By: Sarah Dorland
In ‘Growing Up in an Immigrant Household and Community: Essays by Descendants of Immigrants,’ editor and educator Vicky Giouroukakis brings together a powerful collection of stories that delve into the unique experiences of those born to immigrant parents or grandparents. While many narratives focus on the immigrant journey, this book shines a light on the second generation—individuals who must navigate the delicate balance between honoring their parents’ heritage and embracing the culture of the country where they were born. With essays that capture moments of adversity, joy, and self-discovery, this collection offers an intimate exploration of identity formation rooted in both family and community. These stories are crucial for deepening understanding, creating connections, and fostering social healing, offering profound insights into the immigrant experience and its impact on identity.
This book struck a chord with readers, earning its place on the bestseller list. We recently had the pleasure of catching up with Giouroukakis to delve deeper into her journey as an editor and educator and explore the stories and insights behind her remarkable compilation.
What inspired you to create a collection of essays by descendants of immigrants? Was there a specific moment that sparked this idea?
The impetus was the death of my mother, Constantina Menexas, who, along with my father, migrated to the States from Greece in the 1960s to pursue the American dream. I started reflecting more deeply about their journey as well as my own experiences growing up in an immigrant household and community. I felt a need to pay tribute to descendants of immigrants all over the world by sharing their stories as a way of honoring the immigrant experience and, on a personal level, keeping my mother’s memory alive. The immigrant struggle has been well documented, but there are few books on the experiences of growing up with immigrant parents and grandparents.
The book highlights the duality many children of immigrants experience—straddling their parents’ culture and the culture of the country where they were born. How did this theme shape the narrative structure of the book?
The theme of straddling worlds and trying to find one’s identity shapes every story. The authors write about how the immigrant experience affected them and defined their values and ways of life. They talk about growing up in America and wanting to assimilate into American life but, at the same time, trying to navigate the world of their immigrant parents/grandparents and what their experiences taught them.
Can you share some of the common themes or emotions that emerged from the essays? Were there any surprises in how people described their immigrant household experiences?
Despite the diversity in authors, ethnicity, voice, language, and so on, you will be surprised at how similar the essays are in that they have common themes, such as challenges/ hardships, fond childhood memories of traditions, celebrations, pastimes; food and family; and life lessons learned, like hard work and perseverance. They also evoke strong emotions, like joy, anger, sadness, and love.
How did you go about selecting the contributors for this collection? Were there specific criteria or backgrounds you were particularly interested in showcasing?
I put a Call for Contributions out on social media. Of course, I wanted to ensure I included essays representing different ethnicities, so I also tapped friends and acquaintances from diverse backgrounds to contribute. The only criterion was that the contributor had to be a first-generation, American-born individual who felt they had a story to tell. I received a very positive response. People from all walks of life asked to be included in the book. I did not reject any essays because I wanted to give a voice to all the people who wanted to share their stories.
Are you working on anything new you can tell us about?
I would like to work on a second volume to incorporate additional essays that people who read the book after it was published said they wished they had written. The stories resonate with all readers because they are about things all people can relate to, such as traditions, values, food, and life lessons. When you create an anthology, you create a family consisting of contributors, editors, and people who made this project possible, as well as readers who become part of the conversation. It is truly an exhilarating and heartwarming experience to create this family, and so I hope to do it again with a second volume.
When you finished this book, how did you celebrate?
I celebrated by having a reception at my house for all the contributors. It was wonderful to get everyone together to meet one another and celebrate our project. I was also excited to meet for the first time some of the contributors whom I had never met.
You can pick up a copy of ‘Growing Up in an Immigrant Household and Community: Essays by Descendants of Immigrants’ on Amazon.
Published by: Holy Minoza
