Norway House extends awareness of the descendants of longtime migrants

The last stage of an immigrant’s trip to the United States passes long after the departure of this person, when their descendants finally understand the extent of what they have done.

Tuesday, Norway House, the cultural and event center of the Minneapolis Phillips district, which is still a first house for many immigrants, is developing with an exhibition and a research space called the Saga Center to explore the links between the Americans and the Norwegians.

The next King of Norway, Prince Hrh Harilaire Haakon, will be on site to consecrate the new center, three years after his mother, Queen Sonja, visited him. The Prince will then chair a commercial conference with leaders of Medtronic and other Minnesota companies with operations in Norway and Europe.

Today, the proportion of Americans born abroad exceeded that of the end of the 19th and early 20th century, when Immigration in Norway and other parts of Europe culminated. This proportion reached a record of 15.8% in January, according to Pew Research.

In places dedicated to the recognition of past migrations, it is easy to see how the same forces that have led immigration throughout the history of Minnesota remain unchanged.

The poor and hungry for somewhere come to America, settle down from each other, go to school and to work and, with each generation, enrich themselves, win political power, mix and move. Over time, their descendants look back with those who took these first most difficult steps.

In addition to Norway House, the back look occurs at Minnesota African American Heritage Museum and Gallery, Danish American Center, Eloise and Elliot Kaplan Family History, American Swedish Institute and the Somali Museum, all in Minneapolis. There is also the German-American Institute and the Cultural Center Museum Hmong in St. Paul and the Minnesota Genealogical Society in Mendota Heights.

Norway House is the Haugo Bibliotek, a library of Norwegian genealogical materials and computer workstations. They include campaign books, or BygdebøkerAnd the files of the church listing families over the centuries. These recordings are a key reason why Norwegian heritage like me are able to retrace their family history.