In the mid-19th century , the first immigrants from Greece arrived in Brazil and were received with love and respect by the Brazilian people. Last year, Lula da Silva, the country's president, established the "National Greek Immigrant Day".
On September 21, 2024, the first anniversary of the "Dia Nacional do Imigrante Grego" was celebrated in the Federal Parliament, in the presence of - among others - the rapporteur of the law and member of parliament for the State of Goias, Zacharias Calil, the presidents of the Greek communities and the Ambassador of Greece to Brasilia, Ioannis Tzovas-Mourouzis.
In the proposal by Calil, a famous pediatric surgeon of Arab-Syrian Lebanese origin, for the introduction and passage of the relevant law, it was emphasized that this celebration constitutes a recognition on the part of official Brazil of the contribution of Greek immigrants to shaping the social and economic life of their host country, and their successful integration into Brazilian society.
As Calil noted in his presentation to the Culture Committee of the Federal Parliament, "Brazil has been characterized throughout its history as a country open to immigrants, who have always contributed to the enrichment of our culture and development. It was no different with the Greek immigrants who arrived here in the 19th century, in 1883. Fascinated by our values, nature and culture, many Greeks chose Brazil as their homeland, a destination for a new life. They were accepted into it, welcoming the homeland with all the love and respect, characteristic of the Brazilian people. And, like other immigrants, their ancestors worked for the development and progress of our nation. Today, Greeks and their descendants are scattered throughout the territory of Brazil...".
Referring to the migration of Greeks, Calil pointed out that the first phase took place during the Empire, with the arrival of some families as part of Dom Pedro II's plan for the development of Brazil. This is mainly the Kalogeras family that came in 1841 from Corfu , led by Joao Batista Calogeras, director of the Secretariat of State for Imperial Affairs and 1st Cabinet official for Foreign Affairs. Joao Batista Calogeras' grandson, and most important member of the family, was Joao Pandia-Calogeras (1870-1934), who held the positions of Minister of Agriculture, Commerce and Industry, as well as Minister of Finance in the government of Venceslau Bras, (1914-18) while he was the only citizen to serve as Minister of War in the government of Epitacio Pessoa (1919-22).
The same presentation noted that approximately 30 thousand Greeks arrived in Brazil in the last 170 years.
According to the work "The Greeks in Brazil", by Savas Apostolo Pitsica, September 21 was chosen because it coincides with the date of the founding of the first organized community of Greeks (mainly from the Dodecanese), in the state of Santa Catarina (Florianopolis) in 1883.
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