Abstract
"Μαύρη Ξενιτιά"
From trips made around Australia, to the Greek mainland and to some of the islands of Greece, Alexakis and Janiszewski have started to piece together a giant jigsaw puzzle. Items left in homes abandoned in Greece provide small clues about the lives within those homes and villages. For generations now Greeks have left their country to come to Australia. Janiszewski has elicited warm, honest and sometimes very emotional responses.
For many, the decision of where to live, Australia or Greece, became one of a questioning of identity, of belonging. Unable to make up their minds, or by choice, some people move regularly between the two countries. To others, however, Australia was ‘mavri xenitia’, literally black foreign land, whereas others more easily made their home here.
From trips made around Australia, to the Greek mainland and to some of the islands of Greece, Alexakis and Janiszewski have started to piece together a giant jigsaw puzzle. Items left in homes abandoned in Greece provide small clues about the lives within those homes and villages. For generations now Greeks have left their country to come to Australia. Janiszewski has elicited warm, honest and sometimes very emotional responses.
For many, the decision of where to live, Australia or Greece, became one of a questioning of identity, of belonging. Unable to make up their minds, or by choice, some people move regularly between the two countries. To others, however, Australia was ‘mavri xenitia’, literally black foreign land, whereas others more easily made their home here.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Place of Publication | Sydney |
| Publisher | Hale & Iremonger |
| Number of pages | 160 |
| ISBN (Print) | 0868065609, 9780868065601 |
| Publication status | Published - 1995 |
Keywords
- Australian history
- migration and settlement studies
- Greek-Australians
- Cultural identity