If there is one matter where Finland’s ever-growing culturally diverse society must still work on, it’s instilling greater acceptance and respect for those who are different from white Finns. For me, this is central in our struggle to live in a country that is acceptant and respects others irrespective of their backgrounds.
After moving over thirty years to this country, there’s finally a video below that reflects and promotes this important fact.
I dedicate it to all those who still believe that Finnish identity is monolithic, or, as Heikki Waris claimed in the 1960s on page two of “An introduction to Finnish history,” the following (note how he forgets to mention the 10,000-strong Romany minority):
A fourth aspect is the high degree of homogeneity of Finnish society. Racial homogeneity particularly characterizes the Finnish people who have practically no racial minorities, the less than three thousand Lapps in the northernmost arctic communities making up the largest racial minority group. Consequently, racial prejudice and discrimination are nonexistent.
Waris is very selective when he writes about so-called racial homogeneity. He simply forgets that 1.2 million Finns emigrated and mixed with people and cultures in other lands. He denies and plays down who we’ve always been and will be.
To all those Finns who still believe that this country only belongs to them, I have some news for you. This land belongs to all of us.
We won’t wait for generations for acceptance.
Acceptance begins with us.
I think it is at least debatable that emigrants and their children, who live outside Finland, aren’t really part of Finnish society unless they move back here.
For example, you have previously advocated view where a immigrant who has moved to Finland (and perhaps gets a Finnish citizenship) is a Finn and part of Finnish society. Now you seem to be advocating a view where where that person shouldn’t be seen as a member of Finnish society, but as a member of the society where he has emigrated from.