Hungarian Conservative

‘Many people have asked me why I don’t devote my time to myself and my family instead of volunteering. The answer is simple: I care about Hungarian families and the community. My mission is to preserve, nurture and pass on our Hungarian identity, our rich language and culture to the next generation. Fortunately, many of us feel the same way and many of us are working for the same goals.’

Refugee groups started trickling in after the catastrophic defeat of the Austro–Hungarian empire in the First World War and the dismembering of the historical Hungarian Kingdom, resulting in the loss of many ethnically Hungarian territories for Hungary. The destruction of the war and the discriminative policies of the new states prompted many Hungarians to seek a better life beyond the sea. Latin America soon became an important emigration target, as the United States started to severely restrict immigration from Eastern Europe in the 1920s.

‘As a PhD student, I was very shocked to see that Harvard has had chairs of all sorts of relatively small nationalities (Slovak, Greek, Ukrainian, and so on), except Hungarian. These departments and chairs can only be created through international cooperation and the involvement of the business world, that is would need advocacy and money. We would need Hungarian academic departments and Hungarian professors in North America again.’

Andrea Mészáros has been an active member of the Hungarian community in Cleveland since her childhood. In the interview she talks about her family, her strong attachment and dedication to the Hungarian community, her different roles in its service, and her belief in the power of community.

A grand celebration was held at the Hungarian American Athletic Club in New Brunswick to mark the 70th anniversary of the Bornemissza Gergely Boy Scout Troop no. 5 of New Brunswick.

Réka Sundem is a young Hungarian American proud of her mixed heritage. Brought up in a household where Hungarian was spoken on a daily basis, she decided to apply for a Balassi Scholarship and spent a whole year in Hungary, learning about Hungarian culture and improving her language skills.

‘As we look back on this long and eventful journey, we commemorate those who were here before us, who led the way for our community, who dedicated their time, energy, and love to keep this Hungarian club alive for future generations. These individuals have left a lasting mark. Today, we pay tribute to them and to all unknown heroes, who made it possible for us to gather here and continue the work they started’, former club president Mózes Kovács said in his keynote speech at the anniversary celebrations.