The Eighth Hungarian Tribe, 1987 (14. évfolyam, 1-8. szám)
1987-05-01 / 5-6. szám
ijmtflamtt íEüjbtb ©rib? Sbmttöaíton NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS: P.O. Box 637, Ligonier, PA 15658 - (Tel.: 412-834-0169) MAY/JUNE, 1987 To Members end Friends of the Hungarian Eighth Tribe Foundation Recently, while reading an Obituary Column in the newspaper, I came across the name "Farkosh“; sounds Hungarian, doesn't it? Reading further it became apparent how a typical Hungarian name “Farkas' can be changed many ways. The first thing that comes to mind is to translate it to “Woir, which might have happened in many cases. But in this case it was different. Joseph and Helen Farkas had 7 sons; amoung the seven brothers we find four different names: 1 Farkas, 1 Parkas, 3 Farkosh and 2 Farkus. It reminded me of what one member wrote: he is one of three brothers; one claims to be German, another claims to be Slovak, while he is Hungarian. Our Hungarian origin sometimes creates a dilemma when one tries to trace a family’s ancestry. One hundred-fifty years ago, in the days of our grandfathers, it was customary for one to travel to different parts of the country to earn a journeyman trade-certificate. It was not uncommon for a man to get married while working at one place for three-to-four years and then return to his hometown with his new wife after receiving his certificate. Because of this, many families in the Alföld (central part of Hungary) had relatives either in the northern section (now Czechoslovakia), from Erdely-Transylvania (now part of Rumania), or from the southern part (now a part of Yugoslavia). Before 1918, they were citizens of the Kingdom of Hungary and spoke one common language: Hungarian (if they were of a different nationality, they were also taught their own language). But the terrain made all sections of the country dependent on each other. Because Hungary was on the wrong side in World War I, the victors dismembered a nation and created an unbelieveable situation for many families, not only in the old country, but also in the United States. Those who came from Transylvania are now considered Rumanians, those from the Felvidék became Czechoslovakians, and those from the southern part of Hungary became Yugoslavians. Those who are expert in history know that no such nationalities existed before that time. So, what is the answer, how can one figure out their true nationality? We have to go back before 1918 to find the answer to our question. Our parents and grandparents were citizens of the Hungarian Kingdom and we, their descendants, are part of a nation with many thousands of years of history. ANY PERSON HAVING ANY TRACE OF HUNGARIAN BACKGROUND QUALIFIES TO BE A MEMBER OF THE HUNGARIAN EIGHTH TRIBE FAMILY! The Hungarian Eighth Tribe Foundation came into being in 1978; was officially established on August 22, 1981 at the Hungarian Heritage Conference in Ligonier, Pennsylvania and received its Charter on March 9,1982 from the Department of State of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as a non-profit corporation. The purpose: a) Foster the Hungarian Heritage in America. b) Establish and maintain a Hungarian Cultural and Educational Institute in Ligonier, Pennsylvania. c) Encourage contributions toward the establishment and maintenance of the Institute. d) Publish a journal for the purpose of disseminating cultural, literary, and educational information. e) Preserve historical materials relating to the Hungarian American Heritage. The Institute would serve as an educational place, where seminars and conferences could be held on subjects concerning Hungarian Americans of all generations, also where art related exhibitions can be held. IVhat is in the name? The Hungarian Nation was composed of seven tribes wandering through southern east Asia, from the city of Ur on the Euphrates River, to the city of Arpad, on the Mediterranean Sea, then up north through southern part of Russia, where they built the city of Kiev. Finally, these tribes settled in the Carpathian Basin, and established a Christian Kingdom of Hungary. The descendants of these tribes that came to America were call the Eighth Tribe. A knowledge of one’s heritage grounds a person with a sense of confidence and pride that what others have done, he can do also. It is our fervent hope that all people of Hungarian descent accept the responsibility of teaching their children about their great heritage. The 1980 Census officially shows almost 1,800,000 individuals, who claim to be of Hungarian ancestry.
