Finnish immigration to America
When, why, and from where did Finns emigrate to the U.S.?
… half of the Finns who emigrated to America between 1867 and 1930 came from the old Vaasa Province.”
As families were large and farms were small, moving to America to get work was seen by many as the only alternative to starvation.
My great-grandfather worked in UP Michigan for a while… Between the wars, I believe. I think it’s important to remember that this was, for all intents and purposes, a 3rd world country until fairly recently:-)
Comment by Arttu — Thu, Aug 25th, 2005 @ 1:06 am
I’m 1/4th a Finnish immigrant to the States. My ancestors come from the area mentioned and Kainuu (Oulu Province). And the reasons there seem to be the same as well, small farms and many children. From my great-grandfathers side we even know some of the relatives living here in Finland.
I’ve always been interested in the reasons for immigration and the lives of the immigrants. That’s one of the reasons I’ve loved visiting Butte, MT because I’ve been able to meet descendants of the Finnish immigrants and talk to them. Their Finnish is more than a bit interesting (‘k?¤ytiin hunttaamassa viikonloppuna’). There are also lots of great resources on the web which allow you to track immigrants on their way to the States. I was able to find the ships (and pictures of them) that my great-grandfather used on his voyage from Hanko to New York.
Comment by ramin — Thu, Aug 25th, 2005 @ 9:45 am
finnish people are the best people in the world
Comment by Ross — Thu, Jan 26th, 2006 @ 8:50 pm
Hey, I saw this site and think it may help me with a project. I am doing a report on why Michigan and/or the United States seems to draw Finnish Immigrants. Any one willing to share their stories? Email me; kzoosoftball@yahoo.com
Comment by Kelly — Wed, Mar 21st, 2007 @ 3:23 pm