Scandinavians in Chicago: The Origins of White Privilege in Modern America

Scandinavian immigrants in 1890s Chicago were seen as Nordics, the race proclaimed by scientific racism as the embodiment of white superiority. Erika K. Jackson examines how native-born Chicagoans used ideological and gendered concepts of Nordic whiteness and Scandinavian ethnicity to construct social hegemony, and how the city's Scandinavian immigrants repeated and mirrored the racial and ethnic perceptions disseminated by American media. This provides an insightful look at how whites constructed racial identity in America.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 264 pages
Publication date: 30 December 2018
Publisher: University of Illinois Press

Scandinavian immigrants in 1890s Chicago faced a peculiar paradox. Despite their foreign origins, they were perceived as Nordics, the epitome of white superiority according to the scientific racism of the time. Consequently, Scandinavian immigrants enjoyed racial privilege and the success it brought without facing the prejudice, nativism, and stereotyping experienced by other immigrant groups. Erika K. Jackson delves into how native-born Chicagoans utilized ideological and gendered notions of Nordic whiteness and Scandinavian ethnicity to establish social dominance. By contextualizing the Scandinavian-American experience within the framework of historical whiteness, Jackson explores the processes that shaped the Nordic ideal. She also uncovers how the city's Scandinavian immigrants perpetuated and replicated the racial and ethnic perceptions disseminated by American media. This insightful examination of the immigrant experience offers a unique perspective on how whites constructed racial identity in America, bridging a gap in our understanding.

Weight: 354g
Dimension: 227 x 151 x 18 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780252083822