Kythera Survey October 2004

In 2004 the Kythera-Family.net website team in colaboration with Vassiliki Chryssanthopoulou who is a research fellow at the Hellenic Folklore Research Centre of the Academy of Athens. Below are the results of the more than 100 responses we had to the survey.

>KYTHERA SURVEY EVALUATION

Note: For some questions the participant could choose more than one option, that is why some tallies exceed 100%. And some tallies are under 100% because the question was not applicable to some participants (eg. "Do your children speak Greek" and the participant has no children).

The following evaluation is a simple one - each answer has been evaluated separatedly. The numbers are already interesting, but could be much more so if certain questions were combined: eg. how many third generation Kytherians go to the island how often. The combinations are endless. We can provide specific results to specific requests - please let me know if you have any particular combination of questions from the survey you would like evaluated.


Section 1:
QUESTIONS ABOUT YOU

1. Which of your immediate relatives migrated from Kythera?
a. You 3%
b. Your parents 49%
c. Your grandparent 51%
d. Your great-grandparents 5%
e. Other relative/s 7%

2. Have you been to Kythera?
Yes 84%
No 16%
If yes, how many times?
1 time 29%
2 times 14%
3 times 8%
4 times 4%
5 times 25%
more than 5 times 18%

3. Which migrant generation do you belong to?
a. First Generation (the person who migrated) 4%
b. Second Generation (one or both of your parents migrated) 56%
c. Third Generation 39%
d. Forth Generation 1%
d. None - I still live in Greece (if so, where do you live in Greece?) 0%

4. If you are married, are you married to:
a. Another Greek 20%
b. Another Kytherian 7%
c. A non-Greek 56%

5. If you have children,
5a. are they named after other Kytherian relatives ? 38%
5b. did they receive Greek names not related to the family? 35%


6. Do you own property on Kythera?
yes 39%
no 61%


7. If not, would you like to acquire property on Kythera?
Yes 42%
No 58%

8. If you are married to a non-Greek, are your children
a. Orthodox? 28%
b. Non-Orthodox? 72%

9. If you were born outside Greece, do you think
that it is important to take your children to Greece for a visit?
Yes 86%
No 14%

10. Do you speak Greek at home?
a. Yes 56%
b. No 44%

11. Do you speak Greek with other Kytherians/Greeks?
Yes 52%
No 48%

12. Do you speak Greek to your children?
Yes 25%
No 45%

13. Do your children speak Greek?
a. Yes 7%
b. Very little 20%
c. Not at all 22%
d. They do not speak it, but they understand some Greek 15%
e. Some do, some don't. 3%
no children: 33%

16. Do you participate in community events such as going to Church,
attending meetings and social events of various organisations, etc.?
a. Yes 75%
b. No 25%

17. How often do you participate in such events?
a. Often 45%
b. Seldom 36%
c. Never 19%

18. Do you consider yourself
(please tick as many answers as you like)
a. Kytherian 54%
b. Greek 66%
c. Non-Greek 40%

19. Do you have at home objects that symbolise Kythera for you?
Yes 76%
No 24%
If yes, what are they? (here follows a broad selection of the lists)
"Embroideries, bedspreads, Greek Icon, rocks from the property, jewellery, pictures, post cards, vases, statues, videos, photos, a print showing the mother of Christ coming from the crucifiction, grandfathers house key, an oil lamp, many books on Kythera, Kytherian dictionaray, a map of Greece and drawings by a Kytherian cousin, paintings and sculptures of another Kytherian relative, old ceramic urns and a couple of old icons, brochures, textiles and ceramics, few souvenirs, some grandmother's things, many fabrics, old trunks, a deep-sea divers helmet taken from the germans during WWII,  handmade large medicine chest with compartmentalised areas for specific medicines, Historical framed photos of our grandparents & their villages prominently displayed, icon Myrtidiotissa, framed pictures of island sites, memories, books, Greek flag, koubolio, kytherian plaques, fridge magnets,  a framed map of Kythera on the wall, rugs, kitchen utensils, large olive oil vat, embroideries, Icons of Mirtidiotissa and Agia Elessa, pottery, plates, tablecloths, bed linen given to me by grandparents, aunts etc, craft work, pens and a watch, Hand woven bedspread, blankets, local pottery, found seashells, Kytherian olive oil and sea salt, origano, icon of St. Haralambo, grandma's wedding vest, ornaments, cookbooks, calenders, stones, jars and pots, birth certificates, articles about other notable Kytherians, family history, pamphlets, music, wall plates, T-shirts, Greek art, decorative olive oil bottles, dried wildflowers, painting of Greek sea-side, painted murals on walls, large pots & geraniums, Mitata wine festival momentos, letters, lithographs, artifacts from my grandparents, the old key of the family's home, yellow flowers"


20. What habits or values do you have which you consider to be
specifically Kytherian? Please state.
"self employment, independence, upwardly abiding, strong work ethic, learning and education, indomitable spirit, dignity, proudness, natural traders, intelligence, stoicism, law-abiding citizens; kytherian pastitso; I feel the Kytherians are a very intellectual group of people and very close knit; Kytheran music; stubbornness; Proud to be Kytherian, loyalty to and love for Kythera, family oriented; desire to return to Kythera from time to time, desire to connect with extended Kytherian family; values of an orthodox christian;Kytherian habit of being conservative & extremely hard working, never overstate our family achievements in education or business to others; A sense of belonging to a small community, a sense of caring and looking out for your family. A sense of history, heritage, links to the past; diples for special occasions, specific words that are kytherian that my father uses; Hard working and highly ambitious; Greek cooking, greek music, dancing, teaching grand children their Greek Heritage; yearly pilgrimage / circle of friends / way of life; Hospitality and interest in others; love of family combinination of eating and socialising pride in self; BEING FAIR AND KIND TO EVERYONE. BEING A PERFECTIONSIST AT WORK AND HOBBIES; family and dance; Love and fascination of anything to do with Kythera; the joy of family; religious celebration of Saints and Mary; bargain-hunting; deep interest in Greek things; optimism; love the food; always enjoy life; cooking of Kytherian style meals; Nick-names, common upbringings & history, names, recipes; Food. Annual Kytherian picnic, Vassilopita; food and hospitality habits; Frugality; continue traditional family values; tight with money; Enjoyment of traditional cooking, family values, Greek dancing; superior work ethic; appreciation for family and community, for land, for remoteness and isolation, for history, for identity; not going empty handed to other peoples places; proud of my heritage; respect for people, love swimming, watering the flower and vegetable gardens, visit old friends; appreciation for the heritage; strong sense of family and loyalty; hospitality; family values; Family orientation; communicate with kytherian relatives; prudence, hard working, family loving; proud of being Greek, love of family and god; Love of Kytherian music, reading accounts of early Kytherian emigration to Australia; Family loyalty, looking after your own, sense of community;
.._ _ _..._ _ _.

Section 2:
QUESTIONS ABOUT ONE RELATIVE WHO MIGRATED (or yourself if you did).

1. Which country and state did your relative migrate to?
USA 33%
Australia 62%
England 1%
Canada 1%
Egypt 1%
France 1%
Turkey 1%

2. Which part of Kythera (village/town) did the relative
originate from?
not completed due to long list. results will follow in a later evaluation

3. How old were they when they migrated?
0-5
6-10 9%
11-15 21%
16-20 45%
21-25 12%
26-30 7%
31-35 2%
36-40 3%
41-50 1%
over 50

4. Which year (approx.) did they migrate?
pre 1890 2%
1891-1900 8%
1901-1910 25%
1911-1920 21%
1921-1930 9%
1931-1940 10%
1941-1950 12%
1951-1960 6%
1961-1970 4%
post 1970 3%

5. Did they migrate to a country to:)
a. join a (prospective) spouse? 9%
b. join a parent? 18%
c. join a child? 1%
d. take up a job proposition 32%
e. join another relative (sibling, uncle, cousin)? 40%

6. What level of education did their children attain?
a. Elementary 17%
b. secondary 30%
c. tertiary 37%
d. technical training 16%

7. Do/did they suffer from any of the following illnesses:
Arthritis 18%
Heart condition 26%
Diabetes 12%
Osteoporosis 9%
Alzheimers 1%
Parkinsons 3%
Other: cancer(bowel, lung, kidney, liver ); MS; vitiligo; stroke; bronchitis; thalassaemia; emphysema; hay fever; glaucoma; ulcers; tuberculosis; gastroparesis; asthma; blood pressure; cholestorol

8. How many children did they have?
1: 4%
2: 20%
3: 27%
4: 27%
5: 9%
6: 6%
7: 3%
8: 1%
9: 2%
10: 1%
9. Do/Did they speak Greek to their children?
Yes 81%
No 19%

10. If they are/were married, were they married to
a. another Greek? 33%
b. another Kytherian? 44%
c. a non-Greek? 24%

11. If they had/have children,
a. are they named after other Kytherian relatives? 81%
b. did they receive Greek names not related to the family? 7%
c. they did not receive Greek names 12%

12. Did they ever return to Kythera?
Yes 76%
No 24%
If yes, how many times?

13. Did they return to Kythera to live there permanently?
Yes 7%
No 93%