Hellenism in Multicultural America: Language, Identity & Cultural Survival

What happens to a culture when its language evolves? This lecture explored the future of Hellenism in multicultural America, focusing on the state of the Greek language in the diaspora. Beginning with a reading of Cavafy's "Poseidonians," the talk reflected on themes of memory, identity, and cultural survival. It traced the Greek American journey — from early immigrant communities to today's festivals and suburban life — asking what is retained, what is lost, and how language plays a central role. By comparing the Greek experience in the U.S. with that of Alexandria, Egypt, the lecture highlighted how different cultural environments shape resilience and continuity. Drawing on the example of Columbus, Ohio, it examined how Greek identity is expressed today and considered the role of education, community events, and Modern Greek programs in keeping the language — and culture — alive for future generations. Gregory Jusdanis is a Distinguished Arts and Sciences Professor at the Ohio State University and the author of Constantine Cavafy: A New Biography, The Poetics of Cavafy, Belated Modernity and Aesthetic Culture, The Necessary Nation, Fiction Agonistes, and A Tremendous Thing. He has received fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities at the American School of Classical Studies in Athens, the American Council of Learned Societies, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.