Are you interested in researching Finnish-American Migration in the USA? Join SAM, Finlandia Foundation National and the Migration Institute of Finland for a webinar where experts will guide you through the best tips for conducting genealogy research in the USA.

In this webinar, we will explore historical migration connections between the United States and Finland. FFN and SAM are natural partners to join in sponsoring this program. Both organizations promote Finnish and Finnish-American connections on both sides of the Atlantic. SAM is a non-profit organization based in Finland with nearly 30 local chapters promoting cultural exchange between the United States and Finland. FFN, consisting of nearly 60 affiliates, is the most important independent source of support for Finland in the United States and champions Finnish and Finnish-American heritage and culture. Together we seek to highlight resources available to people interested in learning more about the significant Finnish-American migration from the late 1800s to today.

The webinar will feature the Migration Institute of Finland and the Finnish American Heritage Center Historical Archive located in Hancock, MI. Experts from each institution will give an introduction to what resources exist in their collections for people interested in doing research and learning more about this deep Finnish-American collection. Think of this as a 101 introduction to resource finding!

The webinar will take place via Zoom on 24 September at 7:00 p.m. The webinar will be in English.

Register for the webinar here. Once you have registered, the Zoom link will be sent you before the event.

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Meet our experts:

Dr. Samira Saramo is a Senior Research Fellow at the Migration Institute of Finland. In her role, she coordinates the Institute’s research on emigration and Finns abroad, and works on archival development. As a researcher, Samira’s work focuses on Finnish North American history. Her current research project, funded by Kone Foundation, maps the places, narratives, and histories of Finnish communities in Ontario.     

Joanna Chopp is the Archivist at the Finnish American Heritage Center in Hancock, Michigan (formerly part of Finlandia University, now under the leadership of Finlandia Foundation National.) She has served in this role for 13 years. She grew up immersed in Finnish-American culture in the small farming community of Toivola in Michigan’s Copper Country, though her family’s roots trace back to northern Lapland (Sápmi). Her undergraduate degrees are in History, English, and Secondary Education, and her graduate coursework was focused on Archival Studies. Today, she lives in Houghton, Michigan with her husband and three children.

The Migration Institute of Finland specializes in both the research and documentation of migration flows. Its special task involves documenting the life of Finns living abroad and promoting awareness related to it. It carries out research, is an active publisher, maintains an archival collection, emigrant register, a library and organizes events and exhibitions. The Migration Institute of Finland is multidisciplinary and cooperates actively with Finnish and foreign universities and other institutes. It is funded by the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture.

Finnish American Heritage Center Historical Archive of Finlandia Foundation National

The FAHC’s archive and museum collections preserve and promote Finnish-American identity and history.  The archive has been actively collecting Finnish-American and Finnish materials since it was established in 1932.  The ever-growing collection consists of more than 40,000 items, ranging from works of art by Gallen-Kallela, Sailo and Nelimarkka, to centuries-old Queen Christina Bibles, to modern-day St. Urho’s Day kitsch.  The archive serves as the official repository of Suomi College/Finlandia University, as well as the Suomi Synod, Finnish Congregationalists, Federation of Apostolic Lutherans and the Knights of Kaleva.  The collection also includes records and materials from many other Finnish societal, cooperative and political groups, as well as diaries, letters, photographs and other personal items. The FAHC is well known for its genealogical materials, including original records and microfilm from Finnish-American churches, societies, and organizations; newspapers and periodicals; personal papers and photographs; and hundreds of microfilmed church records from Finland.