Sárospataki Füzetek 17. (2013)

2013 / 1-2. szám - KÖZLEMÉNY - Bába Szilvia: "Because you have two homes..." - The Hungarian overseas diaspora: the platform of co-operation "Mert két hazád van..." - A tengerentúli magyar diaszpóra: az együttműködés plattformja

Bába Szilvia

work of the diaspora is a part of the universal Hungarian culture. Among others things it is needed to help with the representation of artists, writers, poets, scientists, folk dancers, scouts in Hungary; the publishing of movies and books.

Therefore, the diaspora overseas needs the following: story-books, Hungarian language books which teaches Hungarian as foreign-language, CDs, (folk)music CDs, cartoons dubbed into Hungarian, movies for teenagers, cultural manager and community developer training for teachers, managers of the Hungarian Houses and associations. It is important to send archivists, folk dance teachers, kindergarten teachers, missionary pastors from Hungary. Furthermore it is necessary to sign an agreement with the USA and Canada in order to accredit the Hungarian language (examination).

Since Kossuth and 1956 in the focal points of the historical consciousness of the Hungarian diaspora, it is therefore very important to familiarise them with present-day Hungary, especially the youth: emphasizing the discovery of festivals, spas, wellness centers, world heritages and wine countries before history, literature, museums.

In connection with the diaspora overseas we should always keep in mind Sándor Márai’s truth: ...you have two homes..a winter home and a summer home., like restless birds... .never forget that this is also home and you can’t live without it... you will be a happy person. Be careful that you don’t fall along the way.. .and don’t

get dizzy when you look down

.....then you will find out that there are two seasons,

t

wo homes and two worlds, and you have to wander and both can cause pain and longing.”5

The older Hungarians belonging to the second generation declare: they are proud of their ancestry, this is their heritage. They understand the Hungarian language but they do not speak in Hungarian. It is important for the third, fourth and further generations that even if not necessarily through language, they feel Hungarian through their souls.6

5 Sándor Márai: Zendülők. Féltékenyek. A Garrenek műve regényciklus első része. Budapest, Akadémiai Publishing, Helikon Publishing, 1995, 280. p. (The quoted sentences was translated by Anita Abel)

6 In my research work concerning the overseas Hungarian diaspora I lay special emphasis on the investigation of the Sárospatak dimension of the subject. Just some examples. Persons who were educated in the Sárospatak Reformed College participated in the organization of the American-Hungarian reformed church. Later, in the 20th century, many famous Sárospatak origin personalities worked in America such as among others: Zoltán Béky, Imre Bertalan, József Zsíros, László Vatay, Ferenc Vitéz... I analize systematicly their efforts for the preservation of the Hungarian identity of the emigrants. My intention is to elaborate all these dimensions in the near future.

164 Sárospataki fűzitek 2013/1-2