William Penn Life, 2012 (47. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

2012-02-01 / 2. szám

Did you know they're Hungarian?

Remember “ALF”? “ALF” was a TV situation comedy about an alien life form that takes up residence with a typical American family. The show’s title character was usually portrayed by a hand puppet But, occasionally, when full-body shots of ALF were needed, he was portrayed by a person in a heavy, brown, fur-like costume. The actor inside that costume was Mihály Mészáros.

Mihály “Michu” Mészáros was born in Budapest on Sept.

30, 1939. As a longtime member of the Ringling Brothers Circus, Mészáros, was given the unofficial title, “The World’s Shortest Man.” Real fortune came to Mészáros when he decided to migrate to Hollywood. Standing at 2 feet 9 inches tall, his talents were in huge demand. Michu appeared not only in costume for “ALF” but in dozens of other movies and programs.

Tibor s Take

There was silence for a few moments as I tried green beans cooked in pig tail fat (a surprisingly good dish), except for the occasional clink of a spoon or fork against china. Then, my host Andy (Monica's brother-in-law) stated matter-of-factly: "We don't have any of this down here." Monica agreed. To them, the arrival of Hungarian cuisine was a welcome, albeit curious, departure from the ordinary. She noted that up "in the North" everyone knows their heritage, where they come from and what culture they identify with. Monica went on to say that such identifications do not happen in the South, where everyone by and large disregards his or her cultural or ethnic identities. Another dinner guest described an experience that she had while taking multi-cultural classes at a southern university. When asked to describe who she was (culturally), she was puzzled, and answered the way many of her peers would with "white, Christian woman."

I was still working on my green beans at this point. Besides the occasional nod, I was a listener during that conversation. I will admit, however, that I had become lost in my own thoughts. When asked my opinion of what was being discussed, I replied with the following:

"I disagree, Andy and Monica, about what you said. I think that down here, there is very much a sense of culture and tradition. It just so happens that Anglo-Saxon/ English/Scots-Irish culture was the base for the melting pot that became America. You feel as a result, that no one embraces his or her culture down here, or that it is not a conscious part of one's identity. I think that is wrong. I know, rather, for a fact, that you and your friends have a greater sense of who you are and where you came from than many of your contemporaries in the North. If I go and pick out random Poles, Slovaks, Hungarians and Germans of my age who have had the benefit of being third or fourth generation descendants of immigrants, and ask them where their great-grandfathers came from, most, if not all, would be unable to answer. I write for a Hungarian fraternal association, and it is a constant battle to get teens and young adults to identify with their culture, or to even gain cognizance of who their forebearers were. I do not see any of that."

At this point, I took a breath or two and a sip of homemade sweet tea...then continued:

"Andy, the house you live in was built by your greatgrandfather. Your grandfather died in the living room just a few feet away, and in this same house, within these walls, you are living and one day your children will be living in this house. Perhaps it is the tale of the immigrant, but no grandchild of Hungarian immigrants can claim what you can claim. I am regarded as one of the few young people that are aware and are involved in my Hungarian culture, yet I do not know what house my greatgrandparents were born in. Southerners may think that Northerners are more aware of their culture for the mere fact that our journey across the Atlantic was more recent than yours. In fact, it is quite the opposite."

One can be driving along a road in the rural farmland and can see, in the middle of a cotton or peanut field, a small fenced-in hill. At the top of this hill are gravestones. Monica explained to me that it is a tradition that those families who own the land bury their family members in their own cemeteries, on their own land.

I know by now that many of us have already abandoned our New Year's Resolution. I urge everyone, however, during these cold winter months, to remember where we all come from. Even though times are tough, support Hungarian businesses. Read William Penn Life. Open up a Hungarian history book. Do a genealogy research project. Plan a shopping trip to patronize ethnic restaurants and businesses.

Above all, even if all your other resolutions fall to the wayside, resolve now (it's not too late) to incorporate doing something Hungarian in your day-to-day lives. Each of our personal histories is something to be cherished. Think of your culture as a garden: with occasional and diligent maintenance it can produce beautiful results that you and your loved ones can enjoy, but, if neglected, it can wither and fade until it is swallowed by time and nature, leaving no trace of what was left behind.

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Éljen a Magyar!

Tibor II

Tibor Check Jr. is a member of Branch 28 Youngstown, Ohio, and a student at the John Marshall School of Law. He serves as a 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.

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