Hannu Järvinen is a Perussuomalaiset (PS)* councilperson from the city of Espoo. One of his big pastimes is speaking badly of immigrants. Like many of his party, xenophobic and especially Islamophobic opinions are his pet topics. His advice will scare away people from Finland than keep them here. Järvinen’s solution for migrants: “When you move…
Tag: adaption
Angel Barrientos is one of the kind beacons of Finland’s Chilean community
“Walking, walking, walking I go looking for freedom, hopefully I will find my way, so I can keep on walking.” Victor Jara (1932-73), Caminando, caminando September 11 marks the 50th anniversary of the bloody coup that overthrew Chile’s democratically elected President, Salvador Allende. Finland’s small but active Chilean community has organized a number of events…
How will we treat Ukrainian refugees in Finland?
The interior ministry estimates “tens of thousands” Ukrainians moving to Finland as a result of the war in that country, according to Yle News. There are about 7,000 Ukrainians in Finland, but Anna Rundgren, a ministry of interior senior specialist, believes that the actual figure is several times higher. In 2015, the country saw a record…
QUOTE OF THE DAY: What must be done to speed up adaption?
There are many things that one can do to retard or facilitate adaption of newcomers to Finland. One of the worst is constant suspicion by politicians who have no qualifications or understanding of migration. Good examples are National Coalition Party MP Pia Kauma who does not have the faintest idea about migrants but is still…
Camilla Edström Ödemark (March 29, 2015): Exposing White Voids
Camilla Edström Ödemark is an artist from Åland who moved from her native Mariehamn to Sweden after she graduated from high school. Her artwork hits a sensitive spot especially if you’re in that sometimes challenging situation of adapting to a new country. Ödemark says that her work focuses on what or who is “abnormal” or…