Nation-Building and Contested Identities - MEK

Table 6 refers to the self-identification of Hungarians in Romania.The authors of Ethnobarometer formulated a list of phrases referring togeographical-cultural differences. The option of being simply “Hungarian”was eluded.TABLE 6. Self-identification of Hungarians.Nationhood and IdentityIdentityPercentageHungarian from Romania 15.2%Transylvanian Hungarian 53.0%Hungarian of Romanian citizenship 15.8%Szekler 12.9%Other 3.1%TOTAL 100%Source: Culic, Horváth, and Lazãr, Ethnobarometer: Interethnic Relations in Romania.Data for the Hungarian sample, N=798.The self-identification of Hungarians indirectly account for theirrelationship with the Romanian state, understood as a territorially centralizedset of institutions organizing the activity in – and holding monopolyof force over – a territory. According to Table 6, more than half of theHungarians (53.0%) chose a regional identification, describing themselvesas both Hungarians and Transylvanians. In this way, they distinguishedthemselves from the Hungarians in Hungary – asserting that they are“another sort” of Hungarians. 29 Nevertheless, they acknowledged beingpart of the Hungarian nation. Regional identification is, to an importantextent, explained by the cultural-historical specificities (including the ethnicdistribution) of the respective area. Hungarians identified themselvesin regional terms to the following degree: 82.6% in Szeklerland, 65.6% inTransylvania (including the Partium), 55.6% in North-West (Criºana,Maramureº), 40% in the Banat. 30 Returning to Table 6, about the samepercentage of the Hungarian population chose two “official” or “institutional”definitions: 15.2% of Hungarians identified themselves as “Hungariansfrom Romania,” respectively 15.8% as “Hungarians of Romaniancitizenship.” Both maintain to be part of the Hungarian nation, but inquite different ways. The term “Hungarian of Romanian citizenship”eludes the regional (Transylvanian) identification and stresses theunequivocal identification with the Hungarian nation and the attachmentto the people living in the Hungarian national state. Hungarians who identifiedthemselves as such do not perceive themselves different from Hungariansin Hungary in any other way than citizenship. The former term,“Hungarian from Romania,” is adopted by Hungarians who constructedand hold a specific identity, as inhabitants of Romania. They are distinct235