did you know that the leader of American communism for over 40 years was Finnish?
>Gus Hall (born Arvo Kustaa Halberg; October 8, 1910 – October 13, 2000) was an American activist who served as the General Secretary of the Communist Party USA (CPUSA) from 1959 to 2000.
>He was Finnish-American, the son of Matt (Matti) and Susan (Susanna) Halberg.[2][3] Hall's parents were Finnish immigrants from the Lapua, region, and were politically radical: they were involved in the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) and were early members of the Communist Party USA (CPUSA) in 1919.[4]
>The Mesabi Range was one of the most important immigration settlements for Finns, who were often active in labor militancy and political activism.[5][6] Hall's home language was Finnish, and he conversed with his nine siblings in that language for the rest of his life.