Hungarian Studies Newsletter, 1980 (8. évfolyam, 23-26. szám)
1980 / 23-24. szám
political developments in Romania; and Ferenc Kunszabó offers a study on the oppressive policies and practices of the present regime. WITNESSES TO CULTURAL GENOCIDE; First-Hand Reports on Rumania’s Minority Policies Today. Published by the American Transylvanian Federation, P.O. Box 1671 Grand Central Station, New York, NY 10017, and the Committee for Human Rights in Rumania, P.O. Box "J," Grace Station, New York, NY 10028, 1979. 209 pages, map, list of place-names. $14.00 paper. Introduced by George Schöpflin (Lecturer at the London School of Economics) this volume presents seven papers, most of them already published in other than English language journals. It is a massive demonstration of first-hand experiences in the lives of Hungarians in Romania. Numbering some 2.5 million, Hungarians in Romania constitute the largest national minority group in Europe. They find that by “satisfying Rumanian national aspirations their own suffered” because the Romanian state regards them as a threat to its security. The volume tries to stimulate greater interest in the subject among English speaking scholars and policy makers, thereby reducing the suffering in Translyvania. The first document is by Ferenc Kunszabó who wrote a sociography of everyday life of the minority. The next document is by an anonymous former Hungarian teacher describing the Romanization methods applied in education. Of the third essay we are only told that it was written by a “prominent figure” in Transylvania. It is about the number and the quality of life of the minorities. Lajos Takács, a former president of the Babes-BÓlyai U. in Cluj (Kolozsvár) and candidate member of the Romanian Communist Party Central Committee, presents a position paper recommending measures toward the improvement of Hungarian-Romanian relations. Next are three letters add ressed to party officials by one of their Hungarian members, Karoly Király, complaining about the oppressive policies and offering constructive measures to correct the situation. The sixth document is of personal nature, it is a complaint of a high school teacher, Zoltán Zsuffa, about physical and mental abuse he suffered from the hands of local authorities. The volume concludes with an open letter addressed to Romanian intellectuals and signed by 62 Hungarian intellectuals, and calling for understanding and goodwill among all affected parties toward the resolution of the grave problems in a peaceful manner. U.S. Congress. 96th, 1st Session. Senate. Committee on Finance. Hearing before the Subcommittee on International Trade. Continuing the President’s Authority to Wave the Trade Act Freedom of Emigration Provisions. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402, 1979. 539 pages, charts, maps, tables, illus. About $7.00 paper. Hungary and Romania are the only two nonmarket economy countries which have been granted nondiscriminatory or most-favored nation trade agreements by the U.S. The granting of this status was conditioned on compliance with the freedom of emigration provisions of the Trade Act of 1974. The question under debate is whether the MFN status should be extended beyond the July 1980 expiration date. This volume contains a great number of documents and statements on the subject, which can be of help to interested social scientists. Testimonials for and against the extension of the MFN status, based on conditions of human rights in Hungary and Romania including the treatment of minorities in Transylvania, are presented by NO. 23-24, SPRING, 1980, HUNGARIAN STUDIES NEWSLETTER American-based ethnic, religious, social, and business organizations, private citizens, in addition to statements by questioning senators. The volume is also an interesting expression of democracy at work, i.e. how conflicting interests in Romania affect U.S. policy formulation. Among those testifying on lack of respect for human rights in Transylvania were László Hamos, Alexander Havadtoy, Frank Koszorús, Louis L. Lote, Szabolcs J. Mesterhazy and Bulcsu Veress. Conditions in Hungary were described by Géza A. Katona for István B. Gereben. Since Gereben has made a similar assessment for the May 9,1978 hearing (see: U.S. Congress, 95th, 2d Senate Session. Most-Favored- Nation Treatment for Hungary Hearing on Senate Con. Res. 76) the opportunity is provided for comparative and longitudinal analysis. Evans, James M. ed. GUIDE TO THE AMERIKANSKY RUSSKY VIESTNIK, Vol. 1: 1894-1914. Carpatho-Rusyn Research Center, 355 Delano Place, Fairview, NJ 07022, 1979. 522 pages, tables, indices. $9.50 paper. The guide provides a detailed bibliographic survey of the first twenty years of the oldest and most influential Rusyn- American newspaper, the Amerikansky Russky Viestnik (now on microfilm). It includes 3,065 entries, each of which provides the title of an article and a brief description of its content. The appendices list the supreme officers of the Greek Catholic Union and their tenure; membership statistics of the organization; as well as indices to names, subjects, photographs, editorials and letters to the editor. This volume is a mine of information about the culture, organization, and development of Rusyn immigrants of the time. It enables researchers to find easily 685 Rusyn biographies, and 510 articles written by early Rusyn- American clergy and laymen. Hungarian references abound and cast light on Rusyn-Hungarian relationships in Hungary and in America. A few samples will illustrate: Magyarization; nationality laws; Hungarian government efforts to curb emigration; human rights; economic conditions in Hungary; the Catholic Congress; Hungarian Uniate rites in the US and in Europe. The guide quotes also replies written to Hungarian articles and published in such papers as Magyar Hirado, Magyar Hírmondó (both in Cleveland, Ohio), Magyar Zászló (Pittsburgh, Pa.) and many others. No scholar concerned with the time and the topic can afford to overlook this volume. Magocsi, Paul R. LET’S SPEAK RUSYN - HOVORIM PORUS'KY. Carpatho-Rusyn Research Center, 355 Delano Place, Fairview, NJ 07022, 1979. 106 pages, map, illus. $6.95 paper. Based on the language of a village near Munkács (Munkacevo) in former Bereg County (now part of the Transcarpathian oblast of the Ukrainian SSR) the phrasebook includes 554 phrases, more than 1500 supplemental vocabulary words, grammar notes and a map of the Carpatho-Rusyn dialectal regions. COMPLIMENTARY COPIES OF HSN Send a complimentary copy of Hungarian Studies Newsletter to one or more friends and prospective subscribers. Write the circulation office and HSN will be mailed: Hungarian Studies Newsletter American Hungarian Foundation P.O. Box 1084 New Brunswick, New Jersey 08903 5
