A new map published by Statistics Finland shows the percentage of marginalized youths (15-29 yrs) by regions. It not only shows a growing problem in this country, but an especially serious one among youths with immigrant backgrounds, who have a much higher chance of being marginalized than white Finns.
A marginalized youth is anyone who is unemployed and not attending school after finishing middle school.
The black boxes are white Finnish youths and the yellow ones youths with immigrant backgrounds. They show what percentage of youths (15-29 yrs) are marginalized from the whole age group.
The highest number of marginalized youths with immigrant backgrounds are n Kainuu (28.8% with immigrant backgrounds versus 3.4% white Finns), Kymenlaakso (26.1%/5.1%), Lappi (24.4%/3.8%), Etelä-Savo (21.7%/3.7%), Pohjois-Karjala (21.3%/3.0%), and Pirkanmaa (21.0%/3.5%).
The lowest percentages can be found in Etelä-Pohjanmaa (12.4%/2.6%), Etelä-Karjala (15.8%/4.1%), Keski-Pohjanmaa (16.0%/2.8%) and Satakunta (16.6%/3.9%)
What do these percentages tell us? In my opinion, they show that we have failed miserably to integrate and accept people with immigrant backgrounds as equal members of our society.
How many of these marginalized youths with immigrant backgrounds have lived the majority of their formative years in Finland? Why do some, after living most of their lives in this country, still feel like outsiders?
While being marginalized is a complex matter that is attributable to many factors, probably the first step in becoming part of this underclass is accepting that you do not belong here. You start to believe that Finland is a country made only for white Finns.
If there is a neglected underclass in Finland, they are the youths with immigrant backgrounds!
Further reading:
Being an immigrant in Finland. A letter from Fiona
Being an immigrant in Finland – a letter from Ida
Somali-Finn Abdulah: Living in no-man’s land (Part I)
Somali-Finn Abdulah: Living in no-man’s lang (Part 2)
Thank you Mahmoud Machaal for the heads-up.
This is a shocking statistics, i’m one of them but im trying to somehow and someway trying to stand up on my feet, sometimes the surrounding make it difficult for you especially when the society os so hostile against you. All i can you to vicible immirant youth is don’t give up just die trying to stand on your feets, find away to make it, i know im doing so, either im going to succeed or die trying. I know the surrounding people make it difficult for us to integrate and productive part of society, we got no choice but to keep on going.
While you admit yourself that marginalization is a complex matter. Still you dont hesitate to point the finger at finns.
If the statistics are against immigrants, they must be flawed and cant be used since it stigmatize them. If statistics show something that can be used to blame finns, they are totally reliable and pointing finger at them is a ok!
Unless someone has done more investigation on this matter, you really cant come up with anything conclusive for reasons.
This article isn’t helping matters. In fact, it reminds me of the generalization of immigrants tactics used in Sweden. “Finns with immigrant background” ok fine, what immigrant background? Russian? Albanian? Somali? Nepali?
Immigrants in Finland come from a diverse range of countries, cultures and continents, often one immigrant group (say, Somalis) might have unique issues than another group (say, Ukrainians) generalizations like “Finns” and “Immigrants” isn’t very productive. At least not if you see the result of it in other Western European nations. Perhaps Albanian immigrants in Finland are much more marginalized than Turkish immigrants. Or perhaps Latvian immigrants aren’t marginalized at all. If you want to combat a problem we need more specifics.
On an unrelated note, I don’t like the description of “white” Finns in this article subtly holding to the stereotype that whites are somehow more privileged. I have a good friend whose father moved to Sweden from Poland in the 1960’s and his father had difficulty obtaining a job and was treated as a second class citizen despite appearing just as white as your average Swede. Maybe Russian youths are more marginalized than Chinese youths? See what I mean, stop with the stereotypes, please.
Finns with immigrants backgrounds means for me a child of immigrant parent(s) who grew up in Finland or considers himself a Finn. I would like to stress, however, that identity is a personal matter and people decide for themselves what they are. Even so, a person’s ethnic background does play a role in Finnish society and may determine your socio-economic status.
Very sad how long are we going to continue wasting precious talents of these children. I see gifted and super fit kids in athletics and football and it all comes to nothing. I remember a couple of somali mothers asking my wife if she can help them with their kid’s home work. So here you can see the soul is willing but….
This business case for race is an especially compelling argument in a small economy, and it is hard to find anyone reputable in politics or public administration who would try to dispute it.
Then we have the convicted racist criminal Hahaa-lol and other racist scum of the same ilk that seem determined to damage our future economic prospects by deliberately marginalising an entire segment of society purely for political expediency.