Impact of Immigration on Culture in the United States

1. Impact of Immigration on Culture in the United States Unit 3 Lesson 4

2. Content Expectations • 4 – H3.0.2: Use primary and secondary sources to explain how migration and immigration affected and continue to affect the growth of Michigan. • 4- G1.0.3: Identify and describe the characteristics and purposes (e.g., measure distance, determine relative location, classify a region) of a variety of geographic tools and technologies (e.g., globe, map, satellite image). • 4- G1.0.4: Use geographic tools and technologies, stories, songs, and pictures to answer geographic questions about the United States. • 4 - G4.0.2: Describe the impact of immigration to the United States on the cultural development of different places or regions of the United States (e.g., forms of shelter, language, food).

3. Graphic Organizer Push and pull factors cause many people to immigrate to the United States. Immigrants take many of their cultural traditions with them. Immigrants settle in different regions of the United States. New cultural traditions brought by immigrants become part of the rich cultural diversity of the United States.

4. Big Ideas Card

5. Word Cards Word Cards from previous lessons needed for this lesson: • Movement – Word Card #2 from Lesson 1 • Immigration – Word Card #1 from Lesson 3

6. Word Cards Word Cards from previous lessons needed for this lesson: • Movement – Word Card #2 from Lesson 1 • Immigration – Word Card #1 from Lesson 3

7. Besides the objects immigrants carried with them, what else did immigrants bring to the United States? Possible answers include stories, beliefs, songs, languages, recipes, traditions and dances.

8. Look at the list of what the immigrants contributed. Think of a term that could serve as a label for the whole list of things. • stories, beliefs, songs, languages, recipes, traditions and dances

9. All the things on the list are related to the term “culture.” Culture can be defined as the way of life of a group of people. When immigrants came to the United States they brought elements of their cultures with them.

10. Cultureincludes all the ways of life including arts, beliefs and institutions of a population that are passed down from generation to generation. As such, it includes codes of manners, dress, language, religion, rituals, games, norms of behavior such as law and morality, and systems of belief as well as the art.

11. Review the following resources used in Lesson 3 of this unit as listed here. Look for evidence of cultural elements immigrants described in these resources brought with them.

12. • The book “Grandfather’s Journey” • • The book “The Keeping Quilt” • • Photographs of Immigrants • • Quotations Sheet: “What Did They Bring with Them?” • (traditional foods) • • Immigrant Artifacts • (instruments like the accordion and music)

13. How has immigration led to the rich cultural diversity of the United States? In this lesson we will explore cultural influences in different regions of the United States.

14. MAP #1

15. • What is shown on the map? • Do Finnish people comprise a major ethnic group in the United States? • Where is the largest concentration of Finnish people in the U.S? • Why do you think this is true? • What did you learn in Michigan history that might help you better understand about Finnish immigration to the United States?

16. Finnish Influences in Michigan: Visuals Annual Finnish Music Festival, Covington, Michigan Source: Annual Finnish Music Festival. 14 November 2008 <http://www.playdembones.com/workshops.htm>. Old Main in Hancock, the first permanent building of the country’s only Finnish college, Finlandia University. It was founded in 1896 as Suomi College.

17. In pairs using a copy of the “Finnish Influences in Michigan: Text” and a highlighter, highlight examples of Finnish cultural influences evident in the two text selections.

18. Finnish Influences in Michigan: Text There are still active Finnish-speaking communities in many areas of the Upper Peninsula today. Some aspects of Finnish culture, such as the sauna and the concept of sisu, have been adopted generally by residents of the Upper Peninsula. Sisu is a Finnish term meaning strength of will, determination, perseverance, acting rationally in the face of adversity.

19. The Upper Peninsula has a distinctive local cuisine. The pasty, a kind of meat turnover originally brought to the region by Cornish miners, is extremely popular among locals and tourists alike. Finnish immigrants contributed nisu (a cardamom-flavored sweet bread) and korpu (rock-hard slices of toasted cinnamon-bread, traditionally dipped in coffee). • People of Finnish ancestry make up 16% of the Upper Peninsula's population, the highest concentration of Finns outside Europe. In addition, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan has the only Finnish-language television broadcast outside of Finland. • Source: UP Information. 14 November 2008 http://www.mgh.org/uphec/up_info.html.

20. HeikkiLunta, the Finnish snow god, has used his mystical powers to create abundant snow for our region of Lake Gogebic. HeikkiLuntta at times teases us with just sprinkling, but later surprises us with what we've come to expect. Deep snow! In the long run, Heikki rarely disappoints us; the last time we had less than 100 inches of snow was in 1958! “

21. HeikkiLunta appears in different attire each year depending on his mood. In years past he has appeared in a mixture of animal skins or in a flannel shirt and a pair of swampers, looks a bit like a Northwoods Santa.  • There's even a HeikkiLunta dance and a song made to go with the crazy dance. It is believed that the "HeikkiLunta Snow Song" when played always brings snow wherever it is played. • Source: Lake Gogebic Area. 14 November 2008 http://www.lakegogebicarea.com/lakegogebicsnowmobile.htm

22. Cultural influences described in the text include language, cultural traditions like the use of a sauna, cultural values like “sisu”, food traditions, legends and music.

23. We will now explore a set of maps showing concentrations of different ethnic groups in the United States. Choose a region and work in a small group to locate evidence of cultural influences in that region. In small groups, using “Maps #2 - #7 and “Map Analysis Chart,” carefully examine the maps and draw conclusions regarding cultural influences in different regions of the U.S. based on the maps.

24. Map Analysis Chart

31. Map Analysis Chart – Sample Answers

32. Give groups time to work and then have them share their conclusions in the large group. What are possible reasons for concentrations of ethnic groups in certain regions? For example, why does Florida have a high concentration of Cubans and California have a high concentration of Chinese?

33. “diversity” Diversity is a core democratic value. What does diversity mean? As Americans we value differences in cultural and ethnic background, as well as in race, lifestyle, and beliefs.

34. “diversity” Do a journal entry explaining how the core democratic value of diversity relates to what we have learned in this lesson.

35. Teacher Resource Americans in the Raw. Ohio State eHistory. 14 November 2008 <http://ehistory.osu.edu/osu/mmh/Immigration/AmericansinRaw.cfm>. Egbo, Carol. Supplemental Materials (Unit 3, Lesson 4).Teacher-made material. Michigan Citizenship Collaborative, 2008. Lake Gogebic Area. 14 November 2008 <http://www.lakegogebicarea.com/lakegogebicsnowmobile.htm>. Photo of the Annual Finnish Music Festival. 14 November 2008 <http://www.playdembones.com/workshops.htm>. Photo of Finlandia University. 14 November 2008 <http://hunts-upguide.com/hancock_finlandia_university_finnish_american_heritage_center.html>. UP Information. 14 November 2008 <http://www.mgh.org/uphec/up_info.html>.