Finnish PS MP would be overjoyed to see “less migrants and more humans”

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Maria Tolppanen is a Perussuomalaiset (PS)* MP who said she’d be overjoyed to see less migrants and more humans or people in Vaasa’s city square, according to a questionnaire to candidates that appeared on Vaasan Ikkuna and was posted on Facebook. Tolppanen, who has made racist statements before, uses a lowly term, mamu, when she refers to migrants in the story.  

Tolppanen is member of the employment and equality committee of parliament, which, among other things, oversees matters such as equality, the working environment, occupational safety and labor.

Christian Thibault, chairman of Rasmus, an anti-racism NGO, said that while PS chairman Timo Soini has tried recently to play down his party’s issues with racism another matter is how successful he’s been at this. 

“The Finns Party [PS] will never be ready to be a member of a government as a serious and reliable partner,” said Thibault. “Not even if some of its MPs [like Tolppanen] are desperately seeking reelection.”

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PS MP Maria Tolppanen said that she’d be overjoyed to see fewer migrants and more humans in Vaasa’s city square.

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When the term immigrant becomes a red herring

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If there is a report, a story or some tale that sounds fishy it may suggest a red herring. One of these types of stories that should have received more scrutiny from the media was a report published Thursday by Perussuomalaiset (PS)* thinktank Suomen Perusta, which attempted to place a price tag on immigration. 

There are a lot of questions that the 75-page report raises concerning methodology and why the study only mentions refugee, or quota refugee to be exact, once and labels all national groups as immigrants.

The Suomen Perusta report defines “immigrant” as any person who was born abroad but lives in Finland.  Is this the definition that YLE uses in its story? We don’t know because YLE doesn’t tell us.

Does YLE define immigrant in the same way as the UN? The UN defines an immigrant as any person living in a country for over a year irrespective of the reason why he or she moved to another country.

An important question: Why does the PS use the term immigrant and only mentions refugee once? Certainly most Somalis that live in Finland came here seeking asylum. Even so, they are placed in the same group of “immigrants” with Germans, who are EU nationals.

True, the definition of immigrant could generally apply to Somalis but I think it is misleading especially in a study sponsored by an anti-immigration party like the PS.

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UPDATE (Apr. 3): Migrant Tales’ 2015 Hall of Poor and Sloppy Journalism

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Migrant Tales’ 2015 Hall of Poor and Sloppy Journalism will be updated separately. To see other examples of opinionated journalism in Finland about cultural diversity, please go to this link.

Apr. 3

This story was removed by Helsingin Sanomat the following day and the newspaper has apologized for publishing it.

Miten kutsuisimme virolaisia? (Helsingin Sanomat)

What’s wrong with this story? This story could show, apart from poor and shoddy journalism, white Finnish privilege and how stereotypes are spread and reinforced. The country’s biggest daily, Helsingin Sanomat, asks its readers to vote for the best nickname for Estonians without bothering to ask Estonians what they want to be called. In my opinion some offensive names on the list include virukset (virus = a person who is half Estonian and half Russian), kroonit (they’re so much after money) and retiisit (during Soviet occupation Estonians were red from the outside but white inside). Ever wonder which groups spread stereotypes of migrants and minorities? The Helsingin Sanomat story below is a worst example of how this is done. Their sense of humor may not be shared by Estonians and maybe considered outright offensive to some of them.

 

Continue reading “UPDATE (Apr. 3): Migrant Tales’ 2015 Hall of Poor and Sloppy Journalism”

UPDATE (Apr. 2): Migrant Tales’ 2015 Hall of Poor and Sloppy Journalism

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Migrant Tales’ 2015 Hall of Poor and Sloppy Journalism will be updated separately. To see other examples of opinionated journalism in Finland about cultural diversity, please go to this link.

Apr. 2

Finns Party MP would base immigration restrictions on nationality (YLE in English)

Why this story misses the point. A story published Thursday by YLE and later translated into English by the same news service is a perfect example of how the national media is taken for a ride by anti-immigration groups like the Perussuomalaiset (PS)*. True, immigrant can be defined as someone who has lived more than a year in the country irrespective if the person sought asylum, but since this is not explained in the story a distorted picture emerges. Even so, the Suomen Perusta report doesn’t even mention the UN definition but uses its own.

In my opinion there are three important points  lacking in the story:

  • Somalians and Germans are grouped as “immigrants” in the PS thinktank report. YLE forgets to mention that the Somalis that came to Finland as refugees. The PS may be inclined to use the term “immigrants” since it believes that refugees from Somalia may not be “real” refugees but so-called “welfare shoppers.” The 75-page report by Suomen Perusta only uses the term “refugee” once;
  • They mention that the idea of restricting immigration from certain regions is the suggestion of one PS MP and not that of the whole party. PS MP Juho Eerola, who made the suggestion, is third vice president of the anti-immigration party. Certainly he must represent the whole party;
  • YLE uses a black hand to drive home the stereotype that “bad” immigration is black. Very commonly the Finnish media uses pictures of Muslim women or of black people to go with a news story about immigration.

Continue reading “UPDATE (Apr. 2): Migrant Tales’ 2015 Hall of Poor and Sloppy Journalism”

PS MP wants Finland to exclude refugees and migrants according to national background

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The Perussuomalaiset (PS)* announced Thursday that immigration costs Finland at least 700 million euros a year, according to YLE in English, which cites PS thinktank Suomen Perusta. Basing his conclusions on the report, PS third vice president Juho Eerola said he would consider restricting migration to the country based on national origin.

The report suggested that Germans are the most favorable immigrants since they netted Finland an average of 5,000 euros annually with the most costly being the Somalians at 8,000 euros annually. 

The conclusions of the report are questionable and have been received with skepticism and tweezers by Migrant Tales.

An OECD report in 2013 revealed that in Finland migration had boosted growth in 2011 by 0.16%, including pensions.

The findings of Suomen Perusta differ radically from what PS’ Matti Putkonen claimed in October without any proof to the media that “the cost of migration” to Finland may be as high as 2 billion euros, according to tabloid Ilta-Sanomat. 

Eerola, who admitted a few years ago being attracted to fascism and Benito Mussolini’s fascism, said that he was ready to ditch international agreements on asylum in order to restrict refugees from certain regions like Africa and the Middle East.

The Suomen Perusta report is the latest example of the hostility of the PS against non-white migrants in this country. It’s anti-immigration rhetoric has become so thick recently that it may backfire and exclude them from government talks.

Similar schemes like the one suggested by Eerola were used in the United States with the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, which prohibited Chinese workers from entering the country. The Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1965 abolished the national origins quota system that had structured US immigration policy since 1924. The new system was based on immigrants’ skills and family relationships with citizens or residents in the country.

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Perussuomalaisten maahanmuutto vaalistrategia toimii samalla periattella kun koulukiusaaja

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Mitäs voisit sanoa puolueesta joka kalastelee ääniä kiivaasti mustamaalamalla maahanmuuttajia? Ilmaisjakelu lehti Helsingin Uutiset kirjoittaa, että perussuomalaisten ajatuspaja Suomen perusta selvittää kuinka paljon maksaa maahanmuutto Suomelle ja “työmies” Matti Putkonen paljastaa torstaina uutisen. 

Lehden mukaan uutinen on niin iso, että saattaa syntyä perussuomalaisille kauan kaipaama “Jytky 2,” tai sitten ei.

Suomessa, ja erityisesti perussuomalaisissa, todistaa, että on paljon pahoinvointia ja raukkamaisuutta. Mitä se kertoo perussuomalaisista jos he jatkuvasti hyökkäävät kaikista heikointa ja haavoittuvaisinta ryhmää, eli pakolaiset ja maahanmuuttajat vastaan?  Rooli ei poikkea koulukiusaajista.

On siksi tärkeää haastaa kiusaaja ja hänen ennakkoluuloja. Jos rasismi olisi kasvi sen kasvialusta olisi ennakkoluulot.

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UPDATE (Mar. 30): Migrant Tales’ 2015 Hall of Poor and Sloppy Journalism

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Migrant Tales’ 2015 Hall of Poor and Sloppy Journalism will be updated separately. To see other examples of opinionated journalism in Finland about cultural diversity, please go to this link.

Mar. 30

Ilkan kysely: Lukijoista suurin osa ei halua pakolaisperhettä naapuriinsa  (Ilkka)

What’s wrong with this story and how does it reinforce prejudices about refugees? Ilkka of Seinäjoki, probably the most anti-immigration daily in Finland, published the results of a survey it conducted with its readers and asked what they think about refugees. Eighty percent that responded said that South Ostrobothnia shouldn’t accept anymore refugees while 60% said they would not want to have a refugee as their neighbor. Should we be surprised by the results of the survey? Not really due to the xenophobic climate in Finland. So why did Ilkka carry out this survey in the first place if it knew what the answer would be? Hiding one’s shame or that intolerance works in many strange ways? Was one reason Seinäjoki’s decision not to accept any refugees this year? Either way shameful and opinionated journalism at its worst.

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Abdirahim Husu Hussein: A focused candidate with clear goals for Finland

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Abdirahim Husu Hussein is no stranger to Miglrant Tales. He has written a number of times for us and we have followed his political career with keen interest. “Husu” as he’s known to his friends and acquaintances is a Center Party candidate running for parliament who is focused and determined to reach his goals.

Finland holds parliamentary elections on April 19 and different polls predict the Center Party emerging as the big winner.

Contrary to some other Finnish candidates who were born elsewhere, Husu has never given up his ideals or accommodated his values to serve those in power. Finland needs people like Husu in parliament especially these days when anti-immigration rhetoric and bigotry are spreading throughout Europe and Finland.

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Husu said that number 13 was his lucky number.

“I’m enjoying this campaign despite the harassment that I’ve received because I’m a Muslim and because of my ethnic background,” he said. “Considering that such people write such things shows that they must be extremely unhappy. I wish I could help and relieve their pain.”

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Camilla Edström Ödemark (March 29, 2015): Exposing White Voids

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Camilla Edström Ödemark is an artist from Åland who moved from her native Mariehamn to Sweden after she graduated from high school. Her artwork hits a sensitive spot especially if you’re in that sometimes challenging situation of adapting to a new country. 

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Ödemark says that her work focuses on what or who is “abnormal” or “alien” to a group identity and how they help maintain the status quo. In the White Voids exhibition, which opens on April 2 in Helsinki at 6pm at the Third Space Gallery (Tarkk’ampuanktu 18), Ödemark takes us on a journey to white hegemony.

The journey may surprise some while others may immediately identify with the narrative landscapes she places before us.

Camilla Edström Ödemark (Photo by Philippe Beer-Gabel)

White Voids is her first solo exhibition in Finland. Her work has been exhibited in the Moderna Bar at the Museum of Modern Art and the Multicultural Center in Sweden and in Finland (Vapaan Taiteen Tila and Aine Art Museum).

One of the first questions that springs to mind about Ödemark’s work is how a woman from a provincial place like Åland became interested in the “abnormal” and “alien.”

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