Racist discrimination is a widespread social phenomenon in Finland that affects people's lives and well-being at all levels and in all sectors of society.
Racism is difficult to oppose if it is not recognized and named. The problem is that racism cannot be defined exhaustively and differences of opinion about what racism is make the discussion difficult.
Anti-racism work
Racism is bullying, discrimination or violence related to a person's ethnic or national origin, citizenship, language or religion. JoMoni works to prevent racism and helps people who have experienced racism.
There is an anti-racism working group in Joensuu, which includes representatives of authorities and organizations. The task of the working group is to intervene in situations where people encounter racism and discrimination and to support people in their anti-racism work.
You can contact the working group through our staff.
Definitions
The definitions below are copied from the report “Study on discrimination experienced by people of African descent” published by the Equality Ombudsman on 9 June 2020. The report can be found here .
Afrophobia
Afrophobia is a specific form of racism that is specifically motivated by African descent and that targets individuals, groups, and communities of African descent. The ultimate purpose of Afrophobia is to dehumanize and is linked to the historical injustices experienced by black people, such as colonialism and the negative stereotypes attached to them through the process of racialization.
Afrophobia can take many forms, from discrimination to violence, including racist hate speech. It can manifest itself as racist discrimination between individuals and groups, manifested in prejudices, imagery, beliefs, and fears, as well as structural Afrophobic racism and discrimination.
Underreporting
Underreporting refers to when victims of discrimination, communities or their representatives do not report the discrimination they have experienced to an official body.
Ethnic profiling
Ethnic profiling generally refers to an action by a police officer, security guard or other security officer – for example, stopping and checking identity or checking bags – where the decisive or sole reason is the presumed ethnic origin or, for example, language of the person targeted.
In most situations, this type of profiling constitutes discrimination prohibited by the Equality Act. Ethnic profiling is not a concept in legislation and there is no single, established definition. The definition by the European Agency for Fundamental Rights emphasises that profiling must also be based on grounds other than discrimination in order not to constitute prohibited discriminatory profiling.
Microaggression
Microaggression is an intentional or unintentional comment or action that reinforces and perpetuates racist or otherwise discriminatory stereotypes and at the same time otherifies them. For example, by praising how well a non-white person speaks Finnish, the praiser simultaneously implies that he or she thinks a black or brown person cannot speak Finnish as their native language. Although they may seem like harmless questions or comments, they are offensive to the target and accumulate.
Multi-basis discrimination
Multi-basis discrimination refers to being discriminated against on two or more different grounds. Belonging to a minority, especially a visible minority, exposes one to multi-basis discrimination. Multi-basis discrimination can be divided into three different forms of discrimination:
Multi-basis discrimination is a situation where, for example, a disabled person of African descent faces discrimination in two different situations for different reasons, for example, in a job search on the basis of disability and in the housing market on the basis of African descent.
Cumulative discrimination occurs, for example, in a situation where a person faces discrimination in a job search both as a woman and as an African descent. Intersectional discrimination is an example of this when young men of African descent are mentioned, whose discrimination is not based on skin color, age, or gender, but rather a combination of all of these and the negative stereotypes and prejudices that society attaches to all of these different groups.
Structural discrimination
Structural discrimination refers to discrimination hidden in the structures of an organization or society, such as contracts, legislation and services, that places one population group at a disadvantage compared to others.
Racism
Racism is a system in which policies, institutional practices, culture and other norms maintain racialized social power structures. It is part of social, economic and political systems in which everyone is a part.
Racism can manifest itself in different areas of society, for example, as intentional or unintentional racializing behavior based on prejudice and fear between individuals and groups, or as discriminatory practices and processes in structures, such as employment, education and services, in which organizations, companies, institutions and agencies either directly or indirectly discriminate against certain groups of people.
Racialization
Racialization is a sociological process in which people are divided into groups based on their superficial or assumed characteristics. It is a process that has occurred throughout history, in which groups are assigned defining characteristics, assumptions and social hierarchies, for example, regarding customs, language, history, religion, abilities, morality, personality and intelligence.
The definition is largely based on prejudices, beliefs, jokes, fears and stereotypes. The process of racialization leads to racist and discriminatory actions: Based on imaginary social hierarchies, representatives of groups are consciously or unconsciously treated unequally and used to justify discriminatory actions. The definitions and meanings attached to racialized groups are seen as innate and unchangeable. In Finland, racialized groups include, in addition to Afro-Finns, Roma, Sami and Russians.
Discrimination
A person is treated worse or placed in a worse position based on some personal characteristic without an acceptable reason.
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Direct discrimination: A person is treated less favourably than another person on the basis of a discriminatory ground without an acceptable reason. For example, a business owner refuses to allow a dark-skinned person into their business premises.
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Indirect discrimination: An apparently equal rule, criterion or practice puts someone at a disadvantage due to a discriminatory ground without an acceptable reason. For example, perfect Finnish language skills are required for employment, even though it is not necessary for doing the job.
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Harassment: Behavior that intentionally or actually violates a person's human dignity, creating a degrading or hostile atmosphere towards them. For example, racist jokes made in the workplace with the intention of insulting them.
White normativity
The whiteness norm refers not so much to skin color as to invisible social hierarchies and power relations, where Westernness and Europeanness are seen as the norm defining social structures. Normativity only emerges when there is a deviation from it.
Hate speech
Hate speech is any form of expression that spreads, incites, promotes or justifies hatred based on intolerance. Hate speech can be related to, for example, skin colour, national or ethnic origin, religion, sexual orientation or disability.
Minority stress
Minority stress is a psychological phenomenon that describes a chronic state of stress resulting from minority status, which is caused by experienced, accumulated experiences of discrimination, the anxiety and fear they cause, feelings of difference and experiences of otherness. Minority stress can negatively affect physical and psychological health and well-being and change a person's social behavior.
Equality
Equality means that all people are equal, regardless of their origin, gender, age, ethnic or national origin, citizenship, language, religion or belief, opinion, disability, health status, sexual orientation or any other reason related to the person.
In a just society, everyone has equal opportunities to receive education, advance in their careers, receive services and develop themselves.