Norse-American Centennial

Context

In 1925 Norwegian Americans marked 100 years of settlement in North America. This anniversary coincided with an upsurge in nativist fear of outsiders in Minnesota and in the United States. In recent memory the revolution in Russia and labor disputes on the Iron Range and elsewhere stoked American fears of radicals (not a few of them Scandinavian). World War I had turned many Minnesotans against German-Americans — the state’s largest single immigrant group. During the war, the Minnesota Public Safety Commission required all “aliens” to register with the government. In the 1920s, fear of outsiders provoked the passage of strict immigration restrictions.

The 100th anniversary of Norwegian settlement provided an opportunity for Norwegian-Americans to celebrate their heritage and, more importantly, to demonstrate their American-ness. The celebrations, held in many North American cities and culminating in a major festival at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds in June 1925, showed how Norwegian-Americans had already contributed, as well as how well they fit in their new homes. The celebrations constituted a complex process of identity building and a tricky balancing of old culture and new.

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