Finland’s largest daily, Helsingin Sanomat, published an editorial Thursday about how social segregation is growing in Finland. That follows a story about how some schools in Espoo have more pupils who speak other languages than Finnish, Swedish, or Saami.
The editorial plays down the problem of social segregation by not addressing issues like institutional racism, while the other story on Espoo schools gives the impression that “foreign” languages are a threat to Finnish culture and society.
Both stories overlook some salient issues why social segregation has grown in recent years in Finland. Helsingin Sanomat reveals a Freudian slip by not stating in the story and editorial core issues like institutional racism and ineffective housing and social policy.
According to the EU, urban segregation is the unequal distribution of different social groups based on occupation, income, education, gender, and ethnicity. In recent years, the gap has widened.
Blaming the residents of specific neighborhoods and not addressing the root causes of growing social inequality means that Finland will do little to nothing to halt ever-growing social segregation in Finland.
Lowder voices and activism are needed.
This may be easier said than done in a country still in deep denial about its racism problem.
For further information contact:
Enrique Tessieri, chairperson, Anti-Hate Crime Organisation Finland
+358 40 8400773
editor@migranttales.net
* Anti-Hate Crime Organisation Finland was founded in September 2018 and registered as an NGO the following month. The aim of the NGO is to tackle and eradicate hate crime and all forms of discrimination in Finland such as anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, Afrophobia, misogyny, and other forms of social exclusion through education and training, seminars, events, conferences, among others.