Knowledge of my heritage language (Greek) has affected my experience in school in both significantly positive and slightly negative ways. At my high school, I knew that there were some select people that looked down on my strong cultural heritage and knowledge of Greek language, culture, and history, but most people were very supportive of it. Also, a lot of people were interested in learning more about my cultural heritage, language, and my feelings about it. This honest curiosity displayed by other people led to the creation of a lot of very positive conversations and experiences in which I could open up to others about something I have always been very passionate about. Speaking Greek and talking about Greek heritage is very common in my household and family, so it has not affected me much there. At my church, since I go to a Greek Orthodox Christian church, almost everyone speaks and identifies with Greek to some extent, so my knowledge of Greek simply makes it easier for me to communicate and bond with my fellow church parishioners. Finally, in my neighborhood, my knowledge of Greek and my Greek-American identification have had a largely insignificant impact. Some community members just ask about it now and then. Nevertheless, my knowledge of Greek does make it easier for me to communicate with other Greek Americans in my neighborhood that do not necessarily go to my school or church.
