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Currently the most notable Finnish person in Los Angeles is the Conductor Laureate of the L.A. Philharmonic, Esa-Pekka Salonen, he was the Director from 1992 - 2009.
Finnish Folk Art Museum will be open from Noon to 5:00 pm Saturday, September 13, 2025
New heads of mission appointed - Finnish Government
At its session on 24 April, the Government promoted Counsellor Minna Laajava to the public office of Counsellor for Foreign Affairs, starting on 1 September 2025. The President of the Republic appointed Counsellor for Foreign Affairs Laajava to serve as Head of Mission at Finland’s Consulate General in Los Angeles, starting on 1 September 2025.
Laajava is currently the Director of the Unit for Security Policy and Crisis Management at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. During her term of office, Finland's NATO membership process and NATO integration were main priorities. Previously, Laajava has served i.a. as the Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Finland in London in 2017–2021, at the Unit for Security Policy and Crisis Management, and in the Embassies of Finland in Paris and Stockholm.
Minna Laajava joined the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 2003. She holds a Master's degree in Social Sciences (Political Science) from the University of Helsinki and a Master of Science in European Studies from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Finnish Network in Los Angeles | Facebook
Los Angeles Finlandia Foundation - meets monthly (except summer months) on Zoom: First Thursday of each month at 7pm. Membership is $25.00 per person per year. The membership fee can be paid at any LAFF meeting or event. Dues payments can also be mailed to:
About | Hauli Huvila - Above all, Hauli Huvila is a slice of Finland in California. Nowhere else can you reconnect with your Finnish heritage and roots like Hauli Huvila. Whether you have recently arrived in the US, are a third generation Finn, or even lucky enough to be married to a Finn, you will feel at home and appreciate the Finnishness of everything Hauli Huvila has to offer. Hauli Huvila operates as a private camp run by volunteers, catering to Finnish individuals and those connected with them. Everyone working at Hauli Huvila is a volunteer dedicating their time and energy to maintain its smooth operation and ensure everyone has a great stay. All contributions and donations are applied to the maintenance, food, supplies, and care of running Hauli Huvila.
Labor Day Weekend August 29 - September 1, 2025 Honor and celebrate Labor Day while wrapping up the summer season with a classic Finnish bang at Hauli Huvila.
Talkoot is the Finnish expression of a gathering of friends and neighbors to accomplish a task. Want to join us for Fall Talkoot? Let us know. Systalkoot: October 3-5, 2025
Finnish Presidential Palace Virtual Tour
Suomi-Koulu Los Angeles | Finnish language class Los Angeles . is a non-profit organization that provides educational classes in Finnish language and culture for kids and adults - both in person and online.
Finnish Immigrants An extensive searchable database of records on approximately 25,000 passengers who arrived at the United States between 1834 through 1897 and identified their country of origin or nationality as Finland or Finnish.About
The Los Angeles Finlandia Foundation (LAFF) is a chapter of Finlandia Foundation National.
LAFF meets monthly (except summer months) on Zoom:
First Thursday of each month at 7pm
LAFF holds most of its events at the Finnish Tupa on the grounds of the Pasadena Historical Museum located at: 470 W Walnut St, Pasadena, CA 91103
The Pasadena Museum of History is home to the Fenyes Mansion which formerly served as the Finnish Consulate's Office. The mansion is now a part of the museum and the mansion's guest house has become the Finnish Folk Art Museum or "tupa." The Los Angeles Finlandia Foundation maintains an artifact collection representing artifacts from Finland, mainly from the mid-1800's time period from the Pohjanmaa (Ostrobothnia) region in Western Finland. Tours of the mansion and the tupa are available from the Pasadena Museum of History docents. Please see the following link for more information: Finnish Folk Art Museum
Most notable people with a Finnish heritage are grandchildren or great grandchildren of Finnish immigrants including
Even John Morton John Morton (American politician) - Wikipedia Morton was the first signer of the Declaration of Independence to die and was buried in Old St. Paul's Church Burial Ground (also known as the Old Swedish Burial Ground) in Chester, Pennsylvania.
John Morton's participation in the signing of the Declaration of Independence has been important in terms of the identity of Finnish Americans. In the early decades of the 20th century, Finnish immigrants had to face the question of who were "real Americans". They claimed to belong, through Delaware and Morton, to the "founding nationalities" of American history. An important role in the dissemination of information was played by amateur historian Reverend Salomon Ilmonen, who researched Delaware and John Morton for Delaware's 300th anniversary. Thanks to the Delaware colony and John Morton, American Finns' self-esteem rose and they celebrated the history of the Delaware colony spectacularly both in 1938 and in 1988.[7][15]
50 John Morton researchers from around the world arrived in Rautalampi in June 2010 to research Morton's family roots. They got to know, among other things, the Delaware monument in the town. According to DNA research, Morton has a 99.56% probability of Finnish descent. His family roots from Savonia have also been confirmed by research.[6] In July 2010, a restaurant Konttiravintola Morton, which was named after him, was opened in Rautalampi.[16]
Marissa Mayer, the president and CEO of Yahoo
Actress and activist Pamela Anderson, a dual citizen of Canada and the US, is one of Hollywood’s most well-known Finns
More News from Los Angeles
- A Family Affair - AFA Festival, Celebrating the 15th Anniversary of the GR818ERS Enjoy three days of dance, music, food, art and community. An action packed weekend for everyone to enjoy. Open to all ages, plan to bring your family & friends to come celebrate.
- LA Times Food Bowl Initial List Includes 6 SFV Restaurants The initial list of restaurants participating in the L.A. Times Food Bowl includes 6 restaurants from the San Fernando Valley and 3 adjacent locations.
