Since its inception, the American Hellenic Council has been the focal point of political activities of Greek Americans in California. The AHC has become an effective and respected political lobbying group whose purpose is to lobby the U.S. Congress for the protection and promotion of Greek-American interests. During its existence, the American Hellenic Council has supported numerous Hellenic issues, has made political donations and raised significant contributions for members of Congress who support Hellenic issues.

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After meeting with representatives from the American Hellenic Council, Rep. Ken Calvert of Riverside co-sponsored H.R. 236 calling for the government of Turkey to respect the religious freedoms of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
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Panos Prevedouros, born in Patras, Greece is an authority in Transportation Engineering. He is currently a professor at University of Hawaii, but this September, he is making an effort to become Mayor of Honolulu...
Read what Panos had to say about Hawaii, Greece & his goals for Honolulu...

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The Orthodox Theological School of Halki (a.k.a The Halki Seminary) has been closed since 1971. It was seized in 1971, when the Turksih government nationalized all institutions of higher education. The continued closure of the only educational institution in Turkey for Orthodox Christian leadership consitues a violation of the basic right of freedom of religion. It has had a deleterious effect on the ability of Turkey's Greek Orthodox citizens to train the next generation of clergy. The Greek Orthodox Church and other communities, like the Armenian Orthodox, Syrian Orthodox and Catholic churches, have been deprived of important cultural sites and places of worship during the last few decades. This has been a government policy that is contrary to Turkey's aspirations of joining the EU, has been condemned by the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) (a.k.a The Helsinki Commission).

We believe and we urge reformers in Turkey to terminate the ability of the government agencies to seize the property of a religious community, while also simplifying the process for groups to regain clear title to their lost holdings. On the particular issue, we urge the Turksih Government to move forward on the issue and reopen the Theological School of Halki. Such an action will benefit not only Turkish society by instituting reforms that are geared towards a more tolerant society but also Turkey itself as it will move toward European democratic principles as a nation.

On April 17, 2010, the American Hellenic Council of California hosted its 34th Annual Honors Dinner Dance at the Omni Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles. With over 400 people in attendance, the evening was a great success thanks to the support of our members and friends. Every year, AHC celebrates the achievements of dedicated political and community leaders who have made major contributions to Hellenic causes.

This year, with KRON journalist Vicki Liviakis as the event's Master of Ceremonies, the Council recognized the accomplishments of four honorees - Mr. George M. Marcus, Ms. Zoye Fidler, Mr. Demetrios Liappas and Congresswoman Dina Titus. Each honoree gave a remarkable speech, brief but informative.

Mr. Marcus received the Aristeio Award, presented each year to an outstanding individual who has made a major impact in his field and has been a supporter of Hellenism. The award is a testimony to Mr. Marcus's outstanding achievements in the real estate business as co-founder of Marcus & Millichap and as head of the Essex Property Trust, a publicly held REIT. It also recognized the support Mr. Marcus has given to several Greek-American organizations, including the Elios and the National Heritage Societies.

The Saloutos honor was awarded to Mr. Liappas and Ms. Fidler in recognition of their contributions to Hellenism in the community. The award is named after Theodore Saloutos, one of the founding members of the American Hellenic Council. During his speech, Mr. Liappas, longtime director of the Basil P Caloyeras Center for Modern Greek Studies at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, spoke about the importance of teaching the Greek language and the customs and called for the community to support Hellenic education in the United States.  Ms. Fidler received the Saloutos award after years of service to Hellenic Causes. Having served as president of the Greek-American Heritage Society of California, she was instrumental in developing many documentaries about Greek immigrants in the United States and raising awareness about their lives and history.

The Pericles award was given to first-term Greek-American Congresswoman Dina Titus, who represents the 3rd district of Nevada. Ms. Titus is the granddaughter of Greek immigrants and grew up in Georgia. Before she was elected in Congress, she was a professor of political science at the University of Nevada. Since her taking the oath of office, she has ardently supported the causes of our community in Congress and raised awareness of our issues among her colleagues.