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2026 Sweden Project Group Square

The Edward and Elizabeth Carlson Sweden Project 

The American Swedish Institute is proud to host the annual Edward and Elizabeth Carlson Sweden Project, which provides a lens on contemporary Sweden through conversations with renowned Swedish scholars and leaders.

The project honors Edward and Elizabeth Carlson by providing opportunities for ASI’s community to enhance their understanding of contemporary Swedish culture and its ties to the United States.

Connecting Sweden and the U.S.

ASI was founded by Swan Turnblad, a Swedish immigrant to Minnesota who created Svenska Amerikanska Posten, a Swedish-language newspaper (1885-1940) serving the Swedish immigrant population in Minnesota.

Sharing stories of migration, identity, and belonging are central to the mission of ASI, and the inaugural Edward and Elizabeth Carlson Sweden Project event was an exciting opportunity to explore new perspectives on immigration in both Sweden the U.S 

“Such a fine event–with remarkable speakers and an engaged audience. I really appreciated how clear the plan for the evening was–both the plan and the thoughtful following of the plan. The circle discussion at the close worked very well.”

“This was a terrific panel discussion and of course timely. Love to see ASI partnering with other local organizations, whether cultural, news or other and the “active” voice it gives ASI. Discussions like this are a critical part of the “changing Minnesota” experience.”

“Excellent topic and panelists. Really interesting to hear about similarities between US/MN and Sweden in coverage of immigrant topics and government stance on immigration. Heard about event through Sahan Journal, who we are so fortunate to have here in MN telling untold or under-told stories and serving as a critical part of making MN welcoming.”