HUNGARIAN + IRISH? HERE'S SOME HISTORY!

MFA GOV - HUNGARIAN-IRISH RELATIONSHIPS   EMBASSY OF HUNGARY IN IRELAND

"It is not widely known that Irish Hungarian relations date back to the Middle Ages, a surprising fact even though in those times one can talk about sporadic contacts between individuals rather than inter-state relations.  In the 14^th and 15^th centuries two Hungarian pilgrims visited Saint Patrick's Purgatory at Lough Derg.  The accounts of their visions in the Purgatory are exciting document of their times. In the mid 17^th century Bishop Walter Lynch of Clonfert fled the Cromwellian troops and after a long journey through the Continent he found refuge at the Diocese of Győr in Hungary.  A religious painting he gave to his host is still in the Cathedral of Győr and is respected as an important religious relic..."

THE FOURTH OF JULY - MOST PATRIOTIC HOLIDAY IN THE UNITED STATES

I am proud to be an American, but like most 3rd or 4th generation Americans I still identify myself with the hyphen Hungarian-American.  This is no worse than saying someone is African-American or "Scotts-Irish," or "Sicilian."  I THINK WE WANT TO COMMUNICATE WHERE OUR PEOPLE CAME FROM to this nation of immigrants. 

How many generations does it take to feel oneself to be "American" when to be American is usually to be a mutt?  My "aunt" Hilda, here for fifty years and with excellent English but for the Accent used to say "and still a Greenhorn."

(I know of one person whose family seems to have remained "Irish" by only marrying other Irish for five generations!)

To communicate "I'm Hungarian," is to communicate that while there is pride in being an American, there is also no shame in being from this background!