Assimilation Swedish_Americans

1 assimilation

1.1 literature
1.2 socioeconomic mobility
1.3 working class swedes
1.4 stereotypes
1.5 preserving swedish cultural heritage (1940-present)

1.5.1 organizations preserving swedish culture
1.5.2 cities preserving swedish culture
1.5.3 cities built swedish labor

assimilation

in 1860-1890 era, there little assimilation american society, , little outmarriage other groups. swedish americans attached relatively little significance american dimension of ethnicity; instead relied on extant swedish literature. there relatively weak swedish american institutional structure before 1890, , swedish americans insecure in social-economic status in america.

an increasingly large swedish american community fostered growth of institutional structure—a swedish-language press, churches , colleges, , ethnic organizations—that placed premium on sponsoring sense of swedishness in united states. blanck (2006) argues after 1890 there emerged self-confident americanized generation. @ prestigious augustana college, example, american-born students began predominate after 1890. students had white-collar or professional backgrounds; few sons , daughters of farmers , laborers.

these students developed idealized view of sweden, characterized romanticism, patriotism, , idealism, counterparts across atlantic. new generation proud of swedish contributions american democracy , creation of republic promised liberty , destroyed menace of slavery. key spokesman johan alfred enander, longtime editor of hemlandet (swedish homeland ), swedish newspaper in chicago. enander argued vikings instrumental in enabling freedom spread not throughout british isles, america well.

swedes, moreover, among first founders of america new sweden colony in delaware. swedish america present in congress under articles of confederation period, , role momentous in fighting war against slavery. paragon of freedom , struggle against unfreedom, , exemplar of courage of vikings in contrast papist columbus, swedish america use culture stress position loyal adherents larger protestant american society.

in 1896 vasa order of america, swedish-american fraternal organization, founded provide ethnic identity , social services such health insurance , death subsidies, operates numerous social , recreational opportunities, , maintains contact fellow lodges in sweden. johannes , helga hoving leaders, calling maintenance of swedish language , culture among swedish americans, younger generation. however, returned sweden in 1934 , vasa became americanized.

literature

as highly literate population, output of print media more remarkable, , cultural leadership exerted numerous magazine , newspaper editors more churchmen. swedish american press second largest foreign-language press in united states (after german language imprints) in 1910. 1910 1200 swedish periodicals had been started in several states. valkyrian, magazine based in new york city, helped fashion distinct swedish american culture between 1897 , 1909. valkyrian helped strengthen ethnicity drawing on collective memory , religion, mythicizing of swedish , swedish american history, describing american history, politics, , current events in matter-of-fact way, publishing swedish american literature, , presenting articles on science, technology, , industry in united states.

the community produced numerous writers , journalists, of whom famous poet-historian carl sandburg illinois. harsh experiences of frontier subjects novelists , story tellers, of interest revealing immigrant experience novels of lillian budd (1897–1989), april snow (1951), land of strangers (1953), , april harvest (1959). swedish author vilhelm moberg wrote series of 4 books group of swedish-american emigrants, starting emigrants (1949), translated in 1950s , 1960s. filmed jan troell emigrants , new land.

socioeconomic mobility

baigent (2000) explores dynamics of economic , cultural assimilation , american dream in 1 small city. swedes in mckeesport, pennsylvania, between 1880 , 1920 permanent settlers rather temporary migrants. many ended comfortably off , few became prosperous. judged success against swedes in sweden, not mckeesporters of other nationalities. had no illusions american life chose stay , confront difficult living , working conditions rather move on or return sweden jobs scarce , paid less.

many of children upwardly socially mobile, , america offered girls in particular greater opportunities sweden did. immigrants valued religious freedom america offered, political freedoms heavily circumscribed mckeesport s booze interest , iron , steel bosses. swedes dominated prohibition movement in town, did not open door wider political stage. dreams of many individual swedes came true, dream of creating permanent swedish community in mckeesport not realized, since individual swedes moved on within united states in pursuit of continued economic success. swedish americans formed own social identity within u.s. during period through memberships of social clubs , deliberate membership or non-membership in different ethnically-based institutions.

the story of a. v. swanson, in 1911 left bjuv @ age 20 , settled in ames, iowa 8 years later case study in farming , business success.

working class swedes

the swedish group was, many other emigrant groups, highly differentiated. there still lot of research waiting done on more urban , working-class parts of swedish immigrant group, ended in slums swede hollow outside st paul, minnesota, had population of 1,000 squatters around 1890 (slightly less in 1900, according census carried out year). child mortality high , diphtheria , pertussis common. many died in work related accidents. drunkenness , wife beatings common.

swedish maids in high demand in america. working conditions far better in sweden, in terms of wages, hours of work, benefits, , ability change positions.

stereotypes

during first waves of migration swedes subjected stereotypes , prejudices. expression dumb swede established had problems learning english. there entertainment shows used character called john johnsson when poking fun @ swedes. dumb, clumsy, drank , talked funny accent. immigrant historian rudolph vecoli has pointed out not recognized whites in anglo-saxon or german sense, after wave of polish immigration attitude shifted. many complained smell of swedes considered smell herring. in 1901 horace glenn wrote walking behind string of swedes impossible person delicate nose. s odor come generations of unwashed ancestors . thought swede without knife scar in face not considered real man.

swedish americans opposed entry world war i, in sweden neutral. political pressures during war encouraged rapid switch swedish english in church services—the older generation bilingual , youth hardly understand old language. swedish language newspapers lost circulation. communities typically switched english 1920.

by 1930s, assimilation american life styles complete, few experiences of hostility or discrimination.

preserving swedish cultural heritage (1940-present)

birgit ridderstedt @ rehearsals young dance group appearance in 1960 swedish days parade of geneva, illinois

after 1940, swedish language taught in high schools or colleges, , swedish-language newspapers or magazines closed. few small towns in u.s. have retained few visible swedish characteristics. lindsborg, kansas representative. founded lutheran pietists in 1869 on land purchased kansas pacific railroad; first swedish agricultural company of chicago spearheaded colonization. known today little sweden, lindsborg economic , spiritual center of smoky valley.

the rise of agribusiness, decline of family farm, arrival of nearby discount stores, , economic bypass of new interstate system wrought economic havoc on community. 1970s lindsborg residents pulled unique combination of musical, artistic, intellectual, , ethnic strengths reinvent town. sandzén gallery, runbeck mill, swedish pavilion, historical museum @ bethany college, , messiah festival among activities , attractions used enhance swedish image. lindsborg plan representative of growing national interest in ethnic heritage, historic preservation, , small-town nostalgia in late 20th century.

organizations preserving swedish culture

american swedish institute, minneapolis, mn
american swedish historical museum, philadelphia, pa
concordia language villages (swedish language camp)
nordstjernan (newspaper), new york, ny
swedish american chamber of commerce (sacc), washington, dc [1]
swedish council of america (sca), minneapolis, mn [2]
scandinavian american cultural , historical foundation (sachf), thousand oaks, ca [3]
the american-scandinavian foundation, new york, ny
swedish american hospital, rockford, il
vasa order of america
vasa national archives, bishop hill, il
scandinavian heritage foundation, portland, or

cities preserving swedish culture

bishop hill, il
geneva, il
rockford, il
kingsburg, ca
lindsborg, ks
new sweden, me
stockholm, me
westmanland, me
scandia, mn
st. peter, mn
lindström, mn
chisago city, mn
center city, mn

cities built swedish labor

scotia, ca - humboldt county
astoria, or




^ dag blanck, creation of ethnic identity: being swedish american in augustana synod, 1860–1917 (2006)
^ h. arnold barton, last chieftains: johannes , helga hoving (swedish-american historical quarterly. 1997 48(1): 5-25.)
^ björk (2000)
^ gunnar thander, cultural components in valkyrian s construct of ethnicity. swedish-american historical quarterly 2001 52(1): 27-64.
^ penelope niven, carl sandburg: biography (1991). eric johannesson examines background of 72 writers in crofters boys , black sheep: on social background of swedish-american writers. swedish-american historical quarterly 1992 43(3): 170-178.
^ carl isaacson, american moberg: lillian budd s swedish american trilogy (swedish-american historical quarterly 2003 54(2): 111-132)
^ baigent (2000)
^ elizabeth baigent, useful young men in mills? christian youth movements , swedish migrants in mckeesport, pennsylvania, 1880-1930, (journal of american ethnic history, winter 2010, vol. 29#2 pp 5-41)
^ cain, betty swanson. american sweden: story of a. v. swanson. carbondale, university of southern illinois press, 1987. isbn 0-8093-1362-6
^ david lanegran: swedish neighborhoods of twin cities - swede hollow arlington hills, in anderson & blanck: swedes in twin cities, minnesota historical press 2001.
^ joy k. lintelman (2009). go america: swedish american women , life of mina anderson. minnesota historical society. pp. 57–58. 
^ dirk hoerder et al. eds. (2015). towards global history of domestic , caregiving workers. brill. p. 78. cs1 maint: text: authors list (link)
^ geo: olson och hanson bodde på soptippen – svenskarna sågs som korkade och smutsiga usa
^ anderson & blanck, p. 17
^ swedes in twin cities : immigrant life , minnesota s urban frontier, p. 17
^ svt: när svenskarna levde slum
^ chris susag, retaining modern nordic-american identity amongst diversity in united states today. swedish-american historical quarterly 2002 53(1): 6-29.
^ example silverhill, alabama; lindstrom, minnesota; karlstad, minnesota; gothenburg, nebraska; andover, illinois; kingsburg, california; , bishop hill, illinois.
^ steven m. schnell, making of little sweden, usa (great plains quarterly 2002 22(1): 3-21) issn 0275-7664