Defining white Finnish privilege #5: It’s ok to be a racist

In many respects white privilege, or specifically white Finnish privilege, is a good way to understand some of the challenges that migrants and especially non-white Finns face in this country. Migrant Tales invites readers to share their thoughts on the social ill.

Please send your comments on the topic to [email protected]. We’d love to hear from you.

Perussuomalaiset* Espoo city councilman Teemu Lahtinen “likes” neo-Nazi Kansallinen Vastarinta, according to Paljastettu 3. This isn’t the first time PS party members have been found with their hand in the Nazi cookie jar like Ulla Pyysalo and Tuomas Okkonen. White Finnish privilege permits you to apply to or “like” neo-Nazi groups on Facebook and get away with it.

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Definition #5

White Finnish privilege allows you to make racist statements and attack minorities with near-impunity. True, you might get slapped on the hand for making such racist comments, but the rewards in many cases outweigh the scorn. Since you are a white Finn, your hate speech, which you claim is being censored (if it’s “censored” how come we can read it in the national media?), can land you a profitable political career as an MP, MEP or councilman or councilwoman.

If migrants and visible minorities said the same racist things that politicians like Perussuomalaiset (PS)* MPs like Jussi Halla-aho, Olli Immonen, Teuvo Hakkarainen, Interior Minister Päivi Räsänen of the Christian Democrats,  Youth League of the National Coalition Party Chairwoman Susana Koski, Social Democratic MP Kari Rajamäki and many others did, they’d be lynched on social media and ostracized by the white Finnish media.

White Finnish privilege means that your role as a migrant and minority, which you are near-constantly reminded of, is usually that of the victim of racist insults and prejudice. White privilege encourages  you to “try harder” and “learn more Finnish” as your situation becomes ever-compromised.

* The Finnish name for the Finns Party is the Perussuomalaiset (PS). The names adopted by the PS, like True Finns or Finns Party, promote in our opinion nativist nationalism and xenophobia. We therefore prefer to use the Finnish name of the party on our postings. 

See also:

• Defining white Finnish privilege #1: I have it and you don’t
• Defining white Finnish privilege #2: Third culture children versus “pupil with immigrant background” 
• Defining white Finnish privilege #3 No history, no doctrine, no heroes and no martyrs
• Defining white Finnish privilege #4 Holding the short end of the stick

* The Finnish name for the Finns Party is the Perussuomalaiset (PS). The names adopted by the PS, like True Finns or Finns Party, promote in our opinion nativist nationalism and xenophobia. We therefore prefer to use the Finnish name of the party on our postings.