Roots, Identity & the Greek Diaspora

A conversation with John Daskalakis,

Founder of Rízes Hellenic Genealogy Research

Originally published by the Hellenic American Chamber of Tourism (HACT) | hact.info

Tell us a few words about yourself.

I grew up in the New York City metropolitan area, and my paternal family roots are in Crete. My father was born in the village of Kaina in the Apokoronas region of Chania, and our family lines extend throughout the area, including the communities of Vamos and Georgioupoli. Through my paternal grandmother's side, my family tree extends into Sfakia and connects to the lineage of Daskalogiannis. My paternal grandfather's family comes from Kokkini Hani near Heraklion.

On my maternal side, my family roots are in the Piraeus region of Athens. My mother was born in Korydallos, while my maternal grandfather's family comes from Palaia Kokkinia with extended family ties to Egaleo. My maternal great-grandfather originally came from Kranidi in Argolis in the Peloponnese, with earlier family connections to the region of Epirus. My maternal grandmother was born in Agia Marina in the Dodecanese. Through my maternal grandmother's father, my family also has ties to Zakynthos leading to the Greek national poet Dionysios Solomos. Through her mother's side our family roots also extend to Aegina, Kalymnos, Kefalonia, and Crete. Growing up with stories about these places and the people connected to them sparked my curiosity about genealogy and the deeper history of families.

What is Rízes, what does genealogy mean to you, and how did you decide to create it?

When I was a child, I originally wanted to become an architect because I loved designing buildings with my Legos. Around this time, I would occasionally hear unclear family stories about possible connections to Daskalogiannis and Dionysios Solomos, but as a kid, I didn't pay much attention to them.

As I got older, my interests shifted toward history and writing. My idea of becoming an architect gradually changed as I realized I was far more interested in learning about the history behind the structures of Ancient Greece. During my freshman year of high school, I decided that I wanted to work as an educator with a background in technology. Over the years, I taught a variety of subjects ranging from Pre-K classes to middle school English Language Arts, history, and several computer courses. Eventually, I was contacted by Microsoft and began working as their Education Expert for the Long Island region, a position I held until the beginning of the COVID pandemic.

Long before working at Microsoft, I had taken a DNA test, but like many people, I eventually forgot about it. About a year or two before COVID I began exploring genealogy more seriously as a pastime. During that time, I started connecting with cousins across the United States, including relatives in Massachusetts, Florida, Texas, Utah, California, and Arizona.

As COVID approached, my research began to attract more attention and I slowly started to develop a reputation within both the professional genealogical community and the Greek genealogical communities on Facebook and Instagram. I joined organizations such as the Association of Professional Genealogists and the National Genealogical Society, and I also began working on larger research projects while continuing to refine my research skills.

During this time, I also began creating research communities of my own, including the Descendants of Utah's Greek Miners group and the Greeks of Chicago Genealogy group. One day, I began hearing rumblings that my position at Microsoft might be dissolved, and I realized I needed to think quickly about what my next step would be.

One evening in mid-February, I sat down and seriously considered my options. I chose to take several months off and formally train to become a professional genealogist. I decided to combine everything I had learned over the years — my background in education, technology, history, and research — and use those skills to build something new. From that decision, Rízes Hellenic Genealogy Research was born.

I chose the name "Rízes" very intentionally. The Greek word immediately captured both meanings: the genealogical concept of roots and the cultural connection to Greece. The logo itself also reflects my own family history. The figures at the top represent earlier generations, and two of them are modeled after real ancestors — my paternal grandfather and a maternal fourth great-grandfather.

Would you say there has been increased interest among Greeks of the diaspora in discovering their roots?

In my experience, the interest in genealogy among Greeks of the diaspora has grown tremendously in recent years. What I see most often falls into two general groups. The first consists largely of third and fourth-generation Greek Americans who feel that something important was lost when their grandparents or great-grandparents arrived in the United States. Many descendants today feel a strong desire to reconnect with that missing part of their heritage.

The second group consists of first-generation Greeks living abroad who want their children and grandchildren to maintain a connection with Greek culture, history, and language, even if they grow up outside of Greece.

Social media has played an important role in this cultural rediscovery. For me, genealogy sits at the center of this process. It is not just about names and dates. It is about reconnecting people with their history and helping them understand where their story began. As the slogan for Rízes says, it is about being "rooted in history and growing your legacy."

Where does entrepreneurship begin and end when dealing with something as sensitive as a person's roots?

When we speak about genealogy, entrepreneurship must always be balanced with responsibility. A genealogist is not simply providing a service in the way many other professions do. We are working with something far more personal: a family's history, identity, and memory.

In life, there are only a few professionals who truly come to know you on a personal level. A doctor understands your physical health, a psychologist understands your emotional life. In a similar way, a genealogist becomes someone who learns the deeper story of your family. In many ways, your genealogist becomes something like the best friend you never knew you had. Who else truly gets to know your family history at that level?

This is why genealogy must always be practiced with respect, honesty, and care. The work is not simply about documents or historical records. It is about helping people understand their place in a much larger story that began generations before them.

Hospitality or tourism?

When I was about sixteen or seventeen years old, I traveled to Greece for the first time. One of the memories that has stayed with me was visiting the apartment building in Egaleo where my maternal grandmother once lived. I remember carefully looking around the building, walking on the same floors she had once walked on, and even touching the doorknob to her apartment.

Shortly afterward, I arrived at my paternal grandfather's village in Crete for the first time. Seeing the ancient structure of my grandparents' home and realizing the differences between that life and the modern city was mind-blowing to me.

Experiences like this are why I often say that when members of the Greek diaspora travel to Greece to discover their roots, they are not really tourists. They are reconnecting with places that are part of their own story. What they experience is something much closer to the ancient Greek idea of φιλοξενία — a sense of welcome, belonging, and shared history.

For many people, these journeys become more than a visit. They become a return.

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John Daskalakis, Founder, Rízes Hellenic Genealogy Research ©™

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