Future abroad – a mobile generation?

E: So, maybe these like, human rights and equality issues are like, something that unite Europeans at some level?

F: Yes, and it is difficult to say, because I do not know other cultures that well. So, for sure they have their own order, but yes, it feels like that human rights have taken on account more in Europe, than elsewhere.)

In Flóra´s case, it is evitable that Europe has gained new meaning as a region home. Nationalism and “Europeanization” work side by side here. Flóra perceives Europe as a region that has common values, such as human rights. She considers that Europe has its own order that is dif-ferent from other continents. This kind of thinking opens up a whole new way to re-consider one’s identity as a Hungarian.

4.2.3. Future abroad – a mobile generation?

The informants can be divided into two categories: to those who wanted to leave their home country temporarily to work or study, and to those, who were considering migrating perma-nently. However, all of them wished to travel more, and were eager to gain new experiences abroad. All the informants had some experiences in travelling, and many of them had already stayed abroad for a longer period to study. Not all of them perceived internationality as a man-datory thing in today’s world for everyone, but nevertheless, it was important for them person-ally. The question of internationality and mobility is also connected to generations, since the interviewees parents were part of a generation that did not have free mobility when they were the same age. Thus, one question that was examined, was that if the informants feel that there is a big difference on how they perceived travelling, internationality and mobility in relation to their parents.

Yeah, and you don’t have to use your passports, you don’t have to have visa, it’s really really open, the new world, and for me it’s kind of, I take that for granted to move freely, but my parents, and my grand-parents, who lived in the Soviet era, they had to wait, I don’t know how many years to go to this West, and they did not have the opportunity to. (Interview 6: Péter.)

Many of the informants perceived internationality as an inevitable part of life in today’s glob-alized world. This perception came often from the realization, that internationality could benefit

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them in working life, or from the fact, that world is international, and thus internationality can-not be avoided. As Péter explains, for him being mobile and international is necessary, since he feels that it is not possible to survive in today’s working life without being mobile. To him, it is crucial to be able to move in order to find job opportunities. He also values exploring the world as an important thing itself.

P: It is, because that’s where you can explore the world, and you have to be mobile. It is, I think most important thing nowadays, that you cannot be stuck in one place. If you have a job opportunity from, umm in Vienna, or 200 kilometers from here, you have got to go there.

E: It is even necessary to be mobile?

P: Yeah, and, that is why we speak English, without English we could not speak, or just hyvä, like basic words. (Interview 6: Péter.)

For Bogáta, internationality and mobility are signs of progressiveness. She thinks, that travel-ling, and familiarizing oneself with other cultures is necessary in order to form an objective picture of the world. Bogáta also feels, that travelling enables a person to know themselves better. For her, it requires others that provide a platform to reflect one’s own identity. As she explains, she feels, that being mobile and international broadens a person’s vision, and thus, she would recommend travelling to everyone:

I think, based on my experience and my way of thinking, I would encourage everybody to get around in the world. I’m not encouraging anybody to forget who they are, but actually it’s a way of knowing your-self and, like knowing…what you said with your Finnish, what makes you Finnish is also, and it broadens your vision, so it’s, I don’t really like backwards people, who haven’t seen anything of the World, but they have strong opinions about that, and because based on what the TV tells them. It’s a…you can’t develop with that kind of way of thinking. (Interview 1: Bogáta)

Bogáta emphasizes, that she is not encouraging anyone to forget their Hungarian identity, but rather perceives travelling as an opportunity to strengthen it. For her, going abroad enables one to see, what separates their nation from the others, and thus feel even more strongly Hungarian.

As she also exclaims, for her travelling is crucial for a person’s development, and not being mobile, or interested in going abroad, can result as a backward way of thinking.

Also, Péter views it beneficial to go abroad to work, and gain knowledge by travelling. He does not wish to migrate outside of Hungary permanently, but rather use the opportunity to go abroad and learn, and later use the gained knowledge in order to benefit his home country. Péter per-ceives it essential to go abroad in order to gain new experiences.

Umm, I don’t know if you have heard, Camp leaders. I am going to be a counselor, so I will go there, and I am going to visit my friends in America, but definitely I want to try myself abroad. I am not going to

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say that I want to live there forever, but just for couple of years to experience and to gain knowledge, and if, if I think it is worth to come back to Hungary, I will, because I think it is essential for youth people to go abroad and experience, and then flourish that knowledge in their home country. (Interview 6: Péter.)

Katalyn, however, does not consider travelling and being international necessary for everyone.

She points out that there are people, who can survive well without being international and for example not learning languages. She does not personally know this sort of people, but assumes, that if one lives their whole life in a small countryside village, internationality is not that im-portant, and that one can survive without knowing any other languages than their mother tongue.

E: Joo, miten, ajatteletko, että se on tarpeellista jopa, tai pakollista jopa olla kansainvälinen nykyään?

K: Mm, ehkä se riippuu, no niin kuin siitä, et, vaikka jos joku, no niin kuin ympäristöstä varmaan. No, jos joku opiskelee yliopistolla, ja sit asuu niin kuin pääkaupungissa, yleensä pääkaupungit on kansainvä-lisiä, sit aina vaan törmää ulkomaalaisiin, ja sekin vaikuttaa varmaan siihen. Mut sit, jos joku esimerkiksi asuu pikku kylässä koko elämänsä, ja sit ei haluukaan muuttaa pois, sit mä voin ymmärtää. Ja siis jotkut ei osaa mitään vierasta kieltä, mut kun Unkarissa mulla ei ole sellaisia tuttuja. (Interview 7: Katalyn.) (E: Yes, so, do you think that it is even necessary, even mandatory to be international nowadays?

K: Mm, maybe it depends on, well like on that, so, if someone is for example, well of the environment, I guess. Well, if someone is studying at the University, and then living in the capital, capitals are usually international, so then you just run into foreigners all the time, and that effects on it. But, then if someone lives for example in a small village for their whole life, and does not want to move away, then I can understand. And some people do not speak any foreign languages, but I do not personally know any people like that in Hungary.)

Katalyn emphasizes the meaning of region. Although she does not perceive it mandatory for rural people to be international, she emphasizes that when living in the capital, internationality cannot be avoided. Thus, she emphasizes the diminishing importance of state borders, and ne-gotiates new way of understanding borders.

Although many of the informants emphasized, that internationality is generally perceived im-portant in today’s world and Hungary, some of them, such as Fruszina, based their interest in travelling purely on their own interest. She wants to stress, that her curiosity towards travelling is not influenced by the society or people around her. Fruszina exclaims, that she wishes to travel more, or work abroad, since she is interested in familiarizing with other cultures. How-ever, for her, the importance of going abroad comes from her own desire and interest, and she does not acknowledge any pressure from outside to be mobile or international.

F: No ei… koska mä menisin työskentelemään ulkomaille, koska minä haluan, ja ei sen takia, koska mun äiti tai isä tai muut kaverit sanovat, että no pitää mennä ulkomaille ja puhua monta kieltä, ei musta se tulee sisältä.

E: Niin, koska sä haluat, ja sua kiinnostaa?

F: Joo, se kiinnostaa. Niin kuin, mä en matkusta paljon, mä haluan niin kuin katsoa uusia elämäntapoja, joo minua kiinnostaa tämä. (Interview 2: Fruszina.)

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(F: Well, no…because I would go and work abroad, because I want to, not because my mom or dad or other friends say that, well, you should go abroad, and speak many languages, no, I think it comes from within.

E: Yes, because you want to, and it interests you?

F: Yes, it interests me. So, I do not travel that much, I want to see new ways of living, yes, this interests me.)

For another informant, Eszter, the fact that Hungary’s borders are now open, and that Hungar-ians can travel freely, was enough for a reason to be mobile and international. She exclaims, that since there is now possibility to travel, her generation should take advantage of it. For her, travelling and internationality mean that she is able to get to know people from other countries, and familiarize herself with their culture, just like for Fruszina and many other informants.

However, Eszter also points out, that being international is important in working life. She her-self works for a multinational company, and therefore she has also experienced the advantages of internationality when it comes to career.

Joo, kyllä mä ajattelen, että se on tosi tärkeää, että nyt, kun rajat ovat auki, no pitää ottaa hyötyä siitä, että kyllä me voidaan matkustaa, kyllä me voidaan tutustua muihin ihmisiin, muihin kulttuureihin, ja toisaalta myös niin kuin työelämän puolella se on tärkeää---. (Interview 9: Eszter.)

(Yes, I think it is very important, that now, when the borders are open, well we must take advantage on that, that yes, we are able to travel, yes, we are able to get to know other people, other cultures, and on the other hand it is important in the working life---.)

For those, who did not want to migrate permanently outside of Hungary, there were various reasons for their choice. One aspect was, that they felt attached to their home country, since all their loved ones were living there, and therefore they could not perceive any other country as their home than Hungary. Also, some informants expressed a feeling, that moving outside Hun-gary would result as feeling outsider. This was sometimes based on their experiences of spend-ing longer periods abroad, when they had faced hardships integratspend-ing into new culture, and felt as outsiders.

Of course, it is a difficult question, because I have seen part of my family moving away, and I see mostly the disadvantages of it, because they, they are now really far from us, I can see my aunt and my cousin and my uncle only in maybe two years, my aunt comes more frequently for Christmas, and everything.

But when I was in Ireland, I found it really difficult to fit in in another place, another country, where you do not speak the language as much as the others do. I mean, my English very good, but I also found the cultural differences sometimes difficult. It is hard to make friends, and stuff like that, your connections are cut. (Interview 5: Gergő.)

Although Eszter acknowledged, that being international, and mobile is useful and necessary in today’s world, and stressed, that it is important to take advantage on the possibilities their gen-eration has, she still was not sure, if she could live abroad herself. She explains that she is very

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interested in returning to Finland for another longer period. She had been there for a Finnish language summer course, and as an Erasmus student, and wished to return once again in order to study. On the other hand, she expresses a concern that living in a strange environment could turn out to be stressful, as a result of cultural differences.

Joo, eli se kiinnostaa tosi paljon, toisaalta mä tiedän, kuinka hyödyllistä se on. Tänä vuonna mä valmistun yliopistosta, mutta mä ajattelin, että olisi kiva hakea vielä kerran, tai ainakin ottaa hyötyä CIMO:n apu-rahasta, jota annetaan opiskelijoille, jotka kirjoittavat gradunsa suomeksi, ja jotka haluaisivat tehdä, no tutkimusta, tai ainakin kerätä aineistoa Suomessa. Sit mä ajattelin, että syyskuussa mä palaisin. Toisaalta nyt ajattelen, että minulla on parempi, jos minä asun Unkarissa, tai Romaniassa, eli kulttuurierojen takia joskus on rasittavaa asua ulkomailla pidempää aikaa. (Interview 9: Eszter.)

(Yes, so it interests me a lot, and on the other hand, I know how useful it its. This year I am going to graduate from the University, but I thought, that it would be nice to apply once more, or at least take advantage on CIMO -scholarship, which is given to students, who write their thesis in Finnish, and who would like to make, well research, or at least collect data in Finland. So, I thought I would return in September. On the other hand, now I think, that it is better for me, if I live in Hungary or in Romania, so because of the cultural differences it is sometimes difficult to live abroad for a longer period.)

For some informants, the case simply was, that they did not feel comfortable abandoning their home country and loved ones, since they believed that Hungary would face hard times also in the future. As Bogáta explains, she feels, that she is needed in her home country, and owes it to Hungary to come back, and help the country develop. However, she sees going abroad to gain knowledge and new ideas to be able to benefit Hungary. Thus, for her internationality is kind of a mandatory asset.

Yes, and I think I can be a much more useful person here, if I have an experience which I can bring home.

That’s how actually long time ago the aristocrats lived. Like when they were young, they had a trip around the world, and they went home and told them that peasants are no longer peasants and let’s developments!

I’ve seen it in England and it’s so cool. So, I think that how people should do. (Interview 1: Bogáta.)

In Renáta’s case, the question of permanent migration outside of Hungary, was more complex.

She had a desire to move abroad permanently and did not feel that Hungary was a good place to live. However, as she points out, it is not that easy to leave your home country behind, since her social network is there. Also, as she exclaims, that she would not feel comfortable living somewhere else, if her home country was facing hardships. For Renata, migrating permanently to another country, in her case Finland, would be an option, if she had enough money to move her whole family with her.

Yes, but it is not that easy. I have friends and family here, so I don’t want to leave them behind just like that. Especially if things go sour, and I don’t know… I don’t want to be… I don’t want it to be a war over here or something like that… but I don’t know, maybe someday I have a lot of money and I can just move with my family, we could move to Finland. (Interview 3: Renáta.)

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Some of the interviewees felt ready to leave Hungary permanently behind, if they had a change to move somewhere else, for example Finland. The reason for the desire to move outside of Hungary permanently, was generally the wish to improve one’s life quality. Finland was often a preferred destination, and the some of the informants believed, that moving to Finland would result as better job opportunities and life in better environment. Some, for example Virág, per-ceived themselves a mobile personality, and therefore wanted to move permanently from Hun-gary to somewhere else.

E: Okay. So, you would like to work in Finland?

V: And to live there.

E: And to live there, maybe permanently, if you…?

V: Not just permanently, if I can go there for, if I can have there really good job, and meet new people, or go there with my boyfriend, or someone, then really, I would like to stay there, to start a new life there.

[I think she understood permanently as temporary.]

E: Yeah, okay.

V: Because that’s my personality, it is, I really don’t like to sit in the same spot, and wait for changes, no I, if I had to say, I feel comfortable out of my comfort zone. (Interview 4: Virág.)

For Virág, moving abroad seems like a natural choice, since she feels it is part of her personality to be mobile, and try new things. She explains that she prefers to get out of her comfort zone, and perceives herself as a person, who does not want to stay in one place for the rest of her life.

Basically, if she is able to find a new social network and good job in Finland, she is ready to move there permanently. Finland is her choice of a country, since as stated before, she feels, that it is a good place for a Hungarian person to migrate, due to the Finno-Ugric kinship.

Obviously, due to the historical background of Hungary, my informants live in a very different world, and different Hungary than their parents used to, when they were the same age. Thus, the conceptions of internationality and mobility are bound to be different between these gener-ations. The conditions of the earlier generation were different, and mobility was more restricted.

However, in addition to this obvious difference, the informants also perceived their generation as more international and mobile by nature, or due to their upraising. They pointed out, that nowadays young people are encouraged to go abroad more.

Joo, siis he eivät matkustelleet paljon, no siis mun äiti kävi ulkomailla ehkä, myös hänkin Puolassa ja Tshekissä, mutta niin kuin luokan kanssa, eli vielä koulussa, joo ja sitten en tiedä, isäni ehkä niin kuin naapurimaissa, kun hänen veljensä oli töissä, tai ehkä jotain, en tiedä, työmatkalla siellä, mutta muuten ei, he eivät käyneet. Joo siis kyllä, se on ero, että nuorempi sukupolvi niin kuin haluaa matkustaa, ja ehkä, kyllä kansainvälisyys on tärkeämpää nuoremmalle sukupolvelle mun mielestä. (Interview 10: Flóra.)

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All the informants were not fully aware of the practical reasons, why their parents were less

All the informants were not fully aware of the practical reasons, why their parents were less

In document "Not quite east, not quite west" Identity conceptions of Hungarian young adults (sivua 60-78)