Amerikai Magyar Szó, 1988. január-június (42. évfolyam, 1-26. szám)
1988-01-14 / 2. szám
Thursday, Jan. 14. 1988. AMERIKAI MAGYAR SZÓ 11. flriiERicfln HÚncflBifths ECONOMIC NOTES TRAVELING IS GOOD FOR THE TEETH Hungary's recent announcement that many restrictions on foreign travel are to be lifted from the beginning of 1988 is sure to expand the already vigorous cross-border traffic between Austria and Hungary. For some time neither country has required visas on the common border and Hungarians have been limited only by lack of hard currency. Some 2.5m Austrians visit Hungary each year, and almost 400,000 Hungarians cross into Austria. Hungary, like other East European countries, has a non-convertible currency. Although it is illegal to take them into Hungary, Hungarian forints may be freely purchased in Austrian banks. Recently, as the disparity between the official rate in Hungary and that available in Austrian banks has widened, Austrians have been buying forints at home and spending them in Hungary, thereby adding to Hungary's economic woes. The likelihood of being caught at the frontier with a pocketful of forints is remote, given the volume of cross-border traffic. A day or two in Hungary can be ridiculously cheap for the Austrian visitor. A simple room in private accomondation can post as little as 100 schillings ($9) for two. A good three-course meal with plenty of wine costs around 60 schillings. Complicated dental operations which would cost $750 in Vienna can be had for less than half that in Budapest and in border towns, particularly if payment is made in schillings or dollars. The Habsburg heritage binds the two countries across the ideological divide. Villages on either side of the border hold joint feast days. Cross-border football matches are common. The manager of one village team in Austria's Burgenland explains • that he pays the regional Hungarian football authority 60,000 schillings for the right to select certain Hungarian players. The Austrian team can then bring talented Hungarians across for the match day. Asked whether that isn't rather a lot for small clubs to pay, the manager says, "Well, they score most of the winning goals." THE HUMAN CHAIN On the Saturday before the Summit Meeting more than a thousand politically aware people formed a human chain from the White House to the Embassy of the Soviet Union. This was an emotional expression of friendship between the American and Soviet people and an affirmation that the danger of nuclear holocaust can be overcome if we all work together towards that goal. As we braved the cold wind we knew that no other goal could be pursued if this one failed. The Soviet delegation reported that a similar chain had been formed in Moscow just a few hours ago connecting the American Embassy and the Supreme Soviet building. Other delegations from all over the world were represented, including many children HUNGARIAN GYPSIES BY WILLIAM ECHIKSON BUDAPEST. Hungarian restaurants feature their haunting violin music, their twirling dance steps and their colorful costumes. But Hungarian Gypsies still are not recognized as a national minority, only as a social problem. Menyhért Lakatos, a novelist, wants to change this image. Along with several other Gypsy artists, Lakatos recently founded the world's first Gypsy cultural association. It publishes a biweekly newspaper and promotes Gypsy artistic traditions, activities designed with the larger aim of creating a strong Gypsy identity. "Gypsies have contributed so much to Hungarian culture and yet we are considered to be a group of beggars, thieves, and killers", says Lakatos in his small downtown office. "We must show the government that we deserve to be considered as a true ethnic group." This desire underlines the sensitive question of minority politics in Eastern Europe, a region inhabited by a bewildering mix of often contentious nationalities. When the Communists came to power after World War II, they argued that class should outweigh national identity and that the creation of classless societies should eliminate the age-old nationality problems. The reality .turned out to be different. Yugoslav, Serbs worry about their fellow Albanian citizens' separatist tendencies, and, in recent years, Hungary's leaders have complained about the treatment of the 2 million-plus ethnic Hungarians who live in Romania and Chechoslovakia. As a positive example to their neighbors, the Hungarian authorities permitted the establishment of Menyhert's path-braking Gypsy group. "In the past, our goal was to assimilate Gypsies," says Lajos Eff, director of Gypsy affairs at the People's Patriotic Front, made up of various public groups in Hungary. "We now are more tolerant." But this tolerance has limits. Unlike Serbs, Slovaks, and Romanians who live in Hungary, the government refuses to from all continents. This is a global chain because it is the answer to a global problem. Delegations were sent to the White House and the Soviet Embassy made up of children representing many countries from all over the world. They were warmly received by' the Soviets but not allowed into the White House. It was then that we knew that continued, determined efforts were necessary, that we are still only beginning to turn things around. But the overall mood was one of celebration: the Summit was no doubt a result of many years of increasing public pressure to respond to the yearning for more peace and security; the many songs, both in English and Russian, made us all aware that what was necessary was at the same time beautiful and full of a feeling of world-wide togetherness. Antal Borbély M.D. grant Gypsies their own schools and their own governing body-the rights of a national minority. Critics ascribe this refusal to political fears. Gypsies represent the largest minority in Hungary, with an estimated population of 400,000. The creation of independent national Gypsy institutions might impinge on the Communist Party's pre-eminent political role. "If the Gypsies get their own institutions with real power, they could be stronger than any independent trade union", argues Miklós Haraszti, a leading Hungarian dissident. The official explanation is cultural, not political. Unlike the other minorities, authorities say Gypsies don't have their own homeland and their own language. Most Hungarian Gypsies communicate in Hungarian because the Gypsy language remains a mixture of local dialects with no written alphabet. "Before we give the Gypsies full minority rights, they must civilize themselves." says Ferenc Stark of the Ministry of Culture. "They must solve the language problem, get regular jobs, improve their living conditions." Since Lakatos' new Gypsy association shares these goals, it coope.ates with Stark and his ministry. Lakatos has appointed a commission of linguists to standardize the Gypsy tongue. Compared to past regimes, Budapest's present communist rulers are indeed tolerant. Since Gypsies first came to Hungary in the 13th Century from Egypt and India, they have endured constant official prejudice. Under the Habsburgs in the 18th Century, Gypsy children were taken from their parents. During World War II. the Nazis deported 70,000 Hungarian Gypsies to concentration camps. After the war, the Gypsies were granted Hungarian citizenship. EDITOR'S NOTE We received the following letter from one of our readers. It expresses a sentiment we agree with and are hopeful it will encourage others to write about the English page. English Page Editor Magyar Szo Dear Friend: Following are my reasons for you to continue the English language page: It gives those who are interested in Hungary, but cannot read Hungarian, information that is most welcome. A second-generation friend speaks Hungarian but cannot read it. There must be many in that and third generations who would welcome Hungarian information. You should extend this to two pages to encourage more readers from this group. This could help make up for those Hungarian readers lost to time. I save my pages for another Hungarian- American who cannot read the language. Encourage writing contributions for your English language pages. Cordially, John Gojack
