Calvin Synod Herald, 1982 (82. évfolyam, 1-6. szám)
1982-02-01 / 1. szám
CALVIN SYNOD HERALD — 7 — REFORMÁTUSOK LAPJA An interview with Sándor J. Farkas The Hungarian United Presbyterian Church of Youngstown, Ohio since 1975 has been instrumental in the resettlement of more than 130 refugees, under the leadership of its pastor, Sándor J. Farkas. Wanting to know more about this ministry we bring our readers excerpts from the Presbyterian Communique. * * * CQ: Mr. Farkas, many churches have responded to the need to help refugees coming to the United States become resettled. How does it happen that you and your congregation are involved in this ministry on such a large scale? Farkas: One reason is that I am myself a refugee, being forced to leave my native Hungary after the 1956 uprisings. I remember the many kindnesses of the people in the United States and elsewhere during my period of resettlement and adjustment. This is one way I can express my gratitude. But there is at least one other reason. This century may be remembered as the century of refugees. There are millions of people throughout the world who are victims of oppression in their native countries and are seeking help. Not to be sensitive to the needs and the suffering of these people is unthinkable for a Christian these days. CQ: Many people will agree with that. It is not unusual for a congregation to sponsor one or two families over a period of time. But how does it happen that you are able to sponsor 20 or 30 persons every year? Farkas: The key is a refugee resettlement home, which is actually the former manse of the Hungarian United Presbyterian Church. It is located right next to the church building on Mahoning Avenue in Youngstown. In 1974 we had the offer of assistance from the Westminster United Presbyterian Church in nearby Boardman to rehabilitate the dwelling and turn it into a resettlement center. It has since served as a temporary shelter until the refugees can be located elsewhere. That partnership was a critical factor. CQ: Does the partnership continue? Farkas: Actually, it has enlarged considerably. In 1975 the Eastminster Presbytery made the resettlement ministry an official mission project. At the present time the Presbytery contributes $7,200 a year toward its support. In addition, several congregations are involved. Westminster in Boardman, Christ and John Knox in Youngstown, South Side in Niles, Covenant in Warren, and the Canfield and Poland churches are partners in this ministry. CQ: Tell us about the organization of the resettlement ministry? Farkas: It is operated under an 18 member Board of Directors, eight of whom are members of the Hungarian church. The other ten represent the partner congregations. The directors oversee the entire program, including determining which refugees to sponsor. All applications are reviewed by the directors. Board members also help in providing a variety of services to refugees, and their active involvement is essential to the program. CQ: How do you come in contact with the refugees? Farkas: We work directly with the Refugee and Resettlement unit of the Program Agency of the United Presbyterian Church, which in turn works with Church World Service. All applications come to us in that way. CQ: Who are the refugees? From what countries do they come? Farkas: They are either Hungarian or from Southeast Asia—people who are identified as Vietnamese refugees. We made a conscious decision to limit ourselves to the people we can best serve. We have been involved with people of both heritages almost from the beginning. Hungarian refugees, either directly from Hungary or from other countries in Eastern Europe, were coming to us even before the center opened. CQ: How did you decide to sponsor Vietnamese refugees? Farkas: We felt morally obligated to help with their resettlement after the communist takeover in 1975. As soon as the resettlement center opened we received six Vietnamese. There has been a steady stream of them ever since. We were in a fortunate position at the time. One of our church members, Lien Kaldor, a Vietnamese woman, was married to a former Hungarian refugee who had himself served in Vietnam as a citizen of the United States. That formed a link with both the Hungarian and Vietnamese people, and provided the important asset of language facility. Lien worked at the Park Vista Presbyterian Home for elderly people in Youngstown. Through its understanding Administrator, the Rev. James E. Latham, and her connections there, we were able to place a number of the refugees, both Hungarian and Vietnamese, in work relationships. CQ: Have you ever returned to Hungary? Farkas: Yes, I have visited there on two occasions. Conditions have changed. CQ: Why then are there Hungarian refugees coming to the United States today? Farkas: Many come from Rumania where there is some active oppression. To be a Hungarian in Rumania is already to be a second-class citizen. Many Hungarians feel the need to leave. Some, I think, come looking for a new opportunity in the United States, and not because they are being actively persecuted. They wouldn’t be classed in the same way as the “boat people” in Vietnam, for instance. CQ: That leads to a larger question. Who qualifies as a refugee in the eyes of the United States government? Farkas: According to the Refugee Act of 1980, a refugee is anyone who has experienced persecution or else lived in fear of it. This generally means persecution by communist governments. One cannot ordinarily qualify if one has entered the country illegally from Mexico, for example, where persecution is not considered to be a factor, as the United States understands it. CQ: What happens to the refugees once they enter the resettlement center? Do they go on welfare? Farkas: No. Although the Refugee Act of 1980 permits welfare assistance, which is a distinct change from the previous legislation, we take special pride in the fact that the people who are being helped in this program are not adding to the welfare case load. We take it as a moral obligation that they will not become a “public charge,” which is something sponsors formerly had to agree to, but do not now. But that remains our position. We see to it that each refugees has a place to live and that their needs are met during the time of transition. In most every instance, the refugees we have sponsored have become contributing members to the work force within four weeks after arriving here. CQ: What kinds of work do they get? Farkas: One reason we have been successful in finding work is that most of the refugees have been willing to accept whatever work is available, which sometimes means that they take jobs that are going begging. But there are some good jobs too. A Hungarian is working as a cabinet maker. A Vietnamese is now working successfully as a mechanic. About 50 percent of the refugees find work in their normal skill line. CQ: There is a high unemployment rate in Youngstown, approximately 15 percent. How does it happen that the refugees are able to find work so readily when there are so many people unemployed? Farkas: Some of the unemployed people would be working if they would accept low paying jobs, or jobs not in their normal skill line. But we have a built-in system in the United States that insures higher
