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Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses Graduate School 1955 The innsF in the United States: a Sociological Interpretation. Walfrid John Jokinen Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses Recommended Citation Jokinen, Walfrid John, "The innF s in the United States: a Sociological Interpretation." (1955). LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. 124. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses/124 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE FINNS IN THE UNITED STATES: A SOCIOLOGICAL INTERPRETATION A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in The Department of Sociology by Walfrid John Jokinen A. B., University of Minnesota, 1951 M. A., Louisiana State University, 1953 August, 1955 OMISTETTU SUOMALAISELLE SIIRTOLAISVAESTOLLE JONKA TOIMINTAAN OSALLISTUMINEN ON NIIN SUURESTI RIKASTUTTANUT TAMAN KIRJOITTAJAN ELAMAA ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Tho writer*3 obligations are many. Ho is especially grateful for the unfailing aid and sympathetic consideration ho received from his major advisor, Professor Vernon J. Parenton, during the preparation of this dissertation. For instruction and guidance in the fields of soci­ ology and anthropology, he is indebted to each of the members of the faculty of the Department of Sociology, Louisiana State University, and to Dr. William G. Haag. Gratitude is expressed to the following for their valued assist­ ance in providing factual information and insights: Mr. Onni Syrjaniemi, editor of the Keskilannen Sanomat; Mr. Jack Ujanen, editor of the Indus- trlalisti; the late Rev. Edward J. Isaac, former President of Suomi College; Mr. Donald Lehtinen, Hoad of the Area Servicos Department of tho Central Cooperative Wholesale, Superior, Wisconsin; Mr. E. A. Pulli, former Editorial Secretary of the Minnesota Finnish-American Historical Society; and the hundreds of Finnish pooplo whose culture has so deeply enriched the writer*3 life. Special thanks go to Catherine Izen Lignos for her patience and painstaking care in typing this dissertation in its final form. The greatest debt of gratitude the writer owes to his wife, Elsie. She not only participated in the researches and prepared all of the charts and photographs, but she has been a constant source of friendly counsel and encouragement. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS...................................... iii LIST OF T A B L E S ...................................... vii LIST OF FIGURES...................................... ix ABSTRACT ............................................ xL CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION ..................................... 1 A. Purposo and Scope of St u d y..................... 1 B. Sources and Limitations ofDa t a ................ 3 C. Review of the Literature....................... 9 D. Frame of Reference........ ................... 12 E. Order of Presentation ........................ 23 II. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND ANDIMMIGRATION FROM FINLAND . 24 A. Introduction.................................. 24 B. Historical B ackground........................ 29 C. Emigration to America ...................... 35 1. The Delaware Period .................. 35 2. Migration to Alaska ...................... 39 3. The Modern P e r i o d ........................ 40 4> Quota Immigration........................ 49 D. Emigration from the UnitedStates .............. 54 H I . COMPOSITION AND CHARACTERISTICS OF THE FINNISH IMMIGRANTS AND FACTORS MOTIVATING IMMIGRATION .... 57 A. Characteristics of the Finnish Immigrants at the Time of Entry ........................ 57 1. S e x ..................................... 57 2. A g e ............ 60 3* Marital Condition ........................ 62 4* Occupations............................. 63 B. Destinations of the Inmigrants.................. 66 iv CHAPTER P«g« C. Factors Motivating Inmigration................. 68 1. The Situation in Finland . .......... 69 2. The Situation in the United States........... 74 3. Contributory C a u s e s ...................... 74 D. First Impressions........................ 76 IV. THE FOREIGN-BORN FINN IN THE UNITED STATES.......... 76 A. Growth and Decline...... ... .................. 76 B. Geographic Distribution.. ...................... 61 C. Rural-Urban Distribution....................... 66 B- Age Composition ................. 91 E. Balance Between the Sexes .................... 94 F. Internal Migration ............................ 97 V. THE SECOND GENERATION ............................ 105 A. Growth and Declino............................ 106 B. Geographic Distribution .................... 107 C. Rural-Urban Distribution...................... 110 D. Age Conposition.............................. 115 E. Balance Between the S e x e s .................... 116 VI. THE SOCIAL LIFE OF THE FINNS IN THE UNITED STATES . 121 A. Introduction .......................... 121 B. The Family................................... 125 C. Religion..................................... 134 VII. THE SOCIAL LIFE OF THE FINNS IN THE UNITED STATES (Cont’d ) ...................... 114 A. Political Activities .......................... 146 B. Economic Activities.......................... 151 VIII. THE SOCIAL LIFE OF THE FINNS IN THEUNITED STATES (Cont»d)......................................... 168 A. Education ................................... 168 1. Schools '........................... 173 2. The P r e s s ............................... 176 B. Recreational Activities ...................... 168 IX. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS .'......................... 194 v CHAPTER Page A. The Causes and Magnitude of the Immigration From Finland to the United States................. 194 B. Demographic Characteristics of the Finnish P o pulation..................................... 196 C. The Social Life of the Finns in the United S t a t e s ......................................... 200 BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................................. 205 APPENDIX.................................................... 215 VITA ................ '.................................... 218 vi LIST OF TABLES TABLE Page I. Emigration from Finland, 1893-1950 .................. 42 11. Immigrant Finnish Aliens Admitted to the United States, by Nationality, 1872-1891 .................. 46 III. Immigrant Finnish Aliens Admitted to the United States, by People, 1899-1950 ........................ 47 IV. Immigrant Finnish Aliens Admitted to the United States, by People, 1899-1924 ........................ 48 V. Quota Immigrants Admitted from Finland, 1930-1953 . 53 VI. Immigrant Finnish Aliens Admitted to the United States and Emigrant Finnish Aliens Departing, 1908-1950 .... 55 VII. Immigrant Finnish Aliens Admitted to the United States, by Sex, 1899-1930 .......................... 58 VIII. Finnish Immigrants Admitted to the United States, by Sex, 1899-1924 ................................. 59 IX. Finnish Immigrants Admitted to the United States, by Age, 1899-1924 ................................. 61 X. Finnish Immigrants Admitted to the United States, by Occupation, 1899-1924 ............................ 65 XI. Amount of Money Brought into the United States by Finnish Immigrants, 1899-1924 ...................... 67 XII. Foreign-Born Finns in the United States, 1900-1950 .. 79 XIII. Foreign-Born Finns in the United States, by States, 1900-1950 84 XIV. Foreign-Born Finns in the United States, by Residence, 1910-1950 ................................ 88 XV. Foreign-Born Finns in Six Selected States, by Residence, 1940 ................................... 89 XVI. Cities With 50,000 or More Foreign White Stook Reporting 1,000 or More Foreign-Born Finns, 1950 .... 90 vii TABLE Page XVII* Percentages of Foreign-Born Finns in the United States, by Age ................................. 93 XVIII. Foreign-Born Finns in the United States, by Sex, 1 9 0 0 - 1 9 4 0 ......................................... 96 XIX. Absolute and Percentage Gains and Losses Due to Internal Migration Among the Foreign-Born Finns in tho United States, 1940-1950 ..................... 100 XX. Nativity of tho Foreign Finnish Stock, 1910-1950 .... 107 XXI. Nativity of the Foreign Finnish Stock, by States, 1950 .............................................. 109 XXII. Foreign Finnish Stock in the United States, by Nativity and Residence, 1940 ........................ Ill XXIII. Native-Born Finns in Six Selected States, by Residence ................ 113 XXIV. Foreign Finnish Stock in Eight Cities With 50,000 or More Foreign White Stock, by Nativity, 1950 ....... 114 XXV. Per Cent Distribution of the Foreign Finnish Stock in the United States, by Nativity and Age, 1940 .... 117 XXVI. Nativity of the Directors of Finnish Initiated Cooperatives Affiliated With the Central Cooperative W h o l e s a l e ........................ .. 161 XXVII. Nativity of the Managers of Finnish Initiated Cooperatives Affiliated With the Central Cooperative Wholesale .............................. 162 XXVIII. Language Used in the Meetings of the Finnish Initiated Cooperatives Affiliated With the Central Cooperative Wholesale, December,

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