• News-in-English The History of Finnish Americans Presented to Political Party Delegates from Finland The first immigrations Harlem. The third floor New York, NY were part of the Swedish was a large ballroom ac- Amerikan Uutiset settlement along the De- commodating 500 people. Robert A. Saasto, Esq. laware River in 1637. The- Within 4 years the facility se Finns introduced the log was overcrowded and fund On November 4, 2019, the cabins and the sauna to the raising commenced resul- Consul General, Ambassa- area. In 1809 after Finland ting in the purchase of the dor Mika Koskinen, hosted became a grand duchy of Fifth Avenue Hall at 2056 a sit down luncheon at his Russia, many Finns were 5th Avenue at 127th Street official residence in New part of the Russian fur tra- in Harlem in 1917. The York City for the purpose ding expeditions in Alaska, three day opening cere- of a presentation by Robert which was then owned by monies was standing room Alan Saasto, Esq., Presi- Russia. After 1867, when only. By 1921 membership dent and founder of the Alaska was sold to the rose to 914 members. Finnish American Lawyers USA, many of those Fin- In 1921 the Socialist Association, of the history nish fur traders migrated party split into the Com- of the Finns who came to south into Anchorage and munists and Socialists as the United States, with an Seattle. an aftermath of the Russian emphasize on those settling Revolution. Approximate- The political party delegates from Finland vitited New York early November. Robert in New York City. The major immigrati- ly 500 of the 900 members A. Saasto, Esq., (3. from right) presented the history of the Finnish-Americans in the Every year the Consu- on in the 1860s left and became followers United States and New York area. late hosts a program for The major immigration of the Communist sys- Hall, churches, restaurants, spaper New Yorkin Uutiset the eldest got the farm, political delegates to come of Finns commenced in the tem. The normal activities saunas, tailor, you name it. was sold to the Amerikan and the others had to fend to New York City to learn 1860s due to crop failures continued at the Fifth Ave- The Finns built and lived Uutiset in Florida in the for themselves. He sett- about political business and famine, and exten- nue Hall: library, billiards in the coops which were early 1990s. The numerous led in Cleveland and ran cultural or UN affairs. The ded into the 1920s, ending room, restaurant, theater the first coop buildings in Finnish businesses were a chicken farm with his topics vary from year to with restrictions placed and dances. the United States. They closing or gone. Imatra wife he met in Cleveland, year. One delegate is cho- on immigration due to the The Finnish Progressive pre-dated the coop laws in Hall was sold in the early Jennie Pulkkinen, who left sen by each of the political depression. It is estimated Society constructed the La- New York or the USA. 1990s after celebrating it’s Riitosaari, an island south parties to make the trip, as that 360,000 came from bor Temple – Tyon Temp- The first Finns who arri- 100th year of existence in of Savonlinna, when she well as one delegate from Finland to the USA during peli, a five story building, ved in the early 1900s for- 1992. In 1992 the street 19 years old. She worked the UN Association. An that time period. in 1924, at the corner of med cooperative associa- sign at 7th Avenue and as a cook in a rich per- interest was expressed in Many went to work in 126th Street and Lexington tions based upon socialist 40th Street was changed son’s home. Onni became learning about the Finns the cooper and iron ore Avenue. It was modern principles imported from to add Finlandia Street to a speaker for the IWW, who came to the USA and mines in Minnesota, with a new hall, swimming Finland. A Board ran the commemorate the charac- the International Workers particularly to New York Wisconsin and Ohio, as pool and sauna, meeting building and each apart- ter of the neighborhood for of the World. The Finns City. well as the coal mines in rooms, restaurant, stage, ment or coop had a share the generations to come. were educated and refu- Those in attendance in- Pennsylvania, Montana, auditorium and roof gar- or membership right. They Finntown became China- sed to submit to the harsh cluded the Consul General, Wyoming and Washington. den for dancing and a pool were 4 stories high with 4 town. conditions in the logging Ambassador Mika Koski- They became fishermen room. The 1920s were very apartments on each floor. camps and mines. They nen; Deputy Consul Gene- in Oregon, and worked in busy with plays and dan- In 1916, Alku 1, which Alku 1 and 2, the His- organized and led strikes. ral Maria Halava-Napoles; logging camps from Maine ces. During the depression translates as Beginning 1, toric Sites in the US Jennie insisted on making Anssi Vallius, Advisor for to Washington, Oregon, years of the 1930s Finnish was the first coop built in In 2019 the National her own way, divorced, and Cultural Affairs at Consu- California and Michigan. agents promised a better the United States. Alku Register of Historic Places moved to Harlem to open a late General Office; An- Many obtained land when life and work in Russia Toinen or 2 followed, and in the United States listed restaurant. She would later ders Adlercreutz, Member the US government passed and met at the Temppeli. the building continued un- Alku 1 and Alku 2, located open a bar in the 1940s in of Parliament 2015 to pre- the Homestead Act and In 1941 the 126th Street til eventually there were 24 at 816 and 826 43rd Street, Brooklyn by the piers and sent, Swedish Parliamen- gave acreage to farmers Hall became a section of Finnish Co-ops throughout Brooklyn New York, as cater to the Scandinavian tary Group, chair 2019 to willing to work the land for the International Workers Sunset Park, many sur- the first two coop buildin- seamen. She made all the present; Fatim Diarra, Vice at least 5 years. Order. In 1944 the Club rounding the park. Mort- gs in the USA, built by money in the family, sen- Chair, Green Party, 2019 to The Finns were late in was forced to give up the gages were not permitted. Finnish immigrants, on ding her grandchildren to 2021; Riikka Pirkkalainen, the land grab, and ended Labor Temple although Members belonged to the the National Registry of private schools to ensure Secretary General Cent- up with less desirable land, the activities at the Fin- Association, all with dif- Historic Places. Historical a good education, and to re Party; Janne Pesonen, much like the land they nish Temperance Hall until ferent names and rules and references in the USA and become successful. National Coalition Party had in Finland, requiring 1964. regulations, many requi- Finland were submitted to Robert Saasto’s grand- Secretary General 2016 hard toil to survive. Finns Changes taking place ring new members to be of set forth historical proof to father on his mother’s side, to 2019; Riikka Keskitalo, settled in major cities in- in Harlem affected atten- Finnish blood. establish that in fact, (1) Walter Aunio from Iso- Social Democratic Party, cluding New York, Boston, dance at the functions of Closings were held in Alku 1 and Alku 2 were kyro, came with his wife Service Director; Mer- Cleveland, Detroit and the Hall. Audiences of 800 the basement after working the first coop buildings in Hilda Latvala from Lap- ja-Hannele Vuohelainen, Chicago. Life was very decreased to 200. Most hours, cash was exchanged, New York State and in the pajarvi, with their 4 year Executive Director Social difficult, there was no gold of the large population of and new members received USA, which were built daughter Irene Aunio, and Democratic Women in Fin- on the streets of America. Finns in Harlem moved to certificates of membership by Finnish immigrants; settled in Finntown Sun- land; Tiina Tuomela, chair- Approximately one third Brooklyn Sunset Park Fin- in one form or another. and (2) that the Finnish set Park area in Brooklyn person of the Christian returned, and were gene- ntown, Bronx, or upstate This continued into the immigrants brought the New York. Walter worked Democratic Women 2016 rally looked down upon in New York: Fishkill, Ho- 1960s but as time went concept of cooperative as a carpenter and as the to present; Matias Turkki- Finland as the losers who pewell Junction, Lomala. on, the value of the apart- ownership to the United bartender at the Finnish la, Editor-in-chief for Pe- left and could not make it. In 1955 the building was ments increased such that States. Imatra Hall. Hilda was the russuomalainen magazine sold to the Gospel Temple buyers needed mortgages cook. and Suomen Uutiset; and The Finns in Harlem Church of God in Christ. and the banks would not Robert Saasto’s In the last census, 700,000 people indicated Joona Mielonen, member In the early 1900’s and The Fifth Avenue Hall lend unless the buildings Finnish Immigrant that they were of Finnish of Kotka City Council and particularly the 1920s, was converted to a luxury converted to formal Coop Grandparents descent. According to one member of Board of Left many Finns settled in NYC condominium building in status. The buyers ceased Robert Saasto perso- estimate, had the Finns ne- Alliance. because of the building 2005. being Finns. The coops nalized the history of the ver left Finland, the popu- Representing the New boom and construction in these Finnish buildings Finns in the USA and NYC lation in Finland would be York City Finnish Ame- jobs available. Many join- The Finns are in high demand now by using his grandparents, over 7 million as opposed rican groups were Eero ed the leftist labor groups. in Finntown Brooklyn and command large prices all of whom came in the to just over 5 million. Kilpi, President Finlan- There were two branches In the early 1900s until because of the quality and early 1900s, as examples. The event was a perfect dia Foundation, New York of socialist groups, one the 1960s, Sunset Park proximity to the park and His grandfather on his fat- opportunity for the Finnish Chapter; and Jaana Rehnst- in midtown Manhattan Brooklyn had up to 20,000 the views. her’s side, Onni Saasta- political delegates to get rom, President Finland and one uptown in Har- Finns in the neighborhood By the 1970s into the moinen from Pihtipudas, an overview of the Finns Center and Kotka Alliance. lem. They merged in 1911 surrounding the Park. Fin- 1980s the Finnish youth came because he was the who came to the USA, and Robert Alan Saasto gave with 140 members. The nish could be heard on the were not remaining in the youngest of 5, and the- particularly to Harlem and an overview of the diffe- group rented 2 floors of a street. Finnish businesses neighborhood. No longer refor unlikely to receive Sunset Park in Brooklyn, rent immigration periods to building at 1941 Madison served the community: did immigrants come from the family farm because in an the USA and the reasons. Avenue at 125th Street in Imatra Hall, the Socialist Finland. The Finnish new- the custom then was that