Magyar News, 1993. szeptember-1994. augusztus (4. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1994-07-01 / 11-12. szám
IT HAS BEEN WASHED OUT, NOW IT IS IN THE FINAL RINSE Getting ready with the down-scaled Festival. Many people are striving for their ethnic identity. It is harder to achieve it, especially as time goes on. There are many factors, some in any ethnic group itself. The numbers are getting lower, replenishments from the original countries are being reduced, sometimes to nothing. Leadership fails because the leaders do not have enough knowledge of their heritage, or they don ’ t ha ve the skills to keep it alive in the community. In mixed marriages one party usually loses out. The horrible idea of the melting pot in reality washes the substance out, and leads to losing one’s heritage, unfortunately parts of it that would be to the benefit of our overall American culture. It is indiscriminately damaging. In unbalanced spurs one or another ethnic group happens to show a sign of strengthening, but not for long. In a multicultural nation we see the fading of ethnic groups, less and less leave traces. We end up, as we see in different regions, with grouping many ethnic groups under one umbrella, calling them by their common denominator. We end up with a very few, two or three, dominant groups. The less there are the more possibility there is for a polarization, and as human nature does it, it becomes a fertile soil for confrontation. Had all the ethnic groups retained their identity, there would be a natural multicultural environment. Competing? Yes. Confrontation? No. Has the government had anything to do with this unhealthy situation? I might consider saying yes, but this is basically a local matter—not necessarily a district or a town. It would be a larger area, like Greater Bridgeport. The question arises: is it too late now? Pretty much so. Though there is still Shopping for crafts struggles going on. Groups are trying to keep some spirit of the heritage. Hardly left with expressions that have universal understanding. Fragments of music and dance are still appreciated. Then there is the food. Food with the variety of the taste, probably the last rung on the ladder. The International Festival for decades has been keeping open the possibility for a multicultural environment. For decades the International Institute of Connecticut brought together the ethnic groups of our area showing their crafts, cooking their dishes, filling the place with music and dance. It was always upl ifting to be part of the Festival. One mingled with other nationalities, tasted and discussed their food, applauded their performance and sometimes joined in with the dancers. On the other hand it inspired the ethnic groups to proudly show their heritage, bonding them together. It made them feel good, it made them stronger members of the community, it made them better citizens of this multicultural United States. Then comes the rinse cycle. The Health Department of the city raised the requirements on the food booths. To have an ethnic food booth one needs a licensed commercial kitchen. One has to pay extra to have a permit for selling food. The food prepared in a commercial kitchen has to be refrigerated on the way to the festival. Then the supervisors come with their thermometers poking it into the food. Gloves and headgear are a must. There is no such thing as having the ladies donate the delicious Hungarian pastries for the event to raise a few dollars for scholarship. The color faded out of the festival. The ethnic groups are not there anymore. The excitement, the electricity, the joy of being together fizzled out. It is impossible to compete with commercial establishments— not that these establishments are eager to promotea multicultural environment. What is left is minuscule, a residue after the wash and it is going away with the rinse cycle. It is a shameless good-bye. I must praise the Health Department for monitoring everything, protecting the public. Though they are interfering with the New (Barbara Straka) and old tradition (Ann Kucej). natural development of the multicultural community, they are only a small segment of the whole picture. But let us be honest. There is something missing and that throws things off balance. It was nice of Mayor Ganim to stop at the International Festival and show his support. But what is his support? What docs he do to maintain a multicultural community? Does he have a policy to counteract the ill effect of one of his departments? The International Festival is not the biggest thing in the world, but it is an indicator of our American way of life. Think. Fast. Joseph F. Balogh Barbara Bogdanyi GREENWICH • DARIEN • NEW CANAAN STAMFORD • WESPORT/WESTON DANBURY • FAIRFIELD/SOUTHPORT NORWALK/ROWAYTON • WILTON Preferred Properties, Inc. bus. (203) 852-9493 104 EAST AVE. RES. (203) 847-5710 NORWALK. CONN. 06851 FAX (203) 866-0013 page 7
