Papers originally presented at a conference held in Chicago in Oct. 1988, sponsored by the Swedish-American Historical Society, and other others.

Between 1880 and 1920, emigration from Sweden to Chicago soared, and the city itself grew remarkably. During this time, the Swedish population in the city shifted from three centrally located ethnic enclaves to neighborhoods scattered throughout the city. As Swedes moved to new neighborhoods, the early enclave-based culture adapted to a progressively more dispersed pattern of Swedish settlement in Chicago and its suburbs. Swedish community life in the new neighborhoods flourished as immigrants built a variety of ethnic churches and created meaningful social affiliations, in the process forging a complex Swedish-American identity that combined their Swedish heritage with their new urban realities. Chicago influenced these Swedes' lives in profound ways, determining the types of jobs they would find, the variety of people they would encounter, and the locations of their neighborhoods. But these immigrants were creative people, and they in turn shaped their urban experience in ways that made sense to them. Swedes arriving in Chicago after 1880 benefited from the strong community created by their predecessors, but they did not hesitate to reshape that community and build new ethnic institutions to make their urban experience more meaningful and relevant. They did not leave Chicago untouched—they formed an expanding Swedish community in the city, making significant portions of Chicago Swedish. This engaging study will appeal to scholars and general readers interested in immigration and Swedish-American history.

An intimate and detailed portrait of young Swedish women who chose to immigrate to America in the nineteenth century--why they left, what they found, and how they survived.

A poignant, multigenerational tale of the Swedish-American experience for two disparate Chicago families

A collection of essays by scholars from both the United States and Sweden investigate various facets of Swedish life and culture in the Twin Cities.

The novel unfolds the story of a feisty young woman named Ester who came from a rural life in Sweden and jumped into an exciting urban life in America. Ester left Sweden with a secret, as many immigrants did, but her secret didnt hinder her welcome into the vibrant life of Swedish immigrants in Chicago. She plunged into the prosperity of the Swedish community in 1908 with the same work ethic of her pioneer immigrant predecessors. She found friends who took her into their hearts and homes. They shared their happiness and struggles together. Her story comes alive within the everyday life of Chicago. What happened on its streets, how people lived, what entertainment and spiritual life they sharedall experienced through the eyes of a young Swedish immigrant woman.