Közelebbről: Dunaújvárosban dolgozó kubai munkások

Absztrakt

This study examines the lives of Cuban workers in one Hungarian city, focusing on problematic aspects of integration that could not
be openly discussed, or were even considered taboo in the 1980s: conflicts with other guest workers, alcoholism, language difficulties, growing isolation, and racism. The case study is Dunaújváros, the Hungarian socialist “model city”, where Cuban guest workers were employed for a decade between 1981 and 1990. Unlike in other Hungarian settlements, however, it was predominantly Cuban men who arrived and remained there. Their integration into the workplace and urban life is analysed through Hungarian sources, reflecting the Hungarian perspective. The main materials are the local press in Dunaújváros, particularly the daily newspaper the Dunaújvárosi Hírlap and the biweekly newspaper of the Dunai Vasmű [Duna Metalworks], Üst. These are supplemented by documents on bilateral Cuban–Hungarian relations and by a summary report of the Fejér County Police Headquarters on the behavior of Cuban citizens in the county (1981–1985), both preserved in the National Archives of the
Hungary. Cuban sources, such as the reports sent by the Embassy of the Republic of Cuba in Budapest, would be indispensable for a complete picture, but are currently unavailable. Consequently, the study presents and analyses the Hungarian perspective alone.