A Story of Immigration The Asia Minor catastrophe
I was born in Ayvalik, Asia Minor. I sometimes look back on my childhood and remember when all the children, Turks and Greeks were playing outdoor games together. However, it’s impossible for me to forget the tragic experience of the Asia Minor catastrophe.
Prologue
It was late at night, when Ι heard someone screaming from the outside. I went to see what had happened from the window. Suddenly, the Turkish soldiers broke the door of our house. We were told that if we tried to escape, they would kill us all. They took my two brothers, Evripidis and Alekos. I never saw Evripidis again.
In 1914, we were forced to leave from Asia Minor. We left all of our belongings and our house behind and decided to move to Mytilene. We faced many difficulties there. We couldn’t find a place to stay and we hardly made a living. Fortunately, the residents of Mytilene treated us really well. When the olives were ready to be harvested, Mytileneans would always leave us some. In 1915, I gave birth to my second child. Because of that, we didn’t have enough money to survive. So my husband decided to move to America to find a job and send us some money.
The First Persecution
In 1920, we were finally free to return to Ayvalik. The village was in a terrible condition. All the buildings were shattered and the village was filled with wild animals, like jackals. We lived for two more years there and tried to rebuild the village.
The Return
However, in 1922 we left Asia Minor permanently. On the day of persecution fires were spreading everywhere and people were running around in panic. They were all trying to find a boat to get inside. Once I found a boat for me and my family we all dashed into it. After some minutes the boat was already full with people. When it started moving, it almost flipped over from the weight. I held my children tightly so they wouldn't fall into the water. As we were fending away, I looked back and saw Ayvalik burning. My eyes filled with tears. This time, I knew, I would never come back.
The Refugee
The boat stopped in many cities. My family and I decided to stay to Rethymno, Crete. In Rethymno a few plots, owned by Turks, who left for Turkey were given to us, as an exchange for the fortunes we left in Asia Minor. However, we still didn’t have a place to live. At first, we had to stay in tents and warehouses. It was also really hard for me to find a job. Some years later, I started working as a cook in a clinic, but even then I couldn’t afford to rent a house for me and my children. Unlike Mytileneans, the residents of Crete were hostile to us and didn’t treat us well. We didn't have an identity anymore. Turks used to consider us Greeks, and now Greeks considered us Turks. Despite all the difficulties we encountered, we never lost hope.
A New Homeland