EDITOR'S NOTE: This story was originally published in the November 2024 issue of GCU Magazine, available in the purple bins on campus or digitally.
A native of Transylvania, in a corner of Romania that was once part of Hungary, Dr. Réka Vicsacsán seemed destined to become an educator, like her paternal grandparents, though she studied philosophy and communications in college. She speaks German, English and French, in addition to her native Hungarian, and also has studied Finnish. Vicsacsán moved to Arizona in 2014 with her Hungarian American husband, who she met at a wedding in Transylvania. She is informed by her culture in her role as a communications professor and through the nonprofit she co-founded, the Hungarian Cultural Association of Phoenix.
1. Coming from a binational culture, you were drawn to the importance of connection between people. Why did you decide communications is what you want to do?
I teach intercultural communication, so I think that’s the best way to get to know another culture — familiarize yourself with another culture besides traveling. If I just talk every single time about cultures, yes, they (students) will learn something. But I think it’s not the same as interacting with people from different cultures. Just me communicating about my culture and myself, or talking about anything, will not make communication better. Communication becomes the most effective when people listen, when I learn how to not just share, but to listen.
2. As a professor at GCU for 10 years, you've expressed that teaching students how to think, rather than compliance, is important. What else is part of your education philosophy?
You're in a communications class, I sometimes tell them (my students), “Just put away your phones, spend five minutes talking to this other person. I’ll say, “You spend an entire semester with these people in a classroom, and you don’t even know who the other person is; you’re not going to be rooted anywhere.” I tell my students, “Listen, there are so many things around campus you can be a part of. But be part of something.” If you’re part of a club, you’re rooted somewhere. You’re part of this. We’re like this family together.
3. You've expressed that cultural anchoring is an essential part of being a complete person. Why are cultural roots so important?
I always thought that having roots, having a community you can fully belong to, makes you a better person. Europe is more of a mosaic. The U.S. is a wild melting pot of all these cultures, so why not explore it? Back home, we do not have such a diverse community. Most of these countries are fairly homogenous compared to the U.S. Lots of people do the DNA testing, and they mention, “I’m half German, half something else.” But if you were to ask them, “What do you know about this culture? What did you preserve from this culture?” It’s not a lot besides the cuisine.
4. The seventh Hungarian Heritage Festival, an event organized by the Hungarian Cultural Association of Phoenix was March 8 and features music and folk dancing. Why is this event so special to you?
Many people come for the food because they don’t know how to prepare these traditional Hungarian dishes. Many second- and third-generation American Hungarians who don’t speak the language, all they have left is their memories of their grandmother’s goulash. That’s what they get at the festival. So they still can connect to us and to their origins.
5. What else do you do to preserve your culture?
My husband is also Hungarian, so we raise our kids bilingual. Through the language, we teach much more than just the cuisine and some of the celebrations. We teach values, beliefs and history. Culture is much more than just folk performances. I was raised with this mindset of "OK, we are here now." We preserve our culture, but at the same time, we live here. And we should work on building really good connections with each other.
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