Author: Migrant Tales

Foreigners in Finland: Integration or conversation?

Posted on by Migrant Tales

I recently had a very interesting chat with a colleague of mine over how much foreigners should integrate or assimilate into Finnish society. He felt that it was definitely not a matter of assimilation and that integration should only apply to the workplace. “Integration is important if you want to take part in the Finnish labor market,” he said. “Anything else, should be conversation.”

Some of the readers of this blog have very strong opinions about the matter. They believe that tax-paying foreigners who live in Finland have no other choice but to give up their identity and adapt 100% to Finnish values. This model of integration is not only impossible but ends up destroying the person’s identity and self-esteem.

In my opinion, one of the biggest setbacks of modern-day Finnish culture is in its definition of what is a Finn. It is too narrow and exclusive. If we are fair, there is a historical case for such a narrow definition. Finns are still in the process of molding a sense of national identity 91 years after the country´s independence. While it has been successful at building a strong sense of “us” and “them,” its drawback is that it has little tolerance for diversity. This is why some Finns believe that the only way for foreigners and their children can be accepted as Finns is by throwing away their identity.

One of the biggest setbacks of the present identity model is that by excluding others from being “Finns,” it has made the Finnish cultural field much smaller. One group that has suffered from this type of national identity model are Finnish expatriates and their children and grandchildren. In sum, all those who despite their diverse cultural background continue to have a sentimental bond with this country.

Finnish culture does not only include our mainland culture but a very diverse and rich group of people that were brought up in diverse cultural backgrounds in foreign lands as well as in Finland.

If there is work to do in improving our perception of ourselves as Finns it is in this area. Widen the definition to include all those who may wish to embrace this culture.

I for one hope that in the future Finns will start to look at their identity in a more open fashion that will include diverse groups irrespective of their background. This can only strengthen not weaken Finland.

The Anti-Finland League in Canada

Posted on by Migrant Tales

This is a funny story I read in The Hammer, a Canadian satirical magazine that tells about how the Finns have taken over the maritime provinces.

It writes: “Oh, he’s right, the Finnish are taking over. Nowadays, you can’t even get a job pumping gas round these parts if you don’t speak Finnish,” insisted McJones. “And the way those Finnish tourists come here every summer and flaunt their wealth with their flashy trousers and gold plated bracelets and strut about town as if they own the place, talking loudly into their cell phones and complaining about the quality of our sauna baths and how the kalakukko is too salty, I tell ya, it’s enough to make a Swede blush……

Click on the link to read the full story.

The building of Finnish national identity within a multicultural society

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One of the matters that some Finns who read the many comments in this blog should try to understand is that cultural diversity or multiculturalism should not be perceived as a threat but as an opportunity.

For some Finns, who see foreigners as a threat to our culture, this fear can be best explained through two historical factors: 1) Finns are still building a national identity since independence in 1917 from Russia; and 2) the Winter and Continuous War that put in grave jeopardy that identity- and nation-building process.

Finns have gone to great lengths to forge a sense of national identity. In the 1920s, for example, Finns were encouraged to change their “foreign” surnames for Finnish ones.

It may seem odd, however, to some that even to this date the process of building a national identity appears to be as strong and as imperative as it was after 1917. Even so, facts like globalization, European Union membership, and the fact that more foreigners living in Finland of diverse backgrounds, have brought in question how we define Finns and how foreigners should be perceived within that national identity-building process.

Since mutual respect is one of the golden rules of living in a successful society that has diverse backgrounds, it has to be a two-way street. Finns have a right to be Finns and be proud of their identity in the same way as other groups that may not fit the general definition of what is a Finn have the right to be proud of their heritage. It is a healthy matter that cultures can grow together in synergy and retain a sense of “us” and “them.” The strong healthy sense of “us” should not mean excluding others from being a part of this society.

What is pathological, however, is discrimination, racism and the lack of respect for other cultures. That is something unacceptable in any society, especially in a country such as Finland.

Why is it unacceptable? Because it runs against our sense of justice and undermines those very values that keep our society from falling into a state of moral disarray.

What does Obama’s victory mean for Finland?

Posted on by Migrant Tales

I have a dream that my four little children

will one day live in a nation where they will

not be judged by the color of their skin but

by the content of their character.

Martin Luther King

One of the surprising matters of the US presidential elections was not that a black American was elected to the highest office of the land, but the way Barak Obama conducted his campaign and won convincingly. But as the fanfare dies and life returns back to normal, there are a number of important challenges that the US’ 44th president will have to tackle: Iraq and the global financial crisis.

What does Obama’s victory mean for Finland? I believe it sends a strong message of hope that people of different backgrounds have the right and can aspire to change unacceptable matters such as discrimination.

That is why I hope that the Obama effect rubs off those Finns who still believe that racism and insulting people of different backgrounds is acceptable. The day will dawn on Finland when some Finns will no longer judge people because of their color or national background but for their character.

A Muslim for president of the United States

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Whenever a country because of war is gripped by hysteria, we should always be careful about jumping on bandwagons that fuel hatred for other faiths and people.

Real leadership, like being a good parent, does not always mean saying yes or agreeing with everything. Sometimes you have to make difficult decisions because you consider it in the best interest of the child. That is what we call leadership.

Collin Powell, who disgraced himself in 2003 in the UN when he attempted to drive a case for war by holding up a vial that could contain anthrax, showed that type of leadership on Sunday.

“Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country? The answer is ‘No. That’s not America.’ Is there something wrong with some 7-year-old Muslim-American kid believing that he or she can be president? Yet I have heard senior members of my own party drop the suggestion he’s a Muslim and he might be associated with terrorists. This is not the way we should be doing it in America.”

A question was asked to John McCain, the Republican contender for the White House, if he would vote for a Muslim candidate for president.

His reply: “I just have to say in all candor that since this nation was founded primarily on Christian principles, personally, I prefer someone who has a grounding in my faith.” He took back a few days later what he said: “I would vote for a Muslim if he or she was the candidate best able to lead the country and defend our political values.”

(I think it is funny when the US media or anyone claims that McCain is a maverick because he stood up against torture, climate change and other issues. Isn’t it a NORMAL thing that a politician should speak out against such matters?)

Let’s drive the question now to Finland: Could a Muslim child born in Finland ever aspire to become president?

The answer to that question, I believe, reveals a lot about our society and how we see ourselves and others.

A futuristic solution to the integration of foreigners in Finland

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Owing to the recalcitrant attitude of some readers of this blog that foreigners are a threat to Finland and that they should throw away their culture and embrace Finnish ways and life, for them I would like to propose a futuristic model of integration.

Finnish technology firms should start thinking about investing time in building the “language-and-culture chip” that can be implanted in a person’s brain and resolve all those sticky cultural and language issues.

With the help of this  chip, which he can switch on and off at will, can be purchased for an extra cost to fit your specific regional language needs (Helsinki, Turku slang or Rauma dialect) wherever and whenever you want. You do not need to take those boring language courses because the chip will help you speak Finnish in a jiffy.

But perfectly fluent Finnish in regional variations is not enough without the culture adapter.It works like any electric adapter at an extra-extra price, giving you cultural spice and meaning to your Finnish language. You will know exactly when to laugh, cry, smile or simply shut up with the help of the adapter.

Who said that learning and acting Finnish is difficult! With the language-and-culture chip Finland will be able to eat and have its cake when it comes to foreigners!

Global financial turmoil and the United States

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Owing to the financial turmoil that has unsettled global markets and put a squeeze on credit, a valid question arises: who will be the winners and the losers?

I do not believe that we are going to head for a 1930-type depression. However, I cannot fail to recognize a parallel with what happened with the demise of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s and the United States today. Certainly both are two different cases but they share something in common: their fall from grace as the strongest economic (USA) and military power (USA/USSR) in the world.

You do not have to be an economist to understand that a debt of $10 trillion is untenable to keep financing costly war efforts abroad. Iraq alone is costing the US taxpayers close to $1 trillion.

So what does this all mean? It means that the economic power of the US will shift to Asia (China) and to Europe at the cost of the former. So, President George W. Bush is not only responsible for plundering the country into a war in Iraq, but causing the demise of the Untied States as the strongest economic power on Earth.

The November 4 presidential elections will be a watershed for the future of the United States. It can chose the same path (McCain) or a new one (Obama). Probably one of the scariest things about the new path is that we do not know what it is.

Does Finland and Europe need a civil rights movement?

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One of the things that has surprised me about this blog are the overtly racist comments. These types of opinions resemble how some whites saw blacks in the United States before the civil rights movement. I do not think it has anything to do with expressing one’s opinions freely nor that some Finns and Europeans are too blunt or sincere.

Even when we deal with people from our same national group, we do not go around insulting them because we know that it is counterproductive and only creates conflict. Would you want to integrate and embrace the values of a society if it is openly hostile to you?

If we want good relations, we have to know how to moderate our thoughts and take the other person into consideration. It is that easy, folks. It does not need political correctness or any magic tricks — only consideration for others.

Some people in Finland and Europe think that it is still “politically correct” to openly insult other national groups with their racist opinions. Here is an example of a comment I picked up recently from another blog:

Certainly there is discrimination in Finland, hatred for the Russians, chauvinism as well as other things – but what of it? Couldn’t we point out that these things are part of Finnish culture? Since they are a part of our official culture, we could make a point that they have to be protected from immigrants. It could certainly work that way – or maybe not?

Taking into account the racial cleansing we saw in the former Yugoslavia and horrors like the Holocaust, Europe can learn a lot from the United States and Canada about how to resolve long blistering race issues. Possibly a civil rights movement in Europe would help wipe out much of the overt racism that exists mostly unscathed.

The day will come when a blacks, Muslims, people from all religions, dark and white people from any nation will be able to walk the streets of Finland and Europe as equals. Certainly the most important step in this direction is accepting and respecting each others diversity.

Sarah Palin fought with empty soundbites against Joe Biden

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Both vice presidential candidates, Joe Biden and Sarah Palin, sqared off their only debate on Thursday night. If you were expecting Palin to cave in and cry you were going to be disappointed. However, even though the Republican candidate held her own against Biden, her answers were without substance.

She used an old trick when debating: do not answer the question.

One of the matters that worried me were Palin’s answers on climate change: “I’m not one to attribute every activity of man to the changes in the climate,” she said. “There is something to be said, also, for man’s activities, but also for the cyclical temperature changes on our planet. But there are real changes going on in our climate, and I don’t want to argue about the causes.”

Biden hit back with a: “I think it is man-made,” he said. “I think it’s clearly man-made.”

If you want to read about the debate check the New York Times or reader’s reaction at the Washington Post.

Biden said it well. He felt that the United States is at a crossroads. We can follow the same path as the Bush administration or erase those ruinous years by electing Barak Obama.

I think he is right. This will be a very important election.

Obama and McCain tie but I’ll vote for the former

Posted on by Migrant Tales

The first debate between Senators John McCain and Barak Obama ended pretty much a draw. There were no knockout punches by either candidate. What probably came out of the debate was their differing positions on US foreign policy.

However, one of the matters that shun through McCain is that he aims to conduct foreign policy basically in the same style as George W. Bush, or worse, with the help of nationalism that feeds itself with simplistic perceptions of the world such as evil and good.

While he spoke out against Guantanamo and torturing detainees, McCain played more on conservative Republicans and was not that appealing to independent, undecided and swing voters. Even though Bush should understand by now that his foreign policy has been ineffective, costly and ruinous, McCain still believes that the US can go around being the world policeman.This may, however, be difficult for the next administration considering how much credibility and economic might the US has squandered under Bush.

One of the big differences between the presidential hopefuls was on the Iraq War. McCain does not seem to understand that it is that war in Iraq that has not only brought world shame to the US, but undermined it by becoming heavily indebted to country’s such as China. About $10 billion is spent every month by the US in Iraq. McCain still believes that the US can win the war, while Obama sees the main focus against Al Qaeda in Afghanistan.

If there is a criticism to Obama, that would be that he sounded hawkish on issues such as Afghanistan and bombing Taliban bases in Pakistan. True, that Central Asian country may have a growing insurgency, but history has shown that Afghanistan cannot be won militarily. Ask the Russians if you disagree.

In sum, apart from the financial turmoil that either candidate will have to deal with from January, the other huge disaster they will have to grapple with is the US’ standing in the world.

Who has a better chance of addressing such a foreign policy challenge? Obama, in my opinion, is that person. He offers a new hope whereas McCain still believes in the old approach of military might and the convoluted world of Reagan geopolitics, which will only lead us to a new world war.