We ordered window cleaning to our appartment and once the person came behind our door who was supposed to do the job she looked at me, a black man with my then three year old son and said: People your colour don’t pay and refused to enter the house. My wife contacted the company and we made comments on their Facebook page to which they responded to by disabling possibility to review them on Facebook the company CEO kept referring to past experience and insisting they are not racist… contacted the police and they said there is NOTHING they can do but how unfortunate.

As a newcomer to Finland, I was in need of income and was eager to work. I was open to trying positions I didn’t have prior experience in, and a position at a restaurant caught my eye. If I got the job, it would have meant that I would need to commute more than I really wanted to, but I wanted to give it a shot. So I called the number. I fumbled through my broken Finnish (and probably added some English too) to introduce myself, ask more about the position, and tell them that I was interested in the joining the team. The reply I received is something I’ll never forget. A frustrated voice answered me, and without even asking more about who I am or even my work experience, said something along the lines of, “We want a *real* Finn to work here!” I’m pretty sure they used the words “aito suomalainen.” I was not welcome there.

Few years ago the local unemployment office had a service called Navigaattori. They would provide extra support for job seekers. The person in charge was supportive at the beginning giving good insights on the job market. Till she started to ask personal questions and one of her tips was: “You are lucky, you could pass for a Finn like us. Take your husband surname and learn the language without saying you are Italian”. I have never felt more Italian. Since then I incorporate little Italian known words like ‘ciao’ and ‘grazie’ in my conversations to make sure my interlocutor knows my country of origin. Before that I felt European.