Magyar Herald, 1997 (3. szám)
1997 / 3. szám
1997 - Issue 3 NEWSLETTER OF THE MAGYAR CLUB OF CLEVELAND MAGYAR HERALD PERPETUATING HUNGARIAN CULTURE SINCE 1924" „A múlt erős, gazdag gyökér, jelen, jövő a múltból él...Arany János.. The PAST is a rich and strong hidden source, from it PRESENT, FUTURE obtains life and force!" To Be Magyar Means a Distinct Walk of Life BY THE EDITOR The most unjust of all post-war treaties of history was the Treaty of Trianon. The ancient Nation of Hungary, unwillingly compelled into a horrible war, was tom into pieces. Two-thirds of her land and one-third of Magyar people of her territories were forcefully transferred to the Succession States around, called 'new democratic' States. This odious Treaty till this day was never ratified by the United States Congress. In the mirror of most recent researches there are 16 million Magyars on earth today, which parallels the number of Jews on this globe. Eleven million Magyars live in the homeland and five million scattered outside of the nation. Out of the 16 million Jews, three-and-a-half million live in their homeland and twelve-and-a-half million are scattered in Diaspora. In sharp contrast, four million Magyars are forced to live under unwanted Succession State rule on territories, where their own forefathers lived for over one thousand years. Magyar migrations - indeed - have featured distinctive traits, dissimilar to any other in human history. Attila József, the great Hungarian poet, said in the beginning of the century: "One and a half million of our countrymen staggered out of the homeland into America". The phrase was rightfully chosen! We, Hungarians, have not really immigrated to the American Continent by choice like the Anglo-Saxons. We were driven out by compelling forces of history. We are dissimilar to the Anglo-Saxon majority. There were four mighty waves of migration of our history. First of them at the end of the last century. Simple working men were driven out of Hungary by the thousands into America because of the intolerable economic conditions of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. All of them men, leaving their families behind. They were all intent on returning to their families after acquiring enough dollars in America to purchase a few acres of land back in Hungary. They are the ones who organized all our first churches and built our first church buildings here, starting in Cleveland in 1891. The end of World War I with Trianon brought on the second wave of migration. By that time, the drastically-changed historic events made those who staggered out with the first wave, immigrants in the new land. They brought over their families to join them here, instead of going back themselves. Two-thirds of the Nation given to others around swelled the waves of those, who again 'staggered out' from the homeland. The end of World War II forced the Nation under Russian occupation and communistic rule. The third wave of migration brought thousands of "Displaced Persons" staggering through the Western European countries finally to America. Then in 1956, after the Russian armies crushed the glorious Hungarian Freedom- Fight, the fourth wave of migration staggered out and ended up here in America. Refugees came by the thousands, sponsored by our churches. We have become people living in Diaspora. Dispersed people, living so badly scattered, do develop a unique road of travelling, that is very distinct. Ady halhatatlan verse így csengett a költő ajkán az eredeti nyelven Párizsból haza 1909-ben és visszhangként cseng a mi ajkunkon is a tengerentúlról haza: „Szívem küldöm, ez ó frigy-ládát... Véreim, ti dübörgő ezrek, Tagadjatok meg, mégis-mégis Én a tiétek vagyok... Kötésünket a Sors akarta, Nem érdem, nem bűn, nem erény Nem szükség, de nem is ravaszság... Bennünk nagyságos erők várnak, Hogy életre ébredjenek, Bennünk egy szép ország rejtőzik. Tietek vagyok, mindegy most már, Hogy nem kellek, vagy kellek-e, Egy a Napunk, gyönyörű égen, Jaj, hogy elfed a Naptól néha A gonoszság fellege. " Since our readers are bilingual we do not always bother with translations! RWU
