As far as my life is concerned, immigration equality in USA is a major concern. It touches my life and it touches countless others who are either in the country or are separated from their partner because of the immigration law there. As Finland doesn't have that problem when it comes to LGBT immigration, we don't have groups/resources/communities to address or support these people. We have SETA, sexual equality organization which is like the american HRC. I haven't seen anything on their website about binational couples. This summer Finland was about to deport a gay man back to his home country in Africa and it made the headlines but still it was only about a gay african man about to be deported. There was no organization other than SETA to back him up and support his cause. Finland isn't exactly the immigration mecca, either as a wanted destination or by its willingness to accept immigrants so I guess small organizations like that are not really needed. But for those binational couples who have settled down in Finland or in my situation where I'm separated from my partner, little support would be nice. I can, and will join my local SETA chapter as soon as I get a job and settle down, and maybe even suggest a support group for "my people".
Another issue that is very popular in the news and in the political campaigns around Finland right now is immigration in general. There is a new political party that bases its political beliefs around anti-immigration issues. They don't want more immigrants, evacuees or refugees in Finland and are making sure people know about it. When people are unemployed, have little or no money and feel general discontent in their lives, focusing their anger towards foreigners is easy and common. I applied to work as a case worker for immigrants looking for a job from the Helsinki unemployment agency. Whether I will get it remains to be seen. Just like in many other countries, immigrants usually even with a high education end up with the jobs that locals don't want; low paying, dirty, manual jobs that are not "good enough" for the locals. And still we complain that "they come and take our jobs". While I was looking for a job in the States, it was all on me. There was no resources to help me, other than my contacts, friends, family, classmates etc. There were plenty of jobs to be had but there were plenty of people applying for them too. Outside help, had I wanted it, would have cost money. Which I didn't have.
Immigration in USA is viewed as a bad thing. Getting there legally is difficult and getting there legally when you really need to, is almost impossible, as it is and was in my case. Visa running out+no job+not able to get married to your partner= you leave the country. I could have stayed as illegal but what kind of a life would we have had? I have family and friends in Finland which made that scenario impossible too. Had I had to come to Finland for any reason, I wouldn't have been able to go back to the US. That's not a way to build a life. And there was no way for me to get a job legally from USA that way. There would have been the constant fear of getting caught and being deported. We didn't want to pay that price, but a lot of people do every day. Immigration Equality is working every day for those couples, and for us, to make a change in the immigration law to include binational LGBT couples.
USA is the ultimate goal for people who have dreams and who are willing to do whatever to achieve it. With a hard work, they say, you can become rich and achieve your dreams. Which is why so many people want to go there every year. Maybe 200 000 do that legally, millions of others take their chances and do it illegally. In Finland, immigration numbers run in the hundreds, if not in few thousands. Still we complain. I remember back when I was studying in Tampere, my classmates from Africa were looking for jobs and the only thing they could find was cleaning. Were they taking our wanted jobs? I don't think so. They were working on nights and weekends and early mornings, because those were the times that Finns didn't wanna work. Especially to clean. I understand that if we do not help our immigrants to find jobs, learn the language and to integrate into the Finnish society, they will cost us a lot of money. But many of them are highly educated and could contribute if only given the chance. Do you really think anyone would want to voluntarily leave their home country, family, friends, jobs and belongings behind to move to a country where they are hated, they can't get a job, it's dark and cold much of the year and the only thing they are good for is cleaning? I don't think so! So why don't we do something about it?
After following the campaign of a local wanna-be politician, the happenings she is partaking in the name of politics/campaigning and the people she needs to meet, listen and talk to... I don't think I would be able to take it. You meet all these people, you listen to their problems, suggestions and other worries, you try to understand, you make promises and listen to them talk about things that don't necessarily concern or interest you or that you know nothing about...I just couldn't do it. I think my attention span wouldn't make me a good politician. So instead of getting into politics, I will try to make my mark in the grass root level and try to help "my people" in practice. But before I can help others, I will need to help myself.
I would love to be able to decide on my own salary raise though...
Hope everybody is having a good day and week!
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