World War I and the Finns of Astoria,Oregon: The Effects of the War on an Immigrant Community

The situation produced by the First World War greatly influenced communities of European immigrants in America, like the settlement of Finns at Astoria, Oregon. The war changed the relationships of Finns there among themselves, with their old homeland, and with the American population of the town. These changes, the last in particular, were felt most acutely by a large group of Finnish socialists. The war encouraged them to increased activity and brought to the Americans a heightened awareness of them both as foreigners and as radicals. This led to attempts by the Americans to suppress radicalism among the Finns.