Exposing white Finnish privilege #88: A Facebook page that asks white people if they look like a Finn?

Thanks to a Facebook page and a story in Helsingin Sanomat, I became on Monday, a member of a group called “Do I look Finnish?” Nothing wrong with that, but if the page attempts to reinforce stereotypes about Finns, then something is rotten in Denmark.

Understanding how far-right groups like the Perussuomalaiset (PS)*, Suomen Sisu, and too many politicians from parties like the National Coalition Party (Kokoomus) attempt to define a Finn in narrow terms by excluding minorities, such a Facebook page should get the thumbs down. In other words, it is only a place where some people who have lost their Finnish culture after many generations as USAmericans cling to their last hope: whiteness.

My debut in the group started with this comment:

A sensible question, no?

The following responses followed that comment:

Exposing white Finnish privilege #88

This afternoon I was banned from the group. You can judge why. For me, it is clear.

While “Do I look Finnish” may be a worthwhile place for some to give a superficial, even racist, view of their Finnish identity, Helsingin Sanomat does not do any favors by picking up a story that perpetuates a lot of toxic matters about white privilege and racism in Finland.

See also:

• Defining white Finnish privilege #1: I have it and you don’t
• Defining white Finnish privilege #2: Third culture children versus “pupil with immigrant background” 
• Defining white Finnish privilege #3 No history, no doctrine, no heroes and no martyrs
• Defining white Finnish privilege #4 Holding the short end of the stick
• Defining white Finnish privilege #5 It’s ok to be a racist
• Defining white Finnish privilege #6 Not having a voice and the media
• Defining white Finnish privilege #7 A definitive guide
• Defining white Finnish privilege #8 Underrated and less intelligent
• Defining white Finnish privilege #9 Mohammad Ali’s insight
• Defining white Finnish privilege #10 I can victimize and make up any story I like about migrants because I’m white
• Defining white Finnish privilege #11: Case Teuvo Hakkarainen
• Defining white Finnish privilege #12: Case Tom Packalén
• Defining white Finnish privilege #13: Case Matti Putkonen
• Defining white Finnish privilege #14: Losing sight of the real issue
• Defining white Finnish privilege #15: Case Halla-ago on the PS
• Defining white Finnish privilege #16: Rosa Emilia Clay and my history versus yours
• Defining white Finnish privilege #17: The Perussuomalaiset and our civil rights
• Defining white Finnish privilege #18: Labeling others according to your prejudice
• Defining white Finnish privilege #19: My rape statistics about your group
• Defining white Finnish privilege #20: Labeling Others to strengthen “us” and “them.”
• Defining white Finnish privilege #21: Who can be a Finn?
• Defining white Finnish privilege #22: From racist, fascist to a politician without memory
• Defining white Finnish privilege #23: Greater police powers to monitor migrants and minorities
• Defining white Finnish privilege #24: Becoming a heartless accomplice in wars and people’s suffering
• Defining white Finnish privilege #25: This land is my land, this isn’t your land
• Defining white Finnish privilege #26: Are you an ethnic Finn?
• Defining white Finnish privilege #27: White versus Other media
• Defining white Finnish privilege #28: Are you an ethnic Finn (Part 2)?
• Defining white Finnish privilege #29: Your family is worth less than mine
• White Finnish privilege #30: Whitewashing and racializing the news
• White Finnish privilege #31: The Soldiers of Odin and the Finnish media
• White Finnish privilege #32: The white Finnish police and “them” 
• White Finnish privilege #33: Appropriating our narrative to maintain the status quo, amass more power and privilege
• White Finnish privilege #34: Building a political career on privilege and nativist nationalism   
• White Finnish privilege #35: Case Sampo Terho and the ministry of (dis)culture
• White Finnish privilege #36: Hate speech and censorship
• White Finnish privilege #37: The master of near-everything
• Defining white Finnish privilege #38: Cultural appropriation and racism are quaint discussion topics between white Finns
• Exposing white Finnish privilege #39: The Hollywood ending of racism that will never happen in Finland
• Exposing white Finnish privilege #40: To whitewash or to disenfranchise
• Exposing white Finnish privilege #41: An Islamophobic politician and gender equality 
• Exposing white Finnish privilege #42: Labeling and shaming
• Exposing white Finnish privilege #43: White versus dark skin
• Exposing white Finnish privilege #44: Defending Nazis’ rights to march is ok as long we agree on the common enemy
• Exposing white Finnish privilege #45: Do blondes have more fun? 
• Exposing white Finnish privilege #46: Teuvo Hakkarainen = white racism and sexism 
• Exposing white Finnish privilege #47: President Sauli Niinistö’s “culture inside four walls”
• Exposing white Finnish privilege #48: Allow me to smear your religion so mine can shine
• Exposing white Finnish privilege #49: When white privilege backfires 
• Exposing white Finnish privilege #50: Caving in to white narratives
• Exposing white Finnish privilege #51: The police are the defenders of white power and privilege
• Exposing white Finnish privilege #52: Having no privilege is dangerous
• White Finnish privilege #53: Plan Finland’s unplanned pregnancy campaign #ProtectBlackGirlsToo #Whatofme
• White Finnish privilege #54: Disguising your racism, bigotry, and prejudices effectively
• White Finnish privilege #55: It’s that time of the year – Christmas! 
• White Finnish privilege #56: How Islamophobic is Finland?
• White Finnish privilege #57: Finland’s “hostile environment” against migrants
• White Finnish privilege #58: How the police, media and politicians fuel Finland’s hostile environment against Muslims and migrants
• White Finnish privilege #59: In this country, you are guilty before proven innocent
• White Finnish privilege #60: Oulu, OULU! Awaken and sniff the racist coffee.
• Exposing Finnish white privilege #61: #NoRacismInUniversity #WeAreNotSkinColour
• Exposing Finnish white privilege #62: On free speech and scared white men
• Exposing Finnish white privilege #63: Silence and acting dumb are the swords of institutional racism
• Exposing Finnish white privilege #64: The cancer of institutional racism in Finland
• Exposing Finnish white privilege #65: Racism exists because our society profits from it
• Exposing Finnish white privilege #66: Abdirahim Husu Hussein and dealing with racist passengers in a racist environment
• Exposing Finnish white privilege #67: Pirkka-Pekka Petelius’ apology exposes deep-rooted white Finnish supremacy
• Exposing white Finnish privilege #68: The party that injects Finland’s Islamophobia with steroids and other hate-enhancing drugs
• Exposing white Finnish privilege #69: At the dentist – do you speak Finnish?
• Exposing white Finnish privilege #70: At the dentist’s and where are you from?
• Exposing white Finnish privilege #71: Hate speech is an example of white supremacist privilege
• Exposing white Finnish privilege #72: False police reporting is an example of violence and open hostility
• Exposing white Finnish privilege #73: Stoking and exploiting white suspicion
• Exposing white Finnish privilege #74: The anti-Semitic beast inside Jussi Halla-aho
• Exposing white Finnish privilege #75: Obsession with race, ethnicity, and us versus them
• Exposing white Finnish privilege #76: Two news stories that expose entitlement
• Exposing white Finnish privilege #77: The PS are Finnish white supremacists
• Exposing white Finnish privilege #78: the spread and acceptance of white nationalism
• Exposing white Finnish privilege #79: Spreading lies at our economic peril
• Exposing white Finnish privilege #80: Violence against you counts but mine doesn’t
• Exposing white Finnish privilege #81: Racializing crime, perpetuating stereotypes and racism
• Exposing white Finnish privilege #82: Good “refugees” are white and Christian, “bad” ones are Muslims
• Exposing white Finnish privilege #83: War doesn’t give a hoot if you are white or black
• Exposing white privilege in Finland #84: Suomineidot offers refuge to privilege, white power, whitewashing, the far right and racism
• Exposing white privilege in Finland #85: We need solutions, not racist provocations
• Exposing white privilege in Finland #86: Maryan Abdulkarim and Finland’s amnesia
• Exposing white privilege in Finland #87: Social segregation is not white Finland’s fault