Oldal 115 [115]
OCR
“THE NEw MECCA OF IMMIGRANTS”... prevent them from expecting too much from the prairies).*' This meant that, besides the primary target groups, at the turn of the century many people also arrived from the territory of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. A person of Hungarian origin also participated in the production and dissemination of immigration booster literature to attract Hungarians into the Canadian West. Paul Oscar Esterhazy became “one of the most effective promoters of Hungarian immigration to the United States and Canada.”” He hoped to create a “New Hungary” on the Canadian Prairies.’ Although such a plan was never realized, he was instrumental in creating a positive image of the region and country, and in recruiting settlers to the area, primarily by circulating pamphlets about the success stories of former settlers.“ One of Esterhazy’s main publications was a 1902 pamphlet available in both English and Hungarian. The Hungarian Colony of Esterhaz, Assiniboia, NorthWest Territories, Canada was disseminated in thousands of copies in the United States and Hungary." Ihe image of Canada depicted in this pamphlet was the exact opposite of that described by Thirring above. While Thirring claimed that pamphlets like that of Esterhazy kept the true dangers of emigration secret, Esterhazy claimed that his pamphlet was written to fight the malicious “fakenews” spread about the area by others. Thusa discursive conflict started in which both sides presented their (one-sided) arguments, while criticizing the other for spreading false information. The short publication itself introduces the history of the settlement of Esterhaz and depicts a truly positive image of Canadian immigration, including the description of rich arable land, opportunities for cultivation, etc. According to the author, in a country with so much beauty and fertile agriculture, people’s endeavors are richly rewarded.** The description of the opportunities and the process of starting a new life in Canada is often overly positive. Even the cold climate during the winter is presented favorably, by claiming that the winter weather provides joy and health for body and soul alike.” According to his pamphlet, the area could receive thousands of families and it included an outline of future plans, statistics, photos of buildings and crops to support this. “Laura A. Detre, Canada’s Campaign for Immigrants and the Images, In Canada West Magazine, Great Plains Quarterly, Spring (2004), 113-129. Dreisziger, Struggle and Hope, 61. * Quoted, Ibid., 63. 4 For more information on Esterházy, see for example: Győző Dojcsák, A kanadai Esterházy története, Budapest, Magvető, 1981. Magyar colonia, Éjszak-nyugati Tartományok Kanada: levelek a telepesektöl s fényképfelvételek, melyeket a helyszínen vettek fel 1902, július havában, Ottawa, Kormányzósági nyomda, 1902. Full English text available here: http://peel.library.ualberta.ca/bibliography/2621.html (accessed 10 May 2020). Esterházy, Magyar Colonia, 8. 7 Tbid., 8. 42 45 46 e 113"
