Greeks in Omaha, Nebraska
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History
Greek Town
The principal Greek community in Omaha was centered on South 26th and Q Streets. This was the heart of Greek Town. Other Greek establishments were located around South 24th and Q and South 24th and L Streets.[3]
In 1909, there were over thirty-two businesses owned by and catering to the Greek community in South Omaha, as well as a Greek Orthodox church, a school, and several two and three-story commercial buildings.
Nativist sentiments were aggravated by the Greeks being hired as strikebreakers. Attitudes about the Greek community in Omaha were often negative, as expressed by the Omaha Daily News when they wrote, "Their quarters have been unsanitary; they have insulted women... Herded together in lodging houses and living cheaply, Greeks are a menace to the American laboring man – just as the Japs, Italians, and other similar laborers are." Men of these groups had been hired as strikebreakers, and American and ethnic working men also feared their willingness to work for low wages.[1]
Riot
A Greek immigrant was arrested for loitering after being accused of having sex with a non-Greek
Modern
Today, Greek Americans in Omaha number over 1,000 members; with the Greek economy having improved and restrictive immigration laws of the US, few Greeks have immigrated in recent decades.
There are now two Greek parishes:
Saint John the Baptist continues to grow in its original location, undergoing a revitalization effort in concert with Omaha's mid-town rebuilding program. The Church is known for its "Omaha's Original Greek Festival", which is held in September. On June 13 through June 15, 2008, St. John the Baptist celebrated its Centennial anniversary highlighted by a visit from Archbishop Dimitrious the head of the Greek Orthodox Church in America. The Greek Orthodox Church of Greater continues to expand as well through new families and events. The church celebrated four years of service on June 4, 2010.
With two flourishing parishes under the jurisdiction of Bishop Isaiah of the Denver Metropolis, Omaha's Greek community continues to assimilate with Omaha. With more than 100 years in Nebraska and Iowa, Greek Americans have a long history in the Omaha area.[10][11]
Notable Greeks from Omaha
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a6/Alexander_Payne_8692.jpg/200px-Alexander_Payne_8692.jpg)
Omaha has been featured in films by Omaha native
In 2005, Payne joined the board of directors of Film Streams, a nonprofit arts organization which opened a two-screen cinema in downtown Omaha in 2007. They want to build an audience for more challenging films, as well as continue to promote Omaha as a place for film production.
See also
- Greektown
- South Omaha, Nebraska
- History of Omaha, Nebraska
- Diaspora politics in the United States
- Timeline of racial tension in Omaha, Nebraska
References
- ^ a b Bitzes, John G. (February 21, 2019). "On This Day February 21, 1909: When Greeks of Omaha Were Targeted… Just Because They Were Greek". Pappas Post. Archived from the original on 2020-11-08. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
- ^ (nd) "History." St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church website. Retrieved 6/7/07.
- ^ "South Omaha mob wars on Greeks", The New York Times. February 22, 1909. Retrieved 5/25/08.
- ^ (nd) "About St Johns Community." St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church website. Retrieved 6/7/07/
- ^ a b Larsen, L. & Cotrell, B. (1997). The gate city: A history of Omaha. University of Nebraska Press. P 163.
- ^ Hill, J. (nd) “Interview: Helen Papanikolas.” Joe Hill: Early 1900s Labor – Papanikolas. Retrieved 6/7/07.
- ^ "South Omaha mob wars on Greeks", The New York Times. February 21, 1909. Retrieved 4/16/08.
- ^ "Racial tension in Nebraska in the 1920s." Archived 2008-07-05 at the Wayback Machine NebraskaStudies.Org. Retrieved 6/7/07.
- ^ GOCGO. Retrieved 4/23/08.
- ^ (n.d.) About St. John's
- ^ (n.d.) About GOCGO