Mr.

Robert Gulyas, a Hungarian, was born and raised in a small town called

Dunaujvarous. He immigrated to the united states over 17 years ago to the city of Los Angeles.

He made a life changing decision, along with his mother, to come to a new country to focus on

building a better life and reconnecting with their family who came to the U.S. years before. This

is his story.

Robert Gulyas was born in 1983 in an industrial town called Dunaujvarous (do-na-you-

va-roosh). Here they primarily spoke Hungarian and they had a very deep rooted cultural

belonging here. Their family has lived in this town for hundreds of years, and they were the

second people to leave for the United states. Back in Hungary, the culture focuses on education

and individuality and inalienable rights. For instance, School was about 9 hours long and even

had to go on Saturdays. From a youthful age, Robert was always told to focus on education so he

could make something of himself when he arrived in America. Cultural emphasis on

independence and achievement becomes manifested in parents expectations for self-reliance on

the part of children (p.151). Every students dream was to venture off into America because of

the opportunities that are prevalent here. With education also came independence, personal

achievement and a passion for success. Values include an emphasis on the individual, personal

achievement, independence, and control over ones environment (p.147). Life in Hungary was

always a struggle, and because of the lack of diverse work, jobs were hard to find. Hungary is a

safe country, but there is no work and no incentive to stay there. There are both wealthy and

poor Europeans among many European cultures (P. 149). In Hungary, according to Robert, the

man, whether it be the father or oldest son, oversees the house and looks out after everyone else.

This is a significant role, especially in the last century or so because of the massive loss of life

from both world wars, which was mainly men. This also plays into the stereotype of stubborn,
hardheaded males that are heads of the family. Robert says his father was always right even if he

was wrong. Traditionally, the father, although sometimes sentimental, has a stern side. He is

usually self-controlled, reserved, strict, and stubborn (p.151). Robert said that his father was

less emotional and would never say I love you.

Robert and his mother made the decision to immigrant to the United States after his

mothers brother invited them to come and live in California. Most European Americans locate

in the west (35 percent) (P.146). It was either stay in Hungary and try to make a living, or come

to America and make a fortune. Robert said, There is a huge misconception in most places

around the world that America still has streets paved out of gold. Robert and his mother took an

airplane to the U.S. and it took almost 17 hours to get to California. The cost was almost 2

thousand dollars for the both, from the plane ride, to taxis etc...

When Robert first arrived in the U.S., it was through a visa program. His grandfather and

uncle lived in the U.S. and were already citizens. This opened the door for his mother and

himself to get citizenship. Robert is still currently working on his citizenship, which has been in

processing for almost 10 years. Robert said that it cost almost 8,000 dollars to get his citizenship,

and due to certain circumstances, this is his second time applying.

As far as expectations for being in the U.S., Robert always thought of how higher the

standards would be in the U.S. He always imagined how safer and freer this country would be.

When he arrived in California, his expectations were met. He felt safer and could see with his

own eyes how much more freedoms we as Americans had. For example, there were protesters at

a street corner calling for bill Clintons imprisonment by a church group. In Hungary, this protest

would have been squashed. The Life his family wanted to live was available in our beautiful

country, but Robert still misses his home country.

 When I asked Robert to explain the pros and cons of living here, he simple said higher

standards of living. This directly ties in to what was most difficult in the U.S. Robert claims that

while the standard of living here is much higher, there is still a struggle to live comfortably.

There is no doubt in Roberts mind that America is safer, cleaner, freer, has more opportunities,

and values individual rights and concerns then his home country. He enjoys the perks that most

Americans take for granted. He stressed how important our bill of rights and constitution is, not

just for Americans, but for people all around the world. Robert feels that in America you have a

choice as to where you can direct your life. In Hungary, you still had choices, but they were

limited due to the lack of opportunities. To expand on what is most difficult, Robert feels living

pay check to pay check is still evident in our society, especially amongst immigrants. Though we

have great opportunities, we still have challenges and obstacles to overcome. Robert did have his

expectations met, but he also faced day to day tribulations due to the realities of living in the

U.S. Robert said, if you want to make yourself somebody, you have to have the ambition to do

it because no one is obligated to help you.