William Penn Life, 2010 (45. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2010-02-01 / 2. szám
[% \ Tibor's Take with Tibor Check, Jr. I was one of the few kids in my high school that could proudly claim that I had neither Italian nor Irish ancestry. It was difficult at times from a social standpoint, as many peers and friends were linked together in the sharing of a common ethnicity and shared experiences and traditions that were unique to their own nationality. These cultural traditions and events have a tendency to dominate and overshadow those of nationalities who are not as "mainstream" or numerically important. Thus, St. Patrick's Day always affected me on a very personal level. I must confess that, once upon a time, I conformed to the traditions of this holiday. I, too, wanted to wear green and have a shamrock hat. I, too, wanted to fit in. I was tired of being "Hungarian." I wanted to be the nationality that the cool kids were. This continued for a few years, as did the symptoms of my cultural affliction: apathy and annoyance at Hungarian picnics; not wanting to show off the Hungarian coat of arms; and, of course, wanting to celebrate St. Pat's like I was fresh off the boat from Ireland. Then, either through growing up or through a series of experiences and happenings in the Hungarian community, I underwent a rapid change of thought. Maybe it was realizing that being Hungarian was "cool," too. Maybe it was watching the members of our already graying Magyar community fall ill, grow older and ultimately leave the community through sickness or death. I saw, unlike the Irish or Italian communities, that there were not young American-Hungarians taking the place of the old. Maybe there were more teens like me who had replaced their heritage with something else. Either way, my cultural heritage needed me, and I needed it. I could not accurately describe myself without including my Magyar lineage, and now was hardly the time to forget where my ancestors called home. Did you know they're Hungarian? Did you know, Jessica Szohr, who plays Vanessa on the CW drama “Gossip Girl,” is part Hungarian? The 24-year-old actress was born in Wisconsin to a Hungarian mother and African-American father. She was discovered at age 16 when she began working as a model. Szohr will be appearing on the big screen in “Piranha 3-D” opening March 19. In the years since that realization, I have often wondered why many young adults forego their Hungarian heritage. I have lamented as the crowds at our festivals and picnics grow smaller and older. Finally, these thoughts have pointed to me to a larger question: Why the Irish or the Italians? Why can't the Ides of March (March 15th) be as great a holiday as March 17th? Why do we commemorate one nation's patron saint over another nation's tragic and glorious attempt for freedom? Why do we have parades with green-clad and tipsy revelers over a thoughtful service remembering the price of freedom and democracy? Which would be a better civics lesson? As hinted earlier, maybe it is because being Hungarian isn't "cool." Yet, whether it's Gene Simmons speaking in our native tongue to a wounded soldier or learning why church bells are rung at noon everyday, there is a book full of evidence to prove that being Hungarian is cool. Maybe it is because being Hungarian isn't as marketable. Who knows? All that I know is that there will be American-Hungarians who will attend a St. Patrick's day parade before they go to a St. Stephen's Day festival. In the past, Hungary, surrounded by Slavs and Germanic peoples, has been able to preserve a rich and unique cultural tradition that is far different from any of its neighbors. Yet, over here, in the United States of America, we struggle to retain even our own. The future of our Hungarian communities and organizations lies in the hands of our youngest, and if we lose them to cultural apathy, then we, too, are lost. / Éljen a Magyar! Tibor Tibor Check Jr. is a member of Branch 28 Youngstown, Ohio, and a freshman at Cleveland State University. He also serves as host of the “Souvenirs of Hungary” weekly radio show broadcast on WKTL- 90.7 FM in Struthers, Ohio. Let's hear your take Let me know how you enjoy my thoughts and views on growing up Hungarian Style. If you have any questions or comments about me or my column, please email me at: SilverKingl937@yahoo.com, or drop me a letter in care of the William Penn Association, 709 Brighton Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15233. - Tibor 8 William Penn Life, February 2010 The Hungarian Ides of March
