Returning Swedish-Americans Not Wanted in Sweden

From Svenska Tribunen-Nyheter, Nov. 9, 1909

(Editorial)

It is not unusual for Swedish-Americans to return to Sweden to live for the sake of their health, or to go home for an extended stay for that reason, and it seems that some members of the Swedish medical profession take a serious view of this practice. At the request of the Swedish Emigration Commission three hundred country doctors have answered the question "whether persons returning from American may be considered desirable immigrants from the standpoint of their state of health."

While answering this question with an unqualified "yes," many of the doctors express their regret that so many Swedes spend the most productive years of their life in a foreign country; at the same time they declare that these immigrants are, as a rule, in good condition and also energetic and resourceful, and are, therefore, an asset to the communities where they make their homes.

But a considerable number of the doctors claim to have observes that returning Swedish-Americans are of inferior quality in regard to health and productive ability, and that quite a few of them are afflicted with tuberculosis. In regard to the latter, some doctors recommend that, under present conditions, they be refused entry.

In our opinion the good doctors should not worry too much about the returning Swedish-Americans. But their attitude is of interest to those who are planning to go back to the old fatherland.