History/Political Science paper by Venkovits, Balázs
Immigrant Crossroads: Changes in Hungarian Immigration to North America, 1917-1929 (Accepted)
Type of Abstract (select):Abstract (max. 250 words):
The paper presents a peculiar phase of Hungarian immigration history to North America, examining the period between 1917 and 1929. This was a time of major restrictions in the United States and new opportunities for immigrants in neighboring countries, especially Canada (and to a lesser extent Mexico). The paper introduces changing trends in immigration patterns in an inter-American context, primarily focusing on how the immigration policies of countries in the region were intertwined (especially in the minds of Hungarian immigrants) and how they influenced Hungarian migration patterns. While in the United States East-Central European immigrants faced increasing rejection and closing gates (with the country introducing a literacy test and later national quotas that practically ended the period of New Immigration), immigration policies in Canada (whereby Hungarian immigrants were finally included in the same category as immigrants from Western European countries, thus leaving behind their “non-preferred” status) resulted in major changes in Hungarian migration patterns. Besides an international policy overview and the discussion of the historical background of changes (in the US, Canada as well as Mexico), the paper also looks at other forces influencing decisions of Hungarian emigrants at the time, including the changing images of countries in North America and immigration propaganda.
Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Balázs Venkovits, Ph.D. is Assistant Professor in American Studies, Institute of English and American Studies, University of Debrecen. Research interests: migration studies, travel writing studies, writings of travelers and immigrants in North America, US-Hungarian relations, etc. He teaches courses on American civilization, history, travel writing, and translation. His first monograph was published in 2018. His articles have been published in HJEAS, Journeys: The International Journal of Travel and Travel Writing (US), Studia Migracyjne – Przegl±d Polonijny (Poland), IdeAs. Idées d’Amérique (France), etc. He is currently working on his book on Hungarian emigration to Canada in the inter-war period.