Living the Past in the Present

107 Pages·2016·1.35 MB·English

Living the Past in the Present

An Ethnographic Study of Norwegian Americans’
Expression of Identity in Minneapolis

Hege Bakken

Master’s Thesis
Department of Social Anthropology

University of Oslo

November 2016

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Living the Past in the Present

An Ethnographic Study of Norwegian Americans’ Expression of Identity in
Minneapolis

Expressions of Norwegian identity in America (Photo by author).

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© Hege Bakken

2016

Living the Past in the Present: An Ethnographic Study of Norwegian Americans’ Expression
of Identity in Minneapolis

http://www.duo.uio.no

Print: Mail Boxes Etc. Oslo

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Abstract

The study of American identity has generally been concerned with the concept of hyphenated
identity, a dual identity of sorts. The Norwegian-American identity is a clear example of a
hyphenated identity. This thesis will offer some perspectives on the American identity
construction in general and the Norwegian-American in particular. A focal point is how the
Norwegian-American identity is maintained in contemporary USA. This thesis is based on
five and a half months ethnographic fieldwork conducted in Minneapolis, Minnesota, among
Norwegian Americans. Moreover, this thesis explores how Norwegian Americans express
their heritage in a public setting. This performance is first and foremost observed at public
events such as club meetings, luncheons, functions and church coffee, but also other social
settings. Norwegians are an old immigrant group to the US, but despite how they are several
generations removed from the Norwegian immigrants they still hold on to their Norwegian
heritage and traditions today. Minneapolis is home to a plethora of different Norwegian-
American clubs and organizations, and this is predominantly where the fieldwork was
conducted. The Norwegian-American identity is often conveyed through cultural elements
such as food or clothing, which are essential elements in expressing a hyphenated identity.
These cultural elements are often perceived to be traditionally Norwegian, although they may
in reality not be, as they become affected by the American culture. The main focal point of
this thesis is concerned with how preserving and maintaining a Norwegian identity is key in
reinforcing their bonds and identities as Americans. The methods that they use to express
their Norwegian heritage are inherently American, as is their ways of thinking about a
Norwegian-American identity.

Keywords: Norwegian-American, Minneapolis, Minnesota, identity, ethnicity, hyphenated
identities, urban anthropology, food.
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Acknowledgements

This thesis would not have seen the light of day without help and support from a great deal of
people. Firstly, I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to everyone in Minneapolis and
St. Paul. Thank you for opening your arms and hearts to me, and letting me tag along,
observe and participate in your world. Without you, none of this would have happened.
Thank you to Mindekirken and the entire congregation for letting me be part of your
community and for treating me as one of your own. Thank you to Norway House for letting
me volunteer and to Kontakt for the company and dances. To the rest of you who invited me
to join meetings, functions, and for all the talks over copious amounts of coffee, I am forever
indebted to you. I will not mention any by name, but you know who you are and you will not
be forgotten, hopefully our paths will cross again someday.

Thank you to the University of Oslo for supporting me financially and academically
throughout my fieldwork and thesis work and for the Department of Social Anthropology for
preparing me for this adventure. Thanks also go out to my supervisor Odd Are Berkaak for
giving me great advice and support. A big thank you to my fellow master’s students for
mutual support and for the countless hours of shared laughter and despair.

Finally, thank you to my friends and family for giving great words of encouragement and
supporting me these past couple of years. To my boyfriend, Magnus Godvik Ekeland, thank
you does not cover it. Thank you for supporting me through fieldwork and keeping my spirits
high. I am especially grateful for the proofreading and academic advice you have given and
for keeping up with me these last few weeks.

A lot of blood, sweat and tears have gone into the making of this thesis, but without the help
from all of you, I would not have seen this through. So, to all of you, I am forever grateful.

Hege Bakken
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Table of Contents

Chapter 1 - Introduction to the field ........................................................................................ 1
Initial interest in the field .......................................................................................................................................... 2
Research question ........................................................................................................................................................ 4
Relevant literature ....................................................................................................................................................... 4
Norwegian-American history and demography .............................................................................................. 6
Location: multi-sited ethnography ........................................................................................................................ 8
Short Presentation of key field sites ..................................................................................................................... 9
Methodological considerations ............................................................................................................................ 11
Backstage access ........................................................................................................................................................ 13
Position .......................................................................................................................................................................... 14
Home away from home ........................................................................................................................................... 15
Ethical Considerations ............................................................................................................................................. 16
Disposition .................................................................................................................................................................... 17
Chapter 2 – Hyphenation at the core of American Identity ........................................... 19
Outlining ethnicity ..................................................................................................................................................... 20
American identity with a Norwegian heritage .............................................................................................. 22
Through thick and thin ............................................................................................................................................ 25
Class ................................................................................................................................................................................. 26
Symbolic ethnicity ..................................................................................................................................................... 28
Hyphenated American identities ........................................................................................................................ 29
Reinforced American identity .............................................................................................................................. 30
Situation determined identity .............................................................................................................................. 32
Kinship among the Norwegian Americans ..................................................................................................... 33
Bloodline ........................................................................................................................................................................ 37
Real American ............................................................................................................................................................. 39
Concluding remarks .................................................................................................................................................. 39
Chapter 3 – Consuming identity: Food and Clothes as Symbols of Norwegian
Culture ............................................................................................................................................. 41
Outlining cultural repertoire ................................................................................................................................ 44
Norwegian national culture .................................................................................................................................. 46
Invented Traditions .................................................................................................................................................. 47
Art as an example of Norwegian romanticism .............................................................................................. 48
Hard-working as an ideal ....................................................................................................................................... 50
Lutheran by nature ................................................................................................................................................... 51
Symbols on Norwegian Culture ........................................................................................................................... 53
Lutefisk: A Minnesotan tradition ........................................................................................................................ 55
Lefse and other sweets ............................................................................................................................................ 58
Hybrid food ................................................................................................................................................................... 58
‘Tis the season to eat ................................................................................................................................................ 60
Norwegian Sweaters ................................................................................................................................................ 61
The sacred bunad ....................................................................................................................................................... 63
Vikings – the original Midwesterners ............................................................................................................... 64
Paraphernalia .............................................................................................................................................................. 65
Concluding remarks .................................................................................................................................................. 66
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Chapter 4 – Social arenas and Events: Expressing Identity in the Public Sphere ... 67
All the world’s a stage .............................................................................................................................................. 69
Bitter Swede Symphony .......................................................................................................................................... 70
The participating American ................................................................................................................................... 71
Ethnic exception? ....................................................................................................................................................... 72
Maintaining a Norwegian community in America ....................................................................................... 74
Norway House: The New Generation ................................................................................................................ 74
Mindekirken - Jesus Christ and Ola Nordmann ............................................................................................ 76
Examples of Norwegian Americans’ religiosity ............................................................................................ 82
Religious Participation ............................................................................................................................................ 83
Concluding remarks .................................................................................................................................................. 84
Chapter 5 - Looking Ahead While Looking Back ................................................................ 87
Summing up ................................................................................................................................................................. 88
Findings .......................................................................................................................................................................... 89
American at heart ...................................................................................................................................................... 90
Looking ahead ............................................................................................................................................................. 91
Bibliography .................................................................................................................................. 93

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