The Duality of Finnish Fitchburg Communities: Preservation and Americanization

John Heimo

Abstract:
Finnish immigrants have played a significant role in the history and the development of Fitchburg, Massachusetts. My project is a research article titled 'The Duality of Finnish Fitchburg Communities: Preservation and Americanization'. Categorizing Finnish Immigrants according to their membership within three primary community groups identifiable as Church Finns, Hall Finns, and Temperance Finns frames the examination of how these diverse groups interacted leading to an enhanced appreciation for how the process of Americanization and preservation of culture transpired. My research establishes the notion that there was an inherent duality within Finnish immigrant communities and subsequent generations of Finns which created the community conditions needed for Americanization through education, democratic practice, and the building of social capital, while also preserving Finnish identity and culture. These ideas are examined through the use of primary and secondary sources from the Fitchburg Historical Society, Fitchburg State University Archive, newspaper archives, and scholarly databases online.