Wishes We Had More Immigrants From Norway. Turns Out We Once Did

NPR ^ | January 12, 2018 | Nurith Aizenman

[artichokegrower]

In the Thursday meeting in which President Trump complained about "having all these people from shithole countries come here" — and singled out Haiti, El Salvador and Africa as examples — he also added that, "we should have more people from Norway."

In fact there was a time when we did.

From 1870 to 1910 a quarter of Norway's working-age population emigrated, mostly to the United States. You read that right — one-fourth of its workers left the country.

[artichokegrower]

In other words, they shared a lot in common with many of today's immigrants from ... El Salvador, Haiti and Africa

Except that the social welfare safety net did not exist for them and they did not demand Norwegian bilingual education in the schools. They were'nt dreamers they were workers

[ClearCase_guy]

Yeah, they moved to the mid-west and worked their ass off as farmers. They didn’t suck off the public teat.

Why isn’t this obvious to the lying media? It probably is obvious to them, but they need to push their little Narrative/Fantasy.

[Bryanw92]

Those Norwegians did stubbornly hold on to their language and culture (see Minnesota and North Dakota), but the USA of the time needed lots of strong backs and language skills were not a primary concern since workplace injuries were the worker’s problem, not the employer’s.

Totally different environment today. Communication skills are essential and the need for strong backs is significantly less.

[bboop]

Some of us are here on the west coast. My grandfather, first child born on American soil, grew up in Seattle ‘because it looks just like Norway.’ They worked hard, they lived in a soddie, they did NOT suck off the public teat, they did not whine and snivel about what they were owed, but they embraced the concept of freedom.

[Regulator]

The birdbrains at NPR equate Scandinavian immigrants to the wondrous people of Haiti and Ghana?

Uh, there’s one rather major difference, and no amount of social welfare capital is going to make it up. And if that’s not true, why is it that 50 years after the gates of Heaven were flung open to the Ork populations of the planet, they still need help and simply devolve once here, not progress.

[Robert DeLong]

And most importantly, they came here legally.

[Feckless]

Large group of folks with Norwegian ancestors here in Central Texas, Clifton in Bosque County. One hilarious Historical Marker near Cranfills Gap (home of the Horny Toad Bar and Grill) reads in part “...the rocky hills of Central Texas reminded the Norwegian settlers of their home...” You talk about your poetic license! I’m sure they had 105 temps, rattlesnakes and Comanche Indians in Oslo...

[Paladin2]

Given the current State of Norway (e.g. they gave Zer0 a Peace Prize for doing NOTHING!), the US pretty much tapped off all of the good Norwegian DNA decades ago.

[butlerweave]

By golly

[dennisw]

New York City used to have many Norwegians. I believe most were seaman who decided to stay.

[blueunicorn6]

My ancestors were run out of Norway.

We are a poor but extremely good looking family.

The Norwegian royalty kept taking my ancestors into their bedrooms to show them “The royal jewels”.

The spouses got tired of my ancestors running out of their bedrooms, so they had the King throw my family out of Norway.

To this day, every male in my family can put on his pants while running at full speed.

[PeteB570]

That’s what my Norwegian ancestors did.

Between 1860 and 1914 a good chunk of them immigrated and moved to the Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota area.

Great Grandparents that come over in 1914 spoke fairly good English in the 60’s but when they started fussing at each other they switched to Norwegian. When the wife got too intense the husband just turned down his hearing aid and smiled - at which she would really launch.

[Feckless]

Beautiful Lutheran church built in 1886 by a pair of Norwegian brothers at Cranfills Gap, Texas.

https://1drv.ms/i/s!AmfU9r-00251hGGqcDISYcrB0W3H

[Harpotoo]

Yes but look at them now, nothing more than wards of the State so it’s not wonder they don’t want to come here!
Norway % GDP on welfare 25.1, population 5.2M, avg inc 18.6K
US 19.3 323.1M 50.7K

[ArtDodger]

Folks in Norway like living in their country. Amazing how high a standard of living a country can have when someone else pays for their ‘nuclear umbrella’.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Thor Gunderson

[Robert DeLong]

Back then Norway was quite poor. Wages were less than a third of what they were in the United States. And the wave of emigration out of the country quickly benefited those who remained. That's because it reduced the supply of workers in Norway, so those left behind could demand higher wages. And this helped narrow Norway's wage gap with the U.S. by 25 percent over that same 40-year period, putting Norway on the path toward its status today as one of world's most prosperous nations.

That paragraph alone dispels the more immigration narrative that they constantly bleat. Oh the irony of these people that seems to escape them at every turn just boggles the mind. The case remains that we need to reduce the influx of immigration, including legal immigration. Putting Americans back to work & training them in the disciplines that are the most needed in the world economy right now, which does not include social justify BS now being taught in our universities & lower level educational systems.

[Huskrrrr]

You Betcha!

[OttawaFreeper]

"That’s what my Norwegian ancestors did. Between 1860 and 1914 a good chunk of them immigrated and moved to the Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota area." This person's grandfather immigrated from Norway to Minnesota, or "came on down".

[Liberty Valance]

Ha!