The February 1981 issue was the second of eleven newsletters that came out. The Foreign Student played an important role in giving migrants a voice during a period when foreigners were supposed to remain quiet about their civil rights. Published in 1981, I wouldn’t have used today words like “Gypsy” and “Lapp” to refer to…
Tag: Finns
Exposing white Finnish privilege #70: At the dentist’s and where are you from?
There have been a number of social media posts about how health-care workers assume what is your cultural and linguistic background. Not only do they make the assumption, but label you in such a way. While some of you may say that I am being hypersensative, what would a black USAmerican think if I asked…
Helsingin Sanomat article on refugees is an exercise in stereotyping
One matter has always surprised me about Finnish journalists is how they stereotype and allow their own value judgements and prejudices get in the way of facts. A good example is a story by Jukka Harju who not only mistakenly claims that the first refugees came to Finland over 40 years ago but which nationality adapted the best in Finland.
The question that everyone forgot to ask: Are the Tapanila sexual assault suspects Finns?
The Tapanila gang sexual assault case last week revealed a lot of ugly things about our society like our lack of willingness to help people in distress, and racism. The debate has raged on with the media and social media leading the charge. The violent reaction we have seen on social media to what happened…
To all the Other Finns like me: Nobody can deny who you are
After spending a brief moment of my childhood in Finland, and growing roots in other lands, I longed to move back to the country I was once from. I was fortunate and able to visit Finland every summer. Those days I spent as a child and adolescent in the company of my grandparents in the…
Migrant Tales Literary: Mark or question mark
By Dana Source: www.aumethodists.org White or yellow or one step until yellow …Finish the race??? The question mark means that it is a question for you, so this story wants your ideas; u can prove them, ur idea as u wish. This is a colorful question so it isn’t an easy question to answer… but if…