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SWEDISH HISTORY

OPINION: Why are racists in Sweden angry at history?

Swedish broadcaster SVT recently aired the first episode of its high-profile new series on Swedish history and racists aren't happy about it, The Local's Paul O'Mahony discovers.

Published: 10 November 2023 10:54 CET
OPINION: Why are racists in Sweden angry at history?
A new show by public broadcaster SVT aims to tell the history of Sweden. Photo: SVT

On Sunday night I sat down with my family and watched the first episode of Historien om Sverige (“the history of Sweden”), public broadcaster SVT’s big-budget series chronicling 15,000 years of Swedish history.

As the ice age retreated, the show explains, hunter-gatherers made their way north and established the first communities in the territory now known as Sweden.

As discovered by scientists around a decade ago, they were most likely dark-skinned and blue-eyed. Accordingly, this is how they are depicted in the show.

A thought flickers: the legions of online racists won’t like this one bit. Before even checking, I can hazard a decent guess at the caustic subtext in the online forums where racists lurk:

How dare they come up here and take our jobs before we even had jobs for them to take!

All of which is confirmed when I go on to Flashback, the anything-goes Swedish forum where bigots find their tribe.

A thread on the new series drips with the sarcasm-laden diatribes of countless “friends of Sweden”, ever wary of the enemy within, never pausing to consider they might be it.

How can SVT cast Africans as Swedes? Why all this woke, trans-friendly, feminist, left-wing propaganda?

And those are the more gentle comments. Every new page seems worse than the last in this vortex of crud (you’re welcome, heavy metal band name seekers). There are 1,700 comments in the thread I’m reading.

SURVEY:

I rush for the exit but soon hold my nose again and enter the entity formerly known as Twitter. A search for Historien om Sverige reveals another racist broth, though this one is not quite as spicy as Flashback’s.

Time to check Facebook, the festering mire of radicalisation that sucks in uncles and mothers and the second cousin you once thought you knew. And yes, angry aging gentlemen of the internet are also busy peppering Metaland with their hot takes and crap memes.

Algorithmic radicalisation is real. We can inoculate our minds with science but resistance is tough at a time when racists have become emboldened the world over and reason is in decline. The lines drawn against bigotry in our schools, parliaments and places of worship have become blurred as opportunist politicians undermine their worth. That’s as true in Sweden as it is elsewhere. 

It’s exhausting, but we do need to keep fighting these corrosive forces. Confront them in our daily lives. Don’t let ignorance and xenophobia go unchecked.

LISTEN: Why is Sweden scared to talk about racism?

a dark-skinned girl with dark hair and blue eyes

A still image from the series Historien om Sverige. Photo: SVT

So what does the science say on Sweden’s first inhabitants? Archaeology professor Jan Apel explains:

“The two groups that came to Scandinavia were originally genetically quite different, and displayed distinct physical appearances. The people from the south had blue eyes and relatively dark skin. The people from the northeast, on the other hand, had a variation of eye colours and pale skin.

“Originally, humans are a species from warmer climates closer to the equator and we mainly cope with challenging environments with specific behaviour and technology. This includes making fires, clothes and specialised hunting equipment. However, in the long term there is also potential for adaptation through genetic changes.

“For example, we found that genetic variants associated with light skin and eye pigmentation were carried, on average, in greater frequency among Scandinavian hunter gatherers than their ancestors from other parts of Europe. Scientists believe that light skin pigmentation helps people better absorb sunlight and synthesise vitamin D from it.”

My advice to the racist trolls: step out of the dark corners of the internet and into the light. Together we can synthesise some vitamin D and carve out time for real-life conversations. We all came into this world screaming, but we don’t have to stay shrill all our lives.

Member comments

  1. This is by far the worst article I have read on the Local so far. This piece of nonsensical gibberish is full of stupid accusations, baseless statements and calls for nonsense. All style, no substance. My opinion about the series: people are so tired of american race-swapping agenda which they see everywhere. Sad but true.

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For members

READER INSIGHTS

‘Don’t ignore our presence’: How Sweden could be more inclusive for foreigners

There are plenty of things Sweden could do to help foreigners integrate, said The Local's readers when we asked for their suggestions as to how the country could become more inclusive.

Published: 11 June 2024 10:56 CEST
Updated: 16 June 2024 08:25 CEST
'Don't ignore our presence': How Sweden could be more inclusive for foreigners

In a recent survey, we asked our readers one question: “What can Sweden do to make the country more inclusive?”

Answers were varied, with some focusing on the social aspect of inclusion, such as making more of an effort to include immigrants in conversations or social gatherings, while others discussed bureaucracy, politics or issues finding work.

Others covered issues like xenophobia and racism, and ways in which Sweden could become better at tackling and acknowledging these issues on a structural level.

‘Don’t just ignore our presence’

Inclusion can be as simple as switching to English when a non-Swedish speaker is around, one respondent said.

“Accommodate to English if a non-Swedish speaking person joins your Swedish-speaking group at work or at social gatherings,” a reader originally from India, who now has Swedish citizenship, wrote. “Just don’t ignore our presence, please.”

Of course, that doesn’t mean that Swedes should switch to English all the time, said PhD student Vinicius.

“Regular Swedes should feel more responsible for inclusion too. Perhaps they could be more helpful to Swedish learners who try to practise the language with them instead of switching to English all the time,” he said, encouraging Swedes to extend invitations outside their social bubble.

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“I’ve seen proof that I’m being accepted because I blend in and because my semi-American lifestyle and business made it easy to make contacts,” a Dutch respondent said. “People coming from other cultures find it harder to ‘feel Swedish’ in part because Sweden’s individualist culture makes it easy to not invite someone.”

“This is usually innocent, but it makes it very easy for xenophobic and racist people to normalise exclusion on the wrong grounds. In my opinion this is where typical Swedish silence should be broken. One way to improve things would be to more actively invite non-EU immigrants to national and traditional celebrations.”

‘The language requirement has been one of my biggest barriers’

The issue of language barriers in the workplace can also be an issue when applying for jobs.

“I can understand for certain technical roles that you need to be able to read/speak Swedish for safety reasons, but the majority of Swedes speak great English and that shouldn’t keep them from excluding a highly sought after workforce that just happens to still be learning the language,” a reader from Puerto Rico based in Malmö said. 

“I was, until recently, working in the video games industry. I was affected by layoffs and am struggling to find work quickly enough to keep myself in the country after 5.5 years of living in Sweden. The language requirement has been one of my biggest barriers.”

a person in front of a computer

Several readers described language as a big barrier, despite working in international industries like tech. Photo: Melker Dahlstrand/imagebank.sweden.se

‘My international experience has been ignored’

Another reader, named Sarah, argued that while language programmes like Swedish for Immigrants (SFI) classes are good, they are not inclusive – she found it difficult as a full-time working parent to attend them, for example.

“When I first moved here I had a small baby and then had a second child. The whole time I had a small child I could not attend SFI and then I entered full-time work. None of my employers have discussed with me my language needs or goals,” she said.

“I work in English – there is an absolute need for it given Sweden’s export and trade focus, but I’ve not been given any support at all to help with language development and this has fundamentally limited my career prospects.”

Sarah also added that her international experience has essentially been ignored when applying for jobs.

“I’ve never been asked about the roles I’ve had or the companies I’ve worked for outside of Sweden. I basically had to start from the beginning. I’ve worked for some well known companies, so it should count, but this has pretty much been void.”

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Another respondent, a tech worker in his 30s from Bosnia and Herzegovina, said that while he felt included, his wife did not.

“I feel included, by being the breadwinner and working in the software business from day one. On the other hand, my wife, with a master’s degree in architecture, failed to get invited to a single interview for a job. The most common response she would get: ‘you need to be fluent in Swedish’.”

“If only companies would support people, especially highly educated, to demonstrate their job skills, while learning the language on the way,” he added. “It is very discouraging to have to be unemployed or work lower skilled jobs for several years, while trying to get to the fluency that might be required.”

He’s also unsure whether the language barrier is the real issue, or whether it’s a sign of a wider issue of discrimination.

“Is it just the easiest excuse companies can think of to reject people of non-Swedish origin?”

READ ALSO:

a person and a dog in the archipelago

Some readers said they felt very included by their Swedish friends, whereas others asked Swedes to open up their social circles a bit more. Photo: Isak Stockås/imagebank.sweden.se

‘Discrimination is the elephant in the room’

There were a number of respondents who had lived in multicultural countries like the US, UK and Canada, who said they saw a stark difference in how immigrants are treated in Sweden compared to elsewhere.

One reader from Australia, who has a Turkish name, was “shocked” by the widespread discrimination in Sweden.

“It’s the elephant in the room,” he said. “I’m self-employed as an e-commerce consultant as I have no alternative here. I’ve had one request for an interview with over 100 job applications.”

“I find it super strange that it’s widely accepted that if you have a foreign name that you will be discriminated against. I’ve never experienced that before.”

SURVEY:

LTH graduate Spilios from Athens, now based in Malmö, said that issues like ethnic discrimination need to be raised more often in public dialogue.

“Without this, inclusion can not be achieved,” he said. 

“Dialogue needs to be initiated not only by those who suffer the trauma of discrimination but also by people like white native Swedes who also share the belief that this is a huge societal problem. If there is no public dialogue over the issue of ethnic discrimination as a major factor for exclusion then it is likely that in an era of further rise of the far right and securitisation, the phenomenon will become more and more widespread.”

‘Hiring foreigners is a major step out of their comfort zone’

Eva, a Spanish reader in Stockholm, argued that companies should be made to collect and publish data on employee ethnicity, citizenship and other significant diversity points, and that it should be made mandatory for companies to include this in their sustainability goals.

“As someone who has worked in management in Swedish companies: It is not a surprise that Swedish HR and hiring managers consciously or subconsciously avoid hiring foreigners, even more in management and leadership positions, as that would be a major step out of their comfort zone,” she added. 

“Foreigners bring other work models and communication styles, defying the notion that the Swedish way of business (which has many positives) is the optimal and only acceptable model for every scenario.”

READ ALSO:

Heidi Carmen Howard from Québec spent almost ten years working in Swedish universities and had a number of ideas on how Sweden could make job searches more inclusive.

“Make sure foreigners who have the same expertise or experience as Swedes get the same salary. Make evaluation criteria for job hiring and promotion transparent, in writing, in different languages and easily accessible. Have international experts weigh in on evaluating CVs, remove names from CVs and write job descriptions with different genders and backgrounds in mind,” she said.

She also recommended providing more written information in multiple languages about crucial aspects of the Swedish labour market like salary setting, promotions and conflict resolution, as well as paid time during the work week for international workers to learn Swedish.

a woman talking in sign language in front of a laptop on the train

Several readers argued foreigners should be given more information on how the Swedish job market works, including job interviews and CV writing. Photo: Scandinav/imageban.sweden.se

‘Perhaps the ideals don’t match the realities us immigrants experience’

“I live in Malmö and love it here,” wrote Michael, a 56-year-old African-American who has been in Sweden for almost a decade.

“That is despite the various challenges there are for immigrants and people of colour,” he added. “The values and ideals that Sweden strives for are great. But I would say that perhaps the ideals don’t match the realities that us immigrants experience. This is exponentially observed if you’re a person of colour.”

Software developer Jeremiah, also from the US, said that Swedes need to “embrace multiculturalism”.

“Sweden lags behind in its understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion. The goal is not for everyone to be the same. The goal is for no one to be oppressed. The goal is not everyone having the same starting point. The goal is equal access to opportunity. The goal is not to be colour blind. The goal is to actively identify and oppose racism, xenophobia, and other forms of discrimination.”

READ ALSO:

‘Diversity needs to go both ways’

A French reader from Blekinge said that there need to be higher expectations placed on immigrants to be more inclusive, such as respecting Swedish culture and trying to get to know Swedes.

“My parents are French and American (US), and my Swedish wife’s parents are Danish and Polish, so we are very familiar with the immigration question. In our view, greater emphasis should be put towards integration and assimilation than simply avoiding it by claiming it’s good for ‘diversity’,” he said.

“We need to build more bridges than ghettos, but it will only work if there is an expectation that diversity needs to work both ways, with Swedish culture, history and values also being taught, celebrated and respected as well.”

‘Excessive bureaucracy’

A number of respondents said that they had found Swedes themselves very inclusive, but that the real barriers to inclusion were due to bureaucracy, such as the long wait for things like personal numbers, bank accounts or ID cards.

Pedro from Italy said that this had almost made his family reconsider moving to Sweden in the first place.

”Even if I am an EU citizen, the process of right of residence was excessively bureaucratic when compared to other countries. My difficulties in integrating today are in big part due to the long four-month wait for daycare which made finishing university a very difficult task, which reflects directly in my job-seeking capabilities now as I am still unable to finish my studies.”

Tamim, a 40-year-old Syrian student who moved to Sweden from Saudi Arabia, said that he “finds it hard to find something Sweden could do to be more inclusive”, as he and his wife were quickly able to study for free and his son was given a school place after just two weeks in Sweden.

“The only thing that might be a potential area for improvement (at least in my experience) is opening a bank account with a BankID. This took some time but was easy when I got my part time job. Another thing that is difficult is managing my finances since I am coming from Saudi Arabia and my savings were there. Swedish banks don’t accept transfers from there.”

‘Immigration law changes make me feel like I’m not welcomed here’

On a political level, many respondents felt that recent laws made Sweden feel less inclusive.

“The immigration law changes make me feel like I am not actually welcomed here,” a 34-year-old software developer in Umeå said. “I have to contribute to the society ten times more than an average Swede to be included.”

“As much as we’re trying to see and depict Sweden as open to immigrants, I think the bitter truth is that it is not, and with the growing power of the Sweden Democrats this is more than clear,” said the tech worker from Bosnia and Herzegovina quoted previously.

The Dutch respondent, who moved to Sweden from the Netherlands over a decade ago, said that the same things that caused him to leave the Netherlands are now happening in Sweden.

“Decent traditional political parties should have maintained their Cordon Sanitaire against xenophobic and racist politicians,” he said. “The infiltration and normalisation of far-right ideas are destroying the very thing that made Sweden a global human rights leader.”

More than 80 people responded to The Local’s survey about how Sweden could become more inclusive. We weren’t able to include every single comment, but we did our best to select a representative sample. We’d love to hear your thoughts too – please join the conversation in the comments below.

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