05/19/2026
For this May 19th, Remembrance Day of the Greek Genocide, the Pontian Youth Association of USA and Canada has decided to shed some light on our lived experiences as Pontians in North America.
We know many members of the Pontian Greek community have had experiences similar to the one represented in this animation and hope that this little bit of media representation helps our community members to feel more seen, heard, and know that they are not alone in this experience.
As descendants of this culture it seems like it is always so hard to explain who we are and where we come from due to the lack of education and acknowledgment of the Pontian civilization and the Greek Genocide as a whole. It is almost as it had never existed. However here we are in present day as living proof that it did exist and still does within ourselves and our communities! Through our traditions, song, dance and language we are able to keep it alive and keep fighting for the recognition we deserve! Our history shall not be erased!
We would like to give a very special thank you to Yianni Kotsalidis! He took a lot of time to create this idea and this powerful animation of what it’s like to be of Pontian descent in North America, a viewpoint rarely represented and rarely talked about. Ζήτω Πόντος💛🖤
