Some would describe America as a melting pot, which in some ways it certainly is. We come together and embrace what it is to be American, and all can take advantage of the opportunities and freedoms we share. No matter where we come from, most citizens are proud to be Americans first and foremost. Citizens can appreciate where they come from and the heritage they bring to our great American heritage, but their home and their future are now America. As we approach celebrating the 250th anniversary of our independence this summer, it should never stop us from appreciating and even celebrating where we have come from.
My wife and I recently spent three days experiencing the 60th annual Swedish Festival in Kingsburg, CA. For years, we had driven by the signs that declare the Swedish roots of this fine city. On one occasion, seeing the painted Dala horses on their signs, we had tried stopping to see what was there to see. Unfortunately, we took the wrong exit and found little evidence to validate their claim. We had not returned until this year.
In recent years, my cousin Dave Paulson and I have worked hard and invested resources in creating a book about our famous Swedish ancestor, Jöns Abrahamsson. He has been described as the Paul Bunyan of Sweden. Born in 1791, this man had grown to the size of seven feet three inches and 350 pounds. At the time, the average Swede was a mere five feet, six inches.
Our grandmother, Vera Paulson, had learned stories of this famous Swede from her parents. She was not even sure of his name. But as her grandchildren, we were enthralled by her stories of his exploits and strength. As children, we never really imagined that this man truly existed. We were sure that they were merely family fables.
But in 1991, when many of our family visited Sweden, we were amazed to find out that grandma’s claims were true and that Jöns Abrahamsson was famous to many Swedes.
In fact, when the media found out that we were the U.S. relatives of the famed “Puttetorpa Here,” we were interviewed by the local newspaper. At a local museum, we were dwarfed as we stood next to a massive cutout of this gentle giant from Småland. We saw his grave, his house, his church, and commemorative statues. As a result of that visit, we learned even more about his life and legacy.
There were mentions of Jöns Abrahamsson in many Swedish history books, but there was no one book dedicated to telling of his exploits and documenting his life. After years of work and the help of an award-winning illustrator, Kathryn E. Shoemaker, we published a book to share with our extended clan here in the US and in Sweden. We published enough copies to fill the needs of our family.
There are many in the U.S. who have Scandinavian roots. So we contacted Skandisk’s Tomten Catalog to help keep our shared Swedish heritage alive. After contacting them, they saw the potential of our book and decided to offer it to their customers. They supply not only customers but Swedish stores throughout the country.
June Olson brought our book to her Swedish store in Kingsburg, CA. The Svensk Butik Gift Shop soon became the principal marketing arm for our unique book. All June had to do to sell the book was to open the book, tell the story, and show them the illustrations and documented history. She kept running out of copies.
As a result, she contacted me to share how special the book was and to invite us to promote and display our book at the 60th Swedish Festival in Kingsburg in mid-May. We were honored to be asked and decided to attend the three-day festival with our wives.
The Swedish Festival lived up to its reputation. Well over 20,000 people attended part of the three-day celebration. There were Swedish pancakes, folk dancing, authentic regional costumes, traditional crafts, and even an ABBA sing-along concert to celebrate the Swedish heritage of this vital and friendly city.
Not all who attended were of Swedish heritage; there were visitors from Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, Poland, Norway, and, of course, Sweden. All enjoyed hearing about our family’s background and the life of Jöns Abrahamsson. They listened to the Swedish music, enjoyed the young and old traditional dancers, bought Swedish crafts from the artisans, and ate their share of Swedish pancakes and meatballs. It did not negate their own heritage to enjoy the Swedish roots of others.
There are some in Kingsburg who reportedly want to change the Swedish Festival to a more generic event honoring all countries that have contributed to the city’s history. Having a Swedish Festival would not stop others from having their own festival. The citizens of Kingsburg are Americans first. Valuing being American doesn’t require erasing the uniqueness of the city’s past Swedish heritage. America is not a true melting pot; we are a tapestry of different countries that have contributed citizens who make us who we are. Kingsburg is a well-known Swedish community; it should be encouraged to continue celebrating that.
As we approach our 250th Independence Day celebration, may we never forget that we can be proud Americans who don’t forget where we have come. Thankfully, Kingsburg has resisted calls to end this 60-year history of Swedish Festivals. May those who trace their history to Mexico, Norway, England, Ireland, Greece, Scotland, France, Germany, Portugal, and all other contributing countries celebrate their own festivals if they choose. Each group has supplied citizens to this treasured tapestry that makes America America. May it always be so.
Terry Paulson is a PhD psychologist, professional speaker, and author of The Optimism Advantage, Sweden's Gentle Giant, and his new political novel, The Summit. Contact him at terry@terrypaulson.com.
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