Hungarian diaspora

Summary

The Hungarian diaspora (Hungarian: magyar diaszpóra) comprises the total ethnic Hungarian population located outside current-day Hungary.

Hungarian diaspora in the world (includes people with Hungarian ancestry or citizenship).
  Hungary
  + 1,000,000
  + 100,000
  + 10,000
  + 1,000
Areas with ethnic Hungarian majorities in the neighboring countries of Hungary, according to László Sebők.[1]

There are two main groups of the diaspora. The first group includes those who are autochthonous to their homeland and live outside Hungary since the border changes of the post-World War I Treaty of Trianon of 1920.[2][note 1] The victorious forces redrew the borders of Hungary so that it runs through Hungarian-majority areas. As a consequence, 3.3 million Hungarians found themselves outside the new borders. Although those Hungarians are usually not included in the term "Hungarian diaspora",[3] they are listed as such in this article. The other main group is the emigrants who left Hungary at various times (such as the Hungarian Revolution of 1956). There has been some emigration since Hungary joined the EU in 2004, especially to countries such as Germany,[4] but those patterns have been less extensive than for certain other countries of Central Europe such as Poland and Slovakia.

Additionally, there is the Magyarab people, a small ethnic group located in Egypt and Sudan.[5]

Distribution by country edit

Country Hungarian population Note Article
Neighboring countries
  Romania 1,002,151 (2021)[6] (excluding Csángós)[7] Native to Transylvania,[8] Csángós in Western Moldavia (moved from Transylvania there in the past), and a very small community of Szeklers also in Bukovina (see also Székelys of Bukovina) Hungarians in Romania
  Slovakia 456,154 (2021)[9] Autochthonous[10] Hungarians in Slovakia
  Serbia 184,442 (2021)[11] Autochthonous in Vojvodina Hungarians in Serbia
  Ukraine 156,600 (2001)[12] Autochthonous in Zakarpattia Oblast Hungarians in Ukraine
  Austria 107,347 (2024)[13] Autochthonous in Burgenland Hungarians in Austria
  Croatia 10,315 (2021)[14] Autochthonous in Croatia, except in Istria and Dalmatia Hungarians in Croatia
  Slovenia 10,500 (2021)[15] Autochthonous in Prekmurje Hungarians in Slovenia
Other countries
  United States 1,563,081 (2006)[16] Immigrants Hungarian Americans
  Canada 348,085 (2016)[17] Immigrants Hungarian Canadians
  Germany 296,000 (2021)[18] Immigrants Hungarians in Germany
  Israel 200,000 to 250,000 (2000s)[19] Immigrants; most are Hungarian Jews
  United Kingdom 200,000 to 250,000 (2020)[20][21] Immigrants Hungarians in the United Kingdom
  France 200,000 to 250,000 (2021)[22][23] Immigrants Hungarians in France
  Brazil 80,000 (2002)[24] Immigrants Hungarian Brazilians
  Russia 76,500 (2002) Immigrants Hungarians in Russia
  Australia 69,167 (2011)[25] Immigrants Hungarian Australians
  Chile 50,000 (2012)[26] Immigrants Hungarians in Chile
  Argentina 40,000 to 50,000 (2016)[27] Immigrants Hungarian Argentines
  Sweden 33,018 (2018)[28] Immigrants Hungarians in Sweden
   Switzerland 27,000 (2019)[29] Immigrants
  Netherlands 26,172 (2020)[30] Immigrants
  Czech Republic 20,000 (2013)[31] People of Hungarian descent forcibly relocated from the Slovak part of the Third Czechoslovak Republic
  Belgium 15,000 (2013)[31] Immigrants
  Italy 14,000 (2019)[29] Immigrants
  Spain 10,000 (2019)[29] Immigrants
  Ireland 9,000 (2019)[29] Immigrants
  Norway 8,316 (2015)[32] Immigrants
  New Zealand 7,000 (2013)[31] Immigrants Hungarian New Zealanders
  Turkey 6,800 (2001) Immigrants Hungarians in Turkey
  Denmark 6,000 (2019)[29] Immigrants
  Japan 5,600 (2022)[29] Immigrants
  Bosnia and Herzegovina 4,000[citation needed] Immigrants
  South Africa 4,000 (2013)[31] Immigrants
  Venezuela 4,000 (2013)[31] Immigrants Hungarian Venezuelans
  Mexico 3,500 (2006) Immigrants Hungarian Mexicans
  Finland 3,000 (2019)[29] Immigrants Hungarians in Finland
  Uruguay 3,000 (2013)[31] Immigrants Hungarian Uruguayans
  Greece 2,387 (2018)[21] Immigrants
  Luxembourg 2,000 (2019)[29] Immigrants
  Poland 1,728 (2011)[33] Immigrants Hungarians in Poland
  Portugal 1,230 (2022)[34] Foreign citizens only; for instance, excludes 79 Luso-Hungarians who have acquired Portuguese citizenship since 2008[35]
  Jordan 1,000 (2019)[29] Immigrants
  Cyprus 620 (2018)[21] Immigrants
  Kazakhstan 500 (2021)[36] Immigrants
  Montenegro 400[citation needed] Immigrants
  Latvia 300[citation needed] Immigrants
  Uzbekistan 300[citation needed] Immigrants
  Philippines 206 (2010)[37] Immigrants
  Iceland 200 (2015)[32] Immigrants
  North Macedonia 200[citation needed] Immigrants
  Estonia 173 (2018)[21] Immigrants
  Bulgaria 153 (2015)[32] Immigrants
  Vietnam 100 (2015)[38] Immigrants
  Liechtenstein 44 (2015)[32] Immigrants
  Lithuania 23 (2015)[32] Immigrants
Total 5.2–5.5 million Hungarians

Hungarian immigration patterns to Western Europe increased in the 1990s and especially since 2004, after Hungary's admission in the European Union. Thousands of Hungarians from Hungary sought available work through guest-worker contracts in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Finland, Sweden, Spain, and Portugal.

Hungarian citizenship edit

 
Flag of Hungary

A proposal supported by the DAHR to grant Hungarian citizenship to Hungarians living in Romania but without meeting Hungarian-law residency requirements was narrowly defeated at a 2004 referendum in Hungary.[39] The referendum was invalid because of not enough participants. After the failure of the 2004 referendum, the leaders of the Hungarian ethnic parties in the neighboring countries formed the HTMSZF organization in January 2005, as an instrument lobbying for preferential treatment in the granting of Hungarian citizenship.[40]

In 2010, some amendments were passed in Hungarian law facilitating an accelerated naturalization process for ethnic Hungarians living abroad; among other changes, the residency-in-Hungary requirement was waived.[41] In May 2010, Slovakia announced it would strip Slovak citizenship from anyone applying for Hungarian citizenship.[42] Romania's President Traian Băsescu declared in October 2010: "We have no objections to the adoption by the Hungarian government and parliament of a law making it easier to grant Hungarian citizenship to ethnic Hungarians living abroad."[43]

The new citizenship law took effect on 1 January 2011. It did not grant the right to vote, even in national elections, to Hungarian citizens unless they also resided in Hungary on a permanent basis.[44] In February 2011, the Fidesz government announced that it intended to grant the right to vote to its new citizens.[45] Between 2011 and 2012, 200,000 applicants took advantage of the new, accelerated naturalization process;[46] there were another 100,000 applications pending in the summer of 2012.[47] As of February 2013, the Hungarian government had granted citizenship to almost 400,000 Hungarians ‘beyond the borders’.[48] In June 2013, Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjén announced that he expected the number to reach about half a million by the end of the year.[49]

Hungarian citizens abroad have been able to participate in the parliamentary elections without Hungarian residency starting from the 2014 Hungarian parliamentary election, however, they cannot vote for a candidate running for the seat in a single-seat constituency, but for a party list.

Famous people of Hungarian descent edit

Country Name Occupation Source
  Austria Ferenc Anisits Engineer
  United States Albert-László Barabási Physicist and discoverer of scale-free networks
  United States Drew Barrymore Actress [50][51]
  Austria Béla Barényi Engineer and prolific inventor
  Germany Josef von Báky Film director
  United States Béla Bartók Composer
  United States Zoltán Bay Physicist and engineer
  United States György von Békésy Biophysicist and Nobel Prize winner
  United States Pal Benko Chess player and a record eight-time U.S. Open winner
  United States Adrien Brody Actor and youngest winner of the Academy Award for Best Actor [52]
  United States György Buzsáki[53] Neuroscientist
  United States Mihály Csíkszentmihályi Psychologist of flow
  United States Larry Csonka American football fullback
  United States Tony Curtis Actor [54][55]
  France György Cziffra Pianist
  United States
  Mexico
Louis C.K. Comedian [56]
  United States Rodney Dangerfield Comedian [57]
  United States Frank Darabont Film director and screenplay writer
  United States Ernst von Dohnányi Composer, pianist, and conductor
  United States Bobby Fischer Chess player
  Germany Ferenc Fricsay Conductor
  United Kingdom Stephen Fry Comedian [58]
  United States Zsa Zsa Gabor Actress [59]
  United States Peter Carl Goldmark Engineer and inventor
  United States Andrew Grove Businessman and entrepreneur
  United States Mickey Hargitay Actor, body builder, and 1955 Mr. Universe
  United States Harry Houdini Escapologist and magician
  United States Tim Howard Soccer goalkeeper
  Sweden
  Germany
George de Hevesy Radiochemist and co-discoverer of hafnium [60]
  United States Katalin Karikó Biochemist and Nobel Prize winner
  United States John George Kemeny Mathematician, computer scientist, and co-developer of BASIC [61]
  United States Laszlo B. Kish Physicist
  Sweden George Klein Microbiologist and author
  Austria Ferenc Krausz Physicist and Nobel Prize winner
  Belgium Alexandre Lamfalussy Economist
  Germany Philipp Lenard Physicist and Nobel Prize winner
  United States Bela Lugosi Actor
  Mexico Luis Mandoki Film director
  United States Ilona Massey Actress
  United States Paul Neményi Physicist and mathematician [62]
  United States John von Neumann Mathematician, physicist, computer scientist, and polymath [63][64]
  United States Thomas Peterffy Businessman and founder of Interactive Brokers
  United States Joaquin Phoenix Actor [65]
  United States Joseph Pulitzer Journalist [66]
  United Kingdom Árpád Pusztai Biochemist
  Slovakia Ľudovít Rajter Conductor
  France Nicolas Sarkozy 23rd President of France [67]
  Austria Franz Schmidt Composer
  United States Jerry Seinfeld Comedian, actor, writer, and producer [68]
  United States Monica Seles Tennis player
  United States Gene Simmons Musician [69]
  Canada Hans Selye Endocrinologist
  United States Charles Simonyi Software architect
  United States Victor Szebehely Astronomist and physicist
  United States Albert Szent-Györgyi Biochemist and Nobel Prize winner
  United States Leó Szilárd Physicist and inventor [70]
  United States Mária Telkes Biophysicist and inventor
  United States Edward Teller Physicist, engineer, and “father of the hydrogen bomb [71]
  United Kingdom Kálmán Tihanyi Physicist, engineer, and inventor
  Czech Republic Tomáš Ujfaluši Association football player
  France Victor Vasarely Artist of op art movement
  United States Gabriel von Wayditch Composer
  Germany Richárd Zsigmondy Chemist and Nobel Prize winner
  France Gyula Halász (Brassaï) Photographer, sculptor, medalist, writer, and filmmaker
  United States Ivan Soltész Scientist
  United States Jerry Seinfeld Entertainer/comedian [72]
  Czech Republic Tomáš Ujfaluši Football player

Politics edit

Since the Hungarian diaspora could start voting in elections in Hungary from 2012,[73] they have overwhelmingly supported the ruling Fidesz. In the 2014 Hungarian parliamentary election, Fidesz won over 95% of the vote,[74] in the 2018 Hungarian parliamentary election, over 96%, while in the 2019 European Parliament election in Hungary, Fidesz received 96%.[75]

Minority interest parties edit

In several Eastern European countries, parties that represent the interests of Hungarian minorities have emerged.

Country Party
  Croatia Democratic Union of Hungarians of Croatia
  Romania Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania
  Romania Hungarian Alliance of Transylvania
  Serbia Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians
  Slovakia Hungarian Alliance
  Ukraine Party of Hungarians of Ukraine (KMKSZ)

Gallery edit

See also edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ During World War II, some areas were regained by Hungary but later lost after the 1947 Treaty of Paris.

References edit

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  2. ^ Mathey, Éva (2012-09-14). "Chasing a Mirage: Hungarian Revisionist Search for U.S. Support to Dismantle the Trianon Peace Treaty, 1920–1938" (PDF). The Trianon Syndrome and Treaty Revision. University of Debrecen. pp. 38–39. Retrieved 2021-05-08. Since the Great Powers who dictated the peace terms disregarded the principle of national self-determination in Hungary's case and did not draw the new borders of Hungary to follow ethnic and linguistic lines, 3.3 million ethnic Hungarians were lost to the successor states.
  3. ^ "Diaspora and scattering" (in Hungarian). Retrieved 2021-05-05. Hungarian communities abroad can be divided into at least two major categories. On the one hand, the so-called indigenous (autochthonous) minority communities – established as a result of border changes, mainly the new state borders set out in the Treaty of Trianon. On the other hand, diaspora communities of migratory (allochthonous) origin.
  4. ^ "See page 21 of this report" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-10-25. Retrieved 2014-04-26.
  5. ^ huconedit (2023-06-19). "Magyarabs, the Descendants of Hungarians in Africa | Hungarian Conservative". www.hungarianconservative.com. Retrieved 2023-08-24.
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  7. ^ 1,370 persons Archived March 2, 2009, at the Wayback Machine declared themselves Csángós at the 2002 Romanian census. Some estimates of the Csángó population run higher. For instance, the Council of Europe Archived 2008-10-02 at the Wayback Machine suggests a figure as high as 260,000.
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  9. ^ "Népszámlálás, 2021: nézzünk szét a "házunk tájékán"!". felvidek.ma. January 21, 2021.
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  20. ^ "It has been officially recognized: far more Hungarians live in the United Kingdom than previously thought". portfolio.hu. 16 February 2020. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
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  24. ^ "Hungarians in Brazil". Archived from the original on September 22, 2007.
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  28. ^ Befolkning efter födelseland och ursprungsland 31 december 2018
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  34. ^ "Sefstat 2022" (PDF).
  35. ^ "Acquisition of citizenship statistics". ec.europa.eu. Retrieved 2023-05-28.
  36. ^ April 2018, Assel Satubaldina in People on 19 (April 19, 2018). "Hungarians, Kazakhs are almost relatives, says Hungarian cultural centre head".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  37. ^ "Foreign Citizens in the Philippines (Results from the 2010 Census)". psa.gov.ph. Philippine Statistics Authority. November 19, 2012. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
  38. ^ Sain, Adrienn (December 20, 2015). "Hungarians in Vietnam – VIDEO". Daily News Hungary.
  39. ^ Rogers Brubaker (2006). Nationalist Politics and Everyday Ethnicity in a Transylvanian Town. Princeton University Press. p. 328. ISBN 978-0-691-12834-4.
  40. ^ Tristan James Mabry; John McGarry; Margaret Moore; Brendan O'Leary (30 May 2013). Divided Nations and European Integration. University of Pennsylvania Press. p. 112. ISBN 978-0-8122-4497-7.
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  42. ^ Slovaks retaliate over Hungarian citizenship law, BBC, 26 May 2010
  43. ^ Romania backs Hungarian citizenship law, 18 October 2010, AFP text syndicated to eubusiness.com.
  44. ^ New double citizenship law does not change voting rights, EUobserver, 28.05.2010
  45. ^ Dual citizenship at its logical conclusion. Policy Solutions’ analysis: A vote for lost Hungarians is a vote for the right Archived 2016-08-10 at the Wayback Machine, Budapest Times, 7 February 2011
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  49. ^ Open wound. Trianon remembered 93 years on Archived 2013-06-14 at the Wayback Machine, Budapest Times, 12 June 2013
  50. ^ "Drew Barrymore News and Trivias at CelebrityWonder.com". Archived from the original on 2006-12-08. Retrieved 2006-06-10. "She is half Hungarian on her mother's side."
  51. ^ "Simply Drew - Biography".. "Drews Mother - Jaid Barrymore (nee Ildiko Jaid Mako) [was] Born on 8 May 1946 in Brannenburg, West Germany in a camp for displaced persons. Jaids parents (Drew's grandparents) were Hungarian."
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  57. ^ Rodney Dangerfield: A Lifetime of No Respect but Plenty of Sex and Drugs by Rodney Dangerfield "The whole family had come to America from Hungary when my mother was four. My mother's father--my grandfather--was almost never referred to in that house. Rumor has it he's still in Hungary--and still drinking."
  58. ^ "BBC - Family History - WDYTYA? Series Two: Celebrity Gallery". www.bbc.co.uk.
  59. ^ "Zsa Zsa Gabor born, Budapest Hungary. Though some sources say 1918, 1919, or 1920. 1936 Elected Miss Hungary."
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  75. ^ "Hungarians Outside EU Cast Votes for Fidesz". May 29, 2019.

External links edit

  Media related to Hungarian diaspora at Wikimedia Commons