Folklorists Track Ethnic Diaspora

by Scott Shrake

In an increasingly small world, the folklore experts agreed they had to communicate with one another to track global migration and the resulting changes in the folkways of the groups they study.

"Folklorists, because of the things we study, are in positions of cultural brokerage," said Professor Regina Bendix of Penn to the group, which met on campus the first day. "Increasingly, we analyze newly emerging diasporas, people on the go, and how they cope."

As the folklorists traced the intertwined history of academic and public folklore in the United States and swapped stories from their field work, a picture emerged of how researchers now chart "new traditions" from their onset.

The chorus line from the video "Plenty of Good Women Dancers," screened for the Nordic visitors

"I see tradition as a process, not static," said Anne-Leena Siikala of the University of Helsinki.

Nordic scholars were among the first, at the turn of the last century, to create folklife museums of the kind we see everywhere now and to give a methodological foundation to the study of storytelling and cultural traditions. These are some of the reasons American folklorists wish to strengthen ties to the Northern European folklore community, according to Penn folklore Professor Roger Abrahams.

And the Scandinavians likewise wish to strengthen ties. Philadelphia, with its vast tableau of ethnic enclaves, offers a rich example of the survival of cultural traditions in lands of emigration, something the Scandinavians seek to learn more about as their own countries become more multicultural.

Provost Stanley Chodorow, who hosted a reception for the international visitors the evening of Oct. 27, said, "For Penn, the hosting of such meetings both symbolizes and confirms its international stature and position in the world of scholarship."

The next day the group went to the American Swedish Historical Museum (ASHM) in South Philadelphia, which showcases the lives of Swedes in the Delaware Valley and beyond from the early 17th century to the present. The visit reminded local participants of the great cultural diversity in our own backyard.

"It is important for the museum community and the Penn community to meet and get to know each other," said Anne Jenner, lecturer in Scandinavian studies at Penn, who has worked for the ASHM. After the tour, Jan Garnert of the Nordic Museum in Stockholm gave his perspective: "The exhibits make many important historical connections vivid. It's fascinating to see items decontextualized and fit into another continent's cultural history."

The group next watched a documentary produced by the Philadelphia Folklore Project (PFP). The project began 11 years ago as part of the centennial of the American Follklore Society, and came about through the combined efforts of Debora Kodish and Abrahams with the help of Ella King Torrey of the Pew Charitable Trusts. Kodish had formerly taught for a year at Penn, and now directs the PFP, which has become a presence in the local cultural scene, has archives, offers public programs and provides services to local grassroots artists.

Michelle Jackson, archivist at the PFP, presented the video, "Plenty of Good Women Dancers: African American Women Hoofers from Philadelphia." It tells the story of a reunion performance of the tap dancers, typical of the groups the PFP highlights because their folkways are inadequately documented.

Before the film, Abrahams said to the crowd: "We're anxious for you to understand how public folklore works on the ground and ties in with entertainment."

The glamorous singing and dancing in the film inspired the international visitors to move to the music. When the film ended, the delighted guests asked how this kind of folklore project could reach a wider audience. The film showed to advantage how grassroots folklore organizations educate the larger public about its neighbors and their traditions.

The public folklore movement began a quarter century ago under the auspices of the Smithsonian and the Library of Congress, and folklore studies have done much to help communities understand and celebrate their customs, Bendix said.

The message at the center of the symposium was that the university should keep vital contact with the world around it."Oxygen doesn't come from the library," said Penn folklore Professor Margaret Mills.

Marit Hauan of Norway said: "Coming here to discuss and get ideas continues my whole education, and brings together all the important issues for me."