REMINDER! Australia Census - Macedonians in Australia

[Phoenix]

Originally Posted by lerin

Yes but phoenix that is exactly my point i am not talking about people who originate from the republic i am talking about those who come from lerin or surrounding areas not from in the republic. These people are all grkomani i would say alms t 100%. Some of these families are, the paras, pateras, paraskevas, kreskas, sfetcopolous etc. You would be very hard pressed to find someone who originated form lerin or aegean who is not grkoman:: good luck more chance winning tatts. Ps they all make me sick. Cant speak greek to save themselves but still call themselves greek. It is a disease.

Fair enough, the really sad thing is that some if not many of those grkomani aren't even from as 'far away' as Lerin, many (most) are actually from villages a stones throw away from Dragos(h)...on the other side of the border...places like Sveti Petka and Rako...

You're right about not many of them knowing greek...A friend of mine from Shep was recounting a story about the grkomani funding a 'greek' school in Shep and when they sent their young kids there to learn 'greek' the kids nearly rebelled after their first 'lesson'...these grkoman children thought that the langauge they spoke at home (Macedonian) was the 'real' greek and when confronted with (proper) greek at school they considered it totally foreign...fuckin' peanuts...lol

I also remember a story my late grandmother told about some woman who considerd herself 'greek' but couldn't understand neither written nor spoken greek...she would come to my grandmother with letters written in greek for my grandmother to translate for her...go figure...

What I find really sad is that I can almost forgive an illiterate old woman who hasn't got any life experiences beyond her little village for being so foolish but I can't forgive the 2nd and 3rd generations in the 20th and 21st centuries living a world away in Shep (or elsewhere) for the same lunacy...

[lerin]

ye phoenix your stories are sad. I also can't understand the young ones in sheep this is people in their late teens to early 20s who identify as greek. How they do this is beyond me. It is like the fact that their parents and grandparents hardly speak greek is irrelevant and the fact their parents and grandparents speak macedonian does not seem to make them think? hang on my parents and grandparents don't speak greek wtf maybe I'm not greek?. They will call their grandparents baba and dedo then still say they are greek. I think a lot of it has to do obviously with the parents but hey anyone with half a brain regardless of their parents could work out they are macedonian and not greek.. It just never ceases to amaze me with these young ones how they can't see this.

[Phoenix]

Originally Posted by lerin

ye phoenix your stories are sad. I also can't understand the young ones in sheep this is people in their late teens to early 20s who identify as greek. How they do this is beyond me. It is like the fact that their parents and grandparents hardly speak greek is irrelevant and the fact their parents and grandparents speak macedonian does not seem to make them think? hang on my parents and grandparents don't speak greek wtf maybe I'm not greek?. They will call their grandparents baba and dedo then still say they are greek. I think a lot of it has to do obviously with the parents but hey anyone with half a brain regardless of their parents could work out they are macedonian and not greek.. It just never ceases to amaze me with these young ones how they can't see this.

You shouldn't be amazed Lerin, didn't you say that you had grkoman relatives, if so you should understand completely this madness...I have grkoman relatives, doesn't surprise me at all...

[EgejskaMakedonia]

Originally Posted by lerin

It just never ceases to amaze me with these young ones how they can't see this.

From personal experience, I think the older generations of grkomani (the stari) are by far the worst. These people were probably severely brainwashed and threatened by the Greek authorities and that is understandable, but when they emigrate they keep this 'Greek' mentality and pass it on to subsequent generations.

The majority of these people would be well aware that they are living under a false identity, and in many instances they tend to be the most anti-Macedonian of the lot.

Although younger generations of grkomani in the diaspora have wider access to information, they probably believe they are 'Greek,' not just act it. This is a direct result of the mentality being passed down. In Greece the circumstances are different, but within the diaspora it is amazing why this still occurs.

That said, many of the stari deserve a lot of praise. They are the reason why so many Macedonians have maintained a strong connection with their identity. They suffered from Greek oppression first hand, yet managed to proudly pass on their heritage. That says a lot about a persons character and sense of identity.

It's a damn shame though that so many Macedonians 'turned Greek.' If these people truly appreciated and treasured their identity, they would have found out the truth by now. It's often strange to think that a relative or fellow Macedonian thinks of you and your people as enemies...when at the end of the day they are nashi.

[machorot]

Originally Posted by EgejskaMakedonia

From personal experience, I think the older generations of grkomani (the stari) are by far the worst. These people were probably severely brainwashed and threatened by the Greek authorities and that is understandable, but when they emigrate they keep this 'Greek' mentality and pass it on to subsequent generations.

The majority of these people would be well aware that they are living under a false identity, and in many instances they tend to be the most anti-Macedonian of the lot.

Although younger generations of grkomani in the diaspora have wider access to information, they probably believe they are 'Greek,' not just act it. This is a direct result of the mentality being passed down. In Greece the circumstances are different, but within the diaspora it is amazing why this still occurs.

That said, many of the stari deserve a lot of praise. They are the reason why so many Macedonians have maintained a strong connection with their identity. They suffered from Greek oppression first hand, yet managed to proudly pass on their heritage. That says a lot about a persons character and sense of identity.

It's a damn shame though that so many Macedonians 'turned Greek.' If these people truly appreciated and treasured their identity, they would have found out the truth by now. It's often strange to think that a relative or fellow Macedonian thinks of you and your people as enemies...when at the end of the day they are nashi.

Could it be possible that some of the people in this group, are protecting their life long assets in Greece by declaring as Greeks, and thus preventing Greece branding them as a security threat/s? - see this link 26th June 2012

[The LION will ROAR]

Does anyone personally know anyone who was a grekomani, maybe brainwashed by parents, greeks or so fourth... But had a brain and put 2 & 2 together and realised that they aren’t greek but Macedonian.. and then embraced their true Macedonian heritage....?

[Risto the Great]

I know many of them.

[The LION will ROAR]

Originally Posted by Risto the Great

I know many of them.

Thanks RTG, I personally don't... and you just don't here of many...

[United MKD]

Originally Posted by Risto the Great

I know many of them.

How did they feel after realising the truth? Embarassed, shocked, happy?

[BigMak]

Originally Posted by United MKD

How did they feel after realising the truth? Embarassed, shocked, happy?

bullshit they continued to be greek