Happy New Year!
Month: December 2008
Merry Christmas and greater ethnic understanding in 2009
Here is thanking all of you for taking part in this rich debate about a home we call Finland. Some of you may remember that apart from traveling geographically, we can also travel through cultures. Here is a quick “visit” to a lower-middle class trailer home somewhere in Southwest United States. It was sent by…
Finnish “mono-” versus “multicultural” debate
Cultures have always interacted because it makes sense. Multiculturalism has always existed and we base our present technologically advanced and diverse society on the willing to accept new, interesting and more effective tools to survive.
Finnish identity in the new century
Forging Finnish identity was important in the 20th century. Even so, it narrowed our perception of who is a Finn. The dual citizenship law of 2003 was one important matter that started to change matters.
“New” Finns, Finns or which ethnic label fancies you?
The term “New Finn” was recently used by Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen. Is it an appropriate label to use for foreigners living in the country?
The Equality Act and Finnish Independence Day
What better time than to bring up the Equality Act of 2004 during Finland’s Independence Day. One of the matters that makes me happy about being a member of this society is that after December 6, 1917, Finland did not become an autocratic country that had no respect for human rights. Despite all the challenges…
Ghostbusting national identities
Linda has posed an interesting question: What is Finnish culture? Even though the answer to the question is more complex than one would think, it brings forth some very important points about our identity and who we believe we are. One of the biggest problems with “national identities” and “cultures” is that they are built…
A neat quote by Topelius about who are the Finns
Zacharias Topelius , a Finnish cultural heavyweight who lived in the 19th century, embraced multiculturalism in the following manner below. When I read such a quote, I am more convinced that 1939-1995 was an anomaly for this country. Finland was always multicultural — not a “monocultural” nation that fought tooth and nail to exclude people…