Conflicted identity across the generations of Greek Australian women: the Greek diaspora in Melbourne, Australia

This paper discusses and presents findings from a qualitative study undertaken in Melbourne, Australia that investigated health beliefs and practices across three generations of the Greek Diaspora of Melbourne. A total of 48 female participants (immigrant generation, first generation and second generation Greek Australian) took part in the study. Echoed by the participants were both challenges and strengths connected with their conflicted Greek Australian identity. This was associated to a sense of belonging and cultural identity, despite their location of birth (born in Greece and migrated to Australia or born in Australia and of Greek descent). For the immigrants, cultural maintenance was vital and often combined with anxiety for the way of life of their homeland of Greece to be maintained and recreated by their children and grandchildren. Decades following the migration of the diaspora, the significance placed on maintenance and way of life remains an important aspect of their identity that has been transmitted to their Australian born descendants, along with the anxiety coupled to this. The elements of culture that these participants particularly wanted to maintain and identified to be of great importance as part of their Hellenic heritage were religion, language, food and culture. This paper will discuss these four aspects of identity and how they are interconnected with the overall health and wellbeing of the generations of the Greek Diaspora in Melbourne but that often simultaneously contribute to a conflicted sense of identity.