Leo Honka A well where dreams flourish splashing with ease on a slow poke painted summer afternoon which I wear with the help of a restless bow tie just before stepping on a country path that blushes from my weight. By a gentle pond that turns into serenity warned by towering trees of my presence…
Tag: Immigrants
Do mobile phone companies and insurers discriminate against immigrants living in Finland?
Migrant Tales published Monday a story about how mobile phone operators in Finland require immigrants to make at least a 300-euro deposit and be a resident of this country for two years to get a mobile phone line. The Ombudsman for Minorities is a good place to inquire about your rights. They have a…
Migrant Tales (November 28, 2011): Who is Finland’s Uncle Tom?
Comment: This blog entry was first published on November 28, 2011. For some reason, it’s impossible to access this posting from the old Migrant Tales site. I have reposted it on www.migranttales.net. _____________________ Is there such a concept as Uncle Tom in Finland? @HelsinkiObs helped me out with this question: “It’s Setä Tuomo (older style)…
Some immigrants adapt so well to Finland that they even parrot the language of the racist
Intolerance doesn’t only originate from the majority group, but is alive and kicking among some immigrants as well. White immigrants may have prejudices against their fellow black ones, gays against heterosexuals, religion x against religion y. In sum, there’s a lot of intolerance promoted out there that reveals itself in the most surprising places. One…
Sport is one of your best passports to acceptance in a new country
Since sports can be your passport to acceptance in a new country, its role should never be underetimated never mind undermined. It’s clear that we need to do more work in Finland to promote sports in order to include more immigrants and their children in this activity. In the United States I played basketball, track…
How minority athletes rise to victory – Interview with Star Athletics Winner Nooralotta Neziri
Çelen Oben and Sheila Riikonen In Finland where finance and politics are no longer barriers to achieve star status in sports, what challenges do minorities face? Do female athletes, persons with disabilities, or those coming from immigrant backgrounds have equal opportunities in Finnish society? You can visit Nooralotta Neziri official website here. Nooralotta Neziri just won…
Pia Grochowski: The other side of ethnic cuisine
By Pia Grochwoski This month Six Degrees magazine ran multiple features on the theme of ethnic food and restaurants, “Dining with an Ethnic Twist: The popularity of ethnic restaurants in Finland continues to grow swiftly”. The proportion of ethnic restaurants in Finland continues to grow, making up 20% of the restaurant sector in Finland. It…
What does Finland’s integration law reveal about our society and expectations?
A good question we can ask about Finland’s integration act is what it reflects about our views and expectations of newcomers. Can any law integrate people effectively? If you want to speak of one- or two-way adaption, one should ask some of Finland’s oldest minorities like the Roma and Saami what memories such a…
A cartoon that reveals a truth about integration and diversity in Europe
Sometimes when I read about how immigrants, their children and grandchildren are treated in some European countries, this cartoon comes to mind. After the first warning and after you understand fully the but after the ” we’re a very tolerant society…” line, many will encounter the wall of institutional racism, the final icing of your integration cake…
Migrant Tales video blog entry: President Sauli Niinistö’s New Year address 2013
Here’s Migrant Tales’ first-ever video blog entry. We plan to publish more of these in 2013 in English, Finnish as well as in other languages. This is a first attempt so I’m certain there’s a lot of room for improvement. We’ll get better at them as we get more practice.