Tag: Cultural diversity

Toronto Sun: Multiculturalism Trudeau's gift to Canada

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Comment: Multiculturalism is a highly misunderstood concept today and on the defensive in many parts of the world except for Canada, where it was first introduced in 1971 by then Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau.

One of the problems with the term is that it is defined differently by different groups. Far-right and populist anti-immigration parties define it as an immigration policy (sic!) that permits Muslims and Africans from moving to Europe.

Writes the Toronto Sun: “It was the first policy of its kind in the world, recognizing that while Canada had two official languages, the country hosted many other cultures.”

There are officially only three countries in the world that use multiculturalism as a social policy. These are Canada, Australia and Britain.

Finland isn’t officially a multicultural country (social policy) although Finns use the term to broadly mean a society made up of “many cultures.”

Peter Kivisto defined multiculturalism in the following way: “Multiculturalism refers to a view that ethnically or religiously diverse societies should protect and promote diversity and should be based on both individual and group rights.”

Thank you Sirpa Utriainen for the heads up!

_________

By Sharon Lem

TORONTO – Former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau was a visionary about the way different cultures in Canada co-exist today,” says the CEO of the Multicultural History Society of Ontario (MHSO), Dora Nipp. As 2011 draws to a close, so does the 40th anniversary of the commencement of Canada’s policy of Multiculturalism, spearheaded by Trudeau and adopted in 1971.

Read whole story.

Timo Soini: The beast behind the sugar-coated words

Posted on by Migrant Tales

What does Perussuomalaiset (PS) party presidential hopeful, Timo Soini, really think about immigration and cultural diversity? A column he wrote in the Suomen Soini Presidentiksi  [Soini for president of Finland] publication exposes what the leader of the PS really thinks about such important issues. 

It’s clear while reading Soini’s views on the topic that he is in favor of one-way integration, or assimilation. He  praises in the column, headlined Maahanmuutto, demokraatia ja perussuomalaiset [Immigration, democracy and the Perussuomalaiset],  those immigrants that are ready to accept Finnish culture and traditions.

I am certain if we asked the PS leader to define Finnish culture, his response would be deficient and leave us with more questions than answers.

The same “conservative and Christian” views that Soini speaks so highly of in his column has, in my opinion, been at the center of the problem. It has retarded and hindered the acceptance of hundreds of thousands of expat Finns,  immigrants and their children from our society and threatens to exclude many others in the future.

If the PS and Soini haven’t already noticed, these so-called bicultural multi- or polycultural Finns have taken that giant step to integrate but many still suffer from acceptance by society.  High unemployment levels, institutional racism, prejudice, antiquated views of what culture is and even the rise of an anti-immigration party like the PS, show that more acceptance is needed by our society.

Soini’s and the PS’ total disregard for mutual acceptance and that integration is a two-way street show well the biggest flaws in their stance and why it is correct to call them an anti-immigration party.

Even though Soini does not mention the word multiculturalism once in his column, his definition of it is not too far from Jussi Halla-aho’s and that of other far-right anti-immigration groups in Europe like the Danish People’s Party.

The PS chairman writes that he is not against immigrants but opposes our immigration policy. This affirmation, that the problem lies in our immigration policy, is one of the favorite deceptive arguments used by far right and anti-immigration groups. When Soini uses such an argument he really means that Europe and Finland allow too many Muslims and Africans to live here.

Another important matter is revealed by Soini’s column:  Despite his conservative-populist political views, he can deliver his opinions in a diplomatic  sugar-coated fashion compared with too many in his party members who can’t and whom he rightfully criticizes.

Soini is the good cop of the PS but at the end of the day he is a cop like the rest of the members of his party.

One key paragraph in particular exposes to the tee the PS leader’s view on immigration and cultural diversity:  “I also hope that more and more native Finns could tolerate those who embrace Finnish culture, our customs and traditions; those [immigrants]who want to stick to conservative and Christian values??, and even those who have decided to vote for the Perussuomalaiset [party]. We live together side by side in this beautiful and wonderful country, and in a affluent society that is fair.”*

In other words, Soini and the PS are ready to accept you as members of society as long as you resign your culture, identity and rightful and democratic right as  equal members of this society. Acceptance only happens on their terms and with conditions.

What does the PS leader think about those Finns who don’t share his conservative and Christian views?

*Toivon myös, että yhä useammat kantasuomalaiset voisivat suvaita niitä,  jotka vaalivat suomalaista kulttuuria, meidän tapojamme ja perinteitämme; niitä, jotka haluavat pitäytyä konservatiivisissa ja kristillisissä arvoissa, ja jopa niitä, joka ovat päättäneet äänestää perussuomalaisia. Me asumme yhdessä rinnatusten tässä kauniissa ja upeassa maassa ja reilussa hyvinvointiyhteiskunnassa.

Different cultural diversity strokes for different folks in Finland and Europe

Posted on by Migrant Tales

By Enrique Tessieri

One matter that shines through after reading and responding to the thousands of threads on Migrant Tales is that multiculturalism, racism and inequality mean different things for different people. One way to make sense of the ongoing debate on Finland’s ever-growing acceptance of its cultural diversity is figuring out what these terms mean for these groups.

Without understanding their meaning and how these terms are employed is to misunderstand the whole debate to put it lightly.

Take for instance how the term “multiculturalism” is used in Finland. While such a term isn’t mentioned in any of our laws never mind our Constitution, officials use it to refer to how our country is becoming more culturally and ethnically diverse.

Finland’s official definition of multiculturalism means in general the same thing as the Canadian social policy, which promotes cultural diversity.

One of the problems when officials use the term multiculturalism they too often forget to define what it means. Moreover, is diversity and equality, just like the Canadian multicultural model, being promoted in Finland? Intentions appear noble but deeds sometimes suggest the contrary.

If we look at anti-immigration groups in Finland, multiculturalism means an objection to cultural diversity, or specifically of Muslims and Africans moving here. Thus multiculturalism is seen by these groups as an immigration policy versus one that facilitates integration.

The Nuiva manifesto is the smoking gun of the PS’ ignorance and loathing of groups like Muslims and Africans. If ever adopted, the manifesto would would not only strengthen institutional racism but promote one-way integration, or assimilation. The aim of any immigration and integration  policy based on the Nuiva manifesto would create those ghettos that these groups commonly warn us of by watering down the civil rights of those that the PS does not see as the “stereotypical prototype white Finn.”

Paradoxically “social equality” for far-right groups means bolstering their rights at the cost of others.  Racism is the chief architect in creating that many tier society they seek.

The Nuiva manifesto sheds light as well on the PS as a far-right populist party.  How do you define the far right? Is it any party that wants to change  the values of society by strengthening their political base by promoting racism, social inequality, xenophobia and nationalism?  Yes.

Moreover, the definition of “multiculturalism” by anti-immigration groups in Finland is similar to other far-right groups in Europe. There is nothing unique about it except for that it is a paste-and-copy job in the Finnish language.  It’s the same hate speech but in the Finnish language.

One of the biggest myths pushed by anti-immigration groups in Europe today is that immigrants in general and specific groups don’t want to adapt.  This could not be further from the truth. Since we are all social animals, our first and foremost aim anywhere is to adapt.

Since cultures constantly change and adapt, we should be promoting that change instead of fixing our view of “others” on stereotypes.

While everyone decides what his or her identity is, having narrow definitions of who is Finnish and who is not is a way of not challenging major issues like discrimination. There are today in Finland tens of thousands of people with “immigrant backgrounds” who have lived most of their lives in this country but are treated like outsiders.

Think about the can of worms we’d open if you started to speak of these “others” as Finns and equal members of society? We’d finally start facing the challenges and real issues confronting our society concerning racism and exclusion.

Finland Bridge: Chrismtas and Winter in 2035

Posted on by Migrant Tales

By Enrique Tessieri

What kind of Christmases will we be celebrating in the mid-2030s? Like past generations, will we set aside our worries, demographic and environmental problems and allow the Christmas spirit to overtake us for a moment?   

Twenty years from now I will form part of the ever-growing army of pensioners in this country and the developed world.  Where will I retire? Will I move to southern Spain, which is starting to look like the Sahara Desert? Will I stay in Finland, where global warming is changing weather patterns for good?

One of the questions I’d like to know about the future is if we’ll become wiser. Or will our actions and reason for being twenty years on be guided by the same vices: greed, indifference, wars and the usual excuses for doing nothing.

During ”normal” demographic times, when pensioners made up a small part of the total population in the twentieth century,  most over-64-year-olds played a passive role in society. Turning into a revolutionary or social activist was a no-no.

Edgar Lee Masters’ Spoon River Anthology created quite a commotion when it was published in 1915. The 200 free-verse epitaphs of his book spoke openly about sensitive issues like sex, moral decay and hypocrisy.

One of the poems he called ”Unknown” reveals perfectly the paradox between youth and old age. Masters writes:

In youth my wings were strong and tireless 

But I did not know the mountains. 

In age I knew the mountains 

But my weary wings could not follow my vision

–Genius is wisdom and youth.

Does this remarkable poem tell us why humankind is still incapable of breaking the vicious cycle of greed, war, and apathy?

Is there hope that such a circle could be redrawn in the future? Could new medical breakthroughs in gerontology help resolve the problem?  Could new medicines help us at age 80 to ”fly over mountains” with enough strength and wisdom?

If we resolved such a paradox, how to balance our youth with our old age, humankind would be capable of many things. It could help us for instance not to commit the same mistakes of past generations that have kept us buried in our human squalor.

”Granny-phobes?”

Staying on the topic of pensioners, Helsingin Sanomat columnist Riva Liisa Snellman took a peek at 2035 as well. By then, one in three Finns will be over 65 years old, with nearly a million people who are over 75.

Will such a large number of pensioners cause an adverse reaction in our society? Semi Purhonen, a generation researcher, told Snellman that she doesn’t believe so since family ties play a crucial role in our society. No generation will ever declare war on its grandparents, according to her.

The Helsingin Sanomat columnist offers some light-hearted views of the future. She believes that we’ll all carry chip locators to alert relatives if we forget where we are supposed to go at a certain time. Loss of memory will not be an impairment since we’ll be assisted by ”memory assistants.” They will help us with all our memory problems.

We’ll all wear bracelets in the future and they will form a standard part of our attire. ”The bracelet can distinguish sleep from a sudden illness, and it also enables the wearer to ask for help,” writes Snellman.

We’ll have so-called loneliness centers for the elderly located in countries like Germany and the United States.

Christmas 2035

Christmas Eve falls on a Monday in 2035, which means we’ll be enjoying an extra long weekend then.

I hope on that day I’ll see many grandchildren spending Christmas with us around a large table peppered with friendly chit-chat, giggles andlaughs iced with the cake of anticipation.

Since children of the future will learn how to ask serious questions, my grandchildren will ask me about how life was like when I was young. I will tell them that in the last century we had snow, which will be a rare commodity due to global warming.

I will tell them as well about the financial hiccups that Europe suffered due to countries like Greece.

”Can you imagine that a long time ago, well not that long ago,” I’d tell them as they’d hold their breathes, ”we had groups that hated other people like us because we were different from them.”

”But we won the battle,” I’d continue. ”Thanks to our war against ignorance, all types of Multicultural Finns can live today in peace in this country and be at the same time proud of their ethnic backgrounds.”

A Multicultural Finn is any person who considers himself a Finn but comes from a multicultural background. ”You are all good examples,” I’d say. ”Your great grandparents and your relatives before them were from many countries and knew the ways of many cultures. I have lived in many places during my lifetime.”

They’d ask about wars and how they ended for good on Earth.

I’d return to Master’s poem about the mountains, but recite it to them differently:

When our countries were young they waged war, turned their backs on the suffering of the world

They did not know the mountains of humanity. 

After we nearly destroyed our environment and almost killed each other off we finally learned to know those mountains 

But our planet and humanity were in too bad shape to fly over those mountains

–Genius is living in a world without greed and wars.

How did wars end? How did we learn to live in peace with each other? another one asked.

People got so fed up with their governments and armies that one day a huge war was declared war but nobody showed up.

The column was published in Finland Bridge issue 6/2011

 

Why did you come here? (4/4) “Enrique Tessieri: Am I a foreigner?”

Posted on by Migrant Tales

By Enrique Tessieri

It’s funny that I askedthis important question, “am I a foreigner” in Finland, sixteen years ago. What astounds me is that I am still asking the same question: Do I belong here? Do you accept me for who I am?

I wrote this chapter in the book during Finland’s worst recession in a century, when unemployment rocketed to near-twnet-percent levels. The most vulnerable groups were immigrants at the time. Unemplyment for this group stood at around 50%!

Like today, when the winds of recession are blowing over Finland and Eurppe, back then racism and xenophobia were on the dramatic rise in Finland. Contrary to today, no party like the Perussuomalaiset had yet capitalized on people’s xenophobia because there were so few foreigners. In 1994-95, there were 55,587 immigrants in the country accounting for a mere 1.1% of the population, according to the Population Register Center.

A former student, who is a Finn with a multicultural background, told other students with similar backgrounds the following: “The first important step is accepting yourself. Extend your hand of friendship if possible to those that may loathe you.”

Those that change history are those who have the vision and courage to grab the issue by the horns.

I write in Why did you come here: “I believe that a hundred years from today people like myself will not be called a foreigner by some Finns. If we are not overcome by hatred and war, Europe and Finland will resemble a dynamic melting pot [culturally diverse society would be more appropriate today] of cultures.

______________

…Am I a foreigner in Finland? That is a difficult question to answer. If I could move to this country a hundred years from today, some people would not label me as a foreinger. People who are members of two, three or more cultures will be a common sight in Finlad in the late-twenty-first century.

I used to feel lonely because of my Finnish and Argentinan [as well as U.S.] background. I did not know anyone who belonged to these two [never mind three] cultures.

After receiving a degree in anthropology in the United States, I moved to Argentina to do my military service. Prior to that, I had only lived 2.5 years in that country. Argentina turned out to be a political nighmare. The country was in the midst of a civil war. I am still hounded by the cemetery silence that prevailed in Argentina during those years when over 9,000 people (sic, over 30,000 people) vanished.

I first heard of Colonia Finlandesa back in April 1977 at the Finnish Seaman’s Church of Buenos Aires.  Colonia Finlandesa, founded in 1906 in the subtropical jungles of Misiones, was the largest Finnish colony in South Ameridca It did not take me long to begin fieldwork on the few remaining Finns still living there.

Most of the old people were living off their pensions from Finland, while the younger ones were stubbornly striving to support their families by growing a few hectares of tobacco and other cash crops. It was a very modest existence.

One of the people I vividly remember meeting at Colonia Finlandesa was Svea Gumberg, who was only three months ole when her parents brought her to Argentina in May 1906.

“I remember my father rushing out of his bed at night with the rifle to shoot at the jguars [yaguareté] that ate our dogs and at the wold boars that ate our crops,” she said. “It was difficult to shoot these beasts because it was pitch dark.”

The last time I visited Colonia Finlandesa was in June 1988 [now 2007]. There was only one Finnish-born settler left. His name is Reino Putkuri, who came to Argentina as a child from Kitee The years have erased all the bonds he had with this country. He told me bluntly, “It wasn’t my fault if I was born in Finland.”

There’s a picture of Antti Lemmetyinen’s sauna that synmbolizes the fate of the colony. One of the most beautiful sauns in Colonia Finlandesa, in 1978 it was almost falling down for lack of care and had turned into a temporary pigsty. In 1984 the structure was gone.

Ethnically speaking, I can’t even say after five generations of Finnish heritage in Argentina if there is such a group that can call itself “Finnish-Argentinean,” when I take into account the large number of out-group marriages.

For example, if a song of a first-generation Finnish settler learned Finnish at home and married a daughter of a German immigrant, they would speak Spanish together. As a result, their children would learn Spanish as the language of their home.

In many ways, the same thins is happening to foreigners in Finland. They are slowly being integrated into this society. And their children are full-fledged Finns.

I believe that a hundred years from today people like myself will not be called a foreinger by some Finns. If we are not overcome by hatred and war, Europe and Finland will resemble a dynamic melting pot of cultures [I would change this part and state culturally diverse society instead].

I am very happey that my grandchildren will be fortunate enought to see that day.

What we should reflect on Finland’s Independence Day

Posted on by Migrant Tales

By Enrique Tessieri

Since I grew up in three countries, I have the opportunity to celebrate three independence days every year. Today is Finland’s turn. What should we be reflecting on this day? Should it be nationalism, patriotism or neither?

Some make a big distinction between nationalism and patriotism. While I consider them basically the same thing, the former is used to stress how much better better one group is compared with another. Patriotism is generally supposed to mean a sense of community.

While the term patriotism has a nationalistic connotation to it, that feeling of community it is supposed to bring out in us is crucial to any well-functioning society. We all belong and work for the betterment of all the members and parts of our society.

A key component of these celebrations, in my opinion, should be the opportunity to embrace our diversity and be inclusive to new members so they may enjoy that sense of community.

We should be a model of a small world community where all peoples from all backgrounds can live together and reap strength and meaning.

Too many independence day celebrations in different countries are just the opposite. They are too nationalistic and do nothing to mend the injustices brought on other groups when these nations were built.

If Karl Marx was the founding ideological father of the former Soviet Union, relatively unknown social thinkers to many like Baron de Montesquieu had a huge impact on the then nascent republic of the United States.

As most people know, The Declaration of Independence of the United States took place on July 4, 1776. A revolution usually gives birth to great men and ideas like that of Thomas Jefferson.

He wrote that if any government didn’t offer its citizens unalienable rights such as life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, it is the right of the people to either alter or abolish such government, even by force.

We must not forget, however, that the those unalienable rights that Jefferson spoke of were meant for white Europeans not for groups like Amerindians never mind blacks, who were slaves at the time.

Argentina’s declaration of independence from Spain happened on July 9, 1816. The country, which had at the beginning of the nineteenth century a population totaling a mere 400,000 people excluding Amerindians, which may have accounted for about a third of the total population, was enormous and practically empty.

Juan Bautista Alberd, one of Argentina’s most influential statesmen of the nineteenth century, coined the phrase: “To govern is to populate.”  His thinking inspired the 1853 constitution, which was one of the most immigrant friendly in the world at the time.

While immigration changed the face of Argentina, it was a death blow to the Amerindians and the country’s black population.

Just as Jefferson forgot the black slaves’ unalienable rights, Alberdi held Amerindians in similar contempt and did not see them forming part in Argentina’s future.

Contrary to the United States and Argentina, Finland’s independence happened such a short time ago (94 years) that my grandparents saw that day. If Finland didn’t have blacks or Amerindians, it had socialists and communists that had no place in our society especially after the 1918 Civil War.

In all three of these countries, persecution and exclusion of groups were factors that helped create these nations.  With this in mind, shouldn’t this important day be a moment when we reflect on the greatness of our society measured in correcting historical injustices, reconciliation as well as promoting social equality, justice and inclusion?

On that this day we should make a vow that we’ll never commit such atrocities as war on others ever again.

If this is what we are celebrating today, I wish from the bottom of my heart to everyone a very wonderful Independence Day!

How to effectively burn cultural bridges in Finland and elsewhere

Posted on by Migrant Tales

By Enrique Tessieri

If you want to build bridges of understanding between different cultures, you have to learn acceptance, respect, have an open mind and good social communication skills.  The total opposite of the above are racism, ignorance, pigheadedness and the inability to learn about other cultures never mind effective communication skills.

Most of us learn to communicate socially in our country. Why? Because it is an effective way to speak to others and make your point.

Thanks to such a valuable skill we’ve been able to build and live today in a society that isn’t yet too polarized.

That has now changed especially after the April 17 election. Even if there may be many socio-economic factors at play,  disrespect stands out as one of the culprits.

If we visit some websites in Finland like Hommaforum and Scripta, it becomes clear that they are forums where some people let their hate and racism hang out freely. How many of these bloggers would speak in such a tone to their own group? Maybe some, but not the majority because they know it is inappropriate and offensive.

For some odd reason, some Finns believe that it is perfectly fine to insult other groups. If they are criticized on this point for spreading urban legends, they point to the First Amendment, or freedom of speech.

There are ways to express opposition and other ways that are totally counterproductive.  Racism and disrespect are ineffective ways to get your point across.

Kokoomus presidential hopeful, Sauli Niinistö, said in a recent interview on STT that disrespect is one of the key issues that has poisoned the debating atmosphere in Finland. “…since that person said it like that, I’ll show him (and hit him harder). Probably the person did not mean to be so offensive,” he said.

Glenn Robinson publishes a lot of interesting material on Community Village Daily Activist. One of the blog entries is on multicultural etiquette.  He gives the following advice:

1. It’s okay to speak the language of another culture.

2. It’s okay to eat the food of another culture.

3. It’s okay to use the technology of another culture.

4. It’s okay for actors to dress in the clothes of another culture.

5. It’s NOT okay for you to dress in the clothes of another culture on Halloween.

6. It’s NOT okay to tell an African American that they sound like a ‘White’ person – even if you’re joking.

Do you think the following points apply to Finland? What would you add or omit from Robinson’s list?

Here is another link to seven innocent gestures that can get you killed overseas.

How well does Finland’s school system educate children with immigrant backgrounds?

Posted on by Migrant Tales

By Enrique Tessieri

A story on the Guardian  praises Finland’s educational system for setting a “great example” in educating immigrant children. While I am certain there are many success stories out there, are matters that rosy as the London daily claims?

When I read the article I thought about a  survey published in February, which showed 41% of  teachers would want to limit at schools the amount of pupils with immigrant backgrounds?

Like everything else, perspective is key. What do children with immigrant backgrounds say about our educational system? Do they agree whole-heartedly with what the Guradian writes?

Certainly there is a lot of good will in this country to make immigration work. Even so, do we agree about the big picture, or what is the role of these students will be when they become adults in our ever-culturally diverse society?

Certainly there are big differences between schools in eastern Helsinki and small towns like Liperi.

“Liperi is a small town in the region of Pohjois-Karjala and there weren’t too many Russians when we moved there (in the 1990s),” says Aune Rugoyeva. “It was sometimes pretty tough at  middle-school since my classmates chewed me out (for being Russian) and excluded me (from the rest of the group). It was a very lonely place to be.”

The bullying that Aune suffered at the school was possible thanks to the teachers who turned a blind eye, according to her.

One of the most important questions our world-famous educational system should therefore be asking is how does it encourage cultural diversity?

When schools speak of “multiculturalism,” or diversity, do they overlook the important fact that the pupil is culturally hybrid and can move between two or more cultures ambidextrously?  When students with immigrant backgrounds, especially those who are visible minorities and who have lived most of their lives in Finland, are asked to “tell about their cultures” at school do we fall into the trap of “us” and “them?”

Probably the last person to understand a student’s hybridity is a someone who has never been an immigrant never mind lived in two or more cultures simultaneously.

Does our school system strengthen and reinforce the students cultural hybridity as an integral part of Finnishness? Most importantly, does it teach important values such as acceptance and respect of such diversity?

Another matter that the Guardian article did not write about is that teachers in Finland rank almost as high as the police with respect to their conservative views of society.

Teaching Tolerance: White Anti-Racism: Living the Legacy

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Comment: Even if racism comes in different forms in different countries and regions, it’s the same thing. People who work against this social ill face similar problems irrespective if they are in Lieksa, Finland, or in Fresno, California. 

If, for example, we want to see what kind of a threat neo-Nazi groups pose for Finland, it would be good to turn our attention to Germany to see what they have done on this front. If we want to see what anti-immigration far-right parties have in store for us, we could look at the impact of parties like the Danish People’s Party.   

There has been dear little public debate in Finland about those who work with immigrants and try to empower minorities to stand up for their rights. Sometimes “well-intentioned” groups may do just the opposite and promote apathy, however. 

The Teaching Tolerance story below asked four women some of the most common mistakes “white anti-racist” activists make when working with ethnic minorities. 

These are some of the issues they brought up: 

  • Not acknowledging that they have power and privilege by the mere fact that they are white. 
  • The most common mistakes white activists make are 1) setting an agenda with the illusion of inclusion, and 2) having to have a franchise on comfort.
  • White anti-racists make a mistake when they shut out the poor and uneducated and keep in those “in the know” to decide what’s good for people of color.
  • “Getting it” is the biggest point, I feel. Getting it means many things: the ability for white activists to understand that they have a space and place of privilege. It really is up to white people to give up their privilege and be okay with that. 
  • I believe that white allies can “get it” if we define “getting it” as becoming attuned to the subtle effects of racial bias in everyday interactions and environments. We can “get it” if we recognize the systemic presence of racism and how race-based oppression is allowed to continue.  

Do we “get it” in Finland? 

Thank you @getgln for the heads up!

___________

What does “white anti-racist” mean? How can guilt get in the way? And what’s all this talk about being “colorblind”? Teaching Tolerance asked community activists to share their thoughts on these questions, and others. Their answers shine light on the concepts of comfort, power, privilege and identity.

Read whole story.

Exemplary Finns and exemplary immigrants

Posted on by Migrant Tales

By Enrique Tessieri

You don’t need the acceptance of over 5 million people to feel welcome in Finland. Only a few exemplary people will do, even one or two persons. Even though I am a Finn with a multicultural background, these exemplary people have given me strength and belief in this society.

A situation or a person can change your life for good, even a simple sentence uttered.

I hope that immigrants and minorities who live in Finland meet and find more of those exemplary Finns. There are more of them than people think especially during these politically turbulent times fueled by intolerance, racism and hatred.

Those that encourage social inequality of immigrants and minorities are the total opposite of those exemplary Finns. They are the shameful Finns who can still learn to become exemplary.

The first exemplary Finns I met were my grandparents, mother and later on writers like Eeva Kilpi as well as many others.

I met Kilpi in 1967 by chance when I landed in front of her summer house in the middle of an open field that was hugged by a tranquil sunny afternoon forest.  We still see each other and remember how we met on that special day forty-five years ago.

She wrote about our meeting in the woods of Savo in a book called Häätanhu and encouraged me to never to return to Finland as a foreigner.

I believe that our instant bond of friendship had to do a lot with displacement. She was a refugee from Karelia and I was the son of immigrant parents living in Los Angeles, California. Our common love was a home called Finland and its sublime woods.

There are many other exemplary Finns that I have met in this country and abroad as well. One matter that unites all of them is that they not only accepted who I was but encouraged me to be that person.

Just as there are exemplary Finns there are as well exemplary immigrants.