An editorial of this newspaper, the New Year's first issue, concluded that in 2009, Omogenia [term used to describe the Greek Diaspora] and its organizations have come to a standstill – a painful acknowledgment, which reflects our organizations' and institutions' inaction in promoting the basic concerns of our community, a community of American citizens with Greek roots.

That article referred to existing problems that hinder the promotion of our most basic goal: the preservation of our national Greek identity and its passing on to the younger generations. An endeavor which, when reached, makes those with Greek roots and background be proud and not to hesitate to publicly make it known and be registered as Greeks. One way to do this, and in the most official manner, is by participating in the U.S. population census which is conducted every 10 years (this year it will start on the 1st of April) and in the official surveys (American Community Survey), where there is the opportunity to answer the question at hand.

The Greek-American community, months in advance of the 2000 Census, had been intensively mobilized to ensure that all Greek Americans knew how to answer and secure the registration of the biggest possible number of Greeks. AHEPA [American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association, an international Greek advocacy organization] had been proclaimed an official partner of the Census Bureau and organized special seminars and events to inform the members of the community. The Archdiocese of America had issued a special information note and SAE [Council of Hellenes Abroad] participated in the effort as well as the local federations.

The result of that campaign was a recorded number of more that 1,070,000 Americans of Greek descent, a significant number, yet still much smaller that the 3 million the U.S. President himself claims live in America.

Since 2000, there have been many changes in the process. The "long form" with questions about ethnic origin has been abolished supposedly for a more convenient American Community Survey, which is based on a population sample. Contrary to the other communities, the Greek-American community is one of the few that has done nothing at all to spread awareness and information about the census. No organization has tried to reach an agreement with the Census Bureau on how to ensure the participation of the members of our community, how our youth could be employed by the Census service and what one should do when one receives the forms of the American Community Survey.

The inaction of AHEPA and the Archdiocese and of all officials of Greek descent at any level, who should have been at the forefront, raises strong skepticism and confirms that our community and its leadership are regrettably at a standoff.

Some continue to divert our attention and talk about voting rights of the Diaspora or worse about the internal problems of Greece, which concern mainly our compatriots who live there. A tragic example is that some organizations like the Hellenic Federation of Greater New York instead of thinking of what we should do here in America, where we live, they are entangled amidst fights about the proposals under discussion in Greece to grant nationality to children of immigrants born in Greece. On April 1, the Census begins and they do nothing to see what to do in order to demonstrate our strength, and instead, they quarrel about an issue that only homeland Greeks will be called to vote on and which needs much serious discussion and consideration since all arguments are well merited.

We believe that in the end, our voice will manage to penetrate the walls that cover the ears of our community leaders and in the final hour, at last, will do what they must do for the interest of our community in America.

P.S. This article is written in memory of Athan Christodoulou, a Greek patriot who devoted his life to the full registration of the Greeks in America. He was president of the Greek Coordinating Committee for the 2000 Census and struggled for the issuance of information pamphlets in Greek, for the recruiting of Greeks in the census service, and for instructions in Greek in basic city services. Perhaps he spoke with some exaggeration, but his absence – he left us two to three years ago – is quite noticeable.