Category: Enrique

Finland's growing image abroad now hinges on racism and intolerance

Posted on by Migrant Tales

By Enrique Tessieri

The lead story in Sunday’s Helsingin Sanomat is about how racism and intolerance at home have tarnished Finland’s image abroad, according to a survey of Finnish expats living in different countries. Even if the daily blames the rise of the Perussuomalaiset (PS) party for our country’s questionable image, the real culprits are none other than us.

What Helsingin Sanomat forgets to tell its readers is that such a negative international image will cost us dearly, especially during a time when we need more skilled immigrants and foreign investment in our country.

The economic damage caused to Finland by our near-silence and the vacillating stance of our media and too many politicians to racism and populism is a big one. The longer we remain quiet on this front and flirt with our silence with parties like the PS, the more we will continue to destroy our good image abroad.

Before Finland’s entry into the European Union in 1995, the foreign ministry worked hard to improve our negative international image caused by Finlandization. While our refugee policy and draconian treatment of immigrants before 1983, when Finland’s first Aliens’ Act came into force, officials ran the Aliens’ Office like a state within a state.

Issues like racism took backstage in the international media because of Finlandization and due to the size of our underwhelming immigrant population, which totaled about 7,000 in the 1970s. Most of these “foreigners” were native Finns who were naturalized citizens of other countries.

The experiment by 19.1% of the population in the April election to seek the help of a populist, anti-EU, anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim party to lead us in this decade is proving to be a mistake.

There are positive signs, however, that voters have had enough of the PS’ political shenanigans as the presidential election showed.

Apart from voters giving the thumbs down to anti-EU presidential hopefuls like Center Party’s Paavo Väyrynen and PS’ Timo Soini, the party has been damaged by numerous scandals in the media that have exposed the racism, homophobia and anti-democratic credentials of some of its MPs.

The Migrant Tales Manifesto (for Finland and Europe)

Posted on by Migrant Tales

By Enrique Tessieri

Thanks to the growing number of supporters, Migrant Tales has become that “voice for those whose views and situation are understood poorly and heard faintly by the media, politicians and public.” During these past years we have read and debated many points of views and have complied some recommendations on how to move forward. 

The list is far from being a final one. We can add and change parts of it but the overriding message should be mutual acceptance, respect and equal opportunities. All these three terms add up to social equality, or tasa-arvo.

Migrant Tales Manifesto 

  • An effective way to make cultural diversity work is by heralding mutual acceptance, respect and equal opportunities
  • We like the term tolerance, or suvaitsevaisuus in Finnish, but acceptance, hyväksyntä, is an even better term that describes how we build bridges between different ethnic groups and minorities in our society
  • New studies should bring out — not hide — how Finns have been, are and will be a culturally diverse society
  • The first step in that acceptance of our cultural diversity are the children, grandchildren and great grandchildren of the 1.2 million Finns that migrated between 1860 and 1999
  • Cultural management/diversity should be mandatory and started at elementary school
  • We must learn to forgive those countries and people that put us in harm’s way
  • When we advance the rights of minorities we advance those of all
  • A member of society can never learn mutual acceptance and respect if he has low self-esteem
  • Empowering all members of society, especially minorities, helps build self-esteem
  • Inclusion means asking people their opinion, empowering and encouraging them to take part especially in the decision-making process that affects their lives and future in the community
  • Racism, prejudice and all type of discrimination that excludes individuals and groups should be strongly discouraged
  • Discrimination should be seen as a threat to our values and community because it hinders  inclusion
  •  The biggest excluder in society is apathy and silence
  • Politicians that do not speak out against racism and prejudice when given the opportunity are just as responsible as those who encourage such a social ill
  • Inclusion does not only mirror one of our most important values of our society like social equality, it costs the tax payer less and is a more effective pathway to integration
  • In order to free up tax resources for more projects that strengthen inclusion in our society, we should strongly discourage building walls of hate in our society
  • Mutual acceptance means people in our society can make lifestyle choices. These are not only ensured in our laws, but are protected on an individual and group level
  • We treat people with the same respect we treat our own group
  • Equal opportunities are a key component to building a successful, dynamic and content society
  • The more opportunities we offer the more pathways we create to our culturally diverse community
  • Everyone should strive to learn the best Finnish and/or Swedish he or she can.  This is as important as speaking other languages, like the one we learned at home
  • Since we are all different, we learn languages at different paces. Language should, however, never be a tool to discriminate
  • We should strive to keep politicians, policy makers and officials focused on our goal during this century as a country: mutual acceptance, respect and equal opportunities
  • The sum total of these terms is social equality
  • Finland is our home because we are a part of a wonderful country that has accepted and empowered us.

guardian.co.uk: Stephen Lawrence's mother says No 10 must do more on race

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Comment:  Here is a follow up by the guardian.co.uk on the Stephen Lawrence murder in England and how the police fumbled the case and allowed the killers to walk away from the murder with impunity for 18 years. The case has raised serious questions about racism in the London police force. 

Some of the matters that disturbed me most about the story were: 

• “While the police were failing to catch her son’s murderers, they managed to stop his brother 20 times as a criminal suspect.

• Police also managed to stop Mrs Lawrence the year after the murder and told her she was suspected of driving a stolen car. She says continuing racist stereotyping by officers explains why African-Caribbeans are more likely to be stopped.

• She was told she should be “ashamed to show our faces” by a police employee, during a visit to Scotland Yard in 2009 to discuss her son’s murder.

• The trust she set up in Stephen’s name to help youngsters from deprived backgrounds to realise their ambitions is in financial trouble.”

One of the questions raised in England naturally reflects on the police all over Europe. Is racism and racial profiling an issue in the Finnish police force? 

The following case reported on MTV3 suggests that there could be some problems.  

Here is a good a case reported by HBL on alleged racial profiling by Finnish customs.  

_________________

By Vikram Dodd

Doreen Lawrence has said David Cameron’s government is not doing enough to tackle racial prejudice, which continues to blight society, and has warned that spending cuts will hit working-class and black Britons the hardest.

Read whole story.

Cultural diversity needs proactive solutions not populist whining

Posted on by Migrant Tales

By Enrique Tessieri

The many threads on Migrant Tales mirror what is wrong with the ongoing debate in Finland and our ever-growing cultural diversity. On the one side we have those who cannot do anything else but complain while the other side looks for solutions.

We at Migrant Tales have thanks to the many bloggers who visit our blog aimed to become not only a humble voice of the immigrant community but one that offers solutions.

When we debate such an issue we do little to help those who are victims of racism and exclusion if we don’t offer solutions. If the solutions we offer are rejected, we should come back with better solutions, according to the principle of Rinkeby School in Sweden, Börje Ehrstrand.

Compared with Sweden, the acceptance of Finland’s ever-growing cultural diversity is still in diapers.

One of the reasons why anti-immigration sentiment through parties like the Perussuomalaiset (PS) got a beachhead in Finland in April is because the voice of those who complain but never give solutions was stronger.  The present situation offers a good opportunity for us to lobby politicians, express our views to the media and general public and offer proactive solutions.

No matter how much parties like the PS kick and bitch about our “multiculturalism,” they cannot do nothing about it except whine and spread fear with the catalyst of ignorance.

Building a society with good relations between all of its parts, based on mutual acceptance and respect, is always more desirable than one that builds walls of hatred.

The matter that politicians and Finns in general should know is that that type of society will cost less money to taxpayers.

A good immigration integration policy for Finland and Europe

Posted on by Migrant Tales

By Enrique Tessieri

One of the biggest challenges to Finland’s new integration program is how effectively it promotes what it sets out to do.  How passionate are we Finns about ethnic and minority equality in this country if the most important piece of the puzzle is still missing: the big picture  and place new Finns and their children have in our society. 

Migrant Tales believes that integration programs like the Perussuomalaiset’s (PS) Nuiva Manifesto would do more harm than good: It would create ghettos and punish people socially who are visible minorities. Moreover, the PS’ manifesto is more of a political statement that exposes the ignorance of its supporters.

Reading many of the thousands of comments on Migrant Tales, it is evident that some Finns and Europeans still believe that one-way integration is the only way to promote the integration of immigrants and minorities.

One of the first important steps that an integration program should take is change the anti-immigrant culture and language prevalent in a society. The term tolerance, or suvaitsevainen, is widely used in Finland but even more-effective terms that officials, politicians and the general public could begin using are mutual acceptance and respect.

Like any good government program, it must be one that is effective. But what does Finland’s integration program aim at accomplishing? Is it facilitating and speeding the integration of immigrants into our society or promoting the opposite due to lack of resources?

Jonathan Lawrence writes on the New York Times her views about how Muslims should be integrated in Europe. Her views are very much what Migrant Tales has been promoting on numerous blog entries.

She writes: “Granting Muslims full religious freedom wouldn’t remove obstacles to political participation or create jobs. But it would at least allow tensions over Muslims’ religious practices to fade. This would avoid needless sectarian strife and clear the way for politicians to address the more vexing and urgent challenges of socioeconomic integration.”

Thus one of the biggest obstacles to the integration, or adaption, of groups like Muslims and others in Europe has been our unrealistic and ethnocentric expectations of how other cultures should adapt to us.

Certainly we can promote as much ethnocentrism as we wish in our society, but the big question is what impact will it have: Will it integrate or exclude?

One of the most important matters to keep in mind when speaking about integration policies is that acceptance and respect must be a two-way process. This means that since we live in a culturally diverse society, it is important that everyone accepts and respects each other.

There is nothing new about this type of behavior. It is how we should treat people in our culture.

If we have the right, and have fought for greater acceptance of minorities like gays and women’s rights, why would we want to undermine the rights of other groups? The fact that we can make lifestyle choices in our society is what makes our society so great.

Another fallacy of the anti-immigration groups is that they believe that people don’t change. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Cultures change constantly because they are highly adaptable.  Free will ensures that we can never be ruled like robots.

MTV3: Suomalaiskirjailija: Adoptioprosessi Suomessa oli helvetillinen ja epäreilu

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Comment: Umayya Abu-Hanna is a Palestinian-born Finn who lives today in Holland. If you look at her career and thirty years of residence in Finland, she is a “model” citizen who has excelled in many areas. She is a journalist, writer and was voted to the Helsinki city council in 1988 (Green League).  

Like many Finns with international backgrounds, Abu-Hanna is a good example of how difficult it may be for people like herself to be accepted in Finland. 

On the MTV3 story below, where she criticizes the Finnish adoption system,  Abu-Hanna tells about the racism she and her daughter Reema from South Africa encountered . “Skin color was the problem,” she said. “Even grandmothers shouted at my dark child on the tram.”

It is sad that Abu-Hanna’s experiences in Finland sound like so many others in this country. What is even sadder is that such cases fall on deaf ears. 

_____________

Niko Ranta

Suomalaiskirjailija- ja toimittaja Umayya Abu-Hanna muistelee kauhulla yli neljä vuotta sitten päättynyttä adoptioprosessia Suomessa. Abu-Hanna onkin muuttanut Hollantiin, jossa hänen mukaansa adoptioperheen on parempi olla kuin Suomessa. – Adoptioprosessi Suomessa oli helvetillinen ja epäreilu. Toiminta ei ole yhtään läpinäkyvää. Adoption perustelut eivät ole ollenkaan tiedossa, Abu-Hanna kertoo MTV3 Uutisille.

Read whole story.

Migrant Tales 2008: Being an immigrant in Finland. A letter from Ida

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Comment: This moving story by “Ida” was published on Migrant Tales  in September 2008. Even if it appeared three-and-a-half years ago, it could be a story that happened right now in Finland.  One of these cases is fourteen-year-old Rebecka Holm, who published her moving story on Swedish-language daily HBL.

One of the matters that the authorities, politicians and the general public conveniently forget is that Finland is today a culturally diverse society. There are tens of thousands of people like “Ida.”  

Let’s stop speaking of our culturally diverse society in the future tense as if it doesn’t yet exist.

It does exist. The future is here, now. 

_____________

By “Ida”

I am an immigrant. Sometimes I feel so frustrated in Finland that I just wanted to ‘give it back to the society’. Hence the crime. People like me (hypothetically) acting out of frustration. If the mentality here is that no foreigners are good and only a tiny fraction of people like Juha, the social worker, understands and/or appreciates diversity it doesn’t help much because the general society isn’t open=minded. I would even call racist.

If a person like Juha comes to ask me how do I like it in Finland, I wouldn’t want to hurt his feelings. A guy who works so hard for us. What do you expect me to say? that I am so frustrated that I can leave this second to another place where I feel more comfortable?

I would reverse those numbers. 95% prejudiced and 4% nonchalant, 0.5% don’t care, 0.001% welcoming (and the rest 0.499% lost in statistics).

Good welfare system is like a double-edged sword for immigrants. We are taken care of but we are also blamed for using them. And so you have to be ever-thankful that you are here, Finland. Because you are given shelter and food, now you can take this mental abuse in the form of institutionalized racism.

Any CONSTRUCTIVE comments?

How big of a blow was the presidential election of Finland to Soini and the PS?

Posted on by Migrant Tales

By Enrique Tessieri

Does the defeat of two anti-EU politicians, Center Party’s Paavo Väyrynen and Timo Soini of the Perussuomalaiset (PS) party, on Sunday suggest a shift from  last year’s parliamentary election that was fueled by anti-EU and anti-immigration sentiment? Even if the municipal election in October will offer us a good answer to that question, yesterday’s election result does show a major shift. 

Even if veteran politician Väyrynen lost a neck-and-neck race to Pekka Haavisto of the Green Party for second spot, his good showing must be a source of  concern for the PS, which relied heavily in April on protest votes from the Center Party.

Sunday’s election result shows as well that voters are losing interest in the PS’ anti-EU and anti-immigration stand. Soini’s poor showing (9.4%) and Väyrynen’s better showing (17.5%) confirm the latter.

A worst-case scenario would have been Soini clinching second place and giving Niinistö a run for his money in the runoff on February 5. Fortunately that did not happen.

For many Finnish voters, especially those with immigrant backgrounds and visible minorities, yesterday’s election result was a long-overdue breath of fresh political oxygen after constantly reading in the media scandals by the PS that exposed the racism, homophobia and anti-democratic credentials of some of their MPs.

Let’s not forget as well the hacked membership directory of the neo-Nazi Suomen Kansalinen Vastarinta, which revealed two PS members on such lists and who are still members of the party.

How long can an ideologically convoluted political party like the PS maintain voter interest in their anti-EU, anti-immigration and pro-conservative views?

A lot of water will have to run under the bridge before the next big test for Soini’s party will be weighed in the municipal election of October 28.

If the last nine months are anything to go by, there is a good chance that the PS’ momentum may suffer  its biggest blow yet this coming fall.

UPDATE: (Almost) no cliffhangers in today's presidential election in Finland except for one

Posted on by Migrant Tales

By Enrique Tessieri

With all of the votes counted, the presidential election went pretty much as the polls had predicted. Kokoomus’ Sauli Niinistö, the front-runner, won with37.0%. Second place was a head-and-head race, a semi-cliffhanger,  with Pekka Haavisto of the Greens (18.8%) beating  Paavo Väyrynen of the Center Party (17.5%).

The result means that there will be a second round on February 5 since no candidate got over 50% of the votes.

Contrary to the April 17 election, when the Perussuomalaiset (PS) party obtained  its historic victory thanks to anti-EU and anti-immigration sentiment, the presidential election went in the opposite direction. The two anti-EU candidates, Väyrynen and PS’ Timo Soini (9.4%), came in third and fourth place, respectively.

Apart from voters giving the thumbs down to Soini, the PS has been hurt by numerous scandals in the media that have exposed the racism, homophobia and anti-democratic credentials of some of its MPs.

The other loser was the left. Paavo Lipponen of the Social Democrats got 6.7% of the votes with Paavo Arhimäki of the Left Alliance gaining 5.5%.

The candidates that came in seventh and eight place were Swedish People’s Party hopeful Eva Biaudet, who got 2.7%, while Sari Essayah of the Christian Democrats got 2.5%.

No cliffhangers in today presidential election in Finland

Posted on by Migrant Tales

By Enrique Tessieri

Finns go to the polls today vote elect their next president. Opinion polls reveal that Kokoomus’ Sauli Niinistö is the front-runner followed by a close neck-and-neck race between Pekka Haavisto of the Greens and Paavo Väyrynen of the Center Party.

The second group that are fighting it out for fourth spot according to a YLE poll are Perussuomalaiset (PS) party hopeful Timo Soini, Left Alliances’ Paavo Arhimäki and Paavo Lipponen of the Social Democratic Party.

After the PS historic election victory on April 17, falling behind Arhimäki or Lipponen would be seen as a big loss for Soini. It would reinforce the wear-and-tear that the PS has suffered nine months after the election due to numerous scandals that have exposed the racism, homophobia and anti-democratic credentials of some of its MPs.

There was as well the hacked neo-Nazi Suomen Kansalinen Vastarinta (SKV) membership that revealed two PS  members.  Both are still working for the party as if nothing had happened.

One of the biggest disappointments of the presidential campaign has been tackling and debating the hard challenges that Finland faces: budget cuts and the future of the welfare state, growing income and social inequality, racism and the polarization of Finnish society.

One of the matters that concerned me in particular about the front-runner Niinistö was his view that the far right did not pose a threat to Finland, according to an MTV3 poll of the candidates.

After 8pm local time we’ll be a bit wiser about who are the victors and losers of the presidential election.

One matter is for certain, however: the election will not be a cliffhanger like last year’s parliamentary election.