In
Ties That Bind, Ties That Divide, Juliana Puskás, a prominent scholar on immigration, examines the Hungarian-American experience. Often overshadowed by the stories of other immigrant communities, the Hungarian community is finally brought to the forefront in Puskás's thorough discussion. Beginning with a look at the semifeudal state of mid-nineteenth century Hungarian society, the author provides a historical context within which to place the emigrants. She goes on to reveal the gradual process by which immigrants built diverse communities and became Hungarian-Americans, rather than just Hungarians in America. Puskás also chronicles the role of Hungarian-Americans in the Cold War, focusing on the displaced persons who arrived immediately after World War II.
Ties That Bind, Ties That Divide melds a lucid, thorough appraisal of the Hungarian migration with first-hand experiences, interviews, and observations, skillfully redressing the general ignorance of the Hungarian-American experience.
"Ties That Bind is an impressive scholarly work, the definitive study of the Hungarian experience in the United States in English .... it elegantly combines theory (push and pull, chain migration, ethnic and class consciousness, etc.) with extensive notes and a most comprehensive bibliography."—American Studies International