May 2013 - Migrant tales

Migrant Tales turns six years today

Posted on May 31, 2013 by Migrant Tales

Migrant Tales celebrates its sixth year as a blog today. Our blog has grown from a humble voice to one that gets noticed in Finland and abroad.

Our aim is a simple: Migrant Tales is a blog community that debates some of the salient issues facing immigrants and minorities in Finland and elsewhere. It aims to be a voice for those whose views and situation are understood poorly and heard faintly by the media, politicians and public.

Our blog’s existence hinges on challenging intolerance in all shapes and forms in this country and elsewhere.

As long as intolerance is a problem, Migrant Tales will be there.

Ombudsman for Minorities responds to Migrant Tales’ queries concerning phone operators and insurance companies

Posted on May 31, 2013 by Migrant Tales

Migrant Tales spoke recently to the office of the Ombudsman for Minorities about two cases by Finland’s mobile phone operators and insurance companies. We asked as well if using the term students with immigrant backgrounds, or maahanmuuttajataustainen, at elementary and middle schools was discriminatory.

The term maahanmuuttajataustainen appears to be so common in some Mikkeli schools that they refer to such students with the acronym “MMT.”

If you feel that you are discriminated because of your ethnic and/or national background, the Ombudsman for Minorities is a good place to inquire about such matters from Monday to Friday from 10-noon at 071 878 8666.

In an email dated May 13 to Ombudsperson for Minorties Eva Biaudet and Rainer Hiltunen, ombudsman head of office, I pointed out the three above-mentioned cases.

The Ombudsman for Minorities gave the following responses in a telephone interview:

Mobile phone operators can in principle ask for a deposit if the person doesn’t have a credit history in Finland. This rule should not only apply to immigrants but to everyone who lives in Finland irrespective of the person’s nationality.

One of the solutions that the Ombudsman for Minorities gave was for the potential customer to ask the phone operator if it was possible to provide a credit history from the person’s last country of residence.

On the second mater concerning residence and language requirements by insurance companies, the Ombudsman for Minorities said that such cases are still ongoing. The cases and sources supplied by Migrant Tales would be given to the department in charge of negotiating these matters with with insurance companies.

The final matter, whether it was discriminatory for elementary and middle schools to openly call third-culture children ”students with immigrant backdgrounds” was discriminatory, the Ombudsman for Minorities asked what better word could be used in place of maahanmuuttajataustainen.

At some learning institutions the term ”immigrant” or ”person with immigrant background” has been dropped and replaced by “mulitucltural student.” Even if this isn’t the best term, it’s much better than immigrant or person with immigrant background.

It’s clear that the terms used to label immigrants, their children and visible minorities can fuel discrimination and promote inequality. By labelling a person who was born in this country or who has lived most of his or her life in Finland a person with immigrant background is making the following affirmation: Your not equal to me because I’m a native and you’re a foreigner.

Finnish Swedish-speaking journalists and public figures receive death threats

Posted on May 30, 2013 by Migrant Tales

Is it a surprise that prominent Finns belonging to the Swedish-speaking minority received anonymous hate mail and death threats this week? If you want to find the roots of such hatred, one place to look is the anti-immigration, anti-Swedish language and anti-EU Perussuomalaiset (PS) party.

Members of the Swedish-speaking communities are not the only ones who have received death threats. Feminists, researchers and even Migrant Tales have received such threats as well. It is a sad reality of life in Finland these days.

It’s no news that part of the PS’ survival plan as a political party includes a concerted campaign against immigrants, visible and language minorities in this country. Another target of the conservative populist party is the Finnish media, which it claims is biased against the populist party.

Amid all this intimidation and attacks, PS chairman Timo Soini claims with a poker face that his party doesn’t hate anyone.

Read whole story here.

YLE journalist Bettina Såghbom said that she and her family have received death threats on Monday and Tuesday by email, according to YLE in English. Helsingin Sanomat managing editor Paula Salovaara is another journalist who was sent death threats by email this week.

Apart from being strongly opposed to immigration and Finland’s Swedish-speaking minority, the PS has attacked the Finnish media as well.

The views of PS MPs like James Hirvisaari should worry us since Finland’s third-largest party in parliament believes it’s acceptable to pry in the newsroom and tell the media how to do its job.

MP Hirvisaari has branded journalists in the past as “bloodthirty hyenas” as well as “arrogant lying scum.”

Tom Packalén is another PS MP who is eager to teach the national media what they should write about his party. He called Finland’s largest daily, Helsingin Sanomat, former Soviet daily Pravda (a favorit term used by many PS politicians), and accused the daily of limiting freedom of speech.

Migrant Tales has never hid its concern about the ever-worsening anti-immigration and anti-minority climate in Finland exacerbated by groups like the PS and assisted by the recession.

Death threats against prominent figures of the Swedish-speaking community in Finland as well as prying into the newsroom by politicians should send alarm bells off. An attack against any minority in the vile manner of the PS and steps to compromise the independence of our national media should be strongly condemned as well.

We have fresh examples in Hungary how anti-Romany and anti-Semitism sentiment promoted by nationalist parties has led to greater scrutiny by the government of Viktor Orbán of that country’s media.

In today’s Europe what goes around comes around much faster than before.

Dana: Am alone in a faraway land without my mom

Posted on May 29, 2013 by Dana

Yes, it’s a few days since I got my citizenship, and you cruel ones got together. You hated me and my mother too. She is gone now.
Dana

_________

Am alone at home

Alone in Finland

I cannot cry

I am standing in front of you, my enemies, and telling that you are very cruel.

She was waiting for me for three years

And still my family case gathered dust in your offices?

Where? I don’t know.

Who was the judge and lawyer that made decision that I do not deserve
to see my mother …I don’t know

Does he or she know me?

Does he or she believe I am ugly and not human?

Who are you?

Why did you not accept me ever and did not accept my family?

Now I want my mother
She was my mother, can you understand me?

Now come and attack me and tell me to get out of Finland,

Now come and attack me with your ugly hearts,

Now come and show me you’re very happy,

yes I made you all very happy with this news, but GOD is not happy and
GOD was a witness between us,

he saw how you treated me, he saw all, I don’t want more.

It has no hurt for you, it’s my mother not yours,

you cannot feel anything for me,

but joy, because I am a woman who cannot stay in silence,

because I am a woman who does not belong to darkness

so what if you hate me and show it to me,

show it again tomorrow and the day after tomorrow …

Now tell me what’s your idea? Oh nothing.

Finland why so? Why could you not accept my mother?

Why could you never asked me for an interview, oh what can you know about me…

All those moments you put dust on my case, you put dust and sand
between me and my mother…

Now she is not here, she does not need to miss me, she does not need
to feel pain for Dana.

Danaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa you have no mother, that’s finished.

Tell me what’s the difference between me and you, tell me what’s the
difference between my mother and yours?

I could not see my mother again, now what does this citizenship mean to me?

I paid for you, I paid for my family, but instead you scammers scammed me.

Thanks, I have no more words, thanks to you.

Let me talk about her, not about you.

She is my beautiful mother, she is in me, she is alive for me , she is
free, she doesn’t need to come and see how you have broken me, she
doesn’t need to come here and see me with a broken heart.

She was just 63 and no-one will live forever. You will die too one
day, no-one knows which day…. so why did you try so hard to separate
me and my mom?

Scammers, tell me what you have done with my money?

Tell me how you talked about my case with each other?

Why do you hide. To who shall I say this? Where are you, cruel one?

Where are you my enemies, I was not your enemy, so how come you put
yourself against me, what had I done to you?

You do not know me at all.

You don’t care.

Now you’re on your trip, on your joy , or on your warm bed, or at work
and proud of yours, or maybe you hug your wife or husband but I could
not taste my mother again…

Now tell me about my imagination and poems…

This is fact

I lost my mother… tonight

And so go and make a party for yours

I know you are very happy now….

But you are yet fearful hunters

Why do you hide yourself from me

If you are right and there is nothing to hide why has it been three years?

I am very kind with your mothers and fathers but what about you?

You don’t know about pain.

How can I live without my mother… oh so far far far… I could not
touch her again.

I even cannot believe it,

hey hunters I was speaking with my mother’s body, just hour ago, it
was fresh… my brother helped me, I told to my mom that I want 1000
and more stories, I will come .

Now no/one can understanding me , not even myself.

I cannot help me now… because I cannot hug me

I cannot help me now…. because I cannot get me

I can help me now…, because there is no me

I cannot help me… because I lost me

I cannot help me now….. me also needs me

But I cannot help me now….. I wish I could touch her body but I
cannot. Why can’t I?

I see foreigners, with family here and there, and just suffering.

I don’t know why my destiny has become so hard and painful.

Whatever I am doing and trying I get nothing in result.

I am a ghost in Finland.

No-one can see me here

I am a picture in Finland, no-one can hear me here

I am a poet, a writer in a nightmare… I just write write write and
think think think

I cannot stop my mind

I cannot stop trying …always have hope… my mother was in my wishes,

Without a wish there is no hope, for a tree is not a tree without a root.

This is a trip for all of us… but we were waiting a long time to meet

If my mother was here or close to me now I could sleep close to her
body until morning,

I’m not afraid of the dead so am not afraid of my mother either.

I could hug her until morning, oh would be very good… I love it.

But now I cannot even hug me

I never knew a hug is so important, oh never knew

Do you know about hugs?

Now I need one.. but am alone…there is no-one to hug me

So I won’t cry, I won’t let you see my tears.

I cannot believe it, even if I wouldn’t deserve a hug.

I need my brother, he needs me… but we cannot hug each other

Now I wish to have her dress… I want to wear it and make it free with
my hair on it…

Then she will stay in me in my heart…”it fits you, you like
it…okay, take it!”

Skype was not working for two months in Iran..so I could not see her
for two months

Foreigners who have their family right here with them are the luckiest
in this world …

But I am waiting fondly for my mother’s dress now, and it would make
me so happy even if I start this happiness with tears.

Am sleeping

My mother will call me soon

and I will open my eyes in front of the sweetest face in the world, of
my mother.

Sweden and Woolwich reveal the eager face of intolerance

Posted on May 29, 2013 by Migrant Tales

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 culturally diverse society during economically trying times.

Mainstream politicians, who may mean well, end up digging their political graves when they try to attract the anti-immigration vote. We saw this with disastrous results for them in Finland in the April 2011 elections and most recently in the United Kingdom, after the good showing of the anti-immigration UKIP party in the local elections.

Despite proof that it’s politically risky to be in cahoots with anti-immigration groups by echoing their message of intolerance, it seems that Prime Minister Jyrki Katainen of Finland hasn’t learned from his past mistakes. He said that one way of avoiding the riots that took place in Sweden is to keep the amount of asylum seekers in check.

If people are fleeing war and violence, isn’t it their human right to seek asylum in a country like Finland? Or should they go somewhere else because we speculate that they will instigate Husby-type riots in the future?

If I could, I’d ask Prime Minister Katainen why he made such a statement and how many asylum seekers are taking part in the riots in Sweden. I seriously doubt there are any asylum seekers rioting in Sweden.

What do such inopportune statement reveal about the political atmosphere in Finland? It shows that mainstream parties still fear the populist anti-immigration and anti-EU Perussuomalaiset (PS) and have few good arguments to challenge it.

It’s not the first time that the prime minister had made such an untimely statement about immigrants in Finland. In March 2010 he said that ”debating immigrant issues in this country didn’t make you a racist.”

That affirmation by the prime minister opened the Internet floodgates of greater intolerance and victimization of immigrants and visible minorities.

National Police Commissioner Mikko Paatero added as well more fuel to the flames of intolerance by stating that what happened in Sweden could soon take place in Finland. He thus labels and reinforces negative prejudices of immigrants that they are a problem instead of an asset to our society.

What do all of these tragic events and reaction by our officials tell us about the present state of intolerance in Finland? It not only shows ignorance and political opportunism, but reinforces the idea that too many in this country are still in the dark about how to promote greater tolerance.

Sad but true.

ENAR press statement: Riots in Sweden – time for government to finally address ethnic minorities’ exclusion

Posted on May 28, 2013 by Migrant Tales

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 Swedish authorities. For too long, Sweden has turned its back on the dire social and economic situation of migrants and minority communities who are facing increasing marginalisation, scarcer access to decent housing, higher unemployment rates, as well as excessive use of power by policing authorities. The European Network Against Racism (ENAR) condemns both the violence use on the street by rioters and the ongoing institutional violence of successive Swedish governments, which have chosen not to address the deeprooted causes of exclusion plaguing Swedish society.

For instance, the Swedish police project ‘REVA’, aimed to crack down on irregular immigrants, has led to racial profiling in checking ID and residency permits of anyone ‘foreign-looking’. Such practices are clearly discriminatory and undermine the rights of individuals. They also contribute to the exclusion and demonisation of particular communities.

We call on the Swedish government to:

– Put measures and resources in place to remedy the discrimination, high unemployment rates and segregation faced by ethnic minority communities – Put an immediate end to the excessive use of police powers targeted at ethnic minorities and migrants. – Engage in a dialogue with grassroots NGOs to develop an action programme to decrease tensions in communities and rapidly improve their socio-economic conditions.

ENAR Chair Chibo Onyeji said: “It is essential to use non-violent methods in the pursuit for justice and socioeconomic change. But urgent action is needed to create a constructive environment that can give young people growing up in ethnic minority communities a foundation for a bright future. Fostering inclusion and reducing the increasing inequalities faced by ethnic minority communities should be at the forefront of Sweden’s political concerns.”

Read original statement here.

Sweden riots: People cannot live off football, crumbs and destitute pity

Posted on May 28, 2013 by Migrant Tales

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 country want to dwell too much on the backlash the downsizing of our social welfare state could have on Finland. It’s not only easy but politically convenient to blame immigrants and their Swedish children, grandchildren and great grandchildren for the rioting.

National Coalition Party MP Arto Satonen is one Finnish politician that caught my attention concerning what he said about the riots in Sweden. The MP, who is chairman of National Coaliation Party’s parliamentary group, gave the following solutions:

Keep the number of asylum seekers under control;
Greater effort must be made to integrate immigrants;
Ghettoization (he calls it segregation) must be avoided.

Why does Satonen talk about “keeping the number of asylum seekers under control?” Is he suggesting that asylum seekers are more prone to rioting and being marginalized than labor immigrants? Asylum seekers are the last group that would be rioting in Husby or in other parts of Stockholm and Sweden.

The same opinion was expressed by National Coalition Party Prime Minister Jyrki Katainen, who said that the number of asylum seekers must be kept in check, according to YLE. His comment was criticized by Left Alliance Minister of Culture Paavo Arhimäki.

I agree with Satonen’s second point but it’s unclear how we are going about this in Finland. High immigrant unemployment and youth marginalization, job discrimination, and the rise of a populist anti-immigration party that won 19.1% of the votes in 2011 make integration a greater challenge.

I am always a bit surprised when Finnish politicians speak of the danger of ghettoization. On the one hand, Finland officially praises multiculturalism but on the other hand dreads when too many visible immigrants live in the same neighborhood.

The same concern was expressed by teachers in a survey in 2011, which showed that 41% of teachers would like to place limits on third-culture children in the classroom. One third of those polled would not place any such limits.

Satonen said that football was a great integrator. Agreed. However, people can’t live off sports.

They need opportunities, jobs and Nordic social equality.

Jouni Karnasaari: “Keski-ikäinen mies, oletko vaarassa sairastua rasismiin?”

Posted on May 27, 2013 by Migrant Tales

Jouni Karnasaari

Suomalainen keski-ikäistyvä mies joutuu monenlaisten pohdintojen ääreen kilometrien karttuessa matkamittariin. Kakkostyypin diabetekseen sairastumisen riski kasvaa, samoin sydän- ja verisuonitautien riski. Repsahdukset alkoholismiin muuttuvat yhä todennäköisimmiksi. Kaikkien edellämainittujen suhteen on olemassa tukiverkostoja, aikaisen havaitsemisen ohjeistuksia ja ennaltaehkäisevää toimintaa. Yhden kansansairauden osalta näin ei kuitenkaan ole.

Rasismi kansansairautena on lisääntymässä siinä määrin että voitanee puhua jo epidemiasta. Kuten diabeteksessa, rasismissakin ensimerkit ovat lähes huomaamattomat – alkuun esimerkiksi erilainen ulkonäkö aiheuttaa vain ihmetteleviä katseita, taudin pahetessa puheeseen tulee uusia elementtejä kuten “tuo on NIITÄ” tai “noita me täällä elätetään”. Akuuttivaiheesta krooniseen vaiheeseen siirtyminen voi tapahtua nopeasti mikäli ei reagoida ajoissa.

Itse olen ollut siinä onnellisessa asemassa, että olen toistaiseksi välttänyt edellämainituista sydän- ja verisuonitaudit, alkoholismin ja diabeteksen. Varmaankin kiitos hyvän valistuksen, koetan pitää vyötärölihavuuden kurissa, liikkua riittävästi ja syödä edes jotakuinkin terveellisesti.

Rasismiin sairastumiselta en sensijaan ole onnistunut välttymään. Kun näin jälkikäteen omaa sairaushistoriaansa tarkastelee, ensimmäiset selvät hälytysmerkit näkyivät 90-luvun alkupuolella. Tuolloin olin melko vastikään muuttanut Mikkeliin, samoihin aikoihin kun entisen hotelli Varsavuoren tiloihin oli avattu Somalipakolaisten vastaanottokeskus. Kuten allergian puhjetessa, minuun vaikuttivat massiivinen epäkohtien esille nostaminen ja yleistyksien hyöky ja aivan kuin varkain olin mukana keskusteluissa joissa aina vain kovemmin äänenpainoin rakennettiin raja-aitaa ihmisten välille. Vastustuskykyni petti ja sairastuin rasismiin.

Kuten vaikkapa sepelvaltimotaudissa, rasismissakaan pelkät ympäristötekijät eivät riitä laukaisemaan sairautta, oma vaikutuksensa on myös perintötekijöillä ja muilla sairastumisalttiutta lisäävillä tekijöillä. Yhtä kaikki, kerran rasismiin sairastunut ei voi enää palata ajassa takaisinpäin. Kuten alkoholisti, joka ensimmäisen kerran ymmärtää olevansa alkoholisti, myös rasisti aloittaa hitaan paranemisprosessin vasta tunnistaessaan ja tunnustaessaan sairautensa.

Oma paranemisprosessini on kestänyt nyt jo lähes kaksi vuosikymmentä ja edelleen rasismi tunkee ajoittain pintaan. Mutta kun tunnistan tuon puolen itsessäni enkä hyväksy sitä, uskon että sairaus ei enää saa minusta ja ajatuksistani yliotetta.

Omassa paranemisprosessissani erinomaisena tukena on ollut työpaikka joka on siedätyshoidoin kyennyt lannistamaan etenevän sairauden – erilaisuudelle altistaminen, moninäkökulmaisuuden lisääminen, luottamus ja hyväksyminen ovat niitä tekijöitä jotka ovat mahdollistaneet parantumisen. Olen tuskallisen tietoinen siitä, että läheskään kaikilla ei tällaista mahdollisuutta ole, mutta ehkäpä mahdollisuuksia tulee aikaa myöden? Niitä odotellessa oma luontaishoitoreseptini joka toimii takuuvarmasti – harjoita siedätyshoitoa mahdollisimman usein ja hakeudu tilanteisiin joissa altistut muullekin kuin huonepölylle.

Suurin uhka Euroopalle ovat he, jotka haluavat puolustaa meitä toisilta

Posted on May 27, 2013 by Migrant Tales

Minua ei pelota kulttuurinen moninaisuus puhumattakaan terrorismi. Toisten kulttuurien olemisen kieltäminen globalisoituneessa maailmassa on sama kuin yrittäisi kieltää seksin. Kulttuurinen moninaisuus ja seksi ovat osa ihmisyyttä. On turhaa kieltää jotain niinkin luonnollista.

Toki on paljon uhkia. Yksi niistä on äärioikeistolaiset, populistiset sekä maahanmuuttovastaiset ideologiat, jotka ovat hyvin yleisiä tämänpäiväsissä Euroopassa. Jos emme haasta näitä ilmiöitä on samaa kuin asettaisimme hirttosilmukan kansalaisoikeutemme kaulaan.

Terrorismin laajentuminen tai sen pelko voi johtaa meidät vaaralliselle totalitarismin polulle, koska yrittäisimme suojata itsemme kaikin mahdollisin tavoin. Löytäisimme paljon syntipukkeja, mutta emme lopulta ratkaisuja eikä rauhaa.

En pelkää kulttuurien moninaisuutta, terrorismi tai Husbyn kaltaiset mellakat Suomessa. Haluan, että populistiset poliitikot erityisesti perussuomalaisesta puolueesta lopettamaan pelkäämisen minun puolestani.

Älä käytä Ruotsissa tapahtuneita mellakoita tekosyynä hyökätä sitä vastaan kuka olen tai kieltää oikeuteni olla erilainen tässä maassa.

Hyväksy se tosiasia, ettei yksikään nykyinen tai tuleva laki estä Suomen moninaisuutta tai sitä, että se pitäisi meidät turvassa terrorismilta. Suomi pyrki vuosina 1939 ja 1995 rajoittamaan ankarasti maahanmuuttoa ja ulkomaalaisten muuttoa tänne epäonnistuen.

Useasti maahanmuuttovastaiset rinnastavat maahanmuuton terrorismiin vaikka se on edelleen erittäin harvinaista Euroopassa, EU Terrorism Situation and Trend Report 2012 mukaan. Sinulla on Euroopassa suurempi vaara kuolla auto-onnettomuudessa, lääkärin virheestä tai poliisin luodista kuin terroristi-iskusta tai kulttuurien moninaisuudesta.

Britanniassa traagisesti murhatun armeijan sotilaan tapaus torstaina osoitti sen, kuinka Britannian reagoi ja miksi suvaitsemattomuus on suurin vaara Euroopassa. Islamin terrorismi on yksi vaara mutta vielä suurempi uhka ovat ne ryhmät, jotka väittävät puolustavansa meitä siltä uhalta.

Sinä olet vaarallinen. Kyllä, sanoin sinä, joka pelkäät minun puolestani ja olet valmis laittamaan kansalaisoikeutemme kylmävarastoon.

Migrant Tales Literary: Helloless culture

Posted on May 26, 2013 by Migrant Tales

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 the initiative and say good morning and greet people in this way.

If i don’t say anything i won’t hear a response, hmmm what a beautiful culture! Oh hello! A greeting and a hi are a way to be friendly to others but here everything is extremely cold and unfriendly. Why? Sure, you and I don’t know it, only they know it and they claim it’s their culture – oh no that word again, culture!

Culture is offers an easy answer to all my questions about the Finns and Finland. Oh and please don’t tell me it’s about being shy or shyness if u exclude me because it means ur not a shy people. So what do you think about greeting people with a hello? What about a course in learning how to say hello? Do u like the idea?

When u or your child visit a place u need to greet others with a hello, it’s important, it’s like telling the other person not to be afraid of you because you’re a friend. How can a child stay silent in such a situation? No respect for adults? Teach them respect, then they won’t leave u in a home for the elderly when u r old and they’ll care for u when you’re old.

Adults should believe that a good way of being friendly begins with a small and humble hi. What should I think of you if I am a foreigner in this helloless culture? Hello ensures peace between people so what’s wrong with saying hello?

Don’t forget to say hello. I won’t abandon my hellos and greetings even if you have…. hellooooooo anyway!