In its ‘Beyond the Óperencia’ series, Magyar Krónika is looking at the meeting points of America and Hungary, and at Hungarians in America, from penniless peasants to political emigrants and soldiers of fortune. In this part, let us look at the story of Mihály Fabriczy Kováts, whose name is even commemorated on a plaque in Charles Town, West Virginia.
‘I first became vice president in 2001 to better understand how the club operated, then became president in 2002. It wasn’t easy because only men had previously held leadership roles. At first, they didn’t take kindly to a woman joining their ranks—especially since I was significantly younger than them at 50 years old…During my presidency, younger generations began joining us.’
In its ‘Beyond the Óperencia’ series, Magyar Krónika will be looking at the meeting points of America and Hungary, and at Hungarians in America, from penniless peasants to political emigrants and soldiers of fortune. To start with, here is the story of a turn-of-the-century emigrant, whose words help us understand the goals, dreams, and plans with which Hungarians set out for America back in the day.
‘There are plenty of [contemporary] artists at home who are prepared and would otherwise fit in with the trend, but as it costs a lot to bring and keep their work here, [they] cannot really be present…they would rather have it in their portfolio that their work was out in New York.’
‘When I arrived here as a young woman in my twenties, full of deep Catholic faith and great enthusiasm, Fathers Kristóf Hites, Pius Horváth, Egon Jávor, and József Jaszovszky all embraced and supported me. They gave me wings and helped me fulfill the goals of the Catholic Mission.’
‘It is no surprise, then, that even Peru, a mountainous country far from the Pacific coast, a subject of many tales about the Incas, was also home to Hungarians throughout history. This is not just a tale of curious travels from Central Europe to Latin America, but a history of our relationship to the great migratory waves that have impacted our region…’
‘I also loved music and singing, but my very busy parents didn’t notice my talent—they only paid attention to my sister’s beautiful voice. Back in Hungary, before we fled, she studied opera singing with a teacher while attending the Szent László High School in Kőbánya, Budapest. I loved listening to her and longed to have a voice like hers…It was only much later that it turned out I did.’
‘The real goal is to preserve Hungarian culture, and along with that, to teach these children to read and write Hungarian. By the end of the year, I noticed that they were paying attention to only speaking Hungarian—we even had a game for that—and there was one child who, at first, didn’t want to speak at all, but by year-end, it was hard to keep him silent.’
‘I didn’t really form any deep-lasting friendships with any of my schoolmates…Of course, things like math homework or sports can be common topics, but I don’t have real personal connections with them. All my relationships are tied to Hungarians. I go to school because I have to—but otherwise, I’m here, in the Hungarian community.’
‘My primary goal is to make people aware of the existence of this singing pedagogy…The Libero Canto approach presents a completely different paradigm that hasn’t entered the mainstream, because traditional singing schools have a very tight pace of teaching, there are tough exams and performances, which we don’t have because we don’t see the point, as everyone develops at a different pace.’
‘The support and spiritual guidance we received from the Krasznai and Bőjtös families helped us tremendously in adjusting to our new life. Even though I had already served as a pastor for 14 years, the first six months were not easy. I learned a great deal, which helped me understand both the social and religious life here.’
‘My parents attended the local Hungarian Reformed church, and I began attending as well. I saw how much these people needed spiritual life. They went to church out of habit and followed traditions, but they lacked true spiritual vitality. That’s when I became a Hungarian Reformed pastor. I realized that my mission was right here—I didn’t need to go any farther.’
‘Brick by brick, pew by pew, bell by bell, we dismantled the old church and transported it to Arad. It was an amazing feeling to save everything—the pulpit, communion table, Moses seat, and bell! The Arad County authorities approved the plan, but Bucharest vetoed it. That was the final blow that broke my father’s spirit…’
‘I’m proud that they speak two languages fluently. But we cannot take away from them the fact that they also love the place where they grew up, which is a part of their personality. Having an American identity doesn’t mean they lack a Hungarian one. In fact, I believe they are twice as rich, both emotionally and culturally—if we do it right.’
‘Several countries…were accepting refugees back then. Mózsi was worried about America because of the Vietnam War…In the end, we chose America and arrived on 2 June 1969. Our sponsor was the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Reformed Church of New Brunswick, where Rev. Imre Bertalan, a wonderful man, was the pastor.’
‘Sometimes, I’ve come across Hungarians in the most unlikely places. For example, I saw an article by a certain Rev. Laszlo LaDany from Hong Kong, who translated from Chinese to English. When I contacted him, it turned out that he had a niece in England whom my uncle and his wife were supporting.’
‘One of my grandfathers was a Reformed pastor, and the other was a county chief magistrate, so, from the Communist regime’s point of view, we were a “reactionary” family who didn’t accept the people’s democracy. Our family certainly helped us develop a healthy outlook on life. We weren’t spoiled; we got used to difficulties, and we even took them for granted.’
‘Our church is in an accessible, safe location, a single-story building, and a popular venue. We hold a traditional worship service. Most of the congregation is elderly. We deeply appreciate everything they have done for the church and the congregation, so we continue to serve them in the way they prefer.’
‘I didn’t even know where the theology school was. So, I got off at the Üllői Road intersection and walked to the pastoral office at Kálvin Square, where I told the pastor what had happened to me. He responded: “This is extraordinary. The theology school is actually nearby, on Ráday Street. Go there and apply.”’
An in-depth conversation with Gábor Mózsi, who, after an adventurous childhood in Budapest, moved to America at the age 21. He initially became involved in the Chicago Hungarian community as a photographer, then was elected president of the Hungarian Club. He also joined the board of the Hungarian Communion of Friends and helped launch a youth leadership training program.
‘At that time, there was no Hungarian scouting in San Francisco, but when the idea of founding a local scout troop came up a few years later, I joined them as a patrol leader up front, even though I had never been a scout before. I thus became a founding member of the local troops, together with Tamás Csoboth and a few others.’
Zsuzsa has lived most of her life in Hungary, while Gyula grew up in the United States. They have known each other for only about 15 years, but since their first meeting in Budapest they have been driven by common social goals: strengthening cultural and economic ties between America and Hungary.
‘After passing all the tests to make sure that we were neither sick nor communists or spies, they let us go on the condition that we had a sponsor. We were sponsored by the Catholic Family Services in Amarillo, Texas, with whom we had no previous connection. When we arrived, with the organization’s help, my husband got a job within three days…’
‘It’s important to me that the kids know about their family history. One assignment I give my grade 6 class is to interview a family member who immigrated to Canada, and if that person is no longer alive, to interview someone who can tell them about this experience. The kids always learn something new, and so do I.’
‘I’m grateful to God who has arranged this opportunity, and of course, I’m very grateful to the Hungary Foundation for helping me to come here, where I’ve already done so much, met so many interesting people, traveled a lot, attended, organized and delivered lectures—definitely a life-changing experience.’
‘Another important point is that the goal of scouting is character development, not religious education…We’re aware that the world has changed, so expecting every scout to be religious and attend church isn’t realistic. But we do integrate faith in God into our scout work.’
‘My life very often turned out completely differently than I had planned. History intervened several times; for example, World War II, the final phase of which I experienced in Hungary as a child aged 8–9; the communist dictatorship that followed; and then, the 1956 revolution and freedom fight and its suppression that I had to flee from.’
An in-depth interview with Péter Kiss, who came to America as a young adult, and after years of no contact with Hungarian Americans, visited the Garfield Hungarian Club almost by accident. Since then he has organized many events there, and also launched a podcast about the adventures of Hungarians in America.
‘Everything I learned in sports has contributed to who I am today. That’s why I believe that when I have children, I’ll encourage them to do sports as well… It’s a blessing because it teaches discipline, focus, self-control, and perseverance.’
‘As I see it, the problem is always the same across the various minority communities here: there are fewer and fewer participants within them…my view is that even if there are only three or four people involved in specific activities, we should continue the organizing work, so that our communities and their associations continue to exist.’