Author: Migrant Tales

Finland votes on April 17: Stoking the flames of bigotry

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By Enrique Tessieri

Finns will go to the ballot boxes on April 17 and some are predicting a big victory for the populist True Finns, a party which bases much of its  campaign on anti-EU rhetoric as well as nationalism, conservative values, anti-immigration and Islamophobia.  The good news is that the majority of Finns have given them the thumbs down.

Researcher Vesa Puuronen said in an interview on Sunday in Mikkeli-based daily Länsi-Savo that the Islamophobia gripping some parts of Europe is similar to what happened in this continent in the 1930s. “I fear that it (right-wing populism) will rise (elsewhere) and could grow in Finland,” he was quoted as saying in Länsi-Savo. “I hope we’ll pull through this with less damage than from the right-wing populist wave of the 1930s that caused a calamity throughout Europe and the world.”

Another important matter to take into account is that researchers like Puuronen believe that racism based on culture and religion is as dangerous as what eugenics brought us before World War II. One of the favorite pastimes of these questionable “men of science” was classifying and justifying “racial” superiority.

One of these “researchers” of eugenics in Finland was Rolf Nordenstreng. This was the level of his observations: “You cannot expect intelligent children from a Gypsy horse thief and a promiscuous Negro wife (sic!).” (Nordenstreng, 1929, p. 48).

This is an updated 2010 version of the above by James Hirvisaari of the True Finns:  “And on top of this we’ll get (from Muslim immigrants) discrimination,   intolerable contemptuous bad behavior, hate, degradation of women, mutilated children’s bodies, sexual molesters (sic!)…”

Isn’t it incredible that we live in 2011 and still find these types of affirmations are coming from people who should know better?

This is what General David Petraeus said recently about the buring of the Koran in Florida: “This was a surprise. (It was) hateful, extremely disrespectful and enormously intolerant.” Is there any difference to what happened in Florida and Hirvisaari’s wrath?

Despite the fact that racism has raised its ugly head in Finland, it is a good matter that it is out there for all of us to see. We must not only challenge it but nip this social ill in the bud.

Because I believe in Finland, I know that we will prevail in the task.

Talouselämä: Suurin osa maahanmuuttajista on suomalaisia

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Comment: Here is a story in the business weekly Talouselemä that reveals that one third, or the biggest group of immigrants that moved to Finland in 2000-08, were none other than Finnish expatriates. This sounds a bit like in early 1980 when the biggest group of “foreigners” living in the country were Finns who had Swedish citizenship.

If this is true, what are anti-immigration parties like the True Finns and groups like Hommaforum talking about if the biggest group of “foreigners” that moved to this country were their own countrymen and women?

It’s pretty incredible that the immigration issue has not surfaced in any of the recent YLE election debates. Is it such a hot potato that YLE has preferred not to bring it up?

The April 17 election has shown that a part of Finland is seriously challenged when it comes to relating to cultural diversity, immigrants and immigration. Some of them even go as far as claiming that they are indigenous and that immigrants are colonlizing their land.

This type of extremism and xenophobia has a lot to do with Finland being a shut society during most of the cold war. Anti-immigration and Islamophobic groups want to take Finland back to the time when the shadow of the Soviet Union hung deep over this land.

Do you agree?

_____________

Hanna Rajalahti

Perussuomalaisten suosio mielipidemittauksissa on houkutellut vaalien alla päivänvaloon kaikenlaisia kansalliskiihkoilevia porukoita.

To keep on reading click here.

Iltalehti: Intialaistaustaista ehdokasta syrjittiin vaalikentällä Persukahakka!

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Comment: Here is a worrying story that is the tip of the iceberg.  For many foreigners it is a common story.

What did Iltalehti report? A True Finn allegedly tried to pick a fight with a naturalized Finn for offering him work. One matter is a group of True Finns supporters acting in a hostile fashion but a more serious matter is their contentious message towards the immigrant population.

The major parties in Finland made a big mistake by not giving the True Finns the cold shoulder like what happened with the Sweden Democrats. OK, the True Finns are not all following Jussi Halla-aho, but the party’s leadership opportunistically approves Islamophobic behavior by not condemning it.

The attacks and rancor towards immigrants and minorities in Finland will continue to pick up as long as parties like the True Finns continue to peddle their populism, which is deeply rooted in ignorance and bigotry.

Do you agree?

___________

Olli Waris

SDP:n ehdokkaan Ranbir Sodhin vaalitilaisuus Vantaan Myyrmäessä sai ikävän päätöksen viime lauantaina, kun perussuomalaisehdokkaan taustajoukot heittivät ilmoille syrjiviä kommentteja.

To keep on reading click here.

Migrant Tales memorable quotes of the week to March 28

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Migrant Tales publishes on Monday some interesting quotes on the ongoing immigration debate in Finland and elsewhere. If you have some quotes you would like to share with us, please forward them to [email protected]. ET

–If you’re a banker who bought your estate with the millions you made from mortgage fraud, relax. The Justice Department isn’t looking for you. But if you’re an illegal immigrant who’s working on that banker’s estate, look out.?The Department of Justice is ignoring your boss and devoting most of its resources to catching you.”  Former Wall Street executive Richard Eskow quoted on Campaign for America’s Future.

–The problem of immigration is truly a top concern in this new Finnish parliament, but the matter should be treated with justice, with regard to international laws on human right, accusation of a particular group is not good as it may worsen the situation. The immigrants should be treated with equality and with this improve their integration in society. A comment by Walter on MigrantTales (29.3.2011).

–So you are bullied at school. So what? In 20 years you will be earning 20 times more than those bullies in a vocation that offers 20 times more job satisfaction. Businesses will be bidding against each other for your services while remaining fearful that you will set up your own operation and compete against them.  Comment byJustice Demon on Migrant Tales (28.3.2011).

-Part of the populist approach involves cultivating urban myths for political gain. This is why we hear over and over again that immigrants are work shy benefit shoppers who get more benefits than the host population. Anyone who understands how the welfare system works can see that this cannot be true, but the myth is too valuable to abandon. Comment by JusticeDemon on Migrant Tales (28.3.2011).

–  (French President) Nicolas Sarkozy has failed to keep his promises on diversity – as the far right rises, we must defend the rights of ethnic minorities. According to independent research associations, visible minorities represent more than 15% of the population of France. Yet only 0.2% of deputies and about 1% of senators elected in metropolitan France are from a minority background. There is no French black person at the head of any large government ministry, and no French black person occupying the position of an ambassador, director of a CAC 40 corporation or senior staff officer in the armed forces.  Patrick Lozès quoted on guardian.co.uk.

The magic word or clarion call that should unite all immigrants and minorities throughout Europe is inclusion.  Enrique Tessieri @MigrantTales

Old quote: Immigration is the sincerest form of flattery.  Jack Paar

Source: ldh-toulon.net

Ydin-lehti: Suomi pystyy onnistumaan maahanmuuttopolitiikassa

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Enrique Tessieri

Nuorena minulla oli etuoikeus ja mahdollisuus vierailla joka kesä Etelä-Savossa isovanhempieni luona Etelä-Kaliforniasta käsin. 1960-luvun Suomessa maahanmuuttajia oli niin  vähän, että olin monelle kiinnostava kummajainen.

Suomi oli 1960- ja 1970-luvuilla hyvin erilainen maa kuin se on nykypäivänä. Suomea, Yhdysvaltoja ja synnyinmaatani Argentiinaa yhdisti yksi asia: maahanmuutto. 

Yhdysvallat, ja pienemmässä mittakaavassa Argentiina, olivat avautuneet maahanmuuttajille jo 1800-luvulla. Vaikka maahanmuuttajien määrä onkin kasvanut Suomessakin erityisesti 1990-luvulta lähtien, oli Suomi ennen perinteisesti maa, josta ihmiset muuttivat muualle.

Argentiinaan tuli myös paljon siirtolaisia: 1881-1914 aikana 4,2 miljoona ihmistä muutti sinne. Kyseisessä joukossa ihmiset olivat pääasiallisesti Italiasta ja Espanjasta. Kourallinen suomalaisia perusti 1906 Colonia Finlandesa-siirtokunnan subtrooppiseen Koillis-Argentiinaan.

Suomalaiset luvut ovat hurjaa katsottavaa: pelkästään Pohjois-Amerikkaan ja Ruotsiin muutti 1860-1999 arvioilta 905 000 suomalaista. Sodan jälkeen Suomesta lähti 535 000 ihmistä Ruotsiin asumaan. Jotkut väestötieteilijät uskovat, että ilman muuttoaaltoja Suomen väkiluku olisi tänään seitsemän miljoonaa.

Toivottu ja ei-toivottu siirtolaisuus

Siirtolaiset ovat olleet tärkeitä muun muassa talouskasvun luomisessa ja maan nousussa, mutta asia ei kuitenkaan ole yksiselitteinen. Rasismi ja syrjintä ovat olleet osa monen maan siirtolaisuuspolitiikkaa. Esimerkiksi kiinalaiset ja japanilaiset olivat ei-toivottuja siirtolaisia Yhdysvalloissa. Heidän muuttoliikkeensä Yhdysvaltoihin alkoi vasta vuoden 1965 jälkeen.

Sama koski myös mustaa väestöä. He saivat vasta 1960-luvulla valkoisten kanssa yhtyeenvertaiset kansalaisoikeudet lain edessä. Osa alkuperäiskansasta asuu yhä reservaateissa ja noin 7 miljoona meksikolaista asuu laittomasti maassa ilman oikeuksia.

Noin vuosi sen jälkeen, kun mustien amerikkalaisten kansalaisoikeusliikkeen taistelija Martin Luther King piti 1963 Washingtonissa tunnetuimman puheensa, ”Minulla on unelma,” kouluuni Kaliforniassa tuli ensimmäinen musta oppilas. Suurin osa koulun opiskelijoista oli valkoisia tai eurooppalaistaustaisia.

Lopputulos oli kuitenkin karu: uutta mustaa opiskelijaa kiusattiin jatkuvasti. Hän ei kestänyt olla koulussamme kuin kaksi viikkoa.

Argentiinan siirtolaisuuspolitiikka 1850-luvulta leimaa yksi mies: Juan Bautista Alberdi. Hän uskoi, että Argentiina ei voisi koskaan kehittyä, jos sillä on vain miljoona asukasta alueellaan. Hänestä Argentiinaan saattoi helposti asuttaa 50 miljoonia ihmistä. Alkuperäiskansoilla ei ollut paikkaa Alberdin uudessa Argentiinassa. Heitä vainottiin ja metsästettiin1920-luvulla.

Alberdilla oli naiiveja näkemyksiä siirtolaisuudesta. Hän halusi koulutettuja valkoisia eurooppalaisia Pohjois-Euroopasta kuten Iso-Britanniasta, espanjalaisten ja italialaisten sijaan. Tapahtui päinvastoin: Suurin osa Argentiinaan tulleista siirtolaisista olivat kouluttamattomia italialaisia ja espanjalaisia.

Kun katsotaan Yhdysvaltojen ja Argentiinan kokemuksia siirtolaisista herää tärkeä kysymys: pitääkö valtaväestön hyväksynnän olla niin pitkän tien päässä? Tarvitseeko maan odottaa yli 230 vuotta ennen kuin sille valitaan ensimmäinen musta presidentti, kuten Yhdysvalloissa tapahtui?

Suomella on myös suuria haasteita edessään, kun maahan saapuu yhä enemmän maahanmuuttajia. Mielestäni kotouttaminen on avainasemassa: kuinka tehokkaasti pystymme kotoutumaan heidät ja ottamaan heidät yhteiskunnan täysvaltaisiksi jäseniksi, riippumatta heidän kulttuurisista, uskonnollisista tai etnisistä taustoistaan. Onnistuminen edellyttää molemminpuolista hyväksyntää ja tasavertaisia mahdollisuuksia.

Tämä ei tule olemaan helppoa, muttei se mahdotontakaan ole. Kansallisidentiteettimme ehdot ovat yhä tiukkoja. Viime vuosisadoilla oli pyrkimyksiä hävittää kaikki vierasperäinen jopa sukunimiämme myöten muuttuaksemme enemmän suomalaisiksi.

Uskon että tällä vuosisadalla tulemme hyväksymään monimuotoisemman kansalaisidentiteettiin. Me tulemme eri taustoista, mutta olemme silti kaikki suomalaisia.

YLE: Maahanmuuttajaehdokkaita yhä vain kourallinen

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Comment: Here is an interesting story by YLE about candidates in the April 17 election with immigrant backgrounds. What is a bit disturbing about the story is that there are different definitions on what constitutes an immigrant. One of the candidates, for example, has an Ethiopian father but was born in Espoo.

Why do they make a big thing about these candidates background? Aren’t they Finns since they are citizenship?

Even if by a miracle all of the 48 candidates with immigrant backgrounds got elected, it would not even constitute a majority in the 200-seat Eduskunta.

The party with the most “immigrant” candidates were the Greens and the True Finns with the least.

___________

Maahanmuutto on yksi eduskuntavaalien kuumimmista puheenaiheista. Maahanmuuttajaehdokkaita on kuitenkin vaaleissa vain 45. Määrä riippuu myös laskutavasta. Maahanmuuttajaksi on laskettu myös ehdokkaita, joiden isä tai äiti on ulkomaalainen.

The read on click here.


Seeing the ogre of racism in Finland at an early age

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By Enrique Tessieri

What kind of society denies others their identity? What kind of society approves their children of ostracizing those that come from different backgrounds? The answer is simple: a culture that suffers from low self-esteem.

One of the biggest cultural crimes that had been committed in Finland in the previous century was Finnicization. It is another version of what countries like Brazil did to “whiten” their population by inviting European immigration to its shores.

I am grateful that I did not grow up in Finland during the 1960s and 1970s because it would have meant, apart from ridicule and exclusion, denying a part of my identity.

There are tens of thousands of people in Finland that grew up in the 1990s that went to school in this country and come from multicultural backgrounds. I doubt that you will find many rosy stories in that group about how well they were treated at school. Many, especially the visible minorities, will tell you tales about how they were excluded and bullied at school with the blessing of silence and inaction of their teachers.

Evey time politicians like Wille Rydman of Kokoomus or Timo Soini and his followers as well as others speak about the need for immigrants to integrate into society, I wonder what they mean. Students of multicultural backgrounds and visible minorities hear this rude message loud and clear every time they step out of their homes.

In many cases the attitudes, treatment and relationship that some Finns have with people of multicultural backgrounds has its roots in exclusion and racism.

When I was a kid briefly living in Finland, I had to fight with my bare fists to be accepted by my friends. In the end they did but there were always new kids, total strangers, who would make a big deal about my otherness.

I have only one advice for those who suffered this type of discrimination in Finland when they were young: It is never too late to raise your self-esteem of your other self. Returning to where you were once from will fill you with power that you never knew existed inside of you. The first crucial step in this process is accepting who you are.

If people have a problem with that it is their problem – not yours.

(Many thanks to Larion for bringing this issue to my attention)

guardian.co.uk: France’s minorities under fire

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Comment: “(French President) Nicolas Sarkozy has failed to keep his promises on diversity – as the far right rises, we must defend the rights of ethnic minorities;” writes Patrick Lozès.

He continues:  “According to independent research associations, visible minorities represent more than 15% of the population of France. Yet only 0.2% of deputies and about 1% of senators elected in metropolitan France are from a minority background. There is no French black person at the head of any large government ministry, and no French black person occupying the position of an ambassador, director of a CAC 40 corporation or senior staff officer in the armed forces.”

With the rise of the far-right National Front, it’s pretty clear that matters are not going to improve in France anytime soon.

What must minorities do in Europe as xenophobic parties raise their heads? In many cases, some minorities are the most defenceless in society because they don’t have political power.  Instead of defending their rights, some politicians use them as punching and bashing bags to gain votes.

The magic word or clarion call that should unite all immigrants and minorities throughout Europe is inclusion.

Do you agree?

____________

By Patrick Lozès

The recent local elections in France witnessed not only increased pressure from the extreme right National Front (FN), but also division within the conservative party in power, the UMP, which fluctuated uncertainly between an alliance with the FN and one with the opposition parties. As for the left, it can hardly be seen as a credible alternative. The situation for minorities in France has therefore become more than difficult. It has become critical.

To keep on reading click here.

Magma Media: Populismin nousu Euroopassa

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Comment: Apart from recovering from a  financial meltdown in September 2008 and the adverse effects of globalization, another explanation for the rise of far-right parties in Europe has been the political terrain left by traditional left-wing parties that no longer appeal to voters as in the past.

Far-right parties have emerged in almost every country in Europe: BNP in England, France’s National Front (FN), Swiss People’s Party, Lega Nord of Italy, Sweden Democrats, Danish People’s Party, Ataka of Bulgaria, Hungary’s Jobbik , Dutch Party for Freedom (PW), FrP of Norway and others.

The report, published by Magma Media below, does not consider the True Finns a far-right party per say but one with populist roots.

While the True Finns’ leader, Timo Soini, has renounced racism and is publicly against inciting violence against other ethnic groups, some of the candidates of the party would think twice about signing such a pledge. The anti-immigrant wing, led by Jussi Halla-aho, does not mind peddling the Islamophobic rhetoric of  far-right parties in Europe.

See a recent story published by Migrant Tales on the ties some True Finns candidates have with Suomen Sisu, a far-right group.

The authors don’t see a very smooth future for Soini despite his good success in the polls. Since the True Finns are a hodgepodge of ideologies and political passions, it is this heterogeneity that poses its greatest threat.

What do you think?

__________

Ääriliikkeet ja poliittinen populismi ovat lisänneet kannatustaan eri maissa. Kyse on rajat ylittävästä ilmiöstä. Populismin alla on selvästi toisistaan poikkeavia liikkeitä ja puolueita. Ideologioissa, tavoitteissa, toimintatavoissa ja ääriliikkeiden esittämissä uhkakuvissa on eroja, mutta myös yhtäläisyyksiä.

To keep on reading click here.

To read the report (in Finnish)  click here.

YLE: Rasismi näkyy verta useammin kyyneleinä

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Comment: Here is an interesting story based on an interview with researcher Vesa Puronen, who puts a lot of things into perspective concerning the ongoing debate on immigrants and immigration.

One of the most common matters that anti-immigrant groups like the True Finns do is to group all immigrants into one bag.  In order to demonize them, they see everyone in the group as a threat and/or a criminal.  Racism isn’t a social issue that has raised its head with the ever-growing, albeit small, immigrant population in Finland.  The Saami, Roma and other minorities have been its victim Finland.

One of the favorite arguments of anti-immigrant and far-right groups is to demonize an ethnicity or religion. The aim is the same in every country: Since these people are a “threat” to us they can never live and be part of our society. Our racism and hatred is justified.

Puronen said that one matter that strengthens racism is silence. I totally agree. It explains why the True Finns and other anti-immigration parties and politicians have grown in popularity: silence has been their best ally.

Parties and some of their national representatives that should know better have preferred to be quiet to racism. They are now paying a big price for their silence.

If we want to build a successful society in the future, one matter is for certain: racism has not place in it.

Do you agree?

______________

Kati LahtinenRasismi ei ole maahanmuuton seuraus. Se on syvemmin suomalaiseen yhteiskuntaan juurtunut ilmiö, jonka maahanmuutto on ehkä nostanut esiin. Rasismi ei myöskään katoa jos maahanmuuttajia ei ole. Suomalaista rasismia ovat kohdanneet myös Suomen kansalaiset, saamelaiset.

To keep on reading click here.

You can also hear the interview (in Finnish).