Daily Discrimination Stories | category

Anonymous

February 8, 2024 / In business, In public, Immigrant, On public transport, Language

I was married to a Finnish man for 15 years. During those 15 years I would tell other foreigners what do you mean discrimination? I have been welcomed with open arms. I really never saw it. Until the first time I had to go to the bank after my divorce and changing my last name back to my maiden name. Then after being a client in the bank for 10 years as a property owner, they tried to refuse me bank codes. My ID that I had used was no longer valid (this was before the mandatory change of everyone needing Finnish ID and driver licenses no longer being a valid form). I got rather upset and new immediately the issue was my very foreign last name and the fact I was speaking broken Finnish. I told the gentlemen very clearly that these “issues” were not an issue when my last name was Finnish and my Finnish husband was with me. Which he then turned red and gave me my bank codes. This was the first case over another 10 years of being made to feel less then. “You’re a cleaner! Oh how wonderful. Oh wait, you got a marketing job? How did YOU get that? *insert repulsed pull back and snide smile* My sister (Finnish) has been trying for years” I have been spat on, I have been insulted and almost assaulted on a bus by a drunken young 20 year old because he could not understand why I needed to be here in his country. Thankfully there were enough YOUNGER generational people on the bus to get him to back off. The older generation (40+) sat there staring, ignoring or trying to explain his repulsive behaviour. I am trying to be fluent in Finnish. Languages are struggle for me and it will never be good enough. The only thing going for me is I “look” Finnish. Can’t imagine what life would be like if I didn’t. I have more faith in the younger Finnish generation.

anonymous

February 8, 2024 / Race, At work, Language

I was working for a company in Finland. I only worked for one and half months and they terminated my contract. I was talking to my friend in my native language and they thought that I was leaking company secrets. My friend had an emergency and it was important for me to talk to him. I know it was some of my fault that I was talking in work premises, I should have gone outside the work place but I completely forgot about that because of the nature of emergency. When I was talking to my friend it was around 6 pm and they suspected that I was leaking the company’s work since it was past the normal working hours. As per my contract I have to work for 7:30 hrs per day but since I didn’t worked properly a day before so I was trying to work for the extra hours to make up for the unworked hours.

Next day I had a meeting with the hr and my senior and I explained them what happened. They heard my side of the story but they had already signed the contract termination letter.

I went into depression for a week, I stayed at home and eat nothing. I quit smoking at that time but I started it again and I was smoking 2 packs of cigs everyday.

anonymous

February 8, 2024 / Race, Immigrant, Language

After getting COVID, I experienced a heart event and tried to get help from healthcare provider sponsored by my employer. First I was sent to a clinic in Kamppi which insisted they didn’t have the right referral from the doctor and was therefore not allowed to sit in the waiting area. They phoned the doctor while I sat on the stairs outside, then said the doctor promised to make the referral but they could not give the EKG until she did, and I had to wait outside. Then after 20 minutes they came outside to tell me they can’t help me at all. I could not remember how to get to the emergency care at the hospital a few blocks over because I did not have enough oxygen in my brain, so I took the familiar bus home. On the way, the doctor phoned to tell me how stupid the nurses were and it was all their fault. She could not offer me any help.

Over the next months, the health system gaslit me and asked me what my Finnish husband thought about me making up my health problems. I was told if I did not take SSRIs I could not be offered any other treatment. One doctor told me I had fainting problems because I was getting older and carrying more weight (I am underweight).

When I visited my home country, I was diagnosed with postural orthostatic tachycardia, confirmed with EKG that I had a heart attack, and was prescribed medication to manage the continuing symptoms.

I could have died because multiple Finnish doctors decided foreign women are liars.

When I raised a complaint with my employer about the treatment through their chosen healthcare provider, my Finnish colleagues all insisted they had never had such problems and of course they “believed” me but didn’t think anything needed to be done.

This country wants me dead as soon as possible.

Anonymous

February 7, 2024 / Language, Government agency

I had my first ever pap smear test scheduled at Kalasatama terveysasema upon turning 25 yo. I had never experienced this test before and had no idea what to expect.

I was met by a nurse who refused to speak English, I had no one to translate and I had no idea what was going on. With the little Finnish I understood, she gestured to take my underwear off and positioned me on the stand with my legs spread open. Obviously in a very vulnerable position and without any context of what was going on, I was very tense and didn’t understand what the procedure will be like.

Without a warning, without any kind of indication that she was going to insert the instrument inside me (so I could relax my body), she proceeded to forcefully insert it, causing me the worst pain I have ever experienced in my life. It was so sudden, I lost my ability to see for a second.

The nurse dismissed me when I screamed in pain and started to cry uncontrollably. Blood on the floor everywhere. She gave me a pad and told me to walk it off (something in the lines of “ei se mitään”) and that this is normal.

I bled for weeks…And never want to experience a pap smear test again.

americandreaminfinland

February 7, 2024 / In business, In public, Immigrant, Near home, Online, Language

I started TikTok and Instagram channels under the name americandreaminfinland, making videos comparing my life living in Finland to my life in the US, telling the story of how I moved to Finland, how I found work in Finland, how I applied for studies in Finland, etc. In the comments sections of those videos, I regularly got comments telling me to “go home,” ” go back where you came from,” “don’t bother speaking Finnish because you suck at,” and on and on.

I’ve also received threats in my direct messages such as the following one:

“terve vaan saatanan homo. toivottavasti osaat puhua suomea kun paskiainen oot haaskannut verovaroia asuessasi täällà saatanan haaska. oikeesti sut pitäisi puukottaa kuoliaaksi. tollasia saastaisia epäpuhtaita maahanmuttajapaskoja ei suomeen kaivata.
joten ota kivääri ja ammu ittesi kuoliaaksi. koko suomen kansa iloitsisi jos tappaisit itsesi, hirttäisit ittesi. kaltaisesi maahanmuuttajapaska ei ansaitse asua tässä kultaisessa maassa. tapa ittesi paskiainen.”

In my spare time, I work a side gig at a bar. I’ve had a customer tell me I was a nice person but they are not allowed to like me because I’m a foreigner. Also I have had two customers tell me I’m an embarassment for not speaking Finnish and I should go home.

In my past relationship, myself and my ex were spending time in the courtyard of my apartment. One of my neighbors swore at and spit at my ex telling her to go get f’d by her immigrant man.

Anonymous

November 7, 2023 / Race, Immigrant, Language

My husband had an ulcer and the doctors wouldn’t believe he was in pain and told him it was nothing until weeks later. They wouldn’t do any tests when he requested and actually said to his face “what do want us to do. we’ve done enough.”

anonymous

October 26, 2023 / In business, Immigrant, Language, Government agency

I wrote to HEKA, the City of Helsinki housing company, to express my deep disappointment and concern about an incident during a service visit to my new home, related to a faulty electrical installation. This is a new house.

Two electricians, outsourced by HEKA, came to address the electrical issues at my residence. During breakfast, while my family and I were getting ready for the day, they resolved the problems. However, one of the electricians made unprofessional and discriminatory comments, speculating that the issues might be due to the work of foreigners during the installation of the circuit breaker switchboard. As an immigrant myself, and with enough understanding of spoken Finnish, this was hurtful and unacceptable.

I let them finish their job, which ended up not being fixed at all, as a new intervention had to be made, and confronted them about those comments, simply saying: “Next time you’re fixing something at someone’s home, be professional and leave your political ideologies outside.” Silence was the answer.

When confronting HEKA about this, no formal apology was given, and there was no manifestation of concern—just indifference.

anonymous

October 26, 2023 / In public, Immigrant, Language, Government agency

Last year, we had a child at the children’s hospital in Espoo. Upon the birth of my kid, we were put in a recovery room—my Finnish wife, my little one, and me. As my wife was under recovery due to surgery, the nurse gave the kid to my hands, and I asked in fear what to do. This was my first child; I was exhausted and completely lost.

In Finnish, she answered, “You’re in Finland; we’ll speak in Finnish,” and refused to speak in English. We called a second nurse who did the same. Fortunately, a third nurse came on the next shift, which kindly handled us with the care we deserved.

I’ve made a complaint to the City of Espoo and also to the hospital, but never received a formal response. We got a call from the city saying they’re sorry, and that was it.

Alisher

October 23, 2023 / Language

I was contacted by a consultancy company to join them as a software developer. All communication, initiated by them, including the interview, were conducted in English. I was never asked about my Finnish language skills. I was told after the interview that they cannot continue because I don’t speak Finnish. I am fluent in Finnish and have been working in project for Finnish government, where all work was done completely in Finnish. When I explained that, I got a quick argument that I did not have enough years of experience.
The person assumed my language skills, even though the CV that I sent her clearly stated that I am fully proficient in Finnish. When she realised that she made a dreadful mistake and racist judgment, instead of apologising, she quickly made up another excuse!

Anonymous

October 6, 2023 / Immigrant, Language

I had given birth to my daughter 4 months ago and was really suffering from anxiety.
I called my local terveysasema and managed to get an appointment with w nurse.
I have been living in Finland 2.5 years and my Finnish was very poor. I asked the nurse if I could talk about my issue in English. The nurse was very unfriendly and said in Finnish: „Asutaan suomessa, niin puhutaan suomea!“