Magyar News, 1991. szeptember-1992. augusztus (2. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

1992-01-01 / 5. szám

MägkärNews

Monthly Publication in Cooperation of the local Hungarian Churches & Organization

HAPPY NEW YEAR BOLDOG ÚJÉVET

Rev. Dr. Alexander Fuleki:

CURRENT STATE OF OUR HUNGARIAN CULTURE

In the last 30 years the Hungarian communities in North America have been hard pressed to maintain and perpetuate our distinct Hungarian cultural heritage. Even though the first and second group of Hungarians have assimilated into the American culture, one would think that the constant influx of Hungarian immigrants during the last three decades would have facilitated the process. It did not happen, however.

Few of us realize that there are four different Hungarian mental and cultural outlooks represented in North America. Prior to these, it was difficult to perpetuate the Hungarian heritage, but not an impossibility. At the early part of the century, Hungarian populations in large clusters made the task a considerably easier process. Also, the "melting pot" philosophy was not emphasized at that time as an effort to Americanize. Ethnic communities could flourish having their business, cultural centers and families speaking their native language at home. But as the second and third generation Hungarians came along, the distinctive ethnic characteristics have slowly diminished, and the American cultural traits began to dominate.

With this development, there was the inevitable struggle between the old time purists, who wanted to see the Hungarian culture flourish and the following generation (the sons, daughters and their children), who disconnected themselves from the Hungarian culture almost completely.

In this struggle and for the failure to keep our Hungarian culture (identity), the churches and their elected ministers are blamed. For 60-70 years, it was one of the main tasks of the local church to foster cultural heritage. The church was both the

spiritual haven and the cultural center. Today, sad to say, the cultural aspect has almost disappeared (also damaging the spiritual), but not the controversy which still calls for our churches to be cultural centers as well.

I want to look at this issue briefly; and even though the solutions suggested may not be acceptable to all, it is, nevertheless, an attempt to offer some directions out of our present chaos.

Perhaps it would be much easier to maintain our cultural heritage, in spite of the rapid technological changes and social upheavals, if the Hungarian population in North America would be characterized by the same social and mental background. But as it is, over the last 90 years, we have four distinct Hungarian groups living in this country.

The first was the influx of the farmers. There were over one million who came here between 1900-1926. They had limited or no education, but they were deeply religious and family-centered. They built our present religious and cultural monuments and through their life helped to maintain them. Their cultural activities included plays in the church basements, cooking, baking, noodle making, some dances, and a variety of fund raising projects with Hungarian flavor added. They were too busy working long hours for their living, but in their free times all their activities were centered around the church.

The second group is comprised of the so-called DP’s - “displaced persons,” who came here during and around WWII. They were the upper middle class, the educated, and the nobility. They were also committed

to the family, but religion to them was an instrument or situation to further their own cause. They loved the church, and respected the minister, but church support, church attendance, and a regular Christian fellowship were not the daily or weekly part of their lives. They attended on major holidays and took Communion regularly. Some even became officers in the church, but they stayed aloof from the religious-cultural heritage established between 1900- 1950.

These Hungarians had their own cultural heritage which may be characterized as urbanized or imported. Theirs included the opera, concerts, soirees, formal dances, formal house parties, and even their card game was different. They played tarokk and bridge, the card game of the upper class. Since the educated and the nobility did not associate with the peasants in Hungary, it stands to reason that they stayed away from each other here in America, too.

The third group is labeled the 56-ers. They were those who lived under communist rule and came after the 1956 Revolution. They represented a vastly different Hungarian culture in that they were not allowed to think in terms of the pre-WW II Hungarian setting, and they were daily exposed to a de-Hungarianization process. This included replacing the Hungarian names and historical landmarks with Russian names, words and monuments. They were de-cultured from 1949-1956 so they felt no affinity either to the farmer class or to the DP’s.

After they came to America, some have joined the church but too many stayed away and even fewer participated in Hungarian

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