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In
New York City
Matti Mattson’s Diligence and Concern Make Him A
Finnish American “Elder”
by Bill Lagerroos
Wood carvings below were all carved by Matti Mattson. They are based on the Kalevala.
I had the opportunity
to spend time in New York City this past March. I decided to visit places
and people that were at one time in my life meaningful to me – the time
during the 40’s and 50’s when I was a child in Queens. One of the
people I visited was Matti Mattson, someone I haven't seen for 50 years. In
those days I was a kid. He was a parent.
These days, I'm old enough to be a grandparent. But over the last several
years I've realized that Matti Mattson – both a parent and a grandparent,
is an elder, a term often given short shrift. Matti's history, his creativity,
his graciousness, his diligence, his concern for the welfare of people, and
his willingness to work as a member of a group of people, are parts of his
identity as an elder.
Matti and his wife Gloria were dear to all in the group that he called his
friends. The core of this group of friends were those who worked on the Työmies
("working man") newspapers. Many Finnish-American working people
who came to New York City during the 1930's looking for jobs fell in with
each other and developed vibrant and earnest communities.
During
a phone call before my visit Matti talked about the days when these friends
did things in concert. He used the word "unbreakable" when he described
these friendships. I was struck by the term. It had an absoluteness that I
couldn't reconcile completely, but I see now what he was getting at because
I remember how well those friendships played out in their lives.
While their places of residence in the city, and their jobs – except
for those at the papers and the unions – may have been scattered about
the boroughs, they found many ways to play, celebrate, and work together.
The major gathering places were halls. I don't know how they came about, whether
they were built or rented or borrowed on a regular basis, but I know Finns
in the city kept these places busy. Most people know the list of activities
held at the halls: dances, drama groups, singing groups, basketball and gymnastic
teams.
There were holiday events as well. I remember Pikku Joulu programs most vividly.
The other kids and I played our roles as actors in costumes that were sewn
(and dyed when necessary) by the parents. Under no circumstances would the
costumes be bought at a store. One year I was dressed as a soldier in red
and blue for one bit, then went on again as a clown in an outfit of yellow
and green. Both these costumes were made from worn bed sheets. The rehearsals
for these programs had to be coordinated throughout the city, and people often
travelled significant distances after work to get to them. Individual acts
were practised in the home of one of the child "actors" during November,
and on Sunday mornings of the weeks closer to the program, the entire ensemble
would gather for complete run-throughs.
All the work of building and painting scenery, writing scripts, and selecting
music (sometimes original but rarely pre-recorded) was done by the parents
– people like Matti.
Unbreakable friendships
I don't know if any relationship is truly "unbreakable," but those
that I remember between my parents' friends involved all of life's pivotal
moments, from times of grieving to times of celebration. There were many poignant
sets of words put together on those occasions by thoughtful, articulate Finnish
Americans – occasions including memorial services, births, weddings,
or when houses were purchased or built. It was not difficult to come up with
stories that point to the salty savour of each person's being at those moments.
It is out of these times that these friendships became "unbreakable,"
as Matti has called them.
Matti's carvings
People should see Matti's carvings, almost all about Väinämöinen,
one of the main characters in the Kalevala. The largest is a 10 foot by 8
foot relief, built right into one of the walls in his living room. The others
are smaller, but the depth into which Matti cut the wood is greater, as much
as an inch. How he did these pieces without breaking the details which had
already been carved is beyond me. In addition he has a number of watercolors
on display along the hall between the rooms.
Matti wants to get back to working with art, but he has to wait until he frees
himself from some of his volunteer commitments. He works at his neighborhood
co-op food store. He is also building manager, co-ordinating tenant concerns
as well as shoveling the sidewalk snow, which he does because he loves to
compete with the superintendent (who can remove the most?). I should also
point out that when it is not snowing he looks forward to playing golf. In
his ninth decade – having stayed healthy – he is fit enough to carry
on his shoulders his own bag, with fourteen clubs in it.
Co-operation and community.
The major distinction that I see about the way Matti thinks is that he cares
about and has a lot of history in dealing with what is good for people, especially
when they work and celebrate with each other.
At one time, working as part of a union in Brooklyn, he was elected by his
co-horts to a position where he represented them. He said it was not unusual
for the foreman to say that a worker was slacking and that he was going to
fire him. Matti would diplomatically suggest that he talk to the worker first.
He told the worker in no uncertain terms that he was being watched. This approach
not only enabled workers to hold onto jobs that could have been lost, but
he gained the respect of the foremen as well.
It's not surprising to me that people engaged in this kind of labor diplomacy
have an understanding that many people have been dealt a tough social position,
yet still have a dignity worth preserving.
This may have come out of an understanding of social conditions in Finland
during a time when there were too many people for the work that needed to
be done.
Finnish American parts of Brooklyn
Matti and I walked some of the streets in his neighborhood. At one time there
were many Finns living in co-op apartments in Brooklyn, and many of these
were run by Finns. He pointed out a few that still had Finnish references
on them. There was one that said something equivalent to "First Apartment"
over the front door, and over the entrance right next door were the words
"Toisen Alku". I saw Imatra Hall and close by a hall noted as the
"Brooklyn Finnish Socialist Club". I told him that, once, in the
early 50's, my dad drove our family to a hall nearby for a dance where Walter
Eriksson was playing.
Matti and my folks, and the Finnish American groups that I remember, are from
a "Hall Finn" faction of the Finnish American story. I saw many
of these people displaying admirable characteristics and in all truth, they
are not exclusive to any particular group of people: genuineness, generosity,
a sense of justice, and a willingness to give to the community. Matti seems,
however, to have integrated these qualities into his whole life style and
they are still present today. Just by being around him we are enriched. This
is what makes him an elder.
