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This year marks 200 years since the first Norwegian immigrants came to America. This anniversary will be commemorated on both sides of the Atlantic, including in this class at CRI! The history of Scandinavian immigration has been richly documented in historical studies and novels, letters and diaries, photographs, and oral history interviews. A wealth of sources offers windows into the lives of people who decided to leave their homeland and try their luck in uncharted territory. What motivated them to leave? Where in America’s great expanse did they end up? For those who stayed and settled, how were they accepted, and how did the lives they built contribute to the fabric of American society? This class will learn about these questions and topics from lectures and explore them through readings and discussion. Participants are encouraged to read Edvard Hoem’s novel, “Haymaker in Heaven,” translated from Norwegian by Tara Chase. The instructor will provide other readings.
