I met him in Chicago at some Hungarian function...a dance that I went to with my grandparents. Chicago has/had a large Hungarian community and they were part of it. My husband left Hungary in 1956 during the revolution. He first went to Argentina also but not at the same time we were there. From there he went to Chicago.
Yep, an immigrant. I am a citizen of the United States and became one when my parents did way back in the 50's. My father got a work visa to come here I think. He was a very well regarded structural engineer. He had a pretty high paying position almost right away. He designed bridges but he also designed some hotels ...Hilton being one of them.
As a kid growing up in Chicago, we were schooled in the thought that America is a big "Melting Pot" of Nationalities. I've often wondered, though, since "melting pot" implies mixing together of the ingredients thoroughly, the result being inseparable. Ever since, I've further wondered: why did each Nationality type living in Chicago remain congregated together within their own neighborhoods? Italians lived around Taylor Street, Czechs even had a name for their own neighborhood, "Plzen", like Pilsen, which is I think German! Poles were congregated on the near Southside, the Black neighborhood was far Southside. Blacks were the most heavily discriminated against, beyond a doubt. Even the sparring Czechs and Italians would gather together if bashing of a black was imminent. "Melting Pot?". Not Chicago, not by a long shot! Frank
@Chrissy Cross I've always felt, after leaving Chicago, and living in the West, that prejudice of most kinds was less evident than in the Midwest. Then, the Rodney King thing quashed that idea! Frank
@Ken Anderson When you lived in the West, did you notice any difference in folks' prejudicial tolerances than back East? Frank
In California, no. In the Rio Grande Valley, being Anglo-Saxon, and not from the Valley, seemed to be a plus for some reason, as far as opportunities went, but there were people who didn't have much patience for someone who couldn't speak Spanish. "Winter Texans," retired people who wintered in the Valley, were looked upon with by disdain, but that was mostly because they acted like everyone was supposed to wait on them all the time.