national populism and slovak – hungarian relations in - MEK

Magyars and Slovaks in Southern Slovakia...While discrimination based on age was more frequently perceived by Slovakrespondents and although both groups of respondents equally frequentlycomplained about discrimination based on socio-economic situation, sex andprofession, ethnic Hungarians feel discriminated against generally more frequently.From the viewpoint of our principal topic, it is particularly importantthat the most frequent reason for discriminating against them is theirnative language and nationality. Almost two in five ethnic Hungarian respondents(39%) mentioned a negative experience due to speaking Hungarian;more than one in three of them (35%) feel discriminated against becausethey view themselves as Hungarian. 3 While some Slovaks have similarlynegative experience regarding the use of mother tongue and nationality, theirshare is substantially lower compared to that of ethnic Hungarians. Ofcourse, discrimination has no minimum ‘tolerance’ as every single case isunjust and unjustifiable; however, statistical data again prove that oppressionof Slovaks by ethnic Hungarians in southern Slovakia is a myth.Notes1 The survey formed part of the project called Challenging National Populism and PromotingInterethnic Tolerance and Understanding in Slovakia.2 During interviews in focus groups, several Slovak and ethnic Hungarian respondents mentionedthat ‘newcomers’ (i.e. everyone who married into an ethnic Hungarian family)learned to speak Hungarian in the past; while respondents were unable to put a time frameon it, almost all of them had this kind of experience. In the words of one female respondent:“This is something completely new. Whether it was in Rožòava or at home, in thecountryside, if Gypsies or Slovaks became members of a family, they learned Hungarianand no one was forced to switch languages. Everybody spoke Hungarian. Nowadays it iskind of strange as even children from Hungarian families refuse to speak Hungarian andthey remind their parents and grandparents to speak Slovak because they are ashamed ofspeaking Hungarian.” Another female respondent expressed ambivalent feelings by saying:“My daughter learned to speak Slovak. I am proud that she had an ‘A’ in Slovak language.But then she met a Slovak man and now she turned into a Slovak woman. That bothers meso. I am happy that she is happy with him but I am afraid that she will not teach her childrento speak Hungarian. I feel … I don’t know, I guess I feel betrayed. The man is agreeablebut when he comes to our place, he just withdraws into a corner and does not sayanything. I tune on to Pátria [the Slovak Radio’s frequency for minorities] and my daughtertells me right away: Mom, would you turn it off, please …”3 The focus group survey indicates important changes in terms of discrimination occurrencein certain areas, for instance during local football games. In the words of one male respondent:“I played football since I was a kid. As a football player, I have visited all surroundingvillages. Ten or fifteen years ago, it was totally normal to treat us to refreshmentsboth before and after the game; [the hosts] served us pastry and everything was jolly good.Nowadays, we hear more and more aggressive chants such as fucking Hungarians duringgames in the same villages. And residents of those Slovak villages gawk at us as if we atetheir bread.”National Populism and Slovak – Hungarian Relations in Slovakia 2006 – 2009. Forum Minority Research Institute Šamorín – Somorja, 2009179