Cypriot Americans
Despite their historically rural origins, early Cypriot immigrants mainly settled in large urban centers, with New York City harboring the largest community.The state of New York is home to the highest number of Cypriot Americans (approximately 2,587), followed by New Jersey and Florida.While the traditional domestic role is still an expectation, Cypriot American women are more likely to balance the home responsibilities with a professional occupation.[3] After World War II, Cypriot women had greater access to education and increased their participation in the work force.Women with full-time jobs were pressured by the traditional standards of keeping a clean house and providing daily hot meals.In the 1990s, Cypriot women were still burdened with the expectation of safeguarding the honor of the family by avoiding any social contact with men that could be construed to have a sexual content.[3] Greek Cypriot Americans uphold church traditions, such as abstaining from meat, fish or dairy products during Lent.[3] In 1970, American sociologists Marvin Gerst and James H. Tenzel studied the two major ethnic communities of Cyprus and found that Turkish Cypriots value a society in which roles are clearly defined.Resi, a rich pilaf of lamb and wheat, is prepared and special little shortbreads, kourabiedes, are piled high for the guests.Until the 1950s, this transfer of property at marriage was agreed to orally by the parties; more recently the so-called written dowry contract was introduced.Ownership of a house, given the scarcity of land (especially after the Turkish invasion of Cyprus) and the considerable expense of building, became a great advantage for a single woman seeking to marry.Seven sacraments are recognized: baptism in infancy, followed by confirmation with consecrated oil, penance, the Eucharist, matrimony, ordination and unction in times of sickness or when near death.Although there was some fasting during Ramadan, moderate attendance at Friday prayers and widespread observation of the holy days, few Turkish Cypriots were orthodox Muslims.From the rise of Greek nationalism in the 1820s and 1830s through the later partitioning of Cyprus, the two major ethnic groups rarely cooperated,(with the exception of revolting against Ottoman taxation).Armenian Cypriots were primarily urban and mercantile, most of whom had arrived after World War I. Latins were concentrated among merchant families of the port towns on the southern coast and were descendants of the Lusignan and Venetian upper classes.[3] Greek Cypriot immigrants are loyal to both the United States and Cyprus, as well as having a strong cultural and ethnic loyalty to Greece.In late 1999, U.S. President Bill Clinton expressed his commitment to finding a solution to the Cyprus problem and stated that his administration would intensify efforts to bring all interested parties together for talks.The Nixon and Ford administrations became involved in refugee resettlement and peace talks during the 1974 crisis and a more activist American policy was instituted.Efforts to stimulate discussion about confidence-building measures, inter-communal projects and cooperation and new directions in the United States' $15 million annual aid program to Cyprus met resistance from the Republic's government.The Republic looked to the United States Congress and the Greek American community to correct what they considered a pro-Turkish bias in U.S.The United States provides $15 million annually to promote bi-communal projects and finance U.S. scholarships for Greek and Turkish Cypriots.[3] Successive U.S. administrations have viewed United Nations-led inter-communal negotiations as the best means to achieve a fair and permanent settlement in Cyprus.
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