The Truth About Racism in Finland
My Follow-Up
A lot of people responded to my last video (here is the substack) where I explained why, from my perspective, Finland is not a racist country. I stand by that. In fact, I’ll go so far as to say that the more people push this narrative, the more it will backfire. That would suck for all of us.
The EU Study: Is Finland the Most Racist Country?
Some comments brought up the EU study that claims Finland is the most racist country in the EU. I’ve started reading it—about a quarter of the way through—and I’ve got to tell you, I’m not convinced.
Here’s why:
The first page reads less like an impartial study and more like an emotional piece written by a social justice activist. To be fair, I don’t read many studies, so I’m not sure if this is normal.
The study doesn’t account for cultural differences.
It allows participants to decide whether incidents were racially motivated, making the results almost entirely subjective.
Interestingly, it notes that a portion of the supposed racist incidents were caused by other minorities.
On top of that, the sample size is relatively small.
If this study is one of the main reasons people label Finland as racist, I’d be very surprised. Yet, whenever polls are taken here, the majority of Finns say they believe racism has no place in the country.
What Do We Mean by a “Racist Country”?
Some people disagreed with my last video, and that’s completely fine. But the real question we should ask is: what do we mean when we say a country is racist?
What I don’t mean is that Finland is a place where no one will ever be mean to you—whether it’s because of your religion, appearance, weight, or, in this case, your race. Expecting a place where no prejudice exists is unrealistic. It’s insanity to hold any country to that standard. I say this often: wherever you live, someone, somewhere, will hate you for who you are. That’s just reality.
Hidden Racism? Why Should I Care?
Some comments said things like, “Finns are racist because behind closed doors, friends or family say racist things,” or, “There’s a lot of hidden racism here.”
Honestly, I find these kinds of claims strange. Why should I care what’s hidden in someone’s heart if it doesn’t affect my life?
Let’s say, for the sake of argument, that every Finn secretly harbours hate toward me because of my skin colour. Yet, in practice, they treat me no differently. I can work, rent an apartment, make friends, live safely, and get treated the same by doctors and other professionals.
Now, imagine after all this, they go home and say something racist about me in private. For instance, the doctor might tell their spouse, “I had to treat another Black guy today. Ew.” How does this affect my life in any tangible way? If this is what “hidden racism” looks like, I say let’s export it to the rest of the world!
This kind of “purity test” is bizarre. People are going to talk behind your back regardless—probably about things unrelated to race.
Personal Experiences of Racism
Other comments were angrier and more personal:
“How can you say it’s not a racist country when I had to file a police report after a skinhead threatened me?”
“A drunk person said something terrible to me once.”
These are valid personal experiences, and I sympathise with anyone who feels threatened. If you’re in danger, you should report it—just as you would with any other crime. Racism and other forms of hate need to be opposed.
But does encountering an extremist mean the entire country is racist? No. That’s a catastrophic conclusion to draw. Most people here would oppose such behaviour, and the laws protect everyone equally.
The Role of Culture
For every story about a racist incident, I hear many more from immigrants who are amazed at how peaceful life is here and how little judgment they feel based on their skin colour—especially when they make an effort to integrate and respect the culture.
Culture is everything. Watch any YouTube video about foreigners documenting their experience in Finland. The comments are overwhelmingly positive and encouraging. Look at videos of people learning Finnish or trying Finnish food—it’s always warmly received.
Personally, I don’t think about my skin colour very often here because I’m living in an environment that doesn’t constantly remind me of it.
Why I See Things Differently
Who am I to make these claims? I’m a South African who’s lived in Finland for almost six years. I know what it’s like to live in a heavily racialised country. Moving here felt like exhaling after holding my breath for years.
In South Africa (a country I love, by the way), I was always a bit tense, bracing for xenophobia or racism. Here, I noticed that, in almost every situation, my skin colour simply doesn’t matter.
Racism vs. Xenophobia vs. Cultural Criticism
The real issue is that people often conflate racism, xenophobia, cultural preferences, religious criticism, and immigration concerns. These are different conversations, but they’re often lumped together under the umbrella of racism—which is insane.
Criticising Islam’s impact on Finnish culture, for example, isn’t inherently racist. There are valid concerns that deserve to be heard. Neither is advocating for better immigration and integration policies.
Using such a broad brush to describe specific issues creates unnecessary confusion and tension. Calling an entire country racist might feel like you’re fighting the good fight, but it’s dishonest and intellectually lazy. It implies that millions of people are terrible human beings.
Gratitude vs. Complaining
If you move to Finland and constantly complain about the country, I’m tempted to ask: where are you from? Nine times out of ten, it’s a place with far greater issues.
I’m not saying you can’t criticise Finland—I just think it’s important to temper your complaints with perspective. For example, if a bus is five minutes late, it might annoy me, but compared to South Africa, where buses sometimes don’t show up at all, it’s not that bad.
The same goes for Finnish natives who constantly complain. If you’ve never lived elsewhere, you might not realise how good you have it here.
Final Thoughts
Finland is an amazing place. Yes, it can improve in many areas, but there’s so much to be grateful for. Sometimes the lack of gratitude I see makes me roll my eyes.
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Until next time, chow!