PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY FOR CALIFORNIA ARCHAEOLOGY
1988-2004
“Ethnic and Gendered Spaces: The Greek-American Community in Early West Oakland”
Marana Hattersley-Drayton and Mary (Kumarelas) Mousalimas
Abstract
West Oakland was largely built up and in-filled by the 1880s. Yet numerous ethnic groups continued to settle in the area -- for example, Scandinavians, Germans, Irish, Portuguese, African-Americans, Greeks, Slavs, and Asian-Americans. What impact, if any, did these groups have on the built environment? Our research indicates that the Greek-American community, as an example, did adapt both domestic and even commercial buildings to conform to traditional aesthetics, architectural plans, and gender roles. Domestic structures were redesigned to reflect the “Summer House and Winter House” pattern found in Greece. In addition, Seventh Street was once lined with Greek coffee-houses, which served both married men and the many bachelors of the community. These spaces are compared to those created by and dominated by Greek-American women.