Abstract: In this paper a brief summary is provided of the situation of Mexican-Americans in the ... more Abstract: In this paper a brief summary is provided of the situation of Mexican-Americans in the period from the mid-19th century to the end of the 20th century. Examples are taken mostly from works of literature and some from movies, in order to illustrate how Chicano intellectuals wish to uphold their cultural heritage in an Anglo society that was unfriendly towards them for a long time.
The works of minority authors are often referred to as "assimilation narrative," althou... more The works of minority authors are often referred to as "assimilation narrative," although it is very often not assimilation that they seek. They strive to find a place in mainstream society, without giving up their ethnic-cultural-religious backround in other words, they wish to get integrated, rather than assimilated. They regret when assimilation takes place, when they finally have to leave their cultural roots behind, and they try to postpone it as much as they can. Ethnic authors, immigrant writers fully understand that the members of minorities, new immigrants wish to get integrated, as in this way they are able to enjoy the advantages a highly industrialized country with high living standards is able to offer. But most ethnic authors do not believe that for integration they always and inevitably need to abandon and give up their ethnic, cultural and religious roots. It is therefore justified to introduce the term "integration narrative" to denote writings t...
In my paper the American frontier is described as a moving zone, a social, historical and economi... more In my paper the American frontier is described as a moving zone, a social, historical and economic as well as geographical phenomenon. The frontier experience determines American art, literature and social thinking to a large extent even today. The paper deals with the frontier as a moving space in historiography and literature. The essay consists of three parts. In the first part the concept of the frontier as a moving space is outlined. In the second part the relevant works of some American historians are-very briefly-analysed, from the aspect of the frontier as migrating space. The third part deals with a selection of literary works-novels and short stories-that show how the frontier is described by prominent and well-known American prose writers. The frontier experience, the slow movement of the borderland towards west, is deeply rooted in Anglo-Saxon socio-cultural myths. It is not only an American
In the first half of the 19th century, the United States and Mexico shared the southern half of t... more In the first half of the 19th century, the United States and Mexico shared the southern half of the North American continent. The dynamically growing and developin g new country, the United States, rapidly increased its territory, and soon reached the borders of Mexico, which had recently acquired its independence from the crumbling Spanish Empire. As early as the end of the 18th century, travellers from the United States painted a beautiful picture of the lands possessed by Mexico in what is today the Southwest of the U.S. Merchants brought goods from those lands that were desirable for customers in the Eastern parts of the continent. More and more people came to know about the vast area that offered the potential of further Westward expansion. It is not surprising that the United States, whose economic growth had been up to that time based upon expansion and the acquisition of new territories, first intended to use the method that had worked with France (and later with Russia): obtain the lands from Mexico in exchange for cash. The attempt, however, failed and the two countries were soon at war against each other. War boosts existing prejudices and generates new ones, and also requires ideological ammunition. It would be rather inconvenient to openly declare that one fights for booty, such as land, power, commodities and resources. An ideology is needed in order to underpin the claim to the lands to be conquered. The ideology for conquest is rarely published in the form of a formal political proclamation or other official document. Nevertheless, fuelled by stereotypes, simplified clichés and distorted images about the opposing party, the ideology spreads rapidly across the entire community, infiltrating into all layers of historiography, literature and popular cult ure. If it does not, it fails to become an effective ideology at all. Naturally, ideology is only effective when large crowds of people long for the same things as their poilical leaders-more land, richer and easily exploitable resources, wealth etc.-and
Mítoszok bűvöletében – Ünnepi kötet Virágos Zsolt Kálmán 70. születésnapján/Enchanted by Myth–A Volume for Zsolt Kálmán Virágos on his 70th Birthday pp. 402-407, 2012
The paper is a brief survey of the symbolism of Rodriguez's "Mexican movies", discussing the trea... more The paper is a brief survey of the symbolism of Rodriguez's "Mexican movies", discussing the treatment of colors, music and the stunt scenes from as Rodriguez moved from the lower budget films to the successful, larger budget films.
The paper is a brief summary of the achievements of Cesar Chavez and his Chicano Movement, starti... more The paper is a brief summary of the achievements of Cesar Chavez and his Chicano Movement, starting with the agricultural movement to the full-fledged ethnic- and civil rights movement.
In literary theory, the works of (ethnic) minority authors–and similarly, the works of authors de... more In literary theory, the works of (ethnic) minority authors–and similarly, the works of authors dealing with minorities–are often referred to as “assimilation narrative.” This term tends to suggest that minority authors, who write in the language of their country, seek a place in society through assimilation. Assimilation, however, means melting up in the majority nation by adopting all the values, customs and way of life characteristic of the majority, and abandoning, leaving behind, giving up the original traditional values, ethics, lifestyle, religion etc. of the minority. Assimilation means disappearing without a trace, continuing life as a new person, with new values, language, a whole set of new cultural assets. In this paper an effort is made to show that this is in fact not what many of the ethnic minority writers look for, so the term assimilation narrative is in many, although certainly not all, the cases, erroneuosly applied. It is justified to make a distinction between a...
Acta Universitatis Sapientiae, Philologica, 4, 1 (2012) 149-156, 2012
In my paper the American frontier is described as a moving zone, a social, historical and economi... more In my paper the American frontier is described as a moving zone, a social, historical and economic as well as geographical phenomenon. The frontier experience determines American art, literature and social thinking to a large extent even today. The paper deals with the frontier as a moving space in historiography and literature. The essay consists of three parts. In the first part the concept of the frontier as a moving space is outlined. In the second part the relevant works of some American historians are-very briefly-analysed, from the aspect of the frontier as migrating space. The third part deals with a selection of literary works-novels and short stories-that show how the frontier is described by prominent and well-known American prose writers.
Linguistics Beyond And Within 4 (2018), 173-181, 2018
In literary theory, the works of (ethnic) minority authors-and similarly, the works of authors de... more In literary theory, the works of (ethnic) minority authors-and similarly, the works of authors dealing with minorities-are often referred to as "assimilation narrative." This term tends to suggest that minority authors, who write in the language of their country, seek a place in society through assimilation. Assimilation, however, means melting up in the majority nation by adopting all the values, customs and way of life characteristic of the majority, and abandoning, leaving behind, giving up the original traditional values, ethics, lifestyle, religion etc. of the minority. Assimilation means disappearing without a trace, continuing life as a new person, with new values, language, a whole set of new cultural assets. In this paper an effort is made to show that this is in fact not what many of the ethnic minority writers look for, so the term assimilation narrative is in many, although certainly not all, the cases, erroneuosly applied. It is justified to make a distinction between assimilation and integration narratives, as the two are not the same. In the paper examples are provided from Hispanic-American literature (Mexican-American, Puerto Rican and Dominican), across a range of genres from prose through drama to poetry, and also, examples are discussed when the author does in fact seek assimilation, as well as stories in which neither assimilation, nor integration is successful.
In my paper the American frontier is described as a moving zone, a social, historical and economi... more In my paper the American frontier is described as a moving zone, a social, historical and economic as well as geographical phenomenon. The frontier experience determines American art, literature and social thinking to a large extent even today. The paper deals with the frontier as a moving space in historiography and literature. The essay consists of three parts. In the first part the concept of the frontier as a moving space is outlined. In the second part the relevant works of some American historians are-very briefly-analysed, from the aspect of the frontier as migrating space. The third part deals with a selection of literary works-novels and short stories-that show how the frontier is described by prominent and well-known American prose writers.
Peace medals (an article in Hungarian language). The article is about a book edited by Robert Pic... more Peace medals (an article in Hungarian language). The article is about a book edited by Robert Pickering about the "peace medals" found in the Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
The Mexicans living in the USA have been struggling with a wide range of negative stereotypes and... more The Mexicans living in the USA have been struggling with a wide range of negative stereotypes and clichés deeply embedded in mainstream American literature and public thinking since times long before the treaty of Guadelupe-Hidalgo. Literature has been added to social protest and political movements as a means of fighting the negative ideas concerning their community. For constraints of space, the present paper focuses on Chicano novel, and does not deal with poetry or the Campesino Theatre. As Leal and Barrón assert, "The most effective form for the literature of social protest has been the novel." (23) One of the first classic novels of Chicano literature is Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya. The novel is summed up briefly by Shirley and Shirley in the following way: [it] is concerned with the maturation of a young boy [...l and his relationship with his spiritual guide, the Última of the title. She is a curandera, a wise woman, a dispenser of curing herbs and potions who also heals with spiritual advice and some '"magic."' (105) The world of Última is the closed, a relatively well-protected world of the family, where people know their place and the community takes care of them. Nobody is left alone when too old or ill to take care of himself or herself: '"Gabriel, we cannot let her live her last days in loneliness. .. No,"' my father agreed. 'It is not the way of our people."' (3) The mother, whose ages-old task is keeping up the family and preserving its integrity at all times, initiates steps to receive somebody in need, and the father agrees. After all, that is "the way of our people." The importance of family ties as a central point in the value system of the Chicanos is made clear in the very first pages of the book. It is in this environment that young Antonio grows up. In addition to family bonds, religion is also a central part in the life of the community. Antonio even finds it difficult to accept Christian faith and Última's alleged powers as a witch at the same time. Finally he finds satisfaction in believing that both religion and Última's witchcraft serve good purposes. The outside world is a distant place, the characters of the novel are rarely exposed to it. Such an is when the boys go to school. They expect a lot from it, but when they realize that not much attention is paid to the specific needs of Chicanos, and therefore education was not the same thing to them as to Anglos, they are no longer really interested-Anaya's published in 1972 to become one of the most widely known and best selling Chicano literary works. Another novel that rapidly received great acclain is Always Running: La Vida Loca: Gang Days in Los Angeles
Abstract: In this paper a brief summary is provided of the situation of Mexican-Americans in the ... more Abstract: In this paper a brief summary is provided of the situation of Mexican-Americans in the period from the mid-19th century to the end of the 20th century. Examples are taken mostly from works of literature and some from movies, in order to illustrate how Chicano intellectuals wish to uphold their cultural heritage in an Anglo society that was unfriendly towards them for a long time.
Szellem és tudomány (MInd and Science) P-ISSN 2062-204X, 2020
The 1960s was the time when the Chicano Movement emerged, generating far-reaching effects in Amer... more The 1960s was the time when the Chicano Movement emerged, generating far-reaching effects in American society and literature. The achievements of the movement did not only benefit the Mexican Americans, but also all Hispanics living in the U. S. In the paper some of the important chievements and struggles of the Hispanics, both in literature and in politics, are discussed.
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