was not meant to be 'Egejci-specific'.

It is good that there are some Macedonians who are 3rd generation in Australia who speak Macedonian as well as you do, however the vast majority do not (yes, i know this is a generalisation, but it is generally the case). Across the board among the younger generations understanding of the Macedonian language is declining, Macedonian language classes are shrinking, etc., and many members of the 3rd/4th generation struggles to put a couple of sentences together.

That's another generalisation, and I know for a fact that this is not the case across the board.

It is, however in most cases once intermarriage and loss of language has occured, it is unlikely for the family to contine to identify [strongly] with their Macedonian roots. As with all things, there are some exceptions (like the forum goer here from Aegean Macedonia who was involved with the Macedonian newspaper from Voden, who despite not knowing Macedonian was proud of her heritage).

There are reasons why some don't declare as such, most of them stemming from ignorance. These people are not yet lost to the Macedonian nation.

The Macedonian community in Australia is finding it harder and harder each year to organise gatherings and activities, etc. for people who acknowledge that they are of Macedonian descent. Our community does not have the vitality to go on an ideological crusade to bring these people back to the Macedonian nation. We need to focus firstly and foremost on those who acknowledge their Macedonian identity/heritage, however due to personal reasons and the pressures of assimilation are gradually drifting away from the Macedonian community.

[VMRO]

It's so unfortunate that these people were forcibly assimilated, often with violence, but they nevertheless feel ethnically Greek now. They are not Macedonians.

Deni, what are they if they don't feel Macedonian?