On Monday, we saw the stances of the radical-right Perussuomalaiset (PS)* and National Coalition Party’s (Kokoomus) views on the role of labor immigration outside the EU. On MTV, PS’ Sakari Puisto faced off with Pia Kauma of Kokoomus, while on A-studio, Leena Meri of the PS debated with Elina Valtonen. It is depressing to watch
Read on »Posts Tagged: social exclusion
The PS’ and Kokoomus’ “concern” about Finland’s minority youth gangs is dishonest and a political stunt
Watching weekly Thursday’s question-and-answer session between the opposition and government can cause nausea. With parliamentary elections six months in April, expect opposition parties like the far-right Perussuomalaiset (PS)* and National Coalition Party (Kokoomus) to increase their attacks against ALL migrants. The truth about the PS and Kokoomus, the biggest and second-biggest opposition party, respectively, is
Read on »Third culture: Misconceptions like “traveling opens your mind.” Answer: Not always.
Third culture children are those who grow up in a country other than their parents’. I have traveled since I was a year and a half between continents and boarded airplanes throughout my life like buses and heard many times a given assumption that traveling is supposed to open your mind. True or false? FACT
Read on »How the Finnish media Others racialized pupils
One of the casualties of the war in Ukraine will be social rights and the recognition of racialized people in Finland. Are we witnessing more aggressive reporting as a result? Helsingin Sanomat published Wednesday a whole spread about how “over half of the students at several schools in Espoo don’t speak Finnish as their mother
Read on »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
Read on »A-Studio: Riikka Purra wants to tighten Finnish citizenship law, do away with pull factors
Riikka Purra, the favorite to win the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* leadership at the party’s annual meeting over the weekend, said Wednesday at Yle’s A-Studio was one of the many steps she took wants to tighten citizenship laws. This summer, the first vice president of the PS said that the party would not join any government that would not tighten “significantly” immigration
Read on »Biden inauguration: Words of unity and inclusion that reverberate in Finland
After four years of chaos and division, an illness that even inflicted the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* and politicians in other parties that sow division heard long-overdue healing words. Without losing sight of the wars, CIA-inspired coups, and the human destruction brought on by the United States, it took a despot-inspired president like Donald Trump to give
Read on »Kotoutuminen #10: Misleading expectations that will keep you (dis)integrated
Many, if not most migrants who have moved to Finland, have heard the following claim: Learn the language, and presto you are integrated. While learning the language of your new homeland helps, it is only one of many things that will help you adapt to society. Erna Bödström’s dissertation, “Welcome to Fantasy Finland,” points out
Read on »Nordic Council Literature winner Jonas Eika: In Denmark, “racism is both cultural and legal. We have state racism.”
The 2019 recipient of the Nordic Council Literature Prize, Jonas Eika of Denmark, took the opportunity to expose generally the racism and social inequality in the Nordic region and in particular, in his home country of Denmark. Eika, speaking at the Stockholm Concert Hall, blamed Danish Social Democrat Prime Minister Mette Fredriksen for perpetrating state-sponsored
Read on »White Finnish media story of the day*: Stop toxic labeling of people of color and minorities
It is not the first time when Migrant Tales has spotted mistakes by the Finnish media. The latest one involves a story concerning US President Donald Trump’s racist tweets against four minority congresswomen: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib, Ayanna Pressley, and Ilhan Omar. The original story, which referred to the four congresswomen as “people of migrant
Read on »Part I: Racism causes trauma and mental suffering
Maailman Kuvalehti, a periodical which often takes up issues of xenophobia and racism in Finland more bravely than the mainstream media, cited the article Häpeää, itsesyytöksiä, masennusta – toistuvan rasismin vaikutukset mielenterveyteen voivat olla vakavat (Shame, self-blame, and depression – continuous racism encounter impact on mental wellbeing can be severe). Dated April 24th to a study by Robert T. Carter (University of Columbia), it stated that day-to-day exclusion encounters cause mental depression and symptoms similar to war trauma. Read the article here.
Read on »QUOTE OF THE DAY Mor Ndiaye: “Walk like a king but don’t care who is the king”
I met Mor Ndaiye at Turin’s Casarcobaleno on Friday. He gave a very interesting talk about his life as a Senegalese living in Italy and studying at the University of Turin. One of his quotes was: “Walk like a king but don’t care who is the king.” Nor Ndiaye at Casarcobaleno.
Read on »ELGS Migration Summer School 2019 22-27 July 2019 in Sounion, Greece
Click here to see the oiginal posting.
Read on »Oulu’s knee-jerk reaction to the sexual assault crimes will do a lot of harm to the city’s image. Blame the media, police, politicians.
The question Migrant Tales asked a while back if the City of Oulu’s decision to ban visits by asylum seekers to child care centers and schools is legal. Can you ban a single group, in this case, asylum seekers, from visiting such places? As far as how the law works in Finland, the ban should
Read on »European Agency of Fundamental Rights: Finland has the most racial harassment cases against PAD of 12 EU countries surveyed
A new study by the European Agency of Fundamental Rights (FRA) reveals that a third of people of African descent (PAD) surveyed have experienced racial harassment in the last five years. That’s not all: Perceived racist harassment was highest in Finland (63%) and least prevalent in Malta 20% (see chart below).
Read on »Sweden’s parliamentary elections expose the country’s issues with racist exceptionalism
Sweden heads for the polls on Sunday to elect 349 seats to the Riksdag (parliament). Despite the good showing in the polls of the far-right Sweden Democrats, which has roots in the neo-Nazi movement, is slated to capture 20% of the votes. The rise in popularity of the Sweden Democrats has been fast and a reminder that
Read on »QUOTE OF THE DAY: Denmark proves that Nordic “equality” is selective and does not apply to minorities like Muslim women
While we should not be surprised that Denmark, the Nordic region’s and one of Europe’s most Islamophobic country, voted to ban the niqab and burka,* according to Politico. While I have seen only twice in my lifetime in Finland a woman wearing a niqab, I have never seen one using a burka. How many women will be affected by this ban? Apart from making it clear who has the right to gender equality in Denmark, the measure is another example of Europe’s hypocrisy. The women Denmark targets are the ones that it now attacks with more gusto thanks to the ban.
Read on »Migration Summer School 26/7/2018 – 1/8/2018 in Athens, Greece
Migrant Tales received the following mail from Dr. Theodoros Fouskas. Check it out. 2018 MIGRATION SUMMER SCHOOL (MIGSS) on Precarious Labour, Human Trafficking, & Social Exclusion in Europe A unique summer program with on-site visits in Greece 26 July- 1 August 2018 EPLO premises in Sounion Α 7-day program in English will offer a state-of-the-art overview of
Read on »Facebook Ahmed IJ: Words of exclusion
Migrant Tales insight: If finding a job isn’t easy for a foreigner in Finland, it is especially hard for an asylum seeker. Doors close and some are left ajar. Even so, you are not supposed to pass inside if you are an asylum seeker.
Read on »QUOTE OF THE WEEK: How the Finnish government ostracizes migrants and asylum seekers
Migrant Tales insight: How the Finnish government labels and ostracizes in general migrants/asylum seekers in Finland and undocumented migrants in particular. Do you need more proof why Finland is a hostile place for migrants and minorities? Finnish posting by Jukka Eräkare: Read the original text here. English translation: “In this context, illegal migrants are defined as
Read on »Exposing white Finnish privilege #47: President Sauli Niinistö’s “culture inside four walls”
THIS STORY HAS BEEN UPDATED Instead of showing leadership and giving a public face to our ever-growing culturally and ethnically diverse non-white society, President Sauli Niinistö does the opposite again. I have said it before and I wil say it again: President Niinistö is no friend of non-white Finland. In an interview on YLE, Niinistö gave
Read on »QUOTE OF THE DAY: Finnish identity isn’t a monolithic slab held together by power, privilege, prejudice, and bigotry
The biggest challenge facing our culturally and ethnically (non-white) community this century is the narrow definition of who we are. As long as our definition excludes others, all efforts at “integrating” newcomers and ensuring that they become members of society will fail. The aims of our schools to teach children of foreign parents to become
Read on »Facebook Zimema Mhone: Clarification on why “I am cheaper”
Migrant Tales insight: Zimema Mhone has done some stories for us and he now posted something on Facebook that too many foreigners and minorities face in Finland. Did you know that nationally in 2014 foreigners earned 27.3% less at 21,479 euros/year compared with 29,550 euros, according to Pasi Saukkonen. In Helsinki, the gap was even higher
Read on »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.
Read on »How systemic racism and discrimination work in the Finnish workplace
There is overwhelming evidence that Finnish labor markets suffer from racialization and outright discrimination, especially against migrant women, according to numerous studies on the topic. How does racialization and discrimination play out at some Finnish workplaces?
Read on »Who determines who we are?
Here’s a simple question: By law, a person is a Finn if he or she is a Finnish citizen. Why, then, are some of these Finnish citizens spoken of and near-constantly reminded by society that they are so-called “people with foreign backgrounds?”
Read on »How Finnish-as-a-second-language courses relegate people to second-class status
Even children who are born in Finland but whose parents aren’t Finns are sent to S2 (Suomi toisena kielenä) language courses. One student, who attended for three years S2 Finnish-language courses, claims that such courses won’t help him succeed at university.
Read on »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
Read on »Writer Nura Farah is one of the bright hopes of multicultural Finland
Nura Farah is Finland’s first published writer with Somali roots. She moved to Finland as a refugee in the early 1990s when she was 13 years after her country became tangled in a costly and painful civil war that continues to date.
Read on »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.
Read on »Why are integration programs in Finland doomed to failure?
Here’s the billion-euro question: Why are integration programs in Finland usually doomed to failure? What can Finland and Europe learn from countries like Canada that have a more successful approach to integration?
Read on »Migrant Tales (January 26, 2013): Making torture and hate acceptable
Even if the media in the United States speaks of torture as something recent, the truth is that it has been going on for a very long time. These type of barbaric interrogation techniques were widely used in the last century in regions like Latin America. The CIA and the United States trained and promoted torture and state-sponsored terrorism in places like the School of the Americas.
Read on »Perussuomalaiset Maria Lohela: Inte min talman, or not my speaker of parliament
Perussuomalaiset (PS)* Maria Lohela got elected Friday as speaker of parliament. Lohela is no ordinary MP but one who doesn’t believe in religious freedom, migrant and homosexual rights. As a politician she is the antithesis of Nordic values unless those values are supposed to socially exclude some and include others, like white Finns.
Read on »New speaker of parliament Maria Lohela: Islamophobic skeletons in the closet
One of the surprise appointments that popped up was Perussuomalaiset (PS)* MP Maria Lohela, who was nominated Friday as the new speaker of parliament. Lohela is no common MP since she has taken a very strong stand against immigration in general and Muslims in particular.
Read on »New book on Somali community of Finland highlights what we’ve known for long: social hostility and blatant discrimination
A new book called Suomen somalit by Yusuf M. Mubarak, Eva Nilsson and Niklas Saxén reinforces what has been already known about Finland’s Somali community: racism and social exclusion appear to be the norm.
Read on »UPDATE (Apr. 22): Migrant Tales’ 2015 Hall of Poor and Sloppy Journalism
Migrant Tales’ 2015 Hall of Poor and Sloppy Journalism will be updated separately. To see other examples of opinionated journalism in Finland about cultural diversity, please go to this link. Apr. 22 Tapanilan joukkoraiskauksesta syytteet viidelle (YLE) What’s wrong with this story? The news story by YLE on sentencing five youths with so-called “foreign backgrounds” is an
Read on »On Sunday we vote in Finland – future generations will be watching closely the result
Finland will hold parliamentary elections on Sunday. According to the latest polls, the Center Party is well ahead with the National Coalition Party (NCP) and Perussuomalaiset (PS)* trailing in second and third place, respectively. The Social Democrats are in fourth place. Migrant Tales has tirelessly reported on the ongoing anti-immigration debate in Finland daily since 2011. Since Finland is our
Read on »Finland goes to the polls Sunday – don’t vote for these anti-immigration candidates
Finland will hold parliamentary elections on Sunday. One of the interesting question marks is who will come in second or third place. One poll predicts the Center Party winning (no surprise) with the National Coalition Party (NCP) and Perussuomalaiset (PS)* coming in second and third, respectively. The Social Democrats are in fourth place. During the last
Read on »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
Read on »Abdirahim Husu Hussein: A focused candidate with clear goals for Finland
Abdirahim Husu Hussein is no stranger to Miglrant Tales. He has written a number of times for us and we have followed his political career with keen interest. “Husu” as he’s known to his friends and acquaintances is a Center Party candidate running for parliament who is focused and determined to reach his goals. Finland
Read on »You can live in Finland as long as you are culturally invisible (and conform to our stereotypes)
Perussuomalaiset (PS)* MP Vesa-Matti Saarakkala’s statement on Seinjäjoki-based daily Ilkka is another clear example of how some politicians, and even the National Board of Education, continue to deny our ever-growing cultural diversity. There is a lot of talk about “multiculturalism” and little action. This leaves us with a hostile message lingering above us: We, white Finns,
Read on »Michael McEachrane: Seeing Sweden’s race problem for what it is
Michael McEachrane* Two things seem abundantly clear regarding the rise of ultranationalism in Europe today. First, it is symptomatic of a broader form of nationalism which all European states are steeped in. Second, it is this broader nationalism that ultimately needs to be confronted if equality is ever to become a reality in Europe. Read
Read on »November 6, 1981: Address to the international seminar (on the plight of foreign students in Finland)
Enrique Tessieri Finally the consciousness of the Finnish government and the Finnish public via the press have come to the point where the status of foreigners has been recognized as a problem. The simple fact that this issue has found its way into the public consciousness shows that we’ve come a long way. We’ve made
Read on »The PS of Finland: When a morally bankrupt party crosses the line
The Tom Packalén case is not only a reminder of what Finland can expect if the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* ever get into government, there is the real threat that we are in danger of forfeiting our successful Nordic welfare state for populism, nativist nationalism and xenophobia. In the face of this threat, it is the near-silence
Read on »How to tell a Finnish politician that he or she sounds racist
The atmosphere for migrants and minorities in Finland is going to get worse as parliamentary elections near in April 2015. Two recent cases, Perussuomalaiset (PS)* MP Tom Packalén and National Coalition Party MP Pia Kauma, reinforce that matters are going to get worse before they improve. A good way to uncover these opportunistic politicians’ motives
Read on »THL survey in Finland says first-generation migrants more likely to experience bullying, physical and sexual harassment
A new survey shows that first-generation immigrants are more likely to experience bullying, physical threats and sexual harassment than white Finns, according to YLE in English, which cites the National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL). The survey revealed some 32% of “immigrant” children found it difficult to access school welfare officers. Should the findings
Read on »Finnish anti-immigration politicians and parties spread on purpose lies to hide the truth and their culpability
Ever wonder why the Finnish media and politicians continue to spread lies about migrants and minorities like we’re lazy, stupid, criminals, rapists and a burden on society? OK, not all of them lie on purpose but too many remain silent and allow these types of urban tales to slip past them in silent approval. Say
Read on »Defining white Finnish privilege #5: It’s ok to be a racist
In many respects white privilege, or specifically white Finnish privilege, is a good way to understand some of the challenges that migrants and especially non-white Finns face in this country. Migrant Tales invites readers to share their thoughts on the social ill. Please send your comments on the topic to [email protected] We’d love to hear from you.
Read on »Challenging urban tales about migrants and ourselves should be our first and foremost priority
After contributing regularly for Migrant Tales and reading and answering some of the over 30,000 comments we have received in the past seven years, a bigger picture emerges. This has been reinforced by my work at a folk high school, where the majority of the students on campus aren’t white Finns. As Don Flynn of
Read on »Healthy advice: Don’t flirt with racism, include don’t exclude, involve and we’ll learn to live together
One of the matters one learns after answering thousands of comments on Migrant Tales and posting near daily on this humble site is the language and arguments used by anti-immigration groups, which are openly against a Finland that is international, multicultural and open. By multicultural I mean treating everyone in this country, irrespective of their background, with
Read on »The high price of being too alike and not thinking outside the ethnic and national box
Some may correctly ask what is the price Finland pays today for its lack of cultural and ethnic diversity. Finding answers to this question would require some serious thinking outside our ethnic and national box. This question is an important one today for two reasons: Our population is seeing dramatic changes due to the graying of
Read on »Why do we consider Timo Soini to be “a good cop” if he brought all these “bad cops” to power?
Doesn’t Perussuomalaiset (PS) leader Timo Soini bear responsibility for giving people like Jussi Halla-aho, James Hirvisaari, Teuvo Hakkarainen, Olli Immonen and a very long list of others a platform to spread their hatred and intolerance? Why does the media let Soini get off the hook so easily? Is Soini the culprit for anti-immigration sentiment and
Read on »Jussi Halla-aho’s broken record: destroy cultural and ethnic diversity
We hear over and over again the same anti-immigration diatribe by politicians like Perussuomalaiset (PS) MP Jussi Halla-aho, who complain constantly about too liberal immigration policy and multiculturalism. PS MP Jussi Halla-aho would like to restrict free movement of people in Europe and tighten migration policy if elected Euro MP, according to Swedish-language daily HBL.
Read on »Sweden’s white paper on the abuses and rights violations against the Roma will have a positive effect on Finland
Sweden published on March 26 a white paper on abuses and rights violations against the Roma during the last century. The white paper is significant since it is the first time that the Swedish government has published and acknowledged Sweden’s long history of discrimination against the Roma minority. Should Finland follow Sweden’s example? If sociologist
Read on »What Finnish school children from a small town think about racism?
During the European Action Week Against Racism (March 15-23), I had the opportunity to visit an elementary and middle school in rural Eastern Finland. The event, which was organized by the Red Cross, asked elementary and middle school students to do a posters pointing out the good and bad things about Finland. Some did short
Read on »European Network Against Racism report highlights Finland’s racism and discrimination challenges
Shadow reports on racism in Europe by the European Network Against Racism (ENAR) reveals something we’ve not known and written about on Migrant Tales for a long time. Apart from racism and discrimination happening in employment, the question behind the question is why is this still an issue? Why are governments still doing too little?
Read on »The number of homeless migrants in Finland rises sharply in 2013
Despite a drop in homeless cases in Finland, the number of homeless migrants rose in 2013 to close to 2,000 persons versus breaking the 1,000 mark in 2011, according to the Housing Finance and Development Center of Finland (ARA).* Migrants accounted for 61% of homeless cases in Finland. Read full statement (in Finnish) here. The
Read on »Migrant high unemployment in Finland is a good way to measure discrimination and social exclusion
Apart from Jim Crow laws and centuries of discrimination, one of the many social issues that the U.S. Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s addressed was high unemployment among blacks. In a country like Finland, which sees work as a crucial pathway to inclusion and acceptance, it’s clear that unemployment is an effective
Read on »When will people with “immigrant backgrounds” be accepted as Finns on their terms?
After following on a daily basis news about cultural diversity in Finland and elsewhere, the stories that Migrant Tales aims to cover in 2014 are those stories that the mainstream media doesn’t consider news. One reason why the mainstream media still writes about cultural diversity from it’s perspective is because those writing the stories are mainly
Read on »Are you a perpetrator or victim of white Finnish privilege?
One matter about intolerance is that it is universal. The social ill can manifest itself in different ways by speaking different languages and historical context but don’t be fooled by these deceptions: Intolerance is the same ogre. White privilege is one of the many faces of racism and means automatic access or exclusion to the
Read on »Dana: Why doesn’t President Sauli Niinistö care about immigrants? What’s his stance on racism?
Dana Finland is a small country but a very proud one about its political and legal system. Some Finns believe they are, however, so different from other people on this planet and they can’t explain why. For example…in Finland the law functions like magic; they believe that the law is so comprehensive that no-one in
Read on »Dana: Ymmärrättekö Finland – wild culture, wild picture and wild future
Dana How long will I have to endure these racist attacks and hostile looks? And what’s wrong with being a foreigner in Finland anyway? There are no rainbows here if there’s only one color: white. No matter how much you paint your society white, I’m alive and will always feel victorious before you. I have
Read on »Thai berry pickers shed light on a much wider problem in Finland for immigrants
The fifty Thai berry pickers, who are protesting against long hours, poor pay and huge risks they take when working for Ber-Ex, not only shed light on their plight but the poor job security that immigrants generally face in Finland. While berry pickers are seasonal workers that come from Thailand, their issues reveal a much serious
Read on »Does Finland promote two-way or one-way adaption of immigrants?
Our integration law promotes two-way adaption as opposed to assimilation, which is a one-way process. Section 17 of the Finnish Constitution states that each person living in this country has the right to maintain and develop their own language and culture. What do these two important laws mean in practice and how are they applied? Sensible Finns
Read on »Migrant Tales Literary: Moment of my world
By Dana Can you see the happiness of a tree when it is dancing with the wind? When the wind sings a song of war can you listen and move forward? Can you talk with the wet grass under your feet? Or can you dance with your big tears? Can you laugh when you cry?
Read on »ENAR press statement: Anti-Roma statements in France: a race to be the most outrageous?
MT comment: Taking into account the xenophobia gripping Europe these days and how far right, populist and even mainstream parties are vying for the anti-immigration vote, the same is going on in Finland. The victims are the most vulnerable groups like Romany beggars. A story on YLE in English reports that the National Coalition Party is
Read on »Migrant Tales Literary: Suomi tai Suola, Saltland or Finland (Part I)
By Dana YES, that’s it! Risk-land and jail-land What is the opposite of the Nobel Peace Prize? Is there a Nobel Ignoring Prize or such a prize in the world? I mean a Nobel that could be given to people who neglect others? For sure Finland does not deserve the Nobel Peace Prize and never
Read on »Dana: Woes for you killers who kill without a knife
By Dana Why should I personally challenge Finland’s disgraceful family reunification obstacles? I won’t. Why should I? For whom? For other foreigners? But some abuse the laws. Not only some foreigners but some Finns too. I paid, as a result, a high price for their ways. Some foreigners live here for years, or maybe they
Read on »Let’s challenge Finland’s disgraceful family reunification obstacles
Migrants’ Rights Network (MRN) of Britain shows how organizations can do valuable work in lobbying for change against unfair family reunification laws (see Migrant Tales 28.6.13). Politicians, who have tightened such laws, are short-sighted and have created a tragedy for those who live separated from their loved ones. The same suffering that separated families suffer in Finland
Read on »About half of the PS MPs want to deny Finland’s cultural diversity
Roughly half of the 39 Perussuomalaiset (PS) MPs have signed a draft law that would in effect deny Finland’s ever-growing cultural diversity in the youth law. If PS MP Olli Immonen had his way together with twenty other PS MPs, Finland would go into denial mode and conveniently brush its immigrants and visible minorities under
Read on »Zuzeeko’s blog: Finland – Discrimination accounts for high Somali unemployment
Zuzeeko Tegha Abeng Somalis are among the largest groups of immigrants in Finland. They are also among the largest unemployed group of immigrants in the country. Many people [mistakenly] think that the high rate of unemployment among Somalis is because they are not willing to work. This, in my view, is not the case. Read
Read on »Ariela Patterson: The right to be me on my terms
One of the biggest challenges facing Finland in the new century is to come to terms with its ever-growing cultural diversity. While some Finns have no problems with this, others oppose it. Finland’s cultural diversity is, however, something that nobody can stop. There are today tens of thousands of Finns with multicultural backgrounds. Ariela Patterson,
Read on »How the Finnish police and media spread prejudice against Romanians and the Romany minority
Here is a good example of how the police and media treat certain immigrant and ethnic groups publicly. A story on YLE tells us that the overwhelming amount of grand larceny cases committed by foreigners in Finland are by Lithuanians. The majority of suspected grand larceny cases in Finland are committed by Lithuanians. Why
Read on »My Conscience Your Conscience
By Dana Who has conscience? Who doesn’t have conscience? Finnish law doesn’t because it made a deep wound in me and it could not feel it did anything bad, oh nothing at all. So why is this law so cruel to me and my situation??? Because it isn’t wise…. because wiseness has conscience. What about racist people? Black
Read on »Racism Review: Sweden – No Longer the Exception to Western Racist Rule
Authored by Tobias Hübinette and L. Janelle Dance Since May 20, 2013, mass vandalism, material damage and outbursts of rioting in the poor and non-white suburbs of Greater Stockholm have dominated Swedish and international news media. This civil unrest was sparked when, on May 12, the police shot and killed a 69-year-old man from Husby, one of
Read on »Sweden and Woolwich reveal the eager face of intolerance
Be it the riots in Sweden or the tragic murder of a British solider in Woolwich last week, it’s always the eager face of intolerance that is ready to expose itself. The knee-jerk reaction to these events reveals something disturbing about us: our prejudice, intolerance and near-clueless answers on how to move forward in a
Read on »ENAR press statement: Riots in Sweden – time for government to finally address ethnic minorities’ exclusion
Comment: As Migrant Tales has written on a number of postings, the riots in Sweden mirror the dire situation of some immigrant groups in that country and how marginalized they are from the rest of society. ______ Brussels, 28 May 2013 – The ongoing riots in Stockholm, Sweden are a strong wake-up call for
Read on »Sweden riots: People cannot live off football, crumbs and destitute pity
In the face of the riots in Huusby, Sweden, which have now spread outside the northern Stockholm suburb, there’s one culprit we should pay close attention to especially here in Finland: The erosion of Sweden’s comprehensive welfare state system. Faced with a seven-billion-euro budget deficit, it isn’t surprising that few if any politicians in this
Read on »Migrant Tales Literary: Helloless culture
By Dana Hello! Well yes, hello! Hello! Let me tell you about a helloless culture. What is wrong with greeting people anyway? In Finland saying hello seems very difficult. It looks like they’re afraid to say hello even if u told them hello over and over again…and i’m wondering how many times i have to take
Read on »Dear Migrant Tales…when the workplace becomes a hostile place
Dear Migrant Tales, Being the only black person at work can be challenging but what about if the workplace becomes openly hostile to you? By hostile I mean being constantly watched by your coworkers, if you make a mistake it’s always a bigger deal than if a white coworker did it, if you’re speaking on
Read on »Migrant Tales Literary: Boycott تحریم
By Dana نه رفیق و خانواده چهره ها پر از افاده نه در و نه پنجره، راه مهر وموم و قفل و هم چاه نه کلید و رحمت و نور همه کس بگویدت زور تازیانه می زند هار دیو زشت موذی
Read on »We speak of two-way integration but too many still believe in assimilation
Finland’s integration law is exemplary in many respects because it aims to integrate newcomers as equals in our society. No law is, however, written in stone and is only as good as the institutions and people that enforce it. One of the matters that some have a difficult time grasping is what two-way adaption, or integration,
Read on »Sara speaks out against the racist harassment her son endured at a school in Mikkeli, Finland
What would you do if you heard that an African single mother decided to leave Mikkeli for Helsinki because her eight-year-old child was a victim of racist harassment or bullying at school? Would you just register the news and brush it conveniently under the rug and reassure yourself that these types of things don’t happen
Read on »Our lopsided debate on immigration and refugees serves to keep our society white
The most startling fact about a US state department report on human rights for 2012 weren’t the sentences for hate speech handed to Perussuomalaiset (PS) party members such as MP Jussi Halla-aho and Freddy Van Wonterghem, but the discrimination suffered by Finland’s Romany minority, which number about 10,000. Read full US secretary of state human
Read on »Does PS MP Olli Immonen have any idea what Finnish culture is?
There’s a three-part story published on Suomen Kuvalehti with Perussuomalaiset (PS) MP Olli Immonen, who states why postmodern movies, or those that don’t strengthen Finnish national identity, shouldn’t be funded by the state. Immonen was elected the new president of Suomen Sisu, an extremist association that discourages white Finns from marrying foreigners. Suomen Kuvalehti published
Read on »It’s the cultural diversity, stupid!
Would it be fair to say that the biggest challenge facing Finland during this century is accepting its cultural diversity and deconstructing our white national identity in order to make our society more inclusive? Will this happen easily? The central issue being debated in Finland today about immigrants boils down to one question: How much
Read on »Migrant Tales Literary: Abandonment
By Leo Honka There’s a place by the heart, possibly nearer to the soul, where eyes gasp for air, in their own pain Amid arid and warped hills Grass blades sagging like broken horses on desolate plains expanding endlessly in all directions. Abandonment is a lonely place where I long to be. Despite the
Read on »Post-Jyväskylä: Where do we go from here?
Considering how the media treated before the April 2011 election racism and far right ideology and how social media sites were teeming with racist online lynch mobs, we are today waking up from the hangover of our state of social inebriation. The aftereffect will not go away in a day, week, or month but will
Read on »The social tragedy of the family reunification problem of Somalis in Finland
The Finnish Immigration Service states in a report (see page 4) that at the end of 2011 there were a total of 6,100 family reunification applications by Somalis living in the country. Even so, only 329 family reunifications took place on average annually between 1999 and 2010, according to the Refugee Advice Center. No matter how one
Read on »Making torture and hate acceptable
Even if the media in the United States speaks of torture as something recent, the truth is that it has been going on for a very long time. These type of barbaric interrogation techniques were widely used in the last century in regions like Latin America. The CIA and the United States trained and promoted torture and state-sponsored terrorism in places like the School of the Americas.
Read on »THL study shows high amount of mental health problems suffered by Russians, Somalis and Kurds
The first question that came to mind when I read a disturbing study of Russian, Somali and Kurdish immigrants by the National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) is why now? If the THL study is the first-ever of its kind in Finland about immigrants’ health and living conditions, why has it taken such a long
Read on »Send kudos to those who speak out against racism
We must change the ever-adverse debate against immigrants and visible minorities in Finland. The way to end it is by giving our silence a voice and by sending kudos to those who have the courage to speak out against racism and prejudice. Source: Lake Harriet Community School. Migrant Tales would like to give kudos Tuija
Read on »Kouvolan Sanomat: Racism on the rise in the Finnish city of Kouvola
A city official that works with immigrants in refugees in the city of Kouvola, located 100km north of Helsinki, claims that racism and social exclusion are on the rise, reports Kourolvan Sanomat. The official, Tuija Värynen, said that complaints by immigrants of more racism and harassment rose clearly in March-April. Victims of racism can be
Read on »Joseph: What being Finnish means to me (Part I)
By Joseph* I came to Finland at the age of three. I spoke only English and understood Spanish since my mother was a Finn who lived many years in Venezuela. We moved to a small city called Lappeenranta in eastern Finland. It is a beautiful city and the current unofficial capital of Karelia after Finland ceded
Read on »Enrique Tessieri: Why I write about racism
I write about racism and social exclusion in Finland because it affects me and those I care about. I should know because I used to live marginalized from this society for decades. I didn’t live marginalized because I was maladapted. I was marginalized because I was well-adapted. Too many didn’t consider me a “real” Finn
Read on »We will win the battle against hate speech and intolerance
Much is at stake as Finland and Europe speeds into the depths of the new century. One of the greatest threats to our way of life and society today is hate speech and far-right ideology. Our resolve to identify and challenge these menaces is crucial during these times. Even if the media, politicians and public
Read on »EU Commissioner for Human Rights: Protection against discrimination should be strengthened in Finland
This is a statement by the EU Commissioner for Human Rights: Strasbourg, 25/9/2012 – “The Finnish Government has started a timely reform of the national equal treatment legislation. It is now crucial to ensure accessibility of the protection framework to all victims of discrimination and avoid unnecessary fragmentation of equality bodies” said today Nils
Read on »An interesting discussion with some PS members about Finnish identity
I had an interesting discussion on Saturday with a Perussuomalaiset (PS) candidate for Mikkeli city council. The woman, who claimed that her mother is Russian, stressed that the PS strives to look after everyone’s interests in Finland, including that of immigrants. Good news. Even if such views are hard to find in the PS, they
Read on »Teach me that we are more alike than different…
…teach me not to hate. Teach me the lie and shame of racism [because] it hurts all people. Teach me to learn from you and to learn about me… Inspirational words from the Center for the Healing of Racism that should be the guiding light enshrined in our national curriculum for schools (opetussuunnitelma) concerning cultural diversity.
Read on »Du Bois and Finland: “Your country”
I read an interesting blog entry on Racism Review about what W.E.B. Du Bois (1868-1963), sociologist, historian and civil rights activist, wrote* about blacks in the United States. His words still ring out today in light of the hostility we see today towards immigrants and visible minorities in many parts of Europe and the United
Read on »Exceptional Finns with immigrant backgrounds
Some Exceptional Finns with so-called immigrant backgrounds are Husein Muhammed, Nasima Razmyar, Arman Alizad, Tino Singh, Abdirahim Husu Hussein and Ali Jahangiri. All of them have one thing in common: They are exceptions to the stereotype but have immigrant backgrounds. But how can you call a person who has lived most of his or her life in
Read on »Finnish youths with immigrant backgrounds are the new underclass
A new map published by Statistics Finland shows the percentage of marginalized youths (15-29 yrs) by regions. It not only shows a growing problem in this country, but an especially serious one among youths with immigrant backgrounds, who have a much higher chance of being marginalized than white Finns. A marginalized youth is anyone who
Read on »Somali-Finn Abdulah: Living in no-man’s land (Part 2)
When Abdulah*, 30, talks to you about his twenty-two years in Finland, one of the first questions that arises is how has so much suffering escaped our attention. For Abdulah, acceptance isn’t only virtually impossible from white Finns, but can be just as hard to get from the Somali community. “I have decided to
Read on »Study: Homophobia and racism hinder young minority athletes from joining Finnish sports clubs
Helsingin Sanomat reported that homophobia and racism are two factors that hinder young minority athlietes from joining a Finnish sports club, according to a study. If the story is true it is not only another indication that some Finns live tucked deep in the values of the previous century, but for this to be going on still today is shameful, self-defeating and above all unacceptable.
Read on »Finland also locks up asylum seeker children
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- A child in the Joutseno Immigration Removal Center.
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