After researching family birth and death certificates on the
maternal side of my family, it has been discovered that I am the daughter of a
Swedish-American descendant. My great-
grandfather was born in Jokkmokk, Sweden in 1898. Conditions in Sweden along with the economic
opportunities in the United States were creating the push pull effect that had
many Swedish families immigrating at that time (Blanck, 2009; Quigley, 1972). According to Swedish historical records, from
the “seventies through 1908’’ the push to emigrate was due in part to
agriculture difficulties; however, the industrial pull from America played an
ever bigger role (Quigley, 1972, p. 113).
As employment opportunities for my great-great-grandfather decreased in
Sweden, the decision to emigrate to the United States, were there was economic
prosperity, was made (p. 114). In 1903
together with his wife and two small children, my relatives boarded one of many
ships headed toward their new destination; the United States. My great-grandfather was only four when he
arrived in the United States.
The family quickly became residence of a large Swedish-American
community in Seattle, Washington. According
to Blank (2009), of all Swedish-Americans in the United States almost 10% lived
along the West Coast with the majority of them growing up in the Seattle-Tacoma
area (para. 9). Living in a
predominantly Swedish community offered access to social, cultural, and religious
acceptance. Blank also found “The
largest organizations were the various religious denominations founded by
Swedish immigrants in the United States” (Blank, 2009, para. 12). Over the last century my family has been with
the Lutheran Church. According to Steven
Bean, Archives Specialist (1993) “The Augustana Evangelical Lutheran Church
embodied and expressed a Lutheran tradition in America that originated in
Sweden” (Bean, 1993, para. 1). I
remember the day my grandparents had my brother and I was baptized in the
Lutheran Church. They were so proud. Although Swedish Americans formed large
communities to provide more access to cultural and religious freedoms, it
appears Swedish immigrants were treated with prejudice and racism only while in
Sweden. Once in the United States a
pluralist attitude was experienced by new immigrants from existing Americans
and Swedish-Americans. This in part may
have been because most Swedish immigrants where white, literate, educated, and
filled needed work roles. According to
Schaefer (2006) subordinate minority groups have five characteristics that make
them targets for prejudice and racism, one is “Members of a minority group
share physical or cultural characteristics that distinguish them from the
dominant group, such as skin color or language” (p. 6). It appears the similarities in color and need
fulfillment helped to create acceptance for Swedish immigrants and the
Swedish-American culture.
On October 7, 1911 my great-great-grandfather became a citizen of
the United Stated through naturalization.
Upon his naturalization the entire family became citizens. Today women must obtain their own
naturalization; however, prior to 1922 women and children became citizens upon
their husbands and fathers naturalization, known as derivative citizenship
(Lenzen, 2002). In 1915 my
great-grandfather was married to an American woman and in 1917 he joined the
American forces in World War I. My
grandfather was born the following year.
It is not clear whether my family was directly affected by cultural
prejudices; however, records indicate the family had their last name changed in
1919 to one that was more Americanized. Because
Swedish-Americans were taken into the fold of mainstream American and they came
from a country that was based heavily on prejudice and discrimination, I can
only imagine they also participated in some form of discrimination in America. Swedish immigrants came to America to fill
needed positions in the marketplace. For
those immigrating to fulfill agricultural roles or considered low skilled
workers, many were placed in dual labor market situations. Without consideration for standards of
living, workers are paid less than standard wages or even under the table. Affirmative action policies have helped in
the fight for equal rights by all to have access to equal employment, jobs, and
education. Having the opportunity to be
educated in Seattle, Washington my great-grandfather was an engineer in the
United States Marine Corp. In May 1924
he was transferred and moved the entire family to California; where they lived
until I was a young girl. My grandfather
also went to school and became an engineer.
With the advent of World War II he joined the Coast Guard, along with
many men of other American ethnic cultures and was off to war. He was aboard the U.S.S. SAN PEDRO (PF-37)
and earned his stars for battles and rescues in the South Pacific (U.S. Coast
Guard, n.d.). In 1943, while on shore
leave my grandfather, like so many other young soldiers during the war, met a
woman and married. My mother was born in
1945.
This is the first time I have looked at my maternal genealogy in
quite this way. Although
Swedish-American heritage is part of my life I do not think, as an ethnic
group, we had as many struggles to be a part of the United States mainstream culture
as many other ethnic groups did. What
remains today of Swedish-American customs are faith, food, family, and holiday
traditions. I can identify with both my
Swedish ancestor’s and why they wanted to come to America as well as my
American ancestry. I also believe that
by possessing the ability to maintain homeland customs and to blend those
traditions into an everyday routine of the American lifestyle, Swedish-Americans
have added to the melting pot that is mainstream American culture.
