During the era of Swedish mass emigration to the United States—about 1.3 million Swedes arrived between 1850 and 1930—more members of this group made their homes in Minnesota than in any other state. By 1910 Swedes were the largest ethnic group in Minneapolis; claiming a quarter of the city's residents; and the second largest in St. Paul. As newcomers to this urban landscape; Swedish immigrants managed to leave their mark—in politics and in business; in religion and in art—even as they assimilated to the urban American culture in which they lived and worked.In this book; contributions from twenty-four leading scholars in both the United States and Sweden investigate various facets of Swedish life and culture in the Twin Cities. For these immigrants; many of whom had been farmers in the old country; the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul were truly an urban frontier. Essays in Part One; "Aspects of Urban Settlement;" explore this concept; considering such topics as why Swedes chose the Twin Cities; where they lived once they arrived; what their employment opportunities were; and how they might have spent their time when down on their luck.Essays in Part Two; "Institutional and Creative Life;" describe how; once settled into this urban frontier; Swedish Americans made their mark on Twin Cities culture while strengthening ties to the homeland; forming such groups as the Swedish Historical Society of America and Minneapolis's Norden Society; and seeking artistic outlets; whether painting or acting or dancing.Part Three explores "The Language of Immigrant Experience;" with chapters on the Swedish newspapers Forskaren and Svenska Amerikanska Posten and on the institutionalization of the Swedish language in public schools and in public libraries.The final section; "Swedes in Religion and Politics;" focuses on yet another aspect of the immigrant experience; with essays discussing various Swedish American religious institutions and the Swedish American impact on gubernatorial campaigns; specifically those of 1918 and 1970. Utilizing a variety of approaches; the authors of these essays offer a detailed portrait of Swedish immigrant experiences in the Twin Cities.The first-ever collection of essays on the subject; Swedes in the Twin Cities enhances our understanding of the immigrant experience in Minneapolis and St. Paul while also making an important contribution to the broader history of Swedish immigration to the United States.
#49624 in Books Tim Wise 2015-10-13Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 7.90 x .80 x 5.40l; .0 #File Name: 0872866939360 pagesUNDER THE AFFLUENCE
Review
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful. Very interesting eye opening book... the roadblocks ...By DRKVery interesting eye opening book...the roadblocks to success built in to our economy result in an "economic apartheid". This is a must read for open minded Republicans as well as tried and true Democrats...Myth busters for American politics.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. good ideas; poor execution.By CustomerWhile I agree with what he's trying to get at; the style of writing is distracting; he switches topics erratically while drawing out others redundantly. It feels as if he tackled too much with too little time to hash it out properly. The introduction is strong and well written; while the rest just falls flat making this hard to finish. This was required reading for a college course; otherwise I wouldn't have even finished it.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. From a teacher's perspective...By Kasi GedrisTim Wise’s look at the economic inequity and the reasons behind it is well-suited for the open-minded. I believe it’s more appropriate for those looking to further understand the differences between the rich and poor in America; and useful for educators in helping us understand the impacts we may see from this in our classrooms with students. His use of humor and analogies were the more approachable sections; but I found some difficulty with the inclusion of so many economic statistics. While the audience can clearly identify Mr. Wise’s opinions; they are well supported with documented research of the historical impacts of inequity and the current and future impacts through government funded programs. It is more of a liberal perspective; and his humor mostly attacks views associated with the conservative population in America. Overall; it is a thorough description of the realities of living in poverty in America and helps the audience further understand their role in the inequity of the economy and the diminished American Dream.
