Swedish Life in the Twin Cities

A Fact and a Conference

by Phil Johnson

Swedish life is alive and well in the Twin Cities today. About 250 people attended the recent conference, "Swedish Me in the Twin Cities," which took place at the Minnesota Historical Society in St. Paul. Just being in this modern classical building is a treat. It was a wonderful place to meet. The conference was cosponsored by the Swedish-American Historical Society, the American Swedish Institute, and the Minnesota Historical Society. Conference participants came from 18 States, Canada, and Sweden, indicating Swedish life in other places as well.

Nina Archabal, Director of the Minnesota Historical Society; Phil Anderson, President of the Swedish-American Historical Society; and Bruce Karstadt, Director of the American Swedish Institute, opened the conference with welcoming addresses.

Phil Anderson added historical perspective as he so ably does. He informed us that, in 1985, Nils Hasselmo expressed au idea that led to shifting the focus from the rural to the urban life of Swedish immigrants. The first fruit of this idea was a conference, "Swedish American life in Chicago," held in 1988. The papers from that conference are available in a book: Swedish-American Life in Chicago: Cultural and Urban Aspects of an Immigrant People, 1850-1930 edited by Phil Anderson and Dag Blanck. Anderson said that this 1996 conference, said Anderson, will yield another book.

Following the welcomes and an introduction, Nils and Patricia Hasselmo jointly delivered the keynote address "American Swedish Revisited." Dr. Hasselmo has been a student of the phenomenon of language in the immigrant experience. His study began in 1956 at Augustaua College in Rock Island, Illinois. In Dinhnan Library, he discovered a wealth of Swedish immigrant literature and it was at Augustana that he met his wife and co-presenter, Pat. Pat's parents were confirmed in Swedish and her father was an Augustana pastor.

Nils noted that the spirit of a people lives in its language and that the transition to a new language is heart wrenching, especially for the first generation. The history of language for an immigrant people living in another dominant-language culture is a recurring phenomenon. The current American immigrant experience of Hmong and Vietnamese people in the Twin Cities is an example of this. There are 27,000 Hmong-speaking persons in Minnesota. Dr. Rudolph Vecoli of the University of Minnesota also commented on this language experience in his address, "Immigrants and theT win Cities: Melting Pot or Mosaic?"

When current immigrants are criticized for hanging onto their language and for resisting the language of the land, they are negatively compared with the quick, eager adoption of English by earlier immigrants. Hasselmo, Vecoli, and others observed that these comparisons reveal ignorance of the way Swedes and others fought for the preservation of their languages. Understanding, compassion, and friendship toward newly arrived neighbors is fostered by more accurate memories.

After the inaugural address, this "Swedish congregation" visited the James J. Hill house on Summit Avenue, a short walk from the Historical Society. Conviviality blossomed as guests mingled, ate, drank, and viewed the American-Swedish art on display. During this mingling, I met Dr. Scott Erickson, author of the newly published David Nyvall and the Shape of an Immigrant Church, Uppsala, 1996. Erickson presented a fine paper the next day — "Immigrant Community Life among Mission Friends: Skogsbergh's Tabernacle, Skoog's Songbook, and Nyvall's Classroom.

Judging from the comments of attendees, the papers presented at the conference were all excellent. Phil Anderson presented a paper which especially attracted my attention: "David F. Swenson, Evolution and Public Education in Minnesota" He related that in 1922, W.B. Riley, Pastor of First Baptist Church in Minneapolis, formed the Anti-Evolution League and actively campaigned against the teaching of evolution from 1922 through 1927. In 1927, legislation to ban teaching evolution in public institutions, which was sponsored by the League, failed in the Minnesota legislate.Professor Swenson of the University of Minnesota publicly opposed Riley during this period.

Swenson's defense of the freedom to teach evolution, explained Anderson, had its source in Swenson's concern to preserve the integrity of religion. As he saw it, science was neutral and disinterested, religion passionate and inward. Religion, he maintained was not dependent on the outcome of scientiTic study. Those who opposed evolution because they thought it was an enemy of Christian religion, tragically misled people as to the true nature of religion.

Prior to hearing this story, I had known that Swenson introduced Soren Kierkegaard to the United States. I had admired him for that and for being an esteemed teacher of Paul Holmer. The material that Dr. Anderson provided expanded and deepened my admiration for Swenson.

What is it that drew a group of people to St. Paul, Minnesota in 1996 to talk about Swedish life in America? During the dosing plenary session, panel members and audience discussed the mystery of the significance of Swedish roots.

In addition to the papers, lectures, and forums, some participants went on a Mississippi Riverboat Cruise on Saturday evening. On Sunday, some went on a bus tour of Swedish landmarks, led by Mariann Tiblin, and others gathered at the Riverview Theater in south Minneapolis, a few blocks from Pietisten's office, for a showing of The Emigrants, which also include comments after the movie by the director, Jan Troell.

So, there you have it. There is Swedish life in the Twin Cities.