Immigrant youths’ hopes and dreams are similar to those of native-born Finns

Many are prepared to leave Finland

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By Pauliina Grönholm, Teppo Moisio, and Katriina Pajari
     
      A young lady of Somali origin, Fardowsa Mustafa Muhamed, was asked what she would like to become in the future.
      ”I will be a director in my own firm. Now I am studying at a commercial college. After graduating I intend to study economics and business administration at a university of applied sciences”, the 18-year-old student says.
     
Muhamed moved to Finland at the age of two and a half. She plans to stay in the country - unless there is a chance to move to Miami.
      ”In Florida, there are palm trees, sunshine, and handsome men. Whether to move back to Somalia? Not until I am retired, if ever”, she laughs.
      Before retirement, director Muhamed will hopefully have a family. A husband and maybe some children.
      ”But not until ten years from now. One has to enjoy life before one gets wrinkles”, she adds.
     
All this sounds like the normal dreams of young women, does it not?
      A survey published on October 13th indicated that immigrant youths’ dreams do not differ much from those of native-born Finns.
      The survey carried out by the Finnish research company 15/30 Research interviewed youths with Russian, Estonian, or Somali backgrounds.
     
Those interviewed were dreaming of education, a nice job, safety, and equality.
      ”Many Finns think that when we receive 100,000 immigrants, 50,000 of them become bus drivers, and the other half will become nurses”, claims researcher Markus Keränen.
      ”But when you ask them, they want to do something altogether different”, Keränen says.
      Mazlum Elek, aged 17, was born in Finland but considers himself a Kurd.
      The young man is studying at a commercial college, while he is also working at the family’s pizzeria.
      He is good at customer service, which is why he has planned to make a career in business.
      ”The likes of us normally make pizzas. But it is not what I wish to do”, Elek points out.
      Another Kurd, Halo Ali, the same age as Elek, has lived in Finland for almost 10 years. He would like to study to become a motorcycle mechanic.
      ”That would give me a chance to combine my work and hobby. In addition, I like to do things with my own hands”, Ali noted.
     
According to the survey, the young interviewees would be willing to leave Finland if they cannot achieve their goals regarding work and life in the country.
      Somali youths in particular would leave Finland more willingly than those young immigrants who have come from countries in the immediate Finnish neighbourhood.
      Racism and prejudices perceived by Somali youths are bound to lower the threshold of leaving.
      The researcher says that immigrant youths also frequently have better preparedness to leave than young adults in the mainstream population.
     
”Immigrants already have an international social network. They also regard themselves as cosmopolitans rather than Finns”, Keränen reports.
      It is also important what their families think about these questions.
      Keränen believes that for example a desire to return to their country of origin, nurtured by the Somali community, is one of the factors contributing to the young Somalis’ dream of going home.
     
The interviewed Somalis were afraid that they could be labelled as welfare bums who are just sponging off social benefits.
      They did not believe that they could get employment in Finland as easily as native-born Finns can. Estonian and Russian youths were more optimistic.
      However, Somalia-born Fahmo Aadan is not in the depths of despair. In ten years she has made her dreams come true.
      ”I was 14 years old when I came to Finland from Somalia, dreaming of having an opportunity to study. Now I am a practical nurse with a permanent job”, Aadan says.
      Aadan points out that it is of importance that an immigrant has a good mother. A mother who urges a youth to study and work.
      ”Rules and discipline are helpful in life”, Aadan believes.
     
     
FACTFILE
     
A number of Estonian, Russian, and Somali youths aged between 15 and 21 were interviewed by 15/30 Research for the survey, along with a control group of young Finnish adults.
     
Individual and group interviews were conducted as a part of the qualitative study during the summer of 2009.
     
Among the 55 youths, 12 had an Estonian background, while 10 were of Russian origin and 18 of Somali origin. Among the immigrants, the number of girls was 17 and that of boys 23.
     
A control group of 15 youths of native origin included 8 girls and 7 boys.
     
The survey was jointly commissioned by the communication, consultancy and training organization TAT Group, the advertising agency SEK Pro, and 15/30 Research, a Finnish research company that specializes exclusively in the youth market.
     
     
Helsingin Sanomat / First published in print 14.10.2009


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Study shows immigrants have good capacity for work (11.11.2008)
  Higher employment level for immigrants would save Helsinki millions (3.10.2008)
  Illiterate immigrants learn Finnish in order to train for further education (27.11.2007)
  Immigrant workers are first to suffer from reduced employment opportunities in recession (31.7.2009)
  Election ad denouncing “welfare bum immigrants” too much for party leader Katainen (29.5.2009)
  Most Finnish municipalities get migration surplus (9.3.2009)

Links:
  TAT Group
  15/30 Research

PAULIINA GRÖNHOLM, TEPPO MOISIO AND KATRIINA PAJARI / Helsingin Sanomat
pauliina.gronholm@hs.fi, teppo.moisio@hs.fi, katriina.pajari@hs.fi