Controversy abounds every single time we make a post about Eleni Foureira, the pop singer from Greece who represented Cyprus last year with her song Fuego.
Foureira’s heritage was a controversy in Greece— especially amongst the gossip shows and tabloids, when she burst onto the pop music scene and started scoring hit after hit.
She was born in Albania and emigrated to Greece when she was a toddler. She often hid her heritage, given the open discrimination that Albanians and other foreigners faced in Greece.
Eventually, she revealed where she was born and where she came from, sharing that although born in Albania, she did have a Greek grandfather and the experience of growing up in Greece made her feel Greek.
She revealed as much during the 2019 Eurovision Song Competition in Tel Aviv when she participated in a DNA test sponsored by “My Heritage,” a DNA testing company.
It happens like clockwork when we mention her. In a recent post, we called her a “Greek pop star” and were attacked repeatedly by people who wanted to deny her Greek heritage— despite spending most of her years growing up in Greece, speaking Greek and… being Greek.
The matter opens up a larger conversation about what “being Greek” really means. Is it an environmental thing, meaning that no matter what one’s DNA is, if they “live” a Greek lifestyle and “espouse” Greekness— then they’re Greek.
Most hardliners will insist that DNA is the sole criteria.
Eleni Foureira’s DNA may surprise you.
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10 comments
We all know that these DNA test are not accurate and therefore cannot be taken as scientific proof to prove ones heritage.
Many nationalities and or ethnicities are not covered by these tests.
All Albanians when taking these tests their results come back as Greek and South Italian. This explains presence of ethnic Albanians in South of Italy and Greece. The true greeks and south Italians are of Albanian stock.
Large presence of Arvanites in Greece and Arbëresh in South Italy is a fact.
To complicate manners, Arvanites largely deny their Albanian roots, even though their language is a dialect of Albanian, which neither have connection with the Greek language. I can understand the want to not be discriminated against because of your heritage and the general xenophobia that is prevalent in Greece, but hiding or denying your heritage isn’t going to make things better in the future.
What a load of BS. Do you seriously think Albanians are racially pure? Get a life you fascist.
My mother’s parents were born in Greece, on an Aegean island. My dad came from the Ionian islands.
I did two of these DNA tests and they both came back virtually the same, without any surprises for me.
Knowing my history, I figured the 30% Italian came from the Venetian occupation of Ionian islands, the Anatolian DNA came from the Ottoman raping and pillaging, the Slavic/Albanian portion from migrations throughout the millennia. I was baptized in the GO church. I consider myself 100% Greek although I was born in Canada.
People would always express surprise when I would tell them I am Greek, or would hear me speak it. I look more Slavic than “Greek.”
I think that this ridiculous argument about who is Greek is a waste of time. Greece was conquered/overrun countless times through the ages. We are all mutts.
is her grandfather Greek 50% 100%
she can call herself greek
lol John
The ancient Hellenes believed if you spoke Greek, no matter where in the world you were, you were Greek. That’s good enough for me as they seem a lot smarter than the Greeks of today.
You clever folks who hate actual Greek-blooded Hellenes and the Greek nation should look into the mirror, say God bless Israel and Jews, and let the rest of the world become a dark brown low-IQ mulatto mess per the Kalergi plan. I for one welcome our Hebrew overlords who encourage us to question “Who is Greek” constantly! Nobody is Greek, of course! Albanians and Africans are more Greek than Alexander the Great!
Good morning everyone, as a historian, I will respectfully advise all those who want to claim one thing or another to read history books written by historians holding Master or PHD, degrees and having specialized in that region and time period. The Albanian people Do Not pre date the Greeks, they have a very small amount of an ancient peoples who lived in that area, plus Greek. Roman and Turkish in them . Albania did not exist as a country until Nov. 28, 1918. The language is one of the most mixed languages in the world and the southern part of Albania is Greek, which was northern Epirus. Propaganda and lies plus funding from Turkey and the likes of George Soros cannot alter or twist the truth. May God bless you all.
Sultana you really convinced us haha. Modern Greeks are just assimilated Vlachs Slavs and Albanians for the most part. Albanians especially are the oldest natives