Why do Greeks try and claim Pontics?

[King Niko]

Another dead honest question.

As many of you all know my family is Pontic Greek and Greek from Thrace. While I speak a good bit of Pontic Greek, and a good bit of Greek.

I have never imagined myself being really Greek, when I was younger my family taught me to love Greece and what not, but now that I am 22, I only feel ever more distant from actually feeling Greek. I feel like my families Pontic culture differs quite a bit from my mainland Greek family culture in certain ways, and the history through text books to my families stories especially from my Pontic roots really presses the fact that it makes me feel less Greek.

I know I trolled a lot a 3-4 years ago about this whole Greek ancestry thing and acting Turkish and Albanian, but in all seriousness, I do not see why there is that distinction of Pontic Greek. Pontus I feel is its own thing.

Maybe I have been in America too long, I do not know. I used to feel super passionate about Greece, but over time and studying a lot of Anatolian culture and history, I feel ever so more distant. Maybe it is a personal thing, I know a lot of Pontic's went to Greece during the population exchange like my family did, but I do not feel that is a reason to all of a sudden "become" Greek.

Anyone care to inform me how I am wrong? Food for thought I guess, feeling in my vibes tonight

[Halgurd]

my broski king niko

[Kamal900]

Because Pontic Greeks identify themselves as Greeks? Come on, man. That doesn't make them less Greek just because they're predominately west asiatics genetically which is true for Greek Cypriots(the former cluster with Georgians and Turks while the latter with Levantines, namely Druze and Syrian Jews, and both have around 25% Mycenaean Greek ancestry by average).

[RatCat]

Another dead honest question.

As many of you all know my family is Pontic Greek and Greek from Thrace. While I speak a good bit of Pontic Greek, and a good bit of Greek.

I have never imagined myself being really Greek, when I was younger my family taught me to love Greece and what not, but now that I am 22, I only feel ever more distant from actually feeling Greek. I feel like my families Pontic culture differs quite a bit from my mainland Greek family culture in certain ways, and the history through text books to my families stories especially from my Pontic roots really presses the fact that it makes me feel less Greek.

I know I trolled a lot a 3-4 years ago about this whole Greek ancestry thing and acting Turkish and Albanian, but in all seriousness, I do not see why there is that distinction of Pontic Greek. Pontus I feel is its own thing.

Maybe I have been in America too long, I do not know. I used to feel super passionate about Greece, but over time and studying a lot of Anatolian culture and history, I feel ever so more distant. Maybe it is a personal thing, I know a lot of Pontic's went to Greece during the population exchange like my family did, but I do not feel that is a reason to all of a sudden "become" Greek.

Anyone care to inform me how I am wrong? Food for thought I guess, feeling in my vibes tonight

Where was your family from in Turkey before exchange?

[Rgvgjhvv]

Knob head lol. Another great thread man keep shitting it up

[Dorian]

1.Pontian Hellenism is as old as Athens and Sparta ,that's like asking why do we claim those.
2.Geography kept them cut off from the rest of Hellenism , it's only logical that they'd develop distinct qualities ,preserve older Greek ones ,have different influences.

Either way ,If you don't feel a connection to Greece and you aren't planning to return then I don't see why you tire yourself with these things , you could just become assimilated and a proud American.

[Tauromachos]

Another dead honest question.

As many of you all know my family is Pontic Greek and Greek from Thrace. While I speak a good bit of Pontic Greek, and a good bit of Greek.

You are the same person as KingOf?
No?

I feel like my families Pontic culture differs quite a bit from my mainland Greek family culture in certain ways, and the history through text books to my families stories especially from my Pontic roots really presses the fact that it makes me feel less Greek.

Cretan culture differs from Mainland Greek culture too but Cretans are Greek to the bone if not even more Greek than alot
of Mainland Greeks.
And they don't like Turks in Crete or want to be Turkish neither Albanians this i can tell you!

[King Niko]

Because Pontic Greeks identify themselves as Greeks? Come on, man. That doesn't make them less Greek just because they're predominately west asiatics genetically which is true for Greek Cypriots(the former cluster with Georgians and Turks while the latter with Levantines, namely Druze and Syrian Jews, and both have around 25% Mycenaean Greek ancestry by average).

See though, most of my family speaks Greek, and Pontic dialect at least the older generation did on the latter, but a lot of my family when they came to the states did not teach their children Greek. Maybe my family is far and few between. I just always felt like in limbo between feeling Greek or Turkish nationalistically speaking where I would call home. Yes I know what Turks did, no it was not okay, horrible my family suffered a lot through it. However the fact still stands of the situation I am facing. So I suppose I see your point. I guess the group has a whole has just over time indirectly became labeled as Greek through the process of the suffering put through by the Turks.

[King Niko]

Where was your family from in Turkey before exchange?

From what they told me Trabzon and nearby Trabzon. My great pappou was incarcerated during the war and was stuck in a Turkish prison and broke out and escaped and went straight to America the rest of the family for the most part settled in Thrace.

[King Niko]

1.Pontian Hellenism is as old as Athens and Sparta ,that's like asking why do we claim those.
2.Geography kept them cut off from the rest of Hellenism , it's only logical that they'd develop distinct qualities ,preserve older Greek ones ,have different influences.

Either way ,If you don't feel a connection to Greece and you aren't planning to return then I don't see why you tire yourself with these things , you could just become assimilated and a proud American.

I have dual citizenship with Greece and USA. I am not necessarily a proud American, but I am privileged for what USA has offered me and my family from where they came from and suffering.

I suppose you are right about the claiming part, I guess its a more unique traditional mindset that differs it from mainland Hellenism.