~' l. !':'T !..E HUUGARyll St udy of t Hungarian Commun1ty In "JeH Bruns\'T1ok a.nd of Ita RolatlonBhlp to the Larg6r Community . Dy I'..!'BOLD J CY:r, llA"1TnS '49 Special Collections and University Archives, Rutgers University Libraries 169 College Avenue New Brunswick, N. J. 08901 (Manuscripts Division, FF144.N532H) , '.', ' - 1 - Introduc1jioli The goeat European exodus that followed the revolutions or 1848 save I."., Br"UllSwick' its first Hungari an reSidents. These po- 11t10al refus ees "ere quickly absorbed into t.he !(ew Brunswick lifeatream . disappeari ng aa a national en t1ty; ~t was not until , . , y, • 8" fci"tf - 1", ~ve year·s l.ater. i n 1 93 ! that the foundati on f or the pre- sent ...." Brt.!nswick Hungarian cO!llr.lunlty waa la1d . <, Tha.Jobnson' and J ohnson ' Corporation is g1ven cradit for be- , ' s i nning t~e t i de of Hunsarian 1mm igoation t hay from 1893 to the e!U"ly 1920".; when quotas on 1mm1goation t o thls country {{ere first lmposad. swell ed Hew Brunswick ' s r anks . In an ..r a of nl- 1I'0st \!DP<Ir.all eled Amerioan industr ial expansi on the, need. for cheap ' ,l ?obor\ whI oh at th8.t time meant i mported labor, waa great . s o the Hungari ana !lll).de t he1r appearanae on the local acene . a. workers in j ; < the h uge JohnsOn and J ohnaon pl ant, These new' Amer10ans same from' varying backgrounds. Kos t wore :;>oaEant s ' and unskilled lab orers~ but a not inconsidel'able proportion of t hem were skilled workers ( c1gar"""akers . tailors , sho@akers .J They were not drawn fr'om any particular looale' of HunfYU7 . whtch was then part of the Auatro-Hungarian dual emp1re .J but came trom every part of that. country., They had a common' language ., wh1le in religion t hey lookad three ways . to Roman Cathol icism., Greek Catho11oism . and to Protest antism. Exact knowledge of the communlt y-w1thin- a - commun1ty t hat these hard-worklng Hunger1an immigrants eatab11.hed 1s l1m1ted by two' th1nss, 1) lack of previous stud1es of the community . and 2 ) no separate c1ty statistics dealing wit h Hunger1an-Amer1oans. The report that follows 1s based larsely on f1rst - hand observat1on and' 1nterview" w1 t h key IDSII'­ bers of the Hungarian cOmll'un1ty . It deals only 1n the broadest t erms with the qU9sti,on o,f the ass im ilation 1nto the oommun1ty at large of its Hungari an 01 t1zen . ."t~~ I'opulatlon and Area Of the llev Brunsw1ck populat10n oj' 40 ,0=, ' ox1me.tely one- tlUrd , or twelve to t hll'teen t hou.sand , are of' lan extrao~ tion, There 1s a very hlGh degree of residential prop ulty; 1n two of the c1ty ' s wards (4th and 6th, ) t he Hungarian- Americans represan­ ting a v f!fI"J large pl'oportl on of the population ,_ wh1le in the !it Ward the Hungar1ans are overldll,lm1n&-y in t hs ma Jol"l ty. '-he ar_otr ~neral Hungarlan settlement i s bounded on the s'" til by Frenoh St . , t he east and north by F.aaton Avenue, and on the west by M11e Run rook. ~ 16 sectlon "ill bo referred to hereafter as "Li t t l e 1I\Ingary.- It is ostimated by a Hungarian- American r eal- estate a gent who has had his of1'ice 1n " Li t tlo Hungory" for t wenty-two year. that 9QJ$ of tlle p""'plo l1ving in the 5th Ward are of HUllF-1an -exJraot1on . A typical street 1n the area , Pl um Street, has OIl ~ t only t iro DOn - ungar ian fall\Fies , "It al1ans who moved ovel' h,ere to get atlay from the Negroes ." A rJajorit y of the Hungari ans , acoording to 11r. 1'lallner , o,m their own homes, whlch partlally acoounts f or the oontinuing pro .. /i'1nquity. r.aroly do"s a first ~nerat1on Hungarian move frQlll t he . Little Hunsarian" home whloh ordInar1ly he haa l i ved in throughout hla Am er1c!m r e8 1d~nce . Occupati onal _1 otIv1ty The occupational make-up of' the cOil!llUZll ty leans hG!\vlly to industrlal workmen. Aocording to a looal high- school teaoher2 80% of the Hungarians (by ,lh1OO io llIeant t hose torn in thls country , as "'011 as those born abroad, ) aro faotory worlror e . lloMeon and Johnoon am .:aok Corporation take a l arge share or the men 1'1)10 work, whi l e the wome~ are f ound ~stly 1n the t wo large cisar t~otorle~ that Nev Brunswick supports. Sltoond roost important category is 'pe tty -b oure;"o l!Jh~ ln ~ ' eluded 1n this listing ar the OwnGr8 of saloons, with which Little E\me;Iu:'y abounds , the butohers, grooers. oand,y':'stoI'., owners, et c . I~o'lt businesses , 911\9.11 and l arge, found "lthin the oommunl t;V are ouned by Hungarians living in that neighborhood. A smat tering of profe s sional men come from the lIunsarian renks , and t hls mnattsrlng 1s, for tho most part , looat pt'ofeeelot!3l.­ ly outsIde the Hungari an comcun1ty. In the community are t wo or three medical on and several lawyers . The HlL"8SI'1an Jews, wo fOr thCl moot p"rt are scattered tbroullhol~t. t he olty, are aotive 1n retail ne!'ohend1a • as well Oli 1n the 13(111 end medical professions. ~:ora will be sald latar on t hls speoiel catogory of peoplo. nuuwt= - f..an~ac;e Littlo HwlgaX'Y oontains I'll thin Us borders a number of peop 9 , all f lrst'- senoratio{l Ameri cans , Who kno" little or no Eng1.1sI1. 'i'he vast oaJari ty of tbe Hunsarll'Ul- Arner1cans ""&l , ,ot/evar , bllinomJ., llunG'U'1an baing the languagE> of soolal and business intercourse among tbe o1ddle- ased, wh11e the sacond. ssneratlon spoak ~ l sh &xclusively w., on amongst thoonolvea • 1"1 1896 the Ocneral Cigar Co . brought 1n from K.... York a llUJIIbel" of liur.cerl.an WOlllell ek1l1ad at cigar al:1ns. ':h1e >1aO" p o1&11.y Drought floom Hungary 0 ;' roa"" or' th l !llri11.grents . aoquired here by others. (cont. on Page 3) , . - tAn "'M:!!l!l co ~ . rue oOntlnuln 1rn- r~(\nco or tbe " £!IlU'lM langua£9 in Llt.tl" I!Wl!!f!il7 10 a ttested to 1>1 tho 1.,tter1ns " •. <>('Yar' Uetet"-­ I!~ 8!;1Olwn-<>n lIIN11 etor" lf1nd01l.. ~er evldcmc.. 01' oont1nu ethnic ldB'lUf1Ci1ltlon are the 8B 01' 80 C or the 1.1 tie • £1U7 ea!.oons, llud!ll'06t. J,~ pea and LitUe i::un~ . Aocot'd1n to.. l1"!lnt. bu _no. ten or nfteen YOM'e aeo ulo - "'Ocit all 81neae was ix>enBSoted 1n II tIL" . 1'I'j<t U/IO of t.he sari&'! ~ 1183 CPMted 0 prOblem 1n tho ,htU'Q. ana. 1n the f lly. I urof].U'1on ohildron. $lJoost aU of Whom ~n "!'Oak thdr anceeWa1 t0l1&18 , often o148h vitil the1%' eld",., eO!>U"" of th.,lr (the youttmO ref\1I11\l to a;:>eak llune;,u-1an. ';bGtl spo!(an to 1n ., ~ie.n thaoo oooond- 8"'n..raUon ""'rioane >1111 GO"!etme (!.\! r 1n ;n(Jll h, theroP:r embittering t'",ir poront8. , ;,'hUa come ""nt ,,1 th tile la!'lf}.lt\8O. fel' 01' theBe yO'1neor people are prot a1ent 1n' Its use, all<'! tOlfW' atll1 o.'ID oithor rend or wrl to :;\Il".<:fU'lan. rnowl,cd(::a of tho neJ!U'1a1l languace attn );,,,,,, 1n6 a ~11\l ass t 1 L1ttle Fiun~ and 1n " atl nsw oJ> p>'Opor. 'Xh1e h ' eo 80n'.l/l"''' lEU'f!8 P!'i!-'QO!'t1on of the llun~ "n f!JXI'l 1. BtU1 of tbe il at- sa !'aUon. t'l:llaes , IlQW<lv.,!', t hlll'" Mould be " new flood of Pun(l;'U'un 1JrImle;'llt1on to ew Prunl.lW1ok the languaGII of t old oount'!;'y 10 tlocm<ld as tar no. its U~ 1n thin 01 ty 18 oonoerned. :rIlb oplnion 1e held by all of tho 1l\.ltlG!U'1f<n c1 U:<OD" 1nt"rvi"wed. • ~1t\!J ' ' !!ill .;unou-iane . e"~11 :ew "'runew1ck'a 1,,0'.10/( nap ;:::!.mat" n~ , ) support t,IO ~ "r,,~dy " "ep.'lpero, the lAD an t1 Q l! lrnolI, .11.. ~ol'N!' clalms 4 lQoal o~oulatl n of ~at 4.5GJ . Nbll~ tho latter 'ote its o r(J'~lnt1o tin at 5 ,000. 'L'hh woul eOO.l 00 1nd te that fNOr1 lHerote odult ill f.he coar.m1ty l' !I" -at. 18 at ouo hi" '1ar: -le~ " nG\1epaper weill the aotunl aot 1 t ple >uy t>oth Jo'tt'­ nulG , n t.llat tbey e.ve r "ad lit exclus1ve.] by the older seMI' - tiOD. In M.cI1tlon to til" m ..''110 en1 -1r14p totO dldly 'IUncJi.rlWI ," 1'11. one 'Pll l10hed 1n e .. :'01'1<. t .le othel' 1n Cl"""l nd. n ... e wl.ll' .. 11 r'and y old<U' t.Utle 'lUll/,:!! "'S. 1 t:. t 011' ~l -to;m' ,.10 n 001 r'lt~rpart8 , t.h tllo :un i an ps.~s 'I ",,~. o1r>aUy COTloorned 11th laos). I"'1's"'<:1 1Uea an<l £v,,~ts . "t c:r 11'0" u; t'Gr !'11"l U' U!!lL l' th nr,H cnuntl'1 that oMts tt..'!!:= rI'.S9 1 ;aI"1'a:rta the &t!.t;~t.1o'1 0 the:!'" ~:ltt tor'1.ala .