Magyar News, 1999. szeptember-2000. augusztus (10. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2000-01-01 / 5. szám
Recently I received an interesting article on global population, from László Papp, president of the Western region of the World Federation of Hungarians. I scanned through it and looking at the bottom line I came to the decision that it goes beyond what we are doing. The last figure, for 1999 was 6 billion This is the headcount for all the people on this earth. I am still bouncing between 10 and 15 million people, that is for the Hungarians, so what business do I have to stick my nose into something that is far beyond my comprehension. Ten million is really a drop in the ocean. Not in the pond, the lake or the sea. It’s the big water. Well if we are so small, so insignificant, how come that people around the world know about us? How come that during my lifetime the count of people went from 2 billion to 3 billion by 1960; then to 4 billion by 1974; 13 years later it was 5 billion, and now, as I mentioned it grew to 6 billion people, in the last 12 years gaining 1 billion. There was a count in 1804 that came to an unbelievable 1 billion. It took 123 years to reach 2 billion. Now in a dozen years itwill do the same thing. I started out with 10-12 million Hungarians. That was a fantastic number specially if one compares it to the number during the Conquest of the Carpathian Basin a thousand years ago. In a thousand years the number just about tripled. The world population went up six fold in two centuries. I also went to look for other statistics. Why didn’t the Hungarians keep up with the growth of the world? Looking back in history we had the devastation by the Tartars, the 150 years of Turkish oppression killing people left and right. Dragging the youth to Turkey and forcing men into battle. They were even taken to Africa and left there on their own, when the Turks changed their mind, to become members of the Arab-Nubian nation. We are not talking of decimating people. Decimating means one out of ten. The measure they had was anybody in sight. The two World Wars weren’t favorable to the population growth. The Hungarians were against the first WW, but were pushed into it by the Czechs and Austrians who were on their way to the Balkans, and were awarded a nice slice of Hungary plus her people by the Trianon Treaty. When WW II came along Hungary was sandwiched between the Nazis and the Communists. All this time, as before, giving their blood and life. Do not think that Page 6 after the wars everything calmed down. Specially after the second one. The political oppression and the horrible economy wasn’t in favor of healthy family planning. The youth from the villages relocated into the cities. Urban life in general reduces the family size. The industrialization and the craving for better things in the city life distorted their values. The question became: “Kicsi vagy kocsi?” (Baby or car?) It really wasn’t a choice. It ended by having neither. In five generations Budapest grew from 300,000 to over 2 million by domestic immigration. With this reducing the possibility of bigger families in the villages. Budapest now has 20% of Hungary’s population and the country side has 45%. The rest are scattered in the different cities, following urban life. Today when they talk about the census of Hungarians the official number is 15 million. This include American Hungarians too. We know that here we have fewre and fewer possibilities of nurturing our Hungarian consciousness. Mixed marriages transposing other cultures also make our numbers dwindle. Despite all this, it is amazing to see the devotion, work, and sacrifice on behalf of the few Hungarian organizations and individuals. It always happens that there are some in line who pick up an obligation and carry it to new heights. In our area the Magyar Studies, in its second come-back, pulled together a sizable group of Americanized Hungarians to teach them the ancestors language, culture and traditions. We know that the answers are really in Hungary. That place is the core of all Hungarians. There are efforts by organizations and also by the Hungarian government to include all Hungarians in the world. They should determine and help the future of this unique and talented natioa I don’t see why American Hungarians should have a vote in their government, or state affairs but they should receive the right to have a say in the many other matters that are of concern to the nation We in America, have the potential to stand up for Hungary. Our senators and congressmen are open to our remarks and suggestions. Lets make use of it. We should approach international humanitarian organizations. There is a need to bring up the population growth that is now declining. The Hungarians, by character are on the romantic side of life. At time this seems to be overwhelming. When a few get together having good fun it comes to “sirva vigad a magyar”, meaning that they make merry with sad tears. Strange way to start frolicking. Researchers even suggest that the Hungarians have a special gene that brings out this demeaner. If you ad the consumption of alcohol to this then trouble is quite noticeable. Hungarians are high on the suicide charts. Interesting that the highest rates in the world are Russia and the former satellites. Out of a 100,000 people the USA has 12 suicides, Lithuania 45, Russia 37 and Hungary 32. This doesn’t help population growth. In the southern region of Hungary there are places where one of every 5 deaths are the result of suicide. In Morahalom the rate is 47, the highest in the world. It is a sad picture. A survey made by the National Geographic chaws a frightening picture. The projected growth, doubling the number of people in China will take 50 years, in the USA 100 and never in Hungary by the current rates. Even though the infant mortality per 1000 of live births is 19 compared to USA 10 and India 104. The number isn’t bad for the Hungarians, the problem is in the missing 1000s. Hopefully, the new political and economical changes will create grounds for a better life, to have more trust in the future, and have self-determination. Hungary should have governments that have the needs of the Hungarian Nation in sight when they decide on the laws. The world knows of the outstanding Hungarian talents, Nobel Prize Laureates, inventors, musicians and artists, the long string of entertainers, scientists, sports people and humanitarians. Not everything is lost. You can rely on the Hungarians. The Hungarian people survived bigger storms. Joseph F. 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