Finnish culture enthusiasts turn the page on immigrants’
historyIf you want to read some fascinating Finnish legend and
lore, one essential work would be Arnold R. Alanen’s most recent
book, “Finns in Minnesota.” By: Thomas Vaughn, Duluth Budgeteer
News If you want to read some fascinating Finnish legend and
lore, one essential work would be Arnold R. Alanen’s most recent
book, “Finns in Minnesota.” In it, you can learn about Matt
Ilka, who wanted to startle his neighbors by eating beer
glasses. A recently retired history professor of 37 years,
Alanen speaks, reads, and understands Finnish, allowing him to
perform his own notable feats. For example, searching through
the 1920 Minnesota Census, he and an assistant looked through
29,000 names to determine exactly what percentage of the state’s
residents were classified as “Finland Swedes.” Poorly documented
in history books, Finland Swedes are Finnish through their
national history and culture, but also share a linguistic
commonality with Swedish due to their g