Meet Rita Baunok

Alison Gregory is an executive with both business and legal backgrounds who received her law degree from Stanford University and has worked in the financial services sector as an attorney, asset manager and a launching partner for various companies. In the early 2000s, she launched and managed a fast-growing data services startup called GlobeOp Financial Services, which expanded internationally. She’s lived in northern Westchester for over 25 years and moved to Pound Ridge in 2021.

Rita Baunok

Immigrated from Hungary, 1997

Katonah resident and artist Rita Baunok followed her boyfriend (now husband) to America when she was 32 years old. “I came to visit and never left!” Today, she’s the owner of Chroma Gallery in Katonah.

Did you have any hesitations about immigrating to the United States?

Yes. I did not want to leave my family and didn’t speak the language. But I wanted to be with my boyfriend, and I knew America held the promise of a better, more fulfilling life.

What were the main steps of the immigration process?

It was a very long process. I came here as a visitor, which only allows you to stay for six months. By month two, I had decided to stay. I applied for a student visa and enrolled at Westchester Community College. I stayed on the student visa until I got married, and then my husband’s company helped both of us get green cards. We became citizens four years later. The whole process took about eight years. 

Do you remember what it first felt like when you entered America?

It is very funny because every country has its own distinctive smell; I always think that when I travel. The food, the spices and the air all contribute to the country’s smell. I remember that I loved how the U.S. smelled. I immediately began to feel at home. I also remember the magnificent weather. I arrived in America on September 21, 1997, and left an already-chilly Europe. But here, it was still warm! 

How did people treat you?

People were very helpful. I feel like Europeans are much more closed off. I have always found people in New York to be so open. From the post office to my classes, people really just always made me feel welcome and capable.

What was your biggest culture shock?

I was shocked things were built from wood! I thought, at first, everyone was camping in the U.S.

What was the hardest part about being an immigrant?

Without a doubt, not speaking the language. I am a big reader and couldn’t read in English for three years, so my father sent me books from Hungary; I felt like a one-year-old! I feel lucky because the teachers at WCC were fantastic and patient. I took all sorts of classes, not just art—oceanography, literature—and my vocabulary grew with each topic. I just started reading English over and over until I started to understand the sentences. I took ESL classes for two and a half years. And the most interesting part is that I stopped reading Hungarian 10 years ago. I enjoy reading in English more; it is a beautiful and expressive language.

What were your first impressions of America?

I traveled a lot to western Europe when I was younger. It is very clean and rigid and organized and structured.  When I came here, I was surprised by how chaotic it was, but as an artist, I really appreciate and love it. Chaos works better, I think, because the mentality is that you can be flexible. I like that way of life.

Do you think in English or Hungarian?

English. 

What language do you speak at home?

Hungarian; I only speak Hungarian with my husband and kids.  

What language do you dream in?

English. That started after five years here.

Do you keep Hungarian traditions?

I am lucky my husband is Hungarian (we went to the same high school), so we keep so many of the traditions we knew in our childhood, and we have embraced new ones, like Thanksgiving, as Americans.  We kept the traditional food, songs and holidays in our family. I always say I am living between two cultures; I am not 100 percent Hungarian or American. When I go home to Hungary, though, I am really just a visitor. I have friends and family there, but America is truly my home now. 

Why did you open a gallery? 

My dream has always been to open a gallery. I have been exhibiting my own art—mostly documentary-style photography—since 2004. And during COVID, the opportunity presented itself right here in Katonah, and here I am! 

This is my third year. I exhibit all types of art; I show what inspires and affects me. I love creating shows and curating as much as creating my own art; I feel that putting shows together is also an art. I love being a part of this supportive community.

This article was published in the July/August 2024 edition of Connect to Northern Westchester.