Around 40 Greek adoptees from the United States have returned to Greece to explore their heritage, reconnect with their biological families and reclaim parts of their identities lost to international adoptions decades ago.
They are taking part in the fifth annual gathering organised by The Eftychia Project, a non-profit organisation that helps Greek adoptees search for their biological families and reconnect with their roots at no cost. The group’s journey represents one of the largest gatherings of Greek adoptees ever held in the country.
Among the participants is Despina Carson, who discovered the existence of her biological sister just two hours before their first video call.
Her sister looked at her and said: “I know you’re my sister. I don’t even need a DNA test to know that.”
Carson, who grew up in the United States, had spent almost six decades unaware of this part of her family history. Her relatives in Greece did not even know she existed.
Carson is among approximately 4,000 Greek children adopted overseas, mainly in the United States, during the 1950s and 1960s, often through opaque procedures. Decades later, some have managed to reconnect with their biological families through The Eftychia Project.
A Journey of Return
Carson has returned to Greece for the fourth time, joining around 40 other adoptees who share similar experiences. They travelled from the United States to participate in the gathering, which combines family reunions with an exploration of Greece’s history, culture and heritage.
From last Sunday until tomorrow, the group is travelling through Thessaloniki, Vergina, Metsovo, Ioannina, Nafpaktos, Messolonghi and Kalavryta. Their programme includes historical monuments, museums, walking tours and opportunities to share their experiences.
“Walking through the streets of Greek cities, hearing the language, smelling the aromas of the food and learning about the history of this place can give them the connection they have sought throughout their lives,” Linda Carol Forrest Trotter, also known as Eftychia Noula, told TA NEA.
Trotter, the driving force behind The Eftychia Project, also found her biological mother in Greece in 2017, almost six decades after her adoption.
‘We Are Not Tourists’
“This is not a holiday. We are not tourists; it is a profound journey to reclaim our identity,” said Dimitrios Christou, secretary of The Eftychia Project and an adoptee himself.
For many participants, the search for their biological families remains difficult. Incomplete or missing records, sealed files and bureaucratic obstacles continue to stand in their way.
Kevin Johnson, who is attending the gathering for the second time, has yet to find his biological mother.
Johnson grew up in Utah after his adoption alongside a girl three months younger than him, who became his sister. Although he knew he was adopted from childhood, his different appearance made him feel like an outsider among his peers.
“I still haven’t managed to find my biological mother, even though I know her name is Maria Gioti. It would be wonderful if I could find her,” he said.
“My Greek name is Anastasios. I don’t know where I was baptised or who baptised me.”
Returning to Greece stirs emotions he finds difficult to describe.
“I am proud to be Greek. I also find strength in being among people who share similar experiences. This connection gives me hope,” he said.
Discovering a Wider Family
Carson, by contrast, has managed to find relatives on both her mother’s and father’s sides.
“I feel wonderful that I found them. I had an excellent life in the United States and a very good family there. But meeting my family in Greece enriched my life in a different way,” she said.
She also expressed surprise at discovering the scale of the adoption experience.
“For my entire life, I believed that only my brother and I had been adopted from Greece. Now, a whole new world has opened up before me. There are thousands of people with similar stories.”
Trotter compares the adoptees’ search for their origins to the ancient Greek tragedy of Oedipus, who sought the truth about his parentage.
“In a way, we are like Oedipus,” she said. “When he heard someone at a symposium say that he was not his father’s son, he wanted to know the truth. Oedipus went to the Oracle of Delphi to discover his origins. We, too, return to Greece to find the truth about our own roots.”
Trotter hopes every participant will find peace and a sense of fulfilment, even if they cannot locate their biological relatives.
“Everyone has the right to know where they come from,” she said.
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