Ikons — George Papaellinas

THE MAVROMATIS FAMILY WAS DRAWN TO AUSTRALIA FROM GREECE BY THE LURE OF THE OPPORTUNITY TO 'MAKE GOOD' - THE UNIVERSAL MIGRANT DREAM. BUT THIRTY YEARS AND THREE GENERATIONS LATER, THESE EARLY HOPES HAVE BEEN DASHED. YIAYIA, THE GRANDMOTHER, WITH CHRISTOS AND ELEFTHERIA, FEEL BETRAYED, THAT THEY LISTENED TO FALSE PROMISES. THEY LEFT THEIR OWN CULTURE, BUT HAVEN'T RECEIVED THE MATERIAL REWARDS. THE ONE THING THAT UNITES BOTH GENERATIONS IS THE OUTSIDE WORLD'S VIEW OF THEM AS VISITORS. PETER, FROM THE THIRD GENERATION, 'HAS' RECEIVED THE REWARDS - SECURITY, A 'PROPER' EDUCATION, A PROFESSION. BUT IN THE END, HE IS STILL CAUGHT BET- WEEN TWO WORLDS - NETIHER GREEK NOR AUSTRALIAN, NOT REALLY ACCEPTED BY EITHER. THESE CONNECTED STORIES PAINT A GRAPHIC PICTURE OF MIGRANT URBAN LIFE IN THE INNER-SUBURBS OF SYDNEY-AND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN ONE OF THE CHARACTERS ACTUALLY GOES HOME.