Abstract:
The reasons for Finnish immigration to the United States near the turn of the twentiethcentury varied, though most often Finns left their country because they were landless and hungry. Once in America, the Finnish people formed tight-knit communities and were highly active in both political and social organizations. The Finns do not deserve to be overlooked in the study of immigrant literature, and this research proves that the literary contributions of the Finnish people are significant. Research was drawn primarily from secondary sources, due to the lack of English translations of Finnish-American literature, but by examining Isaac Polvi's recently published Autobiography of a Finnish Immigrant, the value of Finnish-American literature to the American literary canon is undeniable.
