In 1638 the first Finns arrived in America as part of a Swedish colony. Between the 1860s and 1930s the largest Finnish immigration to the United States happened during this time period. This large influx of Finns was know as the “Great Migration.” Many Finns flocked to Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, this area of the Midwest became known as the “Finn Hook.” Two common factors to cause so many Finns to leave Finland were the major crop failures and Russification. By 1887 well over 21,000 Finnish had immigrated to the United States.
The Midwest had a similar environment and climate as that to Finland. Thus allowing them to keep many of their customs. The Finnish diet is rich in root vegetables, fresh berries, dairy products, rye breads, fish, and all kinds of meats. The land was perfect for producing root vegetables and berries, along with plenty of animals to hunt and fish. It was also the perfect place to homestead.
Many chose the Midwest due to its climate and its active mining industry, along with land good for raising grain crops and potatoes and homesteading dairy and chicken farms. Sometimes in these smaller towns in the Midwest Finns actually made up almost 75% of the population. Like many other immigrant groups the Finnish preferred to stick together.
Once settled in these towns many Finnish groups basically recreated Finland. These Finnish communiies would soon become called Finntowns. They set up churches, political organizations, unions, and cooperatives. They organized weekly programs of dances, theater, sports, and festivals. Many even created their own lending libraries, bands and choirs, and newspapers. Many professional services and business were created to serve the Finnish American communities. These Finntowns gave the Finnish a bad reputation of being very clannish.
In order to not stick out so badly and assimilate into the American lifestyle, Finns became the perfect examples of post modern American culture on the outside. However, within their homes they stayed true to their Finnish roots with traditional Finnish food, talking in their native tongue, the traditonal sauna, and Finnish social events among each other. Traditonal activites such as hunting and trapping, berry picking, woodworking, and knitting and weaving were able to continue on outside of the house as these activities were regularly found in the Midwest.
Later generations of Finnish Americans, those who had received an American education, chose professions that expanded on the work life of immigrants. Many women chose to study nursing, home economics, or education. My Grandmother, being one of these later generations of Finnish Americans, from Oulu, Wisconsin, chose to become a teacher. Many men chose to go into agriculture, natural resources, mining engineering, or geology. My Grandfather who was also a later generation of Finnish Americans from Ely, Minnesota chose to become a USGS geologist.
Due to the Finns strong will to keep their Finnish roots, Finnish culture is very evident through out the country, specifically in the Midwest. Modern remnants of the Finnish immigrants can be found in surnames, place and town names, holidays, cuisine, and the random sound of Finnish language here and there.