A székely identitás szerepe a Székelyföldről elvándoroltak hazatérésében – egy hiányzó stratégia
The Role of Székely Identity in the Return of Migrants from Székelyland: A Missing Strategy Since

Summary/Abstract: Hungarian regime change in 1989, the number of Hungarians in contiguous territorial areas has decreased by nearly three hundred thousand. This outmigration is even the case for youth with strong national identities in Székelyand. The target countries were Hungary first and then Western European states. The process is fueled not only by the hope of a better life abroad, but also by the current national policy in Hungary. Due to the latter, the self-determination of Hungarians in Romania is increasingly towards an independent Székely national identity, differentiating them from both Romanian and Hungarian national identities. The research focused on the three important elements of the emerging Szekely identity: language, lifestyle, and homeland. The research sought to isolate the role of territorial identity towards Székelyland, as a source of strong national and ethnic identity among Székely youth (18–35 year olds). The research, based on a secondary analysis of previous large-scale representative youth surveys and a recent questionnaire survey, provided the basis for a series of focus group interviews. The analysis revealed a particular interpretation of the Székely identity, which makes it impossible to develop a universally applicable method to promote the return. However, the strengthening of economic, service and cultural aspects of territorial identity can offer hope for reducing outmigration and promoting the return to the native land.

• Details
• Contents