Greek Americans In The 1800s

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Just like several other ethnic groups in the 1800s, poverty drove many Greeks to emigrate to America. In their home country, agriculture paid inadequately and was long, arduous work. And those already paltry conditions turned destitute for citizens when blight struck their crops. This caused a mass migration from Greece that began in the 1890s and lasted through the 1920s (Iliou, 2007). During that time, many people from Greece sailed to Ellis Island, in hopes of a better future.
For many Greek immigrants, living and working conditions were difficult in the United States as well. Many boys and young men shined shoes for a living. The pay for this position was miniscule and the young males often only had access to a bed for one eight-hour shift