My literacy sponsor is my mother, Jacqueline Koloniaris. Both my parents are greek, my father was born there and immigrated to the U.S in 1970. My mother was brought up by two Greek immigrants who cared deeply about their culture. When the time came for her to put her kids through school she chose to put my brother and me into a Greek American Day school. Doing so, to preserve the greek culture and language within our family. My father works two jobs as a mechanic so he never had time to teach us about our culture and our past so that was left up to my mom.
Every single time I complained when I was younger telling my mom ”I don’t wanna go to greek dance” ”I don’t wanna go to greek school on Sundays, I already take a greek class” she always set me straight. She was there every step of the way no matter how reluctant I was. Now that I’m older and experienced life outside the bubble I had in middle school I appreciate greatly what my mom did for me. Not everyone is fluent in two languages and deeply involved in their cultural community. Sometimes I think she wanted me to learn the language so bad so she can say things to me in public when I annoy her that not everyone can understand. But she taught helped me learn something that I will one day want to help teach my kids, I can never thank her enough for that.
James, you capture the labor that this literacy required as well as the deep gratitude you now have for it. Great work.