Finland-anti foreigners attitudes?????

[FraserinFinland]

I used this Forum before I got to Finland. I used it a little when I was going to Finnish language courses. But I found that it was dominated by a few post whores.
I have been working for 2 years in a Finnish speaking workplace. My boss is even a member of perussuomalaiset I keep on mispronouncing it Persesuomalaiset But doesn't see the irony of employing a forienger.
Finns are quite racist, you soon learn that the more your language improves.
They don't like Somalis, so I said lets go to the Mosque on Friday, no takers. You have to understand Linnanmäki used to have a black guy on display in the early 80's for Finns to see. My colleagues pointed out on the street in that uncomfortable word - @#$%^&, so I started pointing out drunk Finns. I won

[onkko]

I have been working for 2 years in a Finnish speaking workplace. My boss is even a member of perussuomalaiset I keep on mispronouncing it Persesuomalaiset But doesn't see the irony of employing a forienger.

Mind to tell me where is irony in that? Or did you just tell us how ignorant you are?

[Rip]

But doesn't see the irony of employing a forienger.

Maybe the problem is in your head not his (in your apparent perception that the 'persu's want all foreigners out)

Finns are quite racist, you soon learn that the more your language improves.

Well, I do not know what goes on the coffee break at your work place, Allthough some people seem to find racism os the cause for problems, even if those problems are earned on personal "merits": viewtopic.php?f=25&t=35512&p=338548#p338548

They don't like Somalis, so I said lets go to the Mosque on Friday, no takers.

Proves what...?

[Upphew]

They don't like Somalis, so I said lets go to the Mosque on Friday, no takers.

Proves what...?

That the problem Somalis chill at the station during the Friday pray? That the Somalis chill at the Mosque instead of workplace? That the Mosque has better ventilation than the flats (okay, that was below the belt, as I have lived only once in the same building with Somali family and Finnish cuisine, I suppose it was the cooking that was causing the odor, can be smelly too, though not usually every day..).

[finlandforumuser]

Finns are quite racist

I guess you are living in wrong Finland -- you are very mistaken. I am leaving here 12 years, seen many troubles in this country but never seen racism.

PS Don't speak Finnish at all.

[lionel]

I guess you are living in wrong Finland -- you are very mistaken. I am leaving here 12 years, seen many troubles in this country but never seen racism.

PS Don't speak Finnish at all.

How can you live here so long and not speak any Finnish at all ?? And if you dont speak any finnish at all how would you even know whats happening or what people are going on about ??

[finlandforumuser]

How can you live here so long and not speak any Finnish at all ??

English is very wide spread here. It is de-facto standard for IT companies to use English as official language. I have several connections across finns and we nicely talk English in private life as well.

[Rick1]

I guess you are living in wrong Finland -- you are very mistaken. I am leaving here 12 years, seen many troubles in this country but never seen racism.

PS Don't speak Finnish at all.

How can you live here so long and not speak any Finnish at all ?? And if you dont speak any finnish at all how would you even know whats happening or what people are going on about ??

Totally agree with Lionel and is it leaving or living? Every country has no problems if you cannot even read the newspapers. Twelve years of ignorance.

[nismo]

Totally agree with Lionel and is it leaving or living? Every country has no problems if you cannot even read the newspapers. Twelve years of ignorance.

There are English versions of newpapers available along with English radio and television programs. Living without newspapers or television does not make one ignorant. Sometimes in can in fact be the opposite, with people spouting regurgitated rubbish without really allowing themselves to think about what is it they are saying. And even if someone reads the papers and watches the news, reads Seiska and wipes their butts with the Helsingin Sanomat, what can you do about the subject matter? What if it really pisses you off? How can it be changed? All that can be done is to pass those frustrations on. Ignorance sometimes is indeed bliss.

[finlandforumuser]

Every country has no problems if you cannot even read the newspapers.

Nice point: newspapers are evil! Let's ban newspapers to have no racism.

Twelve years of ignorance.

Right. I see no need to socialize with locals. Nothing common, I don't like them, except few exception.

[AnnikaL]

Right. I see no need to socialize with locals. Nothing common, I don't like them, except few exception.

I would suggest that this is more your problem/issue than theirs, though.I don't have lots in common with my entire neighbourhood, just some few very select people. I don't state that I don't like them, or that it is THEIR fault that I don't get on with them, it is just the nature of lifes diversity that we don't get on with everyone.

[rinso]

Right. I see no need to socialize with locals. Nothing common, I don't like them, except few exception.

So you confess in having a "Anti-Finnish" attitude.
No wonder they don't like you.

[Sol]

I think some people have never gotten past the culture shock.

I am a foreigner and I have been living in Finland for almost 2 years now. I don't think all Finns are racist. I had been living in two different foreign countries before coming to Finland and everywhere I go, I find the same thing: Foreigners whining about the new country they are living in.

It's actually really amusing at times because I had been living in the USA for a long time and I remember that there was always this comment at school or in the workplace that all foreigners in america should adapt and speak English and not Spanish or any other language because English is the language of America (debatable, but that is not the point of my post here). Anyway, it is amusing because I have met SOME Americans here who agree with the comment above, but they get offended when they are told the same thing: To speak Finnish or Swedish because those are the official languages.

It's all good to people when they are on the easy side of things, but when roles are reversed, there is so much whining.

I am really happy about living in Finland. I can say I have adapted to Finnish culture and learned the customs here. This has made my life easier.

My priority at school is to learn Finnish (which I can almost speak fluently) because whether I like it or not, that is the language here and I don't see why Finns have to adapt to my needs. It was my choice to come here.

I take Finn's "cold" attitude as giving me my private space. I like that...I dont feel like being bothered with small talk during the bus or train ride. I think people mistake Finn's directness for rudeness. They aren't rude, people just say exactly what they want and expect you to give them a direct answer.

The nice thing about Finland is that no matter who you are, if you adapt to the culture, learn the language, and work as hard as everybody else does, you will be accepted and you will have an easier time because I find that Finland appreciates a hard worker no matter where you come from (this is especially true if you go and live in Northern Finland).

It shames me to say this sometimes, but if Finns are sometimes rude to foreigners, I think some people deserve it. They just come here and whine and victimize themselves and dont take a moment to reflect and realize that people here are just doing their jobs.

In general, people are people no matter where you go. Yeah, I am not saying Finns are holy...no body is perfect and you will find an a**hole every now and then. But, that is life. Nobody is going to give it to you on a silver platter so quit your whining.

Maybe if less foreigners whined, more Finns would be happy to help you out with a friendly face. But all this whining has earned foreigners (deserved or not) a bad reputation.

[vincebel]

agree with everything u just said. I am myself a foreigner and sometimes i feel that i dont even like to hang out with other foreigners who are always staying together and dont event want to merge with finish people.

Ive been living here for 3 years and 90 percent of my friends are finnish, the rest are foreigners who have been here almost all their life (we speak finnish together cos they have an easy accent)

And i see no racism nowhere but more curiosity.

When someone asks me where im from, why im here, do i have job? u can take it bad if u dont know how finns are. it sounds rude, agressive but its not...

ofcourse it takes a few months to pass this culture shock

As for the jobs, i find it normal to hire a finnish first. so no racism again but logic.

And if there is more discrimination towards a particular ethnic group then the reason is not the finns but how this particular group adapts in Finland

I hope this last comment will not raise thunder but its true

[Upphew]

I hope this last comment will not raise thunder but its true

It will raise thunder only if you are Finn. Foreigners are allowed to say so, although you will probably get "asskisser" label attached.