Home society politics and immigrant political incorporation: The case of Greek immigrants in New York City

Abstract

This article examines the processes through which home society politics affect Greek immigrant incorporation into the host society's political structures. The argument made is that immigrant concern with the home society's territorial sovereignty prompt immigrant incorporation into the American polity. Following Turkey's invasion of Cyprus in the summer of 1974 and numerous Turkish claims on Greek islands since then, Greek and American-born activists and leaders have engaged in an 'Americanization project' characterized by two levels of mobilizing activity: activists and leaders have sought to first create formal relations with local and national level American politicians and parties and second to mobilize immigrants to enter American political structures (by becoming naturalized citizens, voting and contributing funds to political campaigns) so that they may this way influence American foreign policy in the Aegean. To foster the process of 'Americanization,' activists and leaders have relied on the construction of binational identities.