A Family Memory and Interpretation of the Present Slovak-Magyar Living Together

Many ethnically mixed communities are characterized by a higher degree of tolerance than that of society at large, since the everyday experiences of living together facilitate mutual understanding & help to overcome stereotypes sustained by the mass media. To investigate an example of this kind of dynamics, interview data were obtained from 3 generations of 5 Hungarian & 3 Slovak families in Tesedikovo, a small village in southern Slovakia. This area is currently inhabited by 85% Hungarians & 15% Slovaks. Although the village belonged to Hungary 1938-1945, some Hungarians left & new Slovaks arrived in 1946 after the signing of an accord on population exchange between Hungary & Czechoslovakia. Three strategies for smooth social interactions could be identified: (1) suppression of memories about the forced transfer of Hungarians to Hungary; (2) understanding by the older generation of Slovaks about the reasons why Hungarians resented their arrival; & (3) adaptation by Slovaks of Hungarian language & customs. 21 References. Adapted from the source document.