Local engagements, transcultural belonging : the lived experiences of second-generation Hungarian Australian adults through the formation of a simultaneous self

This paper draws on semi-structured, in-depth interviews with second generation Hungarian Australian adults (aged 50 years and above) from Sydney, exploring and introducing the concept of a simultaneous self. The simultaneous self refers to both the tacit and intentional processes of identity construction as well as the meaning making practices the research participants have used to understand their diverse experiences and memberships across both Hungarian and non-Hungarian communities in Sydney. The paper argues that the research participants have formed a transcultural belonging through constructing this sense of self. In doing so, the paper will identify and analyse the factors which have informed these simultaneous self-identifications, including personal experiences of cultural diversity, level of Hungarian language competency, and active engagements with the Sydney Hungarian community. This paper will contribute to the transcultural critical and analytical perspective, by introducing the simultaneous self as a workable concept which illuminates the reflexive articulation processes and (re)construction practices involved in the research participants’ transcultural belonging overtime. In doing so, it will further emphasise the importance of their everyday, local experiences within their perceptions of belonging and formations of self.