Search Results for: Rosa Emilia Clay

Rosa Emilia Clay finally gets recognition when Tampere names a square after her

THIS POST WAS UPDATED Much of Finland’s history is whitewashed. One of its victims was Rosa Emilia Clay (1875-1959), Finland’s first African-born Finn who received Finnish citizenship in 1899. The naming of Rosa Emilia Clay square in Tampere is a watershed: Finland is slowly but surely awakening its rich cultural and ethnic background. Even if

¿Por qué no hay una calle en Finlandia que lleva el nombre Rosa Emilia Clay (1875-1959)?

Una pregunta fácil: ¿Por qué no hay una calle que se llame Rosa Emilia Clay en Finlandia? Clay era la primera africana que recibió la ciudadanía finlandesa en el año 1899. No existe una calle que lleva el nombre de Rosa Emilia Clay en Tampere, donde vivió un tiempo antes de emigrar a los Estados Unidos en 1904 ni tampoco en el pueblo de Mustinlahti, donde fue maestra de primaria en 1898.

Varför finns det inte någon gata i Finland Som har fått namnet efter Rosa Emilia Clay (1875-1959)?

Här är en enkel fråga : Varför finns det inte någon gata i Finland som fått namnet Rosa Emilia Clay, den första afrikanska naturaliserade finnen 1899? Det finns ingen gata i Tammerfors som fått namnet efter henne. Rosa Emilia Clay bosatte sig i Tammerfors en kort tid före hon immigrerade till Förenta staterna 1904, även på Mustinlahti där hon var en förskolelärare fanns ingen gata som har fått namnet efter henne.

Miksei Suomessa ole katua nimeltä Rosa Emilia Clayn (1875-1959) kunniaksi?

Tässä yksinkertainen kysymys: Miksei Suomessa ole yhtään katua nimeltä Rosa Emilia Clayn kunniaksi? Clay oli ensimmäinen afrikkalainen, joka sai suomen kansalaisuuden vuonna 1899. Rosa Emilia Clayn katu ei löydy Tampereelta, jossa hän oleskeli vähän aika ennen kun muutti pysyvästi vuonna 1904 Yhdysvaltoihin eikä Mustinlahdessa, jossa hän oli kansakoulunopettajana.

Defining white Finnish privilege #16: Rosa Emilia Clay and my history versus yours

Ever wondered why all of Finland’s history is white? Ever wondered why you probably never heard of Rosa Emilia Clay (1875-1959), Finland’s first black citizen?  According to Helsingin Sanomat, Finland’s oldest daily established in 1824, Åbo Underrättelser, ran a story of “a mulatto girl born in Africa and baptized there [in Amboland in northern Namibia].” Then thirteen-year-old

Exposing white Finnish privilege #90: A crime by “people of foreign background” offers more political mileage than one committed by white Finns

We read about the tragic death of a woman at Espoo’s Iso Omena shopping center on Saturday. The woman died while being escorted by four Securitas security guards out of the shopping center. The altercation ended with the woman on the floor, handcuffed, and eventually lifeless. The police announced Sunday that the security guards in

Exposing white Finnish privilege #89: Those white saviors are the worst racists

White saviors come in many sizes and shapes. Whatever shape and size, they stunt equality for one simple reason: The white savior is on top handing out his harmful empathy to minorities. How can I claim that white saviors aren’t well-intentioned people? From personal experience. While racism and discrimination are constant variables that rob people

Sanna Ukkola, if antiracism is the new racism, it shows that you are part of the racism problem

THE STORY WAS UPDATED Of all the newspapers that write about migrants and cultural diversity, tabloid Iltalehti published Sanna Ukkola’s column on how “antiracism is the new racism.” With a headline like that, we could also put together provocative headlines like how “feminism is modern misogyny,” “anti-fascism is the new fascism,” and “how promoting same-sex

Exposing white Finnish privilege #81: Racializing crime, perpetuating stereotypes and racism

Treat with tweezers whenever percentage figures are used to depict sexual assault cases by migrants. A government-commissioned study published Thursday concluded that migrants are over-represented in suspected sexual assault crimes, perpetuating a toxic narrative. Such generalizations give ammunition to Islamophobes like the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party to maintain and reinforce racist stereotypes.  To look at how the Finnish

Exposing white Finnish privilege #80: Violence against you counts but mine doesn’t

Radical-right Islamophobic Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party MP, Sebastian Tynkkynen, who has two ethnic agitation convictions and a third pending, is trying to get the most political mileage from an incident at an #elokapina demonstration.  Some unknown persons at the demonstration allegedly attempted to attack Tynkkynen and shoved him. The police asked if the MP wanted to

Exposing white Finnish privilege #79: Spreading lies at our economic peril

What if most of the anti-immigration talking points spread by politicians like Jussi Halla-aho, Riikka Purra, and most of the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party are just outright lies and urban legends? What if those false arguments put Finland in economic and social peril because they are untrue? An interesting paper titled, The 14 Most Common Arguments against

Exposing white Finnish privilege #77: The PS are Finnish white supremacists

TOPLINE One of the interesting facts about white nationalism is that it is copied from somewhere else. Thus, white supremacist conspiracy views in Finland are nothing more than copy-and-paste jobs from somewhere else. Some may play down the PS as a “light” version of white supremacy. We disagree. The PS under the leadership of Jussi

Exposing white Finnish privilege #76: Two news stories that expose entitlement

If the story about youth crime committed by so-called people of migrant backgrounds had been published in the United States, many would be considered misleading and racist. One in November about youth crime ended up labeling all youths of migrant origin as dangerous or potential criminals. The other one, published this month, was about the

#BlackLivesMatter and Finland’s air force issues with the swastika

I remember right after the demise of the Soviet Union in 1991, I spoke with a commander of the Finnish air force and asked him if there were plans to replace the white-blue-white roundel again with the swastika. Taken slightly aback by my question, he answered that there were no such plans. Even if swastikas

Taking down statues, raising new ones and systematic whitewashing in Finland

Slavery is the next thing to hell. Harriet Tubman 1822-1913 Statues are being toppled left and right, some with permission others without. TV shows and movies like “Gone with the wind” are taken down because of their racist content. All of this indicates that we have reached some sort of tipping point. Long live #BlackLivesMatters!

QUOTE OF THE DAY: How to celebrate Finland’s Independence Day

The best present that we can receive on Finland’s Independence Day is an inclusive society that respects everyone irrespective of their background. Mutual respect is the bridge that unites this society. So set aside your medals, distinctions, and invitations to the President’s Independence Day ball because social equality and respect for diversity is the only

Exposing white Finnish privilege #53: Why is our tolerance for racism at street level

When US President Donald Trump viciously attacked “The Squad” (Congresspersons Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib, Ayanna Pressley, and Ilhan Omar), when he told them to leave the country (see tweet below), there was dismay and outrage from politicians and other sectors of society. In Finland, a politician like Maiju Tapiolinna can tell a Helsinki city Councilperson,

Exposing Finnish white privilege #62: On free speech and scared white men

It is amusing to hear how some people, usually white Finnish males, are so concerned about free speech. From rock bands like Eppu Normaali to politicians from the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party and others, the message is clear: the state is undermining our free speech. Really? How can people who grow up with privilege and power

Finnish white privilege #57: Finland’s “hostile environment” against migrants

UK Prime Minister Theresa May’s policy nurtured a climate of suspicion called today the “hostile climate” in which people are deemed guilty unless they can prove themselves innocent. Does Finland have a hostile climate against migrants like in the UK? One could answer in the affirmative after listening to a long list of politicians who don’t have anything

White Finnish privilege #56: How Islamophobic is Finland?

Ever thought why political parties like the Perussuomalaiset,* Blue Reform and individual politicians from other parties, especially from the National Coalition Party, are so keen at pointing the finger at Muslims? Do they do so because they are racists? Opportunists? Political gold diggers?

White Finnish privilege #55: It is that time of the year – Christmas!

Far-right poliicians and Islamophobes of varying hues commonly blame Muslims for banning traditional Christmas parties at school. Nothing, however, could be further from the truth. Those wanting to remove Christmas parties are Finns who believe that religion should not play a role in our schools since we are officially a secular state.  What happens when most

Exposing white Finnish privilege #52: Having no privilege is dangerous

A report commissioned by the Finnish ministry of the interior revealed that migrants are 2.5 times more likely than white Finns to be assaulted, reports YLE News.  Another study published in 2014 by the National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), showed that first-generation immigrants at school are more likely to experience bullying, physical threats and sexual

Exposing white Finnish privilege #50: Caving in to white narratives

February 10 was supposed to be the first anniversary of the #TheRightToLife movement that raised awareness and concern over Finland’s asylum policy. The date was supposed to kick off as well a lecture-performance at the Kiasma Finnish national gallery of Helsinki by Riikka Theresa Innanen called Touch and Revolution.

Exposing white Finnish privilege #42: Labeling and shaming

Migrant Tales published in 2015 a Hall of Poor and Sloppy Journalism that aimed at highlighting the too frequent poor reporting by the national media of our ever-growing non-white community of Finland. A story published by Iltalehti on October 27 is not only an example of shoddy journalism but one that is racist as well. 

Exposing white Finnish privilege #41: An Islamophobic politician and gender equality

A campaign for gender equality by Naisjäjestöt NJKL is an excellent example of white privilege and denial. In the tweet below, we know that Elisabeth Rehn and former Helsiniki Bishop Irja Askola have spoken out against racism and hate speech. However, on the top right hand of the picture we find Blue Reform* (New Perussuomalaiset) MP Maria Lohela, who made her political career by spreading Islamophobia and hatred towards migrants.

Defining white Finnish privilege #37: The master of near-everything

What do independent government agencies like the Non-Discrimination Ombudsman, Ombudsman for Equality, Occupational Safety and Health Administration and National Discrimination and Equality Tribunal have in common?  All of them protect and defend the rights of women and minorities in Finland.

US President Donald Trump’s Finnish “tolkun” moment and his mixed response to far-right violence

Three people died in the wake of a demonstration by white supremacists, neo-Nazis and Ku Klux Klan members clashed Saturday with anti-racism activists when the white nationalists planned a rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. The demonstration saw a car being deliberately driven into a crowd of people who killed one person and left at least 19 others injured.  

Defining white Finnish privilege #36: Hate speech and censorship

Let’s be honest and expose one of the biggest lies concerning hate speech and censorship that always pops up at interviews like the one Thursday MTV with (the old) Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party secretary Riikka Slunga-Poutsalo and the editor of the party’s magazine, Matias Turkkila. 

Defining white Finnish privilege #33: Appropriating our narrative to maintain the status quo, amass more power and privilege

One of the most important matters that one learns when reading about our ever-growing culturally diverse society in Finland is that there is fierce opposition from some circles against cultural and ethnic diversity. According to these groups, the only way that a multicultural Finn, migrant and minority can live in Finland is if they control the narrative.

White Finnish privilege #30: Whitewashing and racializing the news

On the fifth anniversary, when Anders Breivik went on the rampage in Oslo on 22/7 by killing 77 victims, we saw another gunman in Munich who followed the Norwegian killer’s example. We now know with pretty much certainty that there was a connection between what the shooter did in Munich and with the fifth anniversary.

Culturally diverse Finland has a history

Because migrants and minorities in Finland do not have power, we are taught to believe we are rootless and have no historicity. It is not true: migrant and anti-racism activism in Finland was already very alive in the 1980s.

White Finnish privilege #29: Your family is worth less than mine

There has been a lot of debate about the present government tightening further family reunification laws. It shouldn’t come to any surprise that such measures not only reveal hostility towards asylum seekers, migrants, and minorities but are an example of white Finnish privilege in its most extreme forms.

Defining white Finnish privilege #27: White versus Other media

On occasions Migrant Tales, the Other media, does investigative journalism. When we do such type of investigative reporting it’s because there is a big story that needs to be told. One of these big stories that we scooped was on Luona, a private company that treats asylum seekers badly and makes money off them.

Defining white Finnish privilege #26: Are you an ethnic Finn?

Have you ever thought why the term kantasuomalainen, or “ethnic Finn,” has become a common word among white Finns. Why is this term used today and why wasn’t it used before? What those the word “ethnic Finn” relay to those who are migrants and minorities? If the term “ethnic Finn” has become more common why

Defining white Finnish privilege #25: This land is my land, this land isn’t your land

It’s disturbing to watch in Finland journalists who maintain and promote urban tales and racism. One of these is Tuomas Enbuske who invited Lenita Aristo to his television talk show to speak about Muslims. When Aristo opens her mouth and gives her opinions about cultural diversity, it’s evident that she still lives is a provincial and stuffy time warp of pre-1990s Finland.

Defining white Finnish privilege #21: Who can be a Finn?

A Finn is anyone with Finnish citizenship, right?  Citizenship can be obtained through birth (jus sanguinis) or naturalization. Even if this should be clear as day, certain public services like the police continue to group Finns according to their so-called “foreign” or “immigrant” backgrounds. I don’t have any problems with my foreign background even if

Defining white Finnish privilege #19: My rape statistics about your group

Migrant Tales has followed migrant rape statistic stories for some time. You should always treat them with tweezers when two matters appear:  The news story only cites percentages, not numbers The percentages are used to label all migrants, especially some groups. Most of the stories written about migrant rape cases in Finland fit these two characteristics