| This study attempts to explain the dynamics of immigrant reception and incorporation in Hungary in the first years of the twenty first century, as Hungarian society becomes gradually more ethnically diverse due to increasing immigration. In particular, this study examines the following three questions:;I. On what basis do Hungarian natives regard immigrant groups as tolerable or undesirable?;II. How does a growing foreign population in this formerly near-homogeneous society affect Hungarian and immigrant self-identity?;III. How does Hungary's reception of immigrants affect the migrant population socially, economically, and politically?;Furthermore, this research examines the roles of nationalism and ethnicity in the changing notions of Hungarian cultural citizenship by exploring the ways in which the idea of a true, genuine Hungarian is understood by native-born Hungarian citizens as well as immigrants. The data in this dissertation were collected during sixteen months of fieldwork. Using ethnographic methods of participant observation and in-depth interviews, this research gains a deeper understanding of the processes of immigrant reception and incorporation, assimilation, ethnic identity formation, and the re-creation of nationalism and anti-foreigner sentiment in the post-socialist environment. The ethnographic analysis reveals that the perception of native-born Hungarians about their own socio-economic status as well as the economic situation of Hungary as a whole is perhaps the most influential factor in their attitudes toward foreigners. The study addresses the importance of a comprehensive understanding of the interconnected effects of historical, political, economic and social factors for a proper understanding of the reception of immigrants in host societies. |
