Hungarian diaspora


Hungarian diaspora is a term that encompasses the total ethnic Hungarian population located outside current-day Hungary.
There are two main groups of the diaspora. The first group includes those who are autochthonous to their homeland and live outside Hungary since the border changes of the post-World War I Treaty of Trianon of 1920. The victorious forces redrew the borders of Hungary so that it runs through Hungarian majority areas. As a consequence, 3.3 million Hungarians found themselves outside the new borders. These Hungarians are usually not counted into the term "Hungarian diaspora" but are regardless listed in this article. The other main group is the emigrants who left Hungary at various times. There has been some emigration since Hungary joined the EU, especially to countries such as Germany, but that has not been as drastic as for certain other Central European countries like Poland or Slovakia.

Distribution by country

Hungarian immigration patterns to Western Europe increased in the 1990s and especially since 2004, after Hungary's admission in the European Union. Thousands of Hungarians from Hungary sought available work through guest-worker contracts in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Finland, Sweden, Spain and Portugal.

Hungarian citizenship

A proposal supported by the DAHR to grant Hungarian citizenship to Hungarians living in Romania but without meeting Hungarian-law residency requirements was narrowly defeated at a 2004 referendum in Hungary. The referendum was invalid because of not enough participants. After the failure of the 2004 referendum, the leaders of the Hungarian ethnic parties in the neighboring countries formed the HTMSZF organization in January 2005, as an instrument lobbying for preferential treatment in the granting of Hungarian citizenship.
In 2010 some amendments were passed in Hungarian law facilitating an accelerated naturalization process for ethnic Hungarians living abroad; among other changes, the residency-in-Hungary requirement was waived. Between 2011 and 2012, 200,000 applicants took advantage of the new, accelerated naturalization process; there were another 100,000 applications pending in the summer of 2012. As of February 2013, the Hungarian government has granted almost 400,000 citizenships to Hungarians ‘beyond the borders’. In June 2013, Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjén announced that he expects the number to reach about half a million by the end of the year.
The new citizenship law, which took effect on 1 January 2011, did not grant however the right to vote, even in national elections, to Hungarian citizens unless they also reside in Hungary on a permanent basis. A month later however, the Fidesz government announced that it intended to grant the right to vote to its new citizens. In 2014, the Hungarian citizens from abroad are able to participate in the parliamentary elections without Hungarian residency, however they can not vote for a candidate running for the seat in the single-seat constituency but for a party list.
In May 2010, Slovakia announced it would strip Slovak citizenship from anyone applying for the Hungarian one. Romania's President Traian Băsescu declared in October 2010 that "We have no objections to the adoption by the Hungarian government and parliament of a law making it easier to grant Hungarian citizenship to ethnic Hungarians living abroad."

Famous people of Hungarian descent

CountryNameOccupationSource
AustriaFerenc AnisitsEngineer
United StatesAlbert-László BarabásiScientist scale-free networks
United StatesDrew Barrymoreentertainer/actress
AustriaBéla BarényiInventor: Most patents in Europe +2500
GermanyJosef von BakyFilm director
United StatesBéla BartókComposer
United StatesZoltán BayScientist
United StatesGyörgy von BékésyScientist-Nobel Prize winner
United StatesPal BenkoChessplayer-Most US master ever
United StatesAdrien Brodyentertainer/actor: Youngest ever AA winner in his category
United StatesGyörgy BuzsákiScientist-"Brain Prize" winner
United StatesMihály CsíkszentmihályiScientist: Concept: Flow
United StatesLarry CsonkaAmerican football fullback
United StatesTony Curtisentertainer/actor
FranceGyörgy CziffraPianist
United StatesLouis C.K.entertainer/comedian
United StatesRodney Dangerfieldentertainer/comedian
United StatesFrank DarabontFilm-director/screenplaywriter
United StatesErnst von DohnanyiComposer/pianist/conductor
United StatesBobby Fischer Chessplayer
GermanyFerenc FricsayConductor
United KingdomStephen Fryentertainer/comedian
United StatesZsa Zsa Gaborentertainer/actress
United StatesAndrew Grovebusiness/entrepreneur
United StatesPeter Carl Goldmarkscientist/inventor
United StatesMickey Hargitayartist/bodybuilder
United StatesHarry HoudiniEscapologist & Magician
United StatesTim HowardSoccer goalkeeper
Sweden
Germany		George de Hevesyscientist/inventor
United StatesJohn George Kemenyscientist/inventor
United StatesLaszlo B. KishScientist
AustriaFerenc KrauszScientist
BelgiumAlexandre LamfalussyEconomist
GermanyPhillipp LenardScientist-Nobel Prize winner
United StatesBela LugosiActor-"Dracula"
MexicoLuis MandokiFilm director
United StatesIlona MasseyActress
United StatesPaul Nemenyiscientist/mathematician
United StatesJohn von Neumannmathematician Father of the Computer.
United StatesThomas Peterffyengineer/NASDAQ-founder
United StatesJoaquin Phoenixentertainer/actor
United StatesJoseph Pulitzerjournalist
United KingdomÁrpád PusztaiScientist - Leader on plant lecitins.
SlovakiaĽudovít RajterConductor
AustriaFranz SchmidtComposer
United StatesMonica SelesTennis player
United StatesGene Simmonsentertainer/musician
United StatesJerry Seinfeldentertainer/comedian
FranceNicolas Sarkozy23rd President of the French Republic
CanadaHans SelyeScientist
United StatesCharles SimonyiScientist
United KingdomPéter SomogyiScientist
United StatesVictor SzebehelyScientist
United StatesAlbert Szent-GyörgyiScientist-Nobel Prize winner
United StatesMaria TelkesScientist
United KingdomKálmán TihanyiScientist/Inventor Television
FranceVictor VasarelyArtist-Founder of OP-art
United StatesGabriel von WayditchComposer: 14 Grand operas, the longest ever
GermanyRichárd ZsigmondyScientist-Nobel Prize winner
United StatesLeó Szilárdscientist/inventor "Father of A-bomb"
United StatesEdward Tellerscientist/inventor "Father of H-bomb"

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