Invisible Histories

“Greener Grass” is an 18-minute video exploring immigration from Finland to America, as well as touching upon the larger issues and questions involved in immigration in general. Some of those addressed include:

And what can we learn?

Due to economic necessity, the majority of those immigrating from Finland to America did so roughly around the turn of the century; two sets of my great-grandparents did so in the late 1890s.

If nothing else, please see Finland DNA Project member Dan Karvonen’s comments starting at about 13:53 in the video. Echoing what another interviewee said earlier on, “all of us are immigrants.” This is a critical point that we here in America either too easily forget or ignore.

Posted in Finland, Finland DNA Project, Finns in America, Friday Video, Immigration History, Personal History | | No Comments »

Today is also the 20th anniversary of the Ellis Island Museum; Dick Eastman has the details from an Ellis Island Foundation press release. Other recent news is that their collection of approximately 1700 immigrants’ oral histories has now been put online and is accessible (for free) through ancestry.com, the collection titled:  New York City, Ellis Island Oral Histories, 1892-1976.

I found a handful of recorded oral histories from those who’d immigrated from Finland – surnames include Ahlfors, Flint, Haggblom, Heino, Hill, Howard, Karlman, Masalin, Palo (Pelo?), Pouttu, Siedler (Poland to Finland to US), Sulin and Swenson. The informal, meandering nature of each interview is a delight.

Posted in Immigration History | | No Comments »

An excellent example not only of the tenacious, indefatigable Megan Smolenyak’s focus when it comes to solving a mystery but also of how a real young woman’s life can become nearly lost to history is that of Annie Moore, the first immigrant to step onto Ellis Island. Perhaps it’s because we in America do tend, generally speaking, towards creating mythological backstory about our origins and the Annie Moore story certainly qualifies. However, the real version that Megan was instrumental in tracking down is heartbreaking and grounded in the gritty and desperate day-to-day reality of immigrants to New York in the 1890s.

A lengthy article but absolutely a must-read.

Posted in Immigration History | | No Comments »

Two of my favorite subjects, and soon to be an ongoing series at Invisible Histories.

A friend recently loaned me The Ellis Island Immigrant Cookbook: The Story of Our Common Past Told Through the Recipes and Reminiscences of Our Immigrant Ancestors. I’ll be working my way through it, posting photos of the food, notes on the process and excerpts from the family stories.

[Thanks, Natalie!]

Posted in Food, Immigration History | | No Comments »

Via Megan Smolenyak and Roots Television, video of the Ellis Island Family Heritage Awards 2010. And do spend some time exploring the Roots TV website! Lots to see there for anybody interested in family and immigration history, genealogy, research process, and DNA. The link is in the sidebar on the left of this page.

Posted in Immigration History, TV, Video and Film | | No Comments »

Currently at the Oregon Historical Society in Portland, Oregon is an exhibit on the teenage immigrant experience, covering teenagers who are themselves immigrants or who are the children of first-generation immigrants to the US. The exhibit was developed by the Smithsonian, is on tour throughout the US and will be here in Portland from the 20th of March through the 30th of May; it includes photos (by Barbara Beirne) and the personal commentary of dozens of teenagers from a variety of backgrounds.

From the blurb on the OHS website:  ”In a new traveling exhibition from the Smithsonian, black-and-white photo-interviews—photographic portraits captioned by the subjects’ own words—offer a thought-provoking starting point for exploring immigration, acculturation and cultural diversity.  Developed by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service, the exhibition will travel around the country on a national tour through 2011.”

Posted in Immigration History, Oregon | | No Comments »