De acuerdo a información que recibí hoy, ya somos 300 mexicanos registrados viviendo en Finlandia. Cuando llegué al inicio de la década, éramos 180.
¿Quién se lanza a abrir un restaurante mexicano de verdad, en lugar del horroroso Pirkka/Old El Paso/Santa María Tex-Mex que se encuentra en estas lejanas tierras?
This week I learned that two of my classmates from high school in northern Greater Mexico City are also in a relationship with Finnish girls and both are also living abroad. That got me thinking about how many of the guys and gals I used to go to school with back then are also overseas, and the sample is quite broad.
I’m not particularly surprised of this development given that we were educated as the so-called NAFTA generation learning English (and sometimes other languages) from childhood, and given a broader view of the world than people before us (I remember attending lessons on economics, global affairs, the stock market and compared history of North America at that time).
What sets us apart from those before us I think, is not that some of us would go abroad, but that we would not concentrate in the United States as before. In my sister’s high school class (she is only a few years older than me) most of those who are working abroad are doing so in the US (a couple here and there in Europe, but it’s a minority), whereas with us the geographic dispersion is much broader: I have classmates in Mexico, and all over the US, true, but also in Canada, Spain, Sweden, Germany, Australia, France, Brazil, UK and I believe even a couple in China. Moreover, many of them who are back in Mexico also have international experience, either as students or during their careers.
I’m sure that this is partly due to American immigration regulations after 9/11, but I believe it also has something to do with many of us wanting to see what else was out there. I wonder if the Institute for Mexicans Abroad will start tapping this kind of talent network too, as many of us are working for institutions like e.g. Shell, Nokia, Microsoft, ESA or Volvo or studying at recognised institutions all over the place. Maybe we should learn something from what the Indians and the Chinese are doing by taking advantage of their expatriates, instead of complaining about the brain drain?
Regardless, it’s good to see that most of them in Mexico or wherever they may be are doing well.
I found the movie especially poignant given the current immigration debate in Finland. Not too long ago, Finns were leaving the country, facing similar issues in other lands to the ones found by newcomers here.
Mexican education has a very strong nationalist component, and we are taught to view with a certain suspicion foreign influences, which is quite ironic when you consider that everybody came from somewhere else. Phrases like "México lindo y querido" (beautiful & beloved Mexico) or "Como México no hay dos" (there is no other country like Mexico) are commonly heard, and Mexican naturalisation and investment laws are extremely restrictive, which everybody seems to find normal.
When I moved to Finland, after going throught the whole language and acculturisation process, I realised that many of those views held while and where I was born were rather chauvinistic, when I found similar situations in the country where my home is. Phrases such as "On lottovoitto syntyä Suomeen" (being born in Finland is like winning the lottery) and the sad state of the immigration debate in Finland currently have shown me how wrong the attitudes I encountered when growing up are, since they assume that one group or the other hold a monopoly on truth and are categorically better than the rest.
I'd rather learn the best from everybody I encounter.
At Uusi Maailma, a Finn's view from Canada.
A few weeks ago we were fortunate enough to visit Stockholm, to finally see Nortec Collective live. Nedless to say, we jumped around like crazy and enjoyed the gig immensely, especially since instead of Banda samples they actually had live musicians backing them up (who played an encore of their own). We even ended up backstage with them after the gig, and naturally welcomed them to come to the Helsinki Festival whenever they could.
It was a very welcome pause, and it was nice to see that Stockholm still looks the same. An interesting note was that everybody spoke to me in Swedish (even though I had a tejana on most of the time), while that seldom happens in Finland with or without funny hats.
After a couple of months of campaigning, the municipal elections in Finland took place yesterday. The main outcome of this democratic exercise was a general shift to the right in this country, where both the centre-right and populist right parties won more seats in municipal councils across the nation.
Especially the wins by the Perussuomalaiset, or True Finns, are rather troubling for a guy like me, as many of their candidates have openly expressed racist attitudes. I might sound a little paranoid, but I believe in this country, I’ve invested in it and I cannot bear the thought that 1 out of 10 people in the bus or the mall would like to kick me out of this country just because I look different, even if I’ve contributed to this society too. Sad.
I was reading this article in Helsingin Sanomat, and was quite amazed by the following passage:
The Sokos Hotel in Pasila has 12 cleaners, only one of whom is a native-born Finn.
“It is surprising”, Thors says.
Aila Forsström of the cleaning company Sol, says that 80 per cent of the 550 cleaners employed in her district have foreign backgrounds.
The cleaners include engineers, PhDs, , kindergarten teachers,
bookeepers, teachers, dental nurses, interpreters, and one ballerina.
Just think about the amount of untapped potential in that list.
Reminded me of this study by the Ministry of Labour, where they discuss the adaptation of Finnish society to the presence of immigrants here. I read it on my last holiday and left me a little uneasy. Furthermore, the situation won't improve with the current economic downturn.
Mexican immigration in the US is not limited anymore to the border states. More and more often, Mexicans are to be found in areas of the country they weren’t before. NY, which has had for long a Puerto Rican and Dominican Hispanic community, has received for the past 10 years or so an influx of people specifically from the state of Puebla in central Mexico. They are as inconspicuous in the city as any other immigrant community.
Some joke about Puebla York (instead of Nueva York, as it is called in Spanish). I was glad to have found a decent taquería in a recent business trip (as long as you’re willing to go for some pastor or lengua).
No “Chipotle Mexican Grill” for me.
Yes, of course it did. The structure of the city is typically American, built around the car, and of course the American and Texan flags fly everywhere you look. Furthermore, you will find that Texans are very, very proud of their heritage and to be respected, of course.
However, in a recent visit to San Antonio I was surprised by the huge Mexican influence in the place, as can be seen in the photo to the right and in these other two. I was also rather impressed by the Spanish-language proficency of people not of Hispanic descent, and the amount of Hispanics in the city was quite large. I was wondering if it was always like this given its geographic location or if this is a recent change.
