Alexander Kitroeff, Professor of History at Haverford College Pennsylvania, will lecture on the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (AHEPA) and its centenary formation for the Greek Community of Melbourne’s online lecture series. AHEPA has profoundly impacted the American landscape and Greek American identity.
Kitroeff will discuss how AHEPA formed in the 1920s, a period marked by f anti-Greek and anti-foreigner racism and violence. AHEPA’s formation was a way to combat racism and to make Greeks more ‘American’. It encouraged Hellenes to Americanise to protect themselves, with the group mainly becoming part of America’s mainstream by the time of WWII.AHEPA is the largest Greek American secular institution and the second largest in total, behind only the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. At a certain point, the AHEPA shifted its focus to embracing Hellenism, while also maintaining a strong connection with American culture. This dual cultural embrace has been a major success of the institution in its 100-year history, reflecting its adaptability and commitment to both Greek and American values.
Professor Kitroeff, born in Athens, has a doctorate in modern history from Oxford and has published extensively on identity in Greece and the diaspora.
The talk is part of the Community’s Greek History and Culture Seminars program and will be held online on Tuesday, 13 June at 7pm via YouTube and Facebook.
