Life in America
Family
As mentioned, family has always been important to Lambrini. Once her and George has settled in America, they could not wait to have a family of their own. They had their first child, Constantino Kitsaki-Tsitsas in 2001, and 4 years later they had a daughter, Elena Zoe Tsitsas. Both kids were raised with their first language being Greek, as that was what was spoken in the household. Lambrini wanted to make sure that just because Tino and Elena were to be raised in the US, they would not lose sight of their culture. She made sure her kids learned the importance of their history along with religion and culture. They still go to church, follow the traditions of being baptized, and have "god-parents" and "god-children".
The Tsitsas family in 2008 in their house in Brighton
To this day, if you visit the Tsitsas household, you will hear lots of Greek and English being spoken in the same sentence. You will be greeted with welcoming Greek hospitality and lots of desserts. Lambrini cooks traditional Greek dishes for dinner, and holds the same traditions with holidays that she did back home.
Moving To Needham
In 2007, George and Lambrini decided that they wanted to move from Brighton and head more towards the suburbs. They searched for areas that had a reputation for good education, close to their jobs and most importantly a good sense of community. They bought a house in Needham, tore it down and completely rebuild it to their own style. By 2009, the Tsitsas family were now Needham residents. By 2010, Lambrini had gotten a new job close to home in Wellesley, Dermatology Partners, and has stayed there ever since.
Elena and Tino enjoying one of their first snowfalls at their new house in Needham
Tsitsas Family in their Needham Gear for Tino's Graduation in 2020
How Has Her Perception of the US Changed
"I was a kid, it was like the Disney movies to me. I had not really thought about things. In Greece I had my childhood and here I had my adulthood."
On her second night in the US she went out and was harassed for having an accent and that she, "was not speaking good English". They through a brick through the windshield of her car and told her to "go back to where she came from." That set the scene for the fear she had of being treated differently because she was an immigrant. With her first jobs, her being an immigrant played a role in how she was paid and treated. Over time, she was able to build her own confidence and respect in her workplace and with the people around her. She never let anyone stop her from achieving her goals and most importantly her dream of giving her children everything she did not have when she was younger.
Lambrini's Impact in the US
Greek Independence Day Parade in Boston
In 1994, Lambrini and her fellow Greek friends in the Boston area came together and developed a proposal to Mayor Thomas Menino to honor the historic day in which Greeks gained their independence from the Turkish in 1921. The day of Greek Independence is celebrated on March 25th, but throughout the years and due to weather, the parade has been moved to the first Sunday of May.
Influence on Others
Every person that has ever met my mom always has a nice thing to say about her. Whether it is a client of hers, a friend of mine or even a random person at a coffee shop, she always approaches someone with kindness and compassion. Any client of hers I have met always say, “I love your mom” or “You are so lucky to have her as a mother”, and although I laugh in response, I see how many people she has influenced, given advice to, or just made smile.
Influence on Me
As I get closer to making significant life decisions, I always remind myself that my actions and achievements are not simply my actions and achievements, rather they embody the entirety of my parent’s and my own American Dream. My successes are not mine alone, nor should they be. My parents’ sacrifices are what have afforded me the opportunity to even be making this website, and applying for higher education in the United States, and my achievements will always be greater than mine. Graduating from college means more than just obtaining a diploma. It means being able to achieve my parent's dream of living the American Dream and ensuring that their tiring and long work days do not go unrecognized. I have learned the importance of resilience and hard work, by seeing what my family goes through, and learning through my own experiences.