Yesterday, I went on an excursion with my Scandinavian Government and Politics class to Grønland, a neighborhood predominantly inhabited by immigrants originally from Africa, the Middle East, and other areas of Asia. The purpose for the excursion was to question our personal idea of the ‘typical’ Norwegian- usually the perception of blonde hair, blue eyed, Caucasian Scandinavians. Today, 80% of Norway’s population growth is due to immigration. Because of the country’s egalitarian nature, its identity as a social welfare state, and the high quotas of refugees and asylum seekers it allows into the country each year, immigrants are challenging the assumption that Norwegians are a homogeneous group of peoples.
We were given a route to follow and an hour and a half to explore the neighborhood. My first observation was that the area was extremely multi-ethnic. It was not a Chinatown or Greektown, with restaurants and shops prescribing to one geographical identity. I saw Thai food, Indian food, Pakistani and Middle Eastern shops; mosques, churches, and synagogues. The streets weren’t designated for particular immigrants of a certain area- in fact, when I looked around I was surprised at the type of people I saw as well. My second observation was that there weren’t only non-ethnic Norwegians inhabiting this neighborhood, but that over a third of the people I was seeing were native Norwegians (and mostly young people). From my own experience within immigrant neighborhoods, I hadn’t expected this type of demography.
The area had several public parks and green spaces, old and new buildings, schools, daycares, and lots of places to try new foods. Besides a large amount of graffiti (something that Oslo has a lot of), Grønland looked like any other middle class, inner city neighborhood. I walked away happy that I had the chance to explore a new place and with the hope to come back for their weekend market or to eat something other than fish and potatoes, our staple diet back at the dorms.
In class this morning, I was ready to discuss my exploration of Grønland as my professor asked us to share what we had noticed and observed about the neighborhood and if it had challenged our idea of a ‘typical’ Norwegian. But after the first comment was given…“It wasn’t that bad for an immigrant neighborhood”…I knew this discussion was going somewhere very different (when asked to later to describe immigrant neighborhoods in France, this same student concluded their statement with “I’m not judging, but that’s just the way it is there”). Here are some of the words that followed from others:
· - “My group only saw one person asking for money and one person drinking on the street, but it was early in the morning so there weren’t that many people out yet.”
· - “I noticed that many of the native Norwegians were riding bikes or driving cars, but most of the people of different ethnicities were walking.”
· - “That was the first time that I’ve seen a sign for a police station while I’ve been here.”
· - “It’s crazy, you walked on one street that was part of a really nice neighborhood, and you could move even one street down and it was like…third world!”
…at which time, I gave a very audible gasp. This student had just compared a Norwegian neighborhood, predominantly immigrant inhabited but also known as a trendy, more affordable place for young students to live, as third world. I repeat- third. world. Maybe I shouldn’t be as astonished at some of my colleague’s attitudes towards the Other. After all, each of us had the ability to fly to another country for the summer, enroll in and afford summer classes, and live for six weeks in one of the most expensive cities in Europe. Most of us (on scholarship or not) have probably come from some level of privilege. We’re used to hearing some version of “Don’t go to that neighborhood, it’s dangerous.” The same idea manifests back home in the perceptions that many Minneapolis inhabitants hold about the Northside- it’s dangerous, crime-ridden, and poor over there. Until you take the time to explore, talk, challenge, and take the time to look, there will always be a stereotype about the unknown, whether in America or Scandinavia. It’s upsetting to me that for many people in this world, the image of immigrants, people of color, or those with a different ethnic make-up than our own often connotes poverty, crime, and unemployment and in turn ignites a level of subconscious superiority.
Where do your stereotypes lie? Are they about a certain place, group of peoples, or a specific culture? Challenge that today; prove yourself wrong.
