SWEDEN IN PORTLAND
SWEA Portland:
“SWEA is a GLOBAL NETWORK with about 6,000 Swedish speaking women in more than 70 chapters in over 30 countries.
If you speak Swedish and live in Portland, Oregon and the surrounding area, we welcome you to become a member of SWEA Portland. SWEA Portland was founded in 2015 and has over 50 members today. We enjoy meeting each other at least once a month and keeping our traditions alive. We work together to be able to support and give donations to Swedish- related projects. Your membership in SWEA Portland also gives you the opportunity to make contacts and exchange experiences with Swedish women near and far.
For more information please contact: ordforande@pdxswea.org
New Sweden Cultural Heritage Society
New Sweden Cultural Heritage Society was chartered in 1989 for the purpose of sharing, promoting, strengthening and maintaining our Swedish culture and heritage.
We accomplish this through a variety of events and activities. New Sweden produces two traditional events- the August crayfish party- Kraftskiva, and the Lucia Fest in December. As a member of the League of Swedish Societies, we partner with Nordic Northwest to create a Swedish Midsummer highlighted by dancing around the midsummer pole. Additionally, we offer cooking classes, share traditional Swedish recipes, enjoy potluck picnics, crafts, lectures and exhibits.
Our organization is inclusive and its’ members come from a variety of backgrounds-some were born and raised in Sweden, some have Swedish heritage, and some have no direct connection to Sweden besides an appreciation of the culture.
https://www.nordicnorthwest.org/
Nordic Northwest:
Nordic Northwest is a nonprofit organization focused on the five Nordic nations: Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. The mission of Nordic Northwest is to: Highlight, honor, educate, communicate, promote and celebrate Nordic culture and traditions, ancestral, modern and contemporary.
Provide value and serve members by developing and making available and accessible Nordic cultural and educational programming that is rich, authentic and forward looking.
Founded in 1986 to support the Nordic language programs at Portland State University, Nordic Northwest has expanded on its original mission over the past three decades to become the home for all things Nordic in Oregon and Southwest Washington. Anchored by a Midsummer festival in June and a Christmas market in December, Nordic Northwest’s roster of programming includes concerts, exhibits, family programming, special events, film screenings, lectures, classes, dances, performances and celebrations throughout the entire year that focus on the cultures of Denmark, Iceland, Finland, Norway and Sweden.
https://www.swedishrootsinoregon.org/
Swedish roots in Oregon
An Immigration Research Project
Swedish Roots in Oregon (SRIO) was formed in 1999 when Ross Fogelquist of Oregon’s New Sweden Cultural Heritage Society suggested that a project be initiated to research, document, and preserve the rich history of Oregon’s Swedish immigrants. Due to the extensive effort that would be required for such a project it was decided that a separate organization be formed to carry out the project. It was also recommended that this new group was to be a small, tightly focused research organization unencumbered by the responsibilities of maintaining a general membership. After some preliminary discussions, it was decided that the following questions were to be asked:
Who were the Swedish immigrants? Where did they come from? Why did they leave Sweden? What brought them to Oregon? How did their lives turn out? What did they achieve?
A series of preliminary meetings were held, and in 1999 they led to the creation of “Swedish Roots in Oregon — An Immigration Research Project.”
https://gerscan.uoregon.edu/why-study-swedish
German and Scandinavian Department
Scandinavian is a minor taught within the Department of German and Scandinavian.
Why Study Swedish?
Learning another language fulfills the primary purpose of a university education: It prepares you to reason critically, to analyze and solve problems, and to communicate with others in a world of widely differing cultures. In addition:
- Swedish is a close cousin of English, spoken by 10 million people
- Once you know Swedish, it’s easy to acquire Danish or Norwegian as well
- Together, the Scandinavian countries rank among the world’s leaders in human development, gender equality, environmental sustainability, and personal happiness
- Scandinavia is remarkably multicultural, and shows how diverse cultures interact within a politically progressive social model
- Studying Scandinavian languages and cultures gives you a glimpse into visionary writers, artists, thinkers, designers, filmmakers, and philosophers
More information: https://admissions.uoregon.edu/majors/scandinavian/
The Swedish School in Portland:
The goal of The Swedish School in Portland is to develop the students’ ability to comprehend, speak, read and write Swedish. In addition, the students learn about their cultural heritage through songs, traditions, geography, history and literature.
All classes are taught in Swedish. The children must understand Swedish, and Swedish must be spoken in their homes. Classes are held at Augustana Lutheran Church, 2710 NE 14th Ave in Portland. We usually meet on the first three Saturdays of every month from 9:30 AM to 12:00 noon.
For more information please contact: president@swedishschool.org
https://portlandnordicchorus.org/
Portland Nordic Chorus
Portland Nordic Chorus is a mixed community chorus celebrating friendship and common interest in Nordic culture and music by rehearsing and performing music. We sing primarily in Danish, Finnish, Icelandic, Norwegian, Swedish, and English.
We welcome all with and without Nordic heritage who have a desire to be a part of a choral group that explores Nordic languages and choral music.
There is no formal audition. We simply ask for basic vocal skills and a desire to actively participate and grow in our community as a vocal/choral musician and experience Nordic music and languages. We have native speakers and language experts on hand to coach us on pronunciation, so no previous Nordic language experience is necessary.