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Interest in the History of Finnish Americans, Auvo Kostiainen
- Michigan State University Press
- Chapter
- Additional Information
13 The History of Finnish Americans Interest in the History of Finnish Americans Auvo Kostiainen Historical interest in Finnish immigration to the United States may be divided into a few phases. First, in the early twentieth century the Finnish American past was examined through the genre of travel descriptions . Then, from the 1910s to the 1940s followed a period of historical interest that was characterized by strong national romantic overtones and an emphasis on the role of Finns in America. The Finnish American past was examined as a showcase for the achievements of Finns in North America. Justifications for their presence there were also sought. The next period consists of the two decades after World War II, during which historical interest often took the form of commemorating. The 1960s witnessed a strong recovery of historical interest in Finnish Americans, combined with the creation of new ethnic history in the entire Western world. National-Romantic Histories Prior to World War II Early writing about Finnish American history included reporting, the purpose of which was to explain the heavy emigration to America.1 At this time in Finland there was a lot of interest in emigration in general and, more specifically, interest in the emigrated Finns who now lived in North America. A number of accounts or travel descriptions were printed, but not anything that could be called modern historical writing. One of the first major commentaries of the Finnish emigrants in the United States was composed by the well-known Finnish writer and newspaperman Akseli Järnefelt, who described Finns in America in 1898.2 It was based on his extensive travel in “Finnish” locations in North America. Järnefelt described the living conditions, work, and everyday life of the immigrant Finns. However, Järnefelt did not attempt any scholarly analysis; his work was descriptive. During later decades, and even in the beginning of the twentieth century, a number of similar descriptions appeared in Finland and received a large readership. One of the best known is the travel book of columnist and folklore analyst Sakari Pälsi. Published in 1926 with the title Suuri, kaunis ja ruma maa (The Great, Beautiful and Ugly Country),3 it describes a journey across the continent on the Canadian side of the border. Also, a number of short stories were published in newspapers and various journals. Auvo Kostiainen 14 In the United States, one of the influential commentaries on immigration questions was the U.S. Immigration Commission, or Dillingham Commission, report from 1910,4 in which the nature of incoming migrants was presented. Particular attention was at that time directed to the racial and linguistic features of the newcomers. As examined later in this volume, the “scientific racist” issues came to the fore and entered everyday discussions. As an example, there was a long-lasting debate on the possible Asiatic— and therefore undesirable—origin of the Finns. The switch of focus toward the Finns’ role in North America and its impact was mainly the result of the changing sociopolitical environment. During the second and third decades of the twentieth century, the U.S. domestic and foreign policy questions also had an influence on the interest and debate on the Finns in America. Main reasons included the participation of the United States in World War I, the reflections of the Russian Revolution in 1917, and the consequent limitations of immigration to the United States in 1921 and 1924, which strongly affected the number of Finns who could migrate to the United States. During preceding years, there had ensued heavy pressure towards particularly “new immigrants” including Southern and Eastern Europeans along with the Finns. Therefore, the quest for Americanization and assimilation often entered the discussions. The validity of immigrant groups and their status and role in the country were questioned. On the other hand, new problems and debates arose regarding the historical status of the Finns in America. Were the Finns actually one of the founding nations of the United States? Also, the Finnish Americans were able to make use of Finland’s reputation as the sole country of World War I period which had paid its debts to the United States. Finally, Finnish Americans adopted the image of the defender of democratic values in their fight against the aggression of the Soviet Union during the Winter War. These three factors were positive from the point of view of the Finnish American self-esteem and their image in the eyes of the others. In the wake of...