My Father Spoke Finglish at Work: Finnish Americans in Northeastern Ohio

by Noreen Sippola Fairburn (Editor)

A regional view of Finnish immigration In 1874 the first Finnish immigrants came to Northeast Ohio’s Lake Erie port towns to work on the docks loading coal or unloading iron ore from ships sailing the Great Lakes or to work on the railroads. As with most immigrant groups, the Finns clustered in the same area, hoping to retain their language, customs, and culture, even in the New World. The Finnish American Heritage Association of Ashtabula County was organized in 1995, and one of its first projects was the interviewing and taping of elderly Finnish Americans to obtain historical accounts of early immigrants. These first-person accounts were written as the narrator told them. Many of the first- and second-generation Finns were in their eighties or nineties at the time of their interviews, yet their recollections of times gone by were told with frankness and clarity. Photographs representative of these early years are also included in this volume. Genealogists and those interested in immigration studies will find these first-person accounts valuable research tools and fascinating testimonies to the migrant experience.

188 pages, Hardcover

First published January 2, 2014

Reviews

[Cathy Perry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! I grew up in Warren, Ohio, of 100% Finnish heritage, and the places mentioned were all close to home. Many Finns came from Isokyro and Ylistaro, birthplaces of my paternal grandparents. Many spent time in Monessen, PA, home of my maternal grandparents. I wish more had mentioned Camp Luther, as I went as a camper as a child and worked as a counselor for two years in college. My uncle frequently served as the Pastor for Finnish Week at the camp.

[Stephanie Lawton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book! It's a slice of home!

[Ig-88 · Rating 3 out of 5]

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