Itt-Ott, 1996 (29. évfolyam, 1/126-2/127. szám)

1996 / 1. (126.) szám

Amerika

America, Amerika — Some Aspects of the United States

Miklós Kolumbán (Somerset, NJ)

I have a fine Egyptian friend, a former hippy, a present Ph.D. He received his long hair and his doctorate at the University of London. He ended up in the United States about ten miles from me. He cut his hair after much toil and promotion — a distinctly American characteristic, I mean the relatedness of the two — he became the president of a company. He brought with him his British wife Hilary, who is smart and outspoken. I’m happy to report that it became a tradition in Dr. Hassan Helmy’s neck of the woods to invite close friends on Christmas eve. Probably the thought behind it was to become presents for each other and/or simply enjoy the gift of conversation.

Hassan’s parties are a gem. We talk about almost anything with the understanding that fanatic subjects or delivery should be shunned. Tolerance carries the day. This past Christmas there were two important contributions to our penchant for reflection. Dr. Christian Perez, a pedantic entomologist, asserted that, if the present trend continues, within another two hundred years America will become Spanish-speaking. Then there will be a South American flavor to our daily life. Most people will be of Hispanic origin. This notion did not surprise me because I teach English to the children of Central and South American immigrants and I know that they favor large families. In addition, they appear to be loyal to their relatives: they want them next door.

“Canada will be the only Anglo-Saxon haven left in this hemisphere,” Dr. Perez further thought. Then with a tint of irony in his voice he added: “Of course, the French Canadians are Catholics and love large families...”

In the course of the evening, Dave Williams, an astute teacher of mathematics, floated the idea that there is something startling and new going on in America: it is the stratification of our society. According to Williams, since Ronald Reagan the rich have gained ground at the expense of the middle class and the poor. In turn, the middle

class has been bought off with meaningless “tax cuts” and the equally silent poor are sinking deeper into quagmire. It was also remarkable, in Wiliams’ eyes, that the middle class and the poor were not complaining, although they were consistently voting against the politicians who have attempted to help them. The dissatisfaction, the hurt of the electorate were beneficial to those who were the cause! Lo and behold, these generators of discontent have now been voted back into office.

I was content to listen and meditate. I had a few ideas of my own but I didn’t voice them. What I was thinking between platesful of food was the notion of America. Actually, what is America? What does it mean to us — the ones who came here recently from another country?

February, 1957 — I remember that my first impressions of the U.S. were very positive. I had received seconds at Camp Kilmer, an army camp in New Jersey, from the kindly Hungarian-speaking black cooks. At Penn State at the Phi Delta Theta fraternity house, I was given good clothes and friendship. My newly found buddies took me home on holidays — we had to hitchhike — to see their parents, to meet their brothers and sisters. There was much snow. Peace. Good-naturedness bouncing even off clouds. When there was extensive noise, it was back at the fraternity at benign jam sessions, spiked with free beer and the records of wiggly, perky Elvis.

Of course, my impressions have changed. For one, throughout the years I had to struggle, to fight for everything. But this did not alter my first, affirmative view of America, because by birth I’m a Székely: my ancestors in Transylvania had to learn how to wrestle with life. What I’ve noticed though is that in the States there were quite a few contradictions. This country appears to be a greenhouse for paradoxes. The gentleness of the small towns versus the savagery of the cities. (Violence perpetuated by the immature on the mature.) The kindness of citizens coexisting with the aloofness of daily life. Easy-goingness, slapstick humor existing side by side with the single-mindedness, the seriousness of purpose at the workplace. The power-hungry nature of bosses on all levels and the docile, yielding employees. The unselfishness of the 50’s illuminating the dark side

44 ITT-OTT 29. évf. (1996), 1. (126.) szám