Just found a Norwegian thread of "who should I listen to about racism in America?"

Let's overlook for a second that this person is asking like you know where would we get good food if that were our thing...

The responses have me moving up my date for leaving this country.

Before there was a pandemic, I sat through conversations about maybe all the earthquakes and floods in the global south being a better solution than limiting Norway's impact on climate because why should "we" be affected by those people.

I've seen doctors I work with tell Black patients calmly advocating for themselves "shut your mouth I don't have to listen this."

I've seen my coworkers talk about a 12 year old patient's (regular kid, non-white though) gang potential.

Sick immigrant kids families have been told, your child is too ill they news to be in a home or we're filing a protective services report because we don't think you bathe your baby enough,

Meanwhile I've been told to bend over backwards and be cautious before reporting Norwegian parents who have either physically abused their child ("your charting was excessively detailed here") or are clearly overwhelmed and not prepared.

Have you ever wanted to shave a child's head for your convenience in the course of providing care? I've had to shut that conversation down.

All this and many other instances, while telling people no you can't touch me. I don't care to speak about your niece's "negerkrøller." Yes I was born in America and so were my parents and grandparents and great grandparents.

Norwegians love to pretend they've never heard of the Atlantic slave trade and thus are absolutely perplexed that I don't have familial ties to the continent.

They love the shit out of the Obamas though. They knew that America had at least one Black family.

My former boss told me "it's fine that we have you visitors, as long as there aren't too many in *my* neighborhood." Like she used her actual mouth to say that outloud. Co-workers: "she's just like that. She didn't mean YOU, lol, you're American."

The woman I rented a room from for the first 7 months ADORED me, and said "if my grandchildren's preschool were suddenly dull of immigrants I would want them to go somewhere else."

I have been grabbed at, shoved, (many if these instances make it to my TL), asked if I even pay taxes, and all kinds of other hateful shit without doing more than raising my voice, but I'm the one that's called aggressive and antisocial.

And the racist ass men who chase me both literally and sexually and expect me to be grateful for the attention, while telling me racism isn't a thing here? Yeah I'm not ever going into those details for the TL but trust they are SO MUCH WORSE than they sound.

So when y'all want to roll up your sleeves and understand the inner workings of racism?

Start in Ring 1 and take your time fanning out. You have MORE THAN ENOUGH to keep you occupied right here in Norway. No one needs your half-baked hottakes about the US on their TL.

I've held my tongue, and when assaulted these hands, and I just don't see that happening. I "joke" plenty on the TL about finally snapping our of one of these incidents, and I honestly stopped going out socially BEFORE the pandemic because I realized I'm not fucking joking.

I'm not carrying the grief of what's going on in the world right now AND this bullshit too. Not without giving myself a fucking stroke.

I've always had a very specific timeline for living here. I never thought I'd be retiring and spending the rest of my days in Norway because I simply don't love misery that much, and frankly I can be miserable somewhat with better food.

Somewhere*

But right now I cannot juggle all of these things and the gaslighting and the sanctimonious happiest country in the world Scandi thing. I guarantee you those surveys have limited immigrant participation btw.

CAN'T do it.

P.s.

Når dere begynner å snakke med hverandre vennligst sett på agendaen at dere har importert dette hat symobolet, normaliserte det, og GA DEN ET PROGRAM PÅ TV.

Again, I don't want to hear a MUMBLING word from y'all about racism in America
Fix your shit first.

Ok folkens.

I'm trying to figure out the ethics of shouting out this account I just found (maybe they don't want the attention), but someone has been gathering tweets on racism in the Nordics from immigrant, 2nd+ gen, and all their life Norwegians and WHEW.

I'm going to pretend they're doing this for the right reasons (but be mindful of the possibilities).

There are some GEMS.

Worst case scenario it'll take a little bit to blur avis and handles and then I'm rolling them out.

I'm making these as anonymous as possible and posting.

First, bless this soul for identifying as Norwegian after 5 years here. That's actually a beautiful thing but their experience doesn't reflect the exp. Of first 2 Norwegians (not from EM bkgr).

Same thread. Important thing to note: even if you haven't been personally mistreated it's a shitty thing to gaslight other people about their experience.

"They've always been nice to me." Isn't exoneration.

It just might not be your turn yet.

Same thread (last cap from it I think).

I listen to a handful of Norwegian musicians, mostly older stuff. I've been told it's typical of me that I would like joik, whatever that meant. No idea y'all had racism carols?? Not an invitation to enlighten me, just an observation.

Just kidding, more from that thread.

An unrelated like, and a QT to OP from previous thread.

This is one person's experience. Some of the women I work with think this way about Oslo's largest immigrant neighborhoods. 25~% of our patients have immigrant backgrounds, first gen and lifelong. How do you think my coworkers treat those kids and their families?

I bet young immigrant men feel different than the first tweet. I knew about Norway's greatest tragedy, but had I also known about Benjamin Hermansen I probably would have continued my search for a new country. I just learned last year.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Benjamin_Hermansen

As to Na*i activity, past or present, that room I rented was near a local pub in a very sleepy part of town. I chose it for a 1st date because it was convenient. My date (visibly Norwegian, ) and I were stared down the whole time.

The 1st time I drank there, I didn't notice anything. It's extremely plain and lacks charm. On my date I noticed "Oslo Skins" on the wall. This was in 2016. I never went back but if it was tagging they never cleaned it off because it was visible from the lot if you knew to look.

If anyone is wondering, I didn't make this long ass thread to say "a HA! Racism is real in Norway." I've been living it for the last 4+ yrs thanks. Water is also wet.

If anything, I made it to say despite your very loud PR campaign y'all know it too. You are loathe to admit it, but if you do, you will justify argue defend and explain it away to those experiencing it.

Other Black people ask (including no less than MO on her tour last yr) what my life is like here and I want to be direct: you probably won't get shot, comprehensive social safety net, all the same day to day racism at home w/ slight reduction in structural racism.

This thread is going to hurt feelings but I only get notifications from mutuals, so use your time wisely.