We received an email this week from a reader angry at his former employers for not transferring him to a new branch because his Icelandic is not deemed good enough. He feels this was unfair and would like your opinions.
Dear editor and readers. This is the letter I sent to my former employers after they told me I can’t apply for a job which they had promised me at their new shop they recently opened downtown because they are “afraid to hire people who don’t speak Icelandic”. I worked for them from April 2008 until the end of August of the same year, when I moved to Reykjavík to start studying a BA Degree in Icelandic for Foreign Students at the University of Iceland. I have been living in Iceland since the beginning of 2007.
As they say at the beginning of some films, this letter is based on a true story:
Reykjavík, 27th December, 2008
Are both of you aware of how xenophobic and discriminatory you’re being? I suppose that you couldn’t help get involved in this new Icelandic wave of logos and patriotic stickers (The “veljum íslenskt” and “áfram Ísland” cheap nationalistic stuff). What a paradox!: now you are rejecting people like me, after the very good use you made of cheap foreign workers who helped you profit.
Both of you positively know that I came to Reykjavík to study Icelandic to integrate myself in a more dynamic way into the country. What for? To be despised and rejected from some jobs just because I still don’t speak Icelandic as a native.
Last summer a hamburger “chef” (at a café) in Haukadalur fired my girlfriend so unfairly (she was fired after she complained because he was throwing away the plastic bottles she used to drink water from). After that dramatic episode we heard many stories about him, and his reputation precedes him everywhere he goes. Some Icelandic friends of ours (including people who worked for him) told us that firing people unfairly and treating girls badly are some of his common practices, but still none of you did anything to restore my girlfriend’s honor and dignity, and by not doing so you supported the idea that foreigners don’t have the right to be judged fairly, amongst other reasons because due to their linguistic disadvantage they’ll never be able to defend themselves or understand what they are being accused of in Icelandic.
In addition to what I mentioned before, both of you know that the eventual dismissal of my girlfriend at work had its very origin in the staff house. Not only the conditions which you expected workers to live in were unacceptable (the house showed a complete lack of care), but the attitude of those who were already living there when we arrived was far from being friendly. R.’s clan showed themselves clearly hostile and disrespectful: they used our stuff, kept the common areas astonishingly dirty, smoked everywhere in the house and made use of the kitchen and living room as if it was their territory only. Some people like M. were extremely rude and impolite, even insulting my girlfriend when she complained if they didn’t clean after themselves. Eventually the passive role you performed when decided not to take any actions about that terrible environment made some people like my girlfriend very frustrated, but her frustration was re-interpreted as a problem of “bad attitude” at work, which eventually led to think that she was the cause of the problem, when in fact she was one more of the victims of the mafia-like behavior at the staff house.
The only reason why she got the worst part was because she was honest and complained. I suppose that if she had been the “quiet-almost-non-English-speaking” type she would have kept her job.
To add pain to injury, not only I witnessed how my girlfriend was fired, but I also had to work with J, who had a very negative attitude at work but was never fired: she spoke to the rest of workers as if we were all retarded and she was even impolite to customers. She used her position when our supervisor went abroad to establish a despotic system in the shop as well as to get as many benefits from it as possible (skipping work or asking us to replace her for one or another reason, always having endless cigarettes outside). I already informed our supervisor when asked about all these matters, and ultimately one of you got a brief report from me about her, but still you left things unchanged.
You know that I always worked enthusiastically at your shop, and that I always served customers with exquisite manners. You also know that I enjoyed the time I spent there (despite the aforementioned circumstances) and that I always did my best to keep myself busy.
My conclusion is that you’re being very ungrateful if this is the way you thank me for the good service at work last summer. I remind you that it was you who came up with the idea of offering me a job in the new shop you were planning to open, after I had simply asked for some piece of advice about job opportunities in the touristic field in Reykjavík. I’d also like to tell you that it’s very sad what you and other people seem to be doing: you’re encouraging a racist attitude towards foreign workers in Iceland. I thought all citizens from the EEA had the same rights, but it seems that’s not quite true in Iceland.
I never came to Iceland for the money, as many other people did. I came to Iceland because I wanted to learn about the country, it’s society, culture, people, history and language. I wanted (and still want) to live in here. It’s sad and humiliating to be paid back by some Icelanders like this.
Jon Eguiluz Montes
To Alexander E.
You seem to have forgotten about a word called SOLIDARITY, and you definitely know nothing about EMPATHY.
You should try to understand other people’s point of view, and not be so arrogant and disrespectful.
Congratulations!You had a great experience with Icelanders…but might not be the case of others.
Maybe you should open your eyes and look around from your apparently priviledged situation…
And please don’t talk like that about Polish workers…we might misunderstand your tone and your words when you suggest they better go back to their country if they don’t like it here (“So did employers force these poor guys to work? And why didn’t these guys go back home where they would have been treated in “fair way”?)
I guess sending away everything that bothers you is the simplest way to get rid of troubles, but let me tell you that’s not a way to confront troubles, and that’s not the way a country can grow mature.
Be more constructive and less destructive!
I”d be a lot more closer to sharing Alexander’s experience and so would most “aliens” I know, even those that got the “stand back or I’ll shoot the foreigner first” treatment :)
If anyone has a problem in their work then they can go to the Union.
The Union reps are sound enough in my experience.
If it’s a bad workplace then just move on to another.
A job is not a prison sentence that has to be served without choice.
Big deal, some Icelanders are xenophobic, most are polite, honest, helpful and very respectful. If you have a perception that there is rudeness and it is personal, then confront the person.
All that has been said here about rasism inIceland is TOTALLY true I really belive there is alot of rasism here, and unfortunatelly is more based on a stupid superiority compex based in the inferiority complex which lives deep in every Icelander, sounds contradictory but ist´s true. But I insist that the situation of Jon has nothing to do with rasism, he is just trying to play de vivtim and use the rasism card, and I find that very dishonest, I do belive all that he says about different situations he has seen in his job and so on but not gettiung a job this summer has nothing to do with that, or Is he going to blame on rasism if a girl doesnt accept to be his girfrend? no she simple didnt like you that way. I trully belibve Ender’s sister cpmments also, and she is totally right. but again, the fact that Jon didnt get a job has nothing to do with rasism, even though there is A LOT of it in Iceland.
Alexander,
Basically it makes sense what you are saying…
BUT if you are claiming that the personal experience of a single individual in a specific situation should not be used as an argument to make generalizations about a whole country then please be honest: you are exactly doing the same in order to prove your own point. Your experiences in Iceland have been good (I am happy for you about that) and you are using this to claim that (apparently) Iceland is a very honest and correct country.
Moreover, in one of your first replies to me you claimed that one should assume that a person who makes a certain claim on the internet, deserves the benefit of the doubt and should be believed (this was when you claimed to have great personal knowledge of the situations in both Russia and Iceland, remember?)
Now basically I am prepared to believe people when they claim something on the internet (unless they are producing clear nonsense) and therefore I believe that both you and Jon are right in the things you mention.
However your situations have been very different.
ICT experts with experience and knowledge are hard to find: this might explain the good treatment you have received in Iceland so far.
On the other hand, people who are working in a souvenir shop can be replaced easily: therefore it is possible to give them a very different treatment.
Now I am not saying that Iceland is an evil and racist country but I also do not think Jon is making up everything he says.
People are different, situations are different.
2Alexander.
” – I’m here much longer than you, Jon Eguiluz Montes, and I claim – you are either making up your stories or lying (choose the term you like).
– Niels, don’t take his words for granted. It’s a simple rule – not to trust much a person who talks on behalf of everybody about everything i.e. on behalf of discriminated foreigners about racist Iceland.”
I am disgusted from your critics. How can u say about somebody he is a liar when u don´t know him at all – that i don’t understand. Articles like this one should be commented, yes, but not judged. U r not only misjudging, but insulting Jon as well. And I do not believe u r a foreigner in Iceland. Well actually I do not believe anything of what u r saying. If u were a foreigner, u would have a bit of understanding for this story.
I am a Czech girl, born in Prague. I came to Iceland after living two years in Holland and I am leaving here after ca the same period of time. I didn’t come here for money either, just for the adventure of it. I have never – never!!! – felt welcome here, every day I was waiting for what else will happen, If kids, hearing me speaking Czech to my father on the phone will just laugh at me or start screaming at me : “fucking polish bitch go back to your shitty country” like the other day? How will customers be at my work in the city centre of Rvk today? Will they leave after I will ask them politely and with a smile: “Good day to you, how can I help you?”? And when I go to the pub, will Icelandic peroxid dolls look at me from these high heels and ask If I am a boy or girl again? Lovely.
When I lost my job and was looking for another one, I gave my CV and very good resume to people – first they looked at my name (ending like any other eastern European female form of surname: -ova) and they asked me if I am polish. And what if I am? Then another one telling me he doesn’t know how we – in my third world country – are dealing with this…R THEY telling ME about third world country??? (Prague has 2 ml. inhabitants)
No manners, no politeness, no respect to anything. Icelanders are few spoiled generations of irresponsible people, which suddenly got rich and are proud – is there something to be proud about?
…yes – the country! I am leaving on Tuesday and I would love to see again Icelandic nature and landscapes…but without meeting any Icelanders.
And Alexander, let me tell u: laugh, enjoy calling me a liar and stupid. I’m not gonna feel insulted, even If u call me silly young girl. I don’t give a damn about what u will think about me – this is the Iceland I got to know and the One I’m going to speak about.
well…I’m surprised that you were surprised by that. It’s common practice in the “corporate” world.
But nothing prevents you to talk to trade union to find out “the average” level of the salary for a certain jobs.
That’s why there were hired. Have they gone to strike? :-)
So did employers force these poor guys to work? And why didn’t these guys go back home where they would have been treated in “fair way”?
You contradict yourself here :-)
Get real, Jon Eguiluz. Life is not fair. And it was not discrimination, racism or whatever. It was simple greed that is common for humans (and Icelanders are humans). And be glad you don’t have to compete with workers from China or North Korea – they work much harder then you’ve ever done and just for food.
So stop crying. You’re treated what you worth but not because you foreigner/local person. I’m telling this as a foreigner in Iceland.
PS. Have you talked to trade union? Or you prefer “mass media”?
Jon Eguiluz Montes said:
“What was dishonest from my ex-bosses was, amongst other things, to negotiate each foreign worker’s salary secretly, upon the condition that none of them would share that information with other co-workers. That fact made me realize that there were subtler levels of discrimination: after some “secret” conversations among workmates, we found out that, depending on our nationalities, we would have been offered to earn more or less money. Unfortunately for Polish workers, they got the smallest amount of money per hour.
These employers really took advantage of foreign workers who wouldn’t mind being payed low salaries as the money they would make in Iceland would still be worth it after how favourable the exchange rate was at that time. Then, when the crisis started, they decided not to hire foreign workers anymore.
Call it racism, discrimination, xenophoby or any other euphemism that might sound less offensive : that doesn’t stop actions like those from being unfair towards foreigners”.
Still, what does it have to do with your claims of rasism because you didnt get a job this summer like many people, yes Icelanders didnt get jobs this summer. Like Alexander said YOU are the problem, and problematic people like you that want to change everything into rasism off course nobody wants to hire, secrecy in salaries is a VERY common thing in Iceland, and mainly they use it so everybody feels they are makeing more than the other, they ask for more money and they tell them yes but you can not tell anybody, so he feels very important, but the others are makeing the same or more than him, this is VERY common in Iceland, or instead of giveing you money they offer you to be the stjóri of answering the phone, or sending people for lunch, or sh..t like that and they go so happy thinking they got a better possition over the otherones. but off course problematic people like you inmediately jump to the rasism card, without trying to investigate the culture, and dont worry there are also problematic icelanders, so its not about nationality dont feel offended.
A comment https://www.icenews.is/index.php/2009/04/17/a-letter-from-an-icenews-reader/comment-page-1/#comment-73361
still awaiting moderation. Something wrong in it? Not politically correct? ;-)
Niels, don’t take his words for granted. It’s a simple rule – not to trust much a person who talks on behalf of everybody about everything i.e. on behalf of discriminated foreigners about racist Iceland.
Have you noticed that when you say – you use “I have never paid bakshees” etc. I mean you talk about your personal actual experience with specific situations.
And once more – I have never experienced situations Jon Eguiliz is talking about. And as you guess I know very well what bureaucracy and bakshees are ;-)
So I think a red tape is inside someones head…
What was dishonest from my ex-bosses was, amongst other things, to negotiate each foreign worker’s salary secretly, upon the condition that none of them would share that information with other co-workers. That fact made me realize that there were subtler levels of discrimination: after some “secret” conversations among workmates, we found out that, depending on our nationalities, we would have been offered to earn more or less money. Unfortunately for Polish workers, they got the smallest amount of money per hour.
These employers really took advantage of foreign workers who wouldn’t mind being payed low salaries as the money they would make in Iceland would still be worth it after how favourable the exchange rate was at that time. Then, when the crisis started, they decided not to hire foreign workers anymore.
Call it racism, discrimination, xenophoby or any other euphemism that might sound less offensive : that doesn’t stop actions like those from being unfair towards foreigners.
Dear Jon Eguiluz Montes ,
A terrible story you are telling. I am absolutely surprised to notice you had to go thru so much red tape, just in order to obtain something simple like a buss pass. I never imagined there could be so much burocracy in a seemingly small and transparent country like Iceland.
I lived myself in Budapest as a foreign student in the early 90-ies. Hungary has the reputation of being burocratic and communism had just ended….yet obtaining a pas for the (excellent) public transport was a breeze….and so it was for every other single document I needed…no nasty objections towards ‘foreigners’ , quite on the contrary (and no, I never needed to pay bakshees at all, never).
Jon Eguiluz Montes.
I don’t want to disappoint you but from what you say I see only one problem. And this problem is you yourself!
JUST READ what you think
For me it sounds like “You, bastards from the tiny remote island somewhere in the hole…”
That’s a good way to talk to people if you want to be respected…indeed.
I believe you. Just for the record – are you Spanish pushed out by Basque nationalists or are you Basque nationalist pushing others out of “your” country?
And please< believe me also – I know what nationalism IS.
I’m here much longer than you, Jon Eguiluz Montes, and I claim – you are either making up your stories or lying (choose the term you like).
I was right – you are the problem. I have two kids (they are not “kids” anymore). And they’ve been in grundskoli, mentaskoli and now at Haskoli – and they always got their bus tickets without ANY problem. In fact their teachers found out that our kids didn’t take their tickets (by our address it was easy to figure out – they used buses). I didn’t know that we were intitled for them (I just paid myself as I used to do in my country).
First of all, Jon Eguiluz Montes, they DON’T HAVE TO make it in English.
I’m really surprised how much is duplicated or have some version in English.
And I’m always confused when Icelanders apologizing
to me when they start to speak Icelandic to me (as I don’t like like a “foreigner”) and then realizing I don’t speak Icelandic.
As to Sraeto – looks like they are “re-building” the site again (OMG!). And English version is lost in the transition…
Post office site returns an error. I suspect – this is the result of their efforts to improve the site (out of all sh*t with sites 99% come from “improvements”)…
But have you checked simaskra lately? ja.is is in ENGLISH!!!
Guys, I think you also will find it usefull
http://en.ja.is/hradleit/
So nobody is trying to make you life harder…except you! :-)
You sound like a young person to me…so what was wrong with other countries? I mean you ended up in Iceland after all…
@Jon Eguiluz Montes:
Agree in your points about descrimination, still your situation, with your EX boss(for a long time) has nothing to do with what you claim, you just didnt get a job this summer in the same place. And trying to change that into rasism situation is silly and dishonest.
I discovered that my letter to the editors of Icenews was finally published the day before yesterday, so I haven’t really had much time to react. However, I like the fact that my lines have generated a certain amount of debate.
I think that xenophoby/racism/discrimination (choose the term you like) in Iceland is deeply based on the insularity of the country, its natural isolation from the rest of the world, and a deep nationalistic feeling (and believe me, I know a lot about nationalism is as I was born in the Basque Country) and I think it’s evident in many aspects of everyday life. These are some examples of what I’m talking about (of course they are punctual and I wouldn’t like them to be considered as generalizations):
– The way Icelanders address foreign workers when being served by them: once working in Geysir, at the souvenir shop, a customer looked at me and said, even before giving me the chance to serve him, “andskotans útlendingur” (something like “bloody foreigner”). Our Icelandic bosses at the shop always warned the workers that the toughest customers to deal with would always be Icelandic, due to their rudeness, lack of manners and strong dislike for foreign workers. Our bosses were not wrong: in fact, we always had the worst times with local customers who didn’t even mind pushing foreign tourists away to be served first, or even ask for discounts just for the only reason of being “nationals” (and this very last anecdote happened to a workmate of mine who is 100% Icelandic).
– I think there are also clear examples of institutional / bureaucratic discrimination.
When applying for my bus-card (free for all students at the University of Iceland), me and my foreign classmates of the BA Degree in Icelandic, as well as the majority of Erasmus students, had to go through such a complex process in order to be given their cards, that the case was even in the media. Still by the beginning of the second term, after Christmas, some students hadn’t been given their travel cards by Strætó (the public transport authority in Reykjavík).
Traditionally bilingual websites like Pósturinn (The Post Office) or Strætó itself, are not showing their English versions anymore. Cutting down expenses, maybe, or just simply making it harder for the non-Icelandic speakers?
– The episode regarding “How to apply for the unemployment benefits being a foreigner in Iceland” would deserve some other few pages, but I will spare you the boredom. To summarize I can say that the process to get through all the paperwork and everything is completely endless and full of obstacles.
Finally I’d like to clarify one last point: I didn’t want the letter to my former employers be published so as to retaliate or something like that. Originally, the letter was private, just between my ex bosses and me, but after I realized that it could help illustrate a situation that I think could be extrapolated to what is happening to other foreigners in Iceland, I decided to send it to Icenews and let them decided if it could be of any interest.
I’ve lived in many countries before, and traveled to many others, and I must confess that I’ve never felt so annoyed by being a foreigner as some Icelanders have made me feel.
HAVE DETECTED*
“Sir Euro takes it to a whole new level.”
ICELANDERS COMPLEX OF SUPERIORITY IS NOTHING NEW. THE INTERNATIONAL MEDIA HAVE TALKED ABOUT IT, SPECIALLY NOW.
PEOPLE RESEARCHING WHAT IS HAPPENING IN ICELANDIC SOCIETY, SPECIALLY SCHOOLS, HAVE DETECTING THAT RACISM IS GROWING, AT A FAST PACE.
IF WE COMPARE ICELANDIC POLICY WITH EUROPEAN POLICY IN RELATION TO CULTURAL DIVERSITY AND INTEGRATION WE SEE HUGE DIFFERENCES. STARTING BY THE FACT THAT INTEGRATION IN ICELAND MEANS THAT YOU LEARN TO SPEAK ICELANDIC AS QUIKLY AS YOU CAN, EAT LAMB MEAT AND WEAR AN ICELANDIC SWEATER EVERYWHERE YOU GO. BUT NOT EVEN THAT IS GOING TO SAVE YOU THAT ANYTIME AND IN ANY PLACE YOU ARE SUBJECT TO A “DIFFERENT TREATMENT” BASED ON YOUR FOREIGN ORIGIN. AND I AM SAYING “DIFFERENT TREATMENT” FOR NOT CALLING IT WHAT IN MOST OF THE CASES IS “DISCRIMINATION”.
THERE IS A LOT OF GOOD PEOPLE HERE? AREN´T THEY?? I DID THIS, I HELPED THIS ONE, BLA BLA BLA…
WE ARE TALKING HERE ABOUT CHANGING OUR MENTALITY. IT IS NOT ABOUT BEING GOOD WITH THOSE WHO NEED HELP. IT IS ABOUT BEING RESPECTFUL WITH THOSE WHO ARE DIFFERENT AND ACCEPT THEM AS THEY ARE. AND WHAT IS MORE IMPORTANT, LEARN FROM THEM AND BE OPEN TO LISTEN TO THEM…
Tough!
@Rub
“By the way I grew up in the center off Reykjavik and it has always been a though neighborhood”.
With this comment you have said everyting about you, and your mindset. “though neighborhood” please, get a life, yes there are terrible gangs, no heat some times in the houses, dealers selling drougs to young children in every corner, police chases, bank robberies, no regular collection of trash, hand robbery every corner, police sirenes all night, you have to lock yourselfe up by 7 otherwisse… I dont even want to imagine, you wake up in the morning and you car is gone, there is no watter at least three times a week, are you talking about that though or are you talking about the “terrible gangs of…GRAFFITIERS and the drunkards on weekends ahh and the bully at the corner? though…? get a life, but dont worry affter a couple of months you will learn what though means.
In my fishing town we had the joy off getting people for the wars in former Yugoslavia and I have not been able to find racism here. The majority off those families have chosen to stay here in my town. Others have moved to the city. But most off them are still on the island. I did boat jobs with guys from Lettland and Lithuania off Russian origin. Guys that had come here to feed their families in the balkans.Guys that lost dignity when the racime fell.I did help them to get what was their rights through the unions. Yes there will always be scums that try to rob you. And the union helped them. I am disgust to read about racism here and my Vision is totally different. By the way I grew up in the center off Reykjavik and it has always been a though neighborhood.
We talk about the insincerity of our politicians and bankers……… BUT Sir Euro takes it to a whole new level.
Can somebody pass me a bucket i feel the urge to vommit!
THINKABOUT IT, I TRULY COULD NEVER THAT YOU ARE A PERSON OF FOREIGN ORIGIN SAYING THAT.
-ANY HUMAN BEING ON ICELAND, BEING A GUEST, A TOURIST, A PERMANENT RESIDENT, OR SOMEONE THAT HAS MARRIED HERE AND WANTS TO STAY THE WHOLE LIFE…IN ANY SITUATION EVERYONE, AND I SAY EVERY EACH ONE OF US DESERVE RESPECT AND ALSO PROTECTION BY LAW AGAINST DISCRIMINATION.
-PROBABLY YOU ARE NOT AWARE OF THE MANY CASES OF RACISM ( AND THERE ARE MANY WAYS IN WICH RACISM AND RACIAL DISCRIMINATION CAN TAKE PLACE). ONE OF THE CAUSES IS THAT MOST OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE VICTIMS OF RACISM ARE NOT WELL INFORMED. THEY NOW THAT SOMETHING IS RIGHT, BUT USUALLY THEY DON´T KNOW HOW TO DEFEND THEMSELVES AND WHERE TO SEARCH FOR HELP. VERY FEW CASES COME TO LIGHT AND ARE DENOUNCED, AND ALSO VERY FEW REACH TO BE EXPOSED IN THE NATIONAL MEDIA.
-I AM WRITING MY PHD THESIS ON INTERCULTURAL EDUCATION, RACISM AND SCHOOL SYSTEM IN ICELAND. IT IS INCREDIBLE HOW MUCH IS LEFT TO DO ON THIS MATTER IN THIS COUNTRY. WHILE OTHER WESTERN NATIONS HAVE A TRADITION OF POLICIES AND RESEARCH ON THIS MATTER, IN ICELAND THERE IS VERY LITTLE OR NONE EFFORT DONE IN THE NATIONAL SCHOOL SISTEM TO PREVENT RACISM. BY THE VERY CONTRARY, A STRONG NATIONALIST CULTURE IS PROMOTED THROUGHOUT THE TEACHING CURRICULA AND IN AN INTERDISCIPLINARY WAY IN MOST OF THE SUBJECTS. USUALLY THERE IS VERY LITTLE OR NONE ATTENTION GIVEN TO TEACH ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS, INTERCULTURAL ISSUES AND HOW ICELANDERS CAN LEARN TO INTERACT WITH DIFFERENT CULTURAL GROUPS THAT ARE NOW PART OF THIS SOCIETY. AT THE SAME TIME, POLICY AND PROCEDURE TO PROMOTE TOLERANCE AND RESPECTFUL INTEGRATION OF THE NEW ICELANDERS IS NOT PART OF THE CURRICULUM OF STUDIES IN AS MUCH AS 90% OF THE ICELANDIC SCHOOLS. THIS IS TRAGICALLY SURPRISING AS 60% OF ICELANDIC SCHOOLS HAVE CHILDREN ( WITH AT LEAST ONE PARENT) OF FOREIGN ORIGIN) THAT ARE OF FOREIGN ORIGIN THAT REPRESENT FROM 10% TO 45% OF THE TOTAL STUDENTS IN EACH SCHOOL.
-IT IS NOT SURPRISING THAT RACISM IS INCREASING AT A VERY FAST PACE IN ICELANDIC SOCIETY. EVERYTHING SHOWS THAT A WRONG UNDERSTANDING OF NATIONALISM ( THAT IS BASED PARTIALLY ON SUPERIORITY OF ICELAND AMONG OTHER CULTURES AND NATIONS) AND THE LACK OF ANTI-RACIST AND INTERCULTURAL EDUCATION, ARE THE PRINCIPAL CAUSES OF IT. TO END THIS NOCIVE AND INHUMAN CIRCLE THIS “DEMOCRATIC” COUNTRY SHOWS AN ATTITUDE THAT IS NOT RESPECTFUL WITH FOREIGNERS AND THAT WIDELY LABELS ( SPECIALLY IN THE MEDIA) FOREIGNERS NOT AS HUMAN BEINGS BUT AS “INMIGRANT WORKERS”.
THINKABOUIT, MAYBE YOU DID NOT KNOW THAT ALL HUMAN SOCIETIES CHANGE. CHANGE IS A CONSTANT IN HUMANITY. THAT IS WHY ONE DAY WE WENT DOWN THE TREES, STARTED WALKING, DISPERSED THROUGH ALL THE CONTINENTS, DIVERSIFIED GENETICALLY AND CULTURALLY, ETC…
A SOCIETY THAT CLOSES ITSELF TO THE REST IS CONDENED TO DEHUMANIZATION.
HUMANITY HAS REACH THE LEVEL OF TECHNOLOGY AND CIVILIZATION ( WHERE WE ARE SUPPOSED TO BEHAVE MORE LIKE PEOPLE AND LESS LIKE ANIMALS) THANKS TO INTERCULTURAL CHANGE, LETS SAY, THANKS TO INNOVATION PRODUCED MAINLY THANKS TO THE INTERCHANGE OF INFORMATION BETWEEN HUMAN GROUPS.
IT IS OPTIONAL FOR ICELANDERS TO BE OPEN TO LEARN NEW THINGS AND ENRICH FROM OTHER CULTURES OR NOT. BUT EACH AND EVERY HUMAN BEING IS ENTITLED TO THE RIGHT OF HAVING AN OWN CULTURAL IDENTITY OF THEIR CHOICE. (RELIGION, POLITICAL IDEAS, ETC…) AND THE RIGHT TO BE RESPECTED INDEPENDENTLY OF THEIR RACE, NATIONAL ORIGIN, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, ETC…
SO YES, IN A WAY, JUST BECAUSE WE ARE PHYSICALLY AND CULTURALLY PRESENT IN THIS COUNTRY WE ARE CHANGING THE CULTURAL LOOK OF IT, AND MUCH MORE THAN THAT, WE ARE ENRICHING THIS SOCIETY WITH NEW IDEAS, PERSPECTIVES OF LIFE AND UNDERSTANDING OF EXISTENCE.
IT IS JUST THE SAME AS WHEN THOUSANDS OF ICELANDERS WENT TO CANADA TO BE ABLE TO SURVIVE AND THEY BROUGHT THEMSELVES THEIR CULTURE THERE. STILL TODAY IT IS POSSIBLE TO LEARN ICELANDIC IN MANY OF THE SCHOOLS IN THE AREA WHERE ICELANDERS MAINLY SETTLED MORE THAN 100 YEARS AGO. ICELANDERS DID CONSIDERABLY CHANGE THE CULTURAL MAP OF THAT PART OF CANADA, AND NOT ONLY THAT, THEY ALSO BROUGHT IMPORTANT INFORMATION THAT WAS VERY NEEDED IN THAT AREA. FOR EXAMPLE, HOW TO GROW CROPS AND CATTLE IN VERY COLD PLACES.
SO I HAVE THE RIGHT TO EXPERIENCE MY CULTURAL LIFE IN WAYS THAT ARE RESPECTFUL WITH THE LAW AND THE RIGHTS OF OTHER HUMAN BEINGS. EVEN BEING A GUEST ( HOW LONG DO WE NEED TO BE CONSIDERED PART OF THIS SOCIETY? A WHOLE LIFE?) I DESERVE TOTAL RESPECT TO MY PERSON AND I DESERVE PROTECTION FROM THE AUTHORITIES AND EXPECT SOLIDARITY OF OTHER CITIZENS IN CASE OF BEING SUBJECT TO DISCRIMINATION AND ATTACKS BECAUSE OF MY RACE, ORIGIN, ETC..
LETS CREATE A MORE HUMAN SOCIETY. WE NEED TO STAND ALL TOGETHER IN THIS COUNTRY TO BE A CIVILIZED EXAMPLE OF TOLERANCE AND HUMAN SENSE FOR THE REST OF THE WORLD.
Darn straight Alexander E.
“And I’m really tired of these “stories”. I’m not Icelander, I’m here for almost 9 years, eg tala ekki islensku, but I have no problems with “racizm” towards me or my family. Never.
Maybe because I always remember – I’m still a guest here?”
Why is it people like to move to new places and say “Gee I love it here, now let me change it”
EASY, THIS IS THE ANSWER TO YOUR OBSERVATIONS:
I PROTECTED THE BOY WHO WAS BEATED IN FRONT OF MY EYES, I DID NOT SAY I DIDN´T. PUTTING MYSELF BETWEEN HIM AND THE RACISTS.
YOUNG GUYS UNDER 18 CAN BE AS DANGEROUS AS ANYONE UP 18 YEARS OLD. TEACHERS DON´T USE TO ANSWER BACK WITH VIOLENCE. WE TRY TO PROTECT OURSELVES AS BEST AS WE CAN.
SOMETIMES WE CALL FOR HELP IN THE SCHOOL, SOMETIMES WE DISTANCE FOR EXAMPLE, BY LOCKING THE CLASSROOMS DOOR WHILE THE RACISTS ARE TRYING EVEN TO PUT THE DOOR DOWN.
NEXT TIME IT WILL BE TO CALL THE POLICE. IF MY LIFE WAS IN DANGER OF COURSE I HAVE THE RIGHT TO DEFEND MYSELF IN ANYWAY POSSIBLE. BUT WE ARE TALKING HERE ABOUT BEING PUSHED AND INTIMIDATED. AT THAT POINT I CAN JUST CHOOSE TO LEAVE THE PLACE AND GO TO THE PRINCIPALS OFFICE SO THEY CAN TRY TO PUT SOME SOLUTION UP. USUALLY THOSE COBARDS RUN AWAY.
IN RACIST ASSAULTS THE RACISTS APPROACH THEIR OBJECTIVES WHEN ONE IS ALONE AND SPECIALLY THEY TAKE CARE THAT NOBODY IS LOOKING. THIS TIME SOME WITNESSES WERE AROUND AS THEY CAME OUT OF THE OTHER CLASSROOMS TO SEE WHAT WAS HAPPENING. PEOPLE IS ALERT NOW.
I AM TALKING ABOUT AN ICELANDIC SCHOOL, AND THIS IS NOT THE ONLY CASE, IN MANY OTHER ICELANDIC SCHOOLS AND HIGH SCHOOLS STUDENTS ARE SUBJECT TO RACIST ASSAULTS, PSYCHOLOGICALLY AND PHYSICALLY SPEAKING. THE WORST IS WHEN EVEN TEACHERS OF FOREIGN ORIGIN ARE MOLESTED WHILE THEY ARE TEACHING, INSULTED, AND BE VICTIMS OF A COMPLOT RACISTS TRY TO MAKE BY TRYING TO CONVINCE OTHER STUDENTS.
THIS REALITY IS A GROWING REALITY AND IS THE UGLY FACE OF THE GENERAL RACISM THAT IS GROWING IN THIS COUNTRY WHILE PARENTS AND THE MAJORITY OF TEACHERS DO OBSERVE BUT DO NOTHING, THEY COLABORATE PASSIVELY BY DOING NOTHING AS THEY BEAR THE SAME REJECTION AND SOMETIMES HATE TO FOREIGNERS WHOEVER THEY ARE.
A FOREIGNER IN ICELAND IS OK WHEN HE DOES HIS JOB AND SAYS NOTHING. BUT WHEN YOU ARE A TEACHER, A STUDENT, SOMEONE WHO IS HAVING PROGRESS IN THIS SOCIETY, THEN YOU FIND ALL KINDS OF BOICOTS THAT MAKES YOUR PROGRESS MORE DIFFICULT. IT IS LIKE IF THEY ARE MOLESTED OF SEEING PEOPLE OF FOREIGN ORIGIN DO WELL IN LIFE. SO THE SOCIETY IN GENERAL WHAT THEY DO IS TO SISTEMATICALLY COLLABORATE TO MAINTAIN THEIR SUPERIORITY.
IF AN ICELANDER OFFENDS OR ABUSES OF YOU, AND IF HE DOES BOICOT IN ANY WAY YOUR PROFESSIONAL PROGRESS OR TREAT YOU BAD AT WORK, IF YOU ARE A FOREIGNER, YOU HAVE VERY LITTLE CHANCE THAT THE OTHER ICELANDERS STAND UP FOR YOU AND DEFEND YOU.
THEY WILL STAND FOR THE ICELANDER JUST BECAUSE HE IS ICELANDIC. THATS IT, NO MATTER IF HE IS DOING WHAT IS WRONG, NO MATTER IF HE IS ACTING WITH TOTAL LACK OF HUMAN SENSE.
THIS IS THE SENSE OF NATIONALISM MOST OF ICELANDERS HAVE. A SENSE OF NATIONALISM THAT IS ABOVE HUMAN DIGNITY, AND ABOVE SENSE OF JUSTICE.
AND THIS MAKE THIS SOCIETY, GENERALLY SPEAKING, DISGUSTING.
HOWEVER, THERE ARE INDIVIDUALS IN THIS SOCIETY THAT KNOW THIS IS HAPPENING, PEOPLE THAT ARE INTELLIGENT TO DISCERN WHAT IS RIGHT FROM WHAT IS WRONG, PEOPLE WHO STAND FOR WHAT IS RIGHT, PEOPLE THAT RESPECT OTHERS, WHOEVER THEY ARE OR WHEREVER THEY CAME FROM. BECAUSE THOSE PEOPLE DON´T SEE FOREIGNERS, THEY SEE HUMAN BEINGS. BUT I HAVE TO SAY THAT THE INMENSE MAJORITY OF ICELANDERS DON´T HAVE THE SENSIBILITY FOR SEING FOREIGNERS AS PEOPLE, THEY JUST CONSIDER FOREIGNERS AS “BEINGS” THAT ARE EXTERNAL TO ITS SOCIETY, BECAUSE OF COLOUR OF SKIN, LANGUAGE, CULTURE, RELIGION, ETC…
ICELANDIC SOCIETY IS ONLY PERMEABLE WITH CULTURES THAT REPRESENT MODELS FOR THEM, LIKE SCANDINAVIAN CITIZENS, AND THEN ALSO BRITISH, CANADIAN OR AMERICAN. THERE IS ALSO A GREAT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AMERICANS, DEPENDING IF THEY ARE BLACK OR WHITE.
AND NOW REALLY, THIS COUNTRY NEEDS TO SERIOUSLY ASSES THE GROWING PROBLEM OF RACISM BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE AND VIOLENCE EXPLODES IN WORSE WAYS.
EVERY HUMAN BEING DESERVES TOTAL RESPECT. THERE IS NO JUSTIFICATION FOR ATTACKING PHYSICALLY OR EMOTIONALLY ANOTHER HUMAN BEING.IN ICELAND THIS PRACTICE IS SOCIALLY ALLOWED, ADMITED AND JUSTIFIED. AND THEREFORE, ALMOST NO ONE WILL STAND FOR WHAT IS RIGHT. THEY WILL WATCH, SEE, AND DO AS IF THEY DID NOT SEE ANYTHING.
THIS IS HOW DISGUSTING AND HEARTLESS ICELANDERS CAN BE, AND THEY ARE BECOMING AN EXAMPLE OF HATE AND IGNORANCE.
SAD BUT TRUE.
Jon Eguiluz Montes
Stop playing the victim and get over it.
Back to reality.
Election soon!
XD
@GUS
I really agree with you in your views of racism in Iceland you are deffenetly right, having said that this guys Jon Montes complaint has NOTHING to do with it, it is very true that he is TRYING to turn tis into a racist situation but it isn’t he simply didnt get a job in the same plave this summer, like many people, now, if there is something you can maybe see in this case it would be nationalism, if a job was available and they gave it to an Icelander, and I´m saying IF, we dont know, now, I agree there is a very thin line between nationalism and racism, but this guy has no case, in my opinion he is just trying to use the racism card to play the victim, but like I said before, I agree with you in your views about racism in iceland spot on.
Now just two observations:
RECENTLY I HAVE BEEN ASSAULTED AT MY PLACE OF WORK BY RACIST STUDENTS, THAT HAVE ATTACKED ME -why dind´t you use all your karate, kick boxing, jujitzo and or weapon trainning to deffend yourself? (any of the trainning would have done the trick). No job is worth restraining yourself.
“ONE KID FROM AN EASTERN EUROPEAN COUNTRY HAS BEEN SEVERAL TIMES BEATEN, ONCE EVEN IN FRONT OF MY EYES”. -why would you allow such a thing?
@ Mladen Stephen Hosi said
i have lived for aprox. 6 months, ant what you says is unfortunately what i more and more comes to realize.
i like to hear otherwise though..
AND I AM WAITING TO READ AGAIN THE USUAL ICELANDIC MESSAGE I HAVE SO MANY TIMES READ HERE: ” IF YOU DON´T LIKE ICELAND GO AWAY”
I LIKE ICELAND, VERY MUCH, BUT I DON´T LIKE TO BE TREATED DISRESPECTFULLY BECAUSE OF MY FOREIGN ORIGIN. I AM A HUMAN BEING AND I AM ENTITLED WITH DIGNITY AND THE RIGHT TO PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL PEACE. I HAVE THE RIGHT OF MY CULTURAL IDENTITY, MY RELIGION, MY LANGUAGE AND MY BELIEFS, I HAVE THE RIGHT OF MY OWN INTERPRETATION OF THE HISTORY. I HAVE THE SAME RIGHTS AS ANY OTHER HUMAN BEING, AS I ALSO HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF WATCHING FOR THOSE ELEMENTAL HUMAN RIGHTS TO BE OBSERVED AND RESPECTED EVERYWHERE AND ANYTIME.
HUMAN RIGHTS ARE A COMMON MATTER OF ALL PEOPLE OF THE WORLD. HUMAN RIGHTS ARE VIOLATED IN MANY COUNTRIES AND LOTS OF PEOPLE SUFFER BECAUSE SEXUAL ORIENTATION, RACE, GENDER, ETC… THIS HAS TO END.
BUT WHAT IS WORSE IS NOT THAT HAPPENING IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, BUT ALSO HAPPENING IN COUNTRIES LIKE ICELAND, WHERE THERE ARE ENOUGH INSTRUMENTS TO PROMOTE TOLERANCE AND THE RESPECT OF HUMAN RIGHTS. BY THE CONTRARY, LAWS, POLICIES AND A GENERAL RACIST ATTITUDE OF THE POPULATION IS MAKING THIS COUNTRY TO BE AT THE HEAD OF LACK OF HUMAN SENSE AND IGNORANCE.
THERE ARE MANY ICELANDERS THAT HAVE NOTICED THIS AND THAT FEEL VERY ASHAME FOR THE ICELANDIC NATIONALIST CULTURE THAT UNDERSTAND THAT ICELAND AND ICELANDERS ARE SUPERIOR OR BETTER THAN FOREIGN COUNTRIES, CULTURES AND PEOPLE.
SUCH CULTURE OF HATE IS TOUGH AT THE SCHOOLS BY A FALSE AND DISHONEST UNDERSTANDING OF THE HISTORY AND BY REMARKABLY PLACING ICELAND “ABOVE” OTHER NATIONS. THIS CULTURE OF HATE AND SUPERIORITY NEEDS TO END.
WE SHOULD BE INTELLIGENT ENOUGH TO LOVE OUR COUNTRY AND CULTURE AND TO SHOW THE SAME RESPECT AND TOLERANCE FOR OTHER CULTURES. BOTH THINGS ARE POSSIBLE AND NOT CONTRADICTORY.
IT IS GREAT TO BE AND FEEL ICELANDIC, BUT BEFORE BEING ICELANDIC, GERMAN, SPANISH, ETC… WE ALL NEED TO BE HUMAN BEINGS. AND WE CANNOT POSSIBLY BE HUMAN BEINGS WHEN WE DON´T RESPECT OTHERS. SUPERIORITY LEADS TO HATE, AND HATE LEADS TO ATROCITY. HUMAN BEINGS TREATING OTHER HUMAN WITH NO COMPASSION, NOR CONSIDERATION, AS IF THEY WERE THINGS.
I HEARD STORIES OF GERMAN SOLDIERS BEATEN HARDLY AND ASSESSINATING THE JEWS, WITHOUT ANY COMPASSION AND TOTAL LACK OF HUMAN SENSE, AND THEN THE SAME GERMANS WOULD KISS AND AND SHOW LOVE TO THEIR KIDS, WIFES, NEIGHBORS AND FRIENDS. HOW CAN A HUMAN BEING BE SO HEARTLESS.
THE SAME I EXPERIENCE IN ICELAND ANYTIME SOMEONE APPROACHS ME WITH TOTAL SECURITY THAT HE/SHE CAN TALK TO ME AS THEY WISH AND TREAT ME LIKE A SECOND CLASS HUMAN BEING, SOMETIMES NOT EVEN AS A HUMAN BEING, JUST BECAUSE I AM FOREIGNER. IT CAN BE WHOEVER, AND AT ANY PLACE.
JUST THE SAME AS THE GERMAN AND THE JEWS IN GERMANY. JUST ANY ICELANDIC, IF HE FEELS LIKE, CAN GO AND SAY SOMETHING HORRIBLE TO YOU, OR TREAT YOU WITH BAD MANNERS WHEN YOU GO SHOPPING, TOTALLY IGNORING YOU IF YOU NEED HELP OR SERVICES, OR THINGS THAT YOU PAY LIKE EVERYONE ELSE.
FOR BEING A FOREIGNER YOU CAN ALSO BE SUBJECT TO PEOPLE DON´T TO TRUST YOU OR THINK THAT YOU ARE NOT ABLE TO DO CERTAIN JOBS OR PROJECTS. THEY RARELY WILL LISTEN TO YOU FULLY. AND THEY WILL ALWAYS RESERVE THE SUPERIORITY CARD, THEY CAN USE ANYTIME, TO BAN AND REJECT YOU BECAUSE OF YOUR FOREIGN ORIGIN.
BECAUSE RACISM IN THIS COUNTRY IS SOCIALLY AND GENERALLY “ADMITTED” AS A “JUSTIFIED BEHAVIOR”. BUT THEY DO IT MOST OF THE TIMES IN SUBTLE WAYS…
WATCH OUT AND SPEAK OUT!!
Have you checked for paranoia recently?…
Just kidding. The guys just busy. Sometimes the answer appears almost instantly, sometimes – next day. No matter who you are.
Aha! You are one of the guys who ruined the country!
And why am I not surprised that “friends and families” of bosses were not fired? This is what friends and family are for – to stay with you! Unless you, Mladen, has some outstanding talent/gift that is more valuable for bosses than their friends and families. Do you have such talent?
So when times were good and money were easy to get – Iceland was a paradise. At least you moved here from number of countries, right? Now, when your are fired (as well as other 17,000+ people) – Iceland turned to be a racist country? Well, then try Germany or France (but remember they hate to speak English!).
Well, if you move to any other new place – you will be outsider. Just because you are.
And I’m really tired of these “stories”. I’m not Icelander, I’m here for almost 9 years, eg tala ekki islensku, but I have no problems with “racizm” towards me or my family. Never.
Maybe because I always remember – I’m still a guest here?
Maybe because I never demand any special treatment for me – I’m just doing some things better than local guys and as such Icelanders respect me for this?
And the only people who tried to abuse me here was my first employer – a USA company. But they paid a very heavy price for that – and it was Icelanders and Icelandic court that supported me.
I learned simple rule – people treat you as you treat them. So respect them – and they will respect you. If they don’t – bit a crap out them if you can. If you can not – cry and run :-) It’s your choice. And Iceland has nothing to do with it.
PS. I hate Icelandic wind! I HATE it! :-)
I HAVE BEEN TEACHING IN ICELAND FOR MORE THAN 4 YEARS. I HAVE EXPERIENCED REJECTION AND BOICOT AT WORK BECAUSE OF MY FOREIGN ORIGIN. RECENTLY I HAVE BEEN ASSAULTED AT MY PLACE OF WORK BY RACIST STUDENTS, THAT HAVE ATTACKED ME IN FRONT OF OTHER TEACHERS AND SCHOOL WORKERS WITH VERY RACIST AND EXPLICIT WORDS LIKE : “GO OUT OF ICELAND, ETC…” I HAVE BEEN PUSHED, THREATEN, AND FOR EXAMPLE I DID NOT GO TO WORK TODAY BECAUSE OF THE STRESS AND NERVS I GOT SINCE THE ATTACK OF YESTERDAY.
I AM STILL WAITING FOR THE SCHOOL OFFICE TO DO SOMETHING ON THE MATTER. RACIST STUDENTS GO AND ATTACK PHYSICALLY AND PSICHOLOGICALLY BOTH TEACHERS AND OTHER STUDENTS OF FOREIGN ORIGIN.
WE HAVE KIDS OF FOREIGN ORIGINE IN THE SCHOOLS AND THOSE BIG GUYS GO AROUND AND BEAT THEM, ONE KID FROM AN EASTERN EUROPEAN COUNTRY HAS BEEN SEVERAL TIMES BEATEN, ONCE EVEN IN FRONT OF MY EYES. NOTHING HAVE BEEN DONE ON THE MATTER.
ICELANDERS SEEM TO TRY TO COVER AND HIDE WHAT IS HAPPENING. THIS SITUATION NEEDS TO CHANGE. THE WORST OF ALL IS THAT ALSO OTHER TEACHERS, PEOPLE THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO HAVE SOME HUMAN VALUES AND KNOWLEDGE, DO PASSIVELY SUPPORT SUCH RACIST BEHAVIOR, BY DOING NOTHING, OR BY INSTITGATING STUDENTS WITH MESSAGES THAT HIDE A LOT OF HATE AND RACIST MEANING.
THE TEACHING OF THE ICELANDIC CULTURE AT SCHOOLS VERY OFTEN INVOLVE SEGREGATIVE AND RACIST MESSAGES AGAINST THE POPULATION OF ICELANDERS OF FOREIGN ORIGIN.
THE PROBLEM IS BIGGER THAN IT SEEMS, BECAUSE SUCH CULTURE OF HATE IS PROMOTED BY TEACHERS, POLITICIANS AND IS ALLOWED TO TAKE EFFECT BY STUDENTS.
THIS COUNTRY IS FULL OF RACISM IN ALL WAYS POSSIBLE, AND NOW IT IS BECOMING MORE EVIDENT AS MORE AND MORE STORIES ARE COMING TO LIGHT.
IT IS OK TO BE PROUD OF YOUR CULTURE, NATION AND LANGUAGE, BUT IT DOES NOT MEAN THAT AGRESSION AND RACISM CAN BE JUSTIFIED BY THAT.
NATIONAL PROUD IN ICELAND IS VERY OFTEN CONFUSED FOR HATE TO FOREIGN CULTURES AND SENSE OF SUPERIORITY.
AND I AM NOT WHOEVER GUY JUST TALKING HERE, I AM A TEACHER, AND A FORMER PHD. STUDENT RESEARCHER IN INTERCULTURAL EDUCATION AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ICELAND.
I HAVE ALSO NOTICED RACISM AND REJECTION OF FOREIGN IDEAS AND ATTITUDES IN THE VERY SAME UNIVERSITY. A GREAT PART OF THE AUDIENCE AND CO-STUDENTS DO NOT WANT TO LISTEN OR SHOW RESPECT FOR A SPEECH IF IT IS A FOREIGN PERSON GIVING IT.
ICELANDERS SHOW RESPECT AND LISTEN TO ANGLO-SAXON AMERICANS, BRITISH AND NORTH EUROPEAN AS IF THEY WERE GODS. BUT THE REST OF PEOPLE FROM OTHER CONTINENTS OR RACES, THEY DON´T USE TO SHOW ANY RESPECT OR CONSIDERATION. IT IS SUBSEQUENTLY THAT INSTITUTIONAL RACISM TAKE PLACE BECAUSE A GREAT MAJORITY OF ICELANDERS SHARE THIS VALUES OF REJECTION OF FOREIGN IDENTITY.
THAT IS WHY CALL “LACK OF HUMAN SENSE”. IT IS SUCH A BIG SHAME!!
In response to Mladen Stephen Hosi:
You obviously have not been around much. EVERY COUNTRY HAS SOME FORM OF RACISM, just human nature. Not to say some are worse then others.
I am an Icelander and very proud of my heritage. I live in the United States and when I came to this country I was not able to get a job because I did not speak the language good enough. But you never heard me complain, I just studied harder and learn to speak the language fluently, as a matter of fact I’m so good at it you can barely hear the accent. I have always thought Icelanders treated foreigners with respect, but you also got to realize the Icelanders have been on their own for many centuries without much influence from the outside world, why should you have an Icelander give up their job for someone that left their own country to come an take their jobs away…….
A very important thing for External from Icenews, the introduction of the article is totally misleading, he was NOT denied a transfer, he was NOT even working for the company AT ALL, he was SIMPLY not hired ths summer, has nothing to do with not beeing transfered. So I think the intro should be changed. well actually the hole article has no fundament for what it wants to project which is rasism.
@Ross Carlson
Spot on man, Nobody could have said it better, just one thing I desagree, Icenews is just exposeing something they consider apropiate to expose, just like any other media, would do.
But to this Jon: Man you just didnt get a job this summer in the same place than last summer, it´s happening to HUNDREDS of people. NOBODY is obliged to give you a job, no matter your nationalitti, you can not force anybody to give you a job because he told you so 1 year ago. you talk about working for a summer like if its a life time, please, people had been working for companies for years and got fired. Your argument has nothing to do with rasism, which by the way yes, I think thereis alot of it in Iceland, but your case is just out off topic, and your letter childish.
well, that was bad indeed …. anyway you could have thought you would have been in worst situation. E.g. There’s a place filled with prejudicial hypocrities among EU/EEA countries, where slavery is the most common thing. (Illiteracy/Unaware of everything rate: 100%)
You’ll settle that ;) Cheer up.
quote from you…. ‘Your comment is awaiting moderation’
so why dos it take so long for a non icelander to get a response????
Mr. Jon Eguiluz Montes,
Another factual aricle of what ‘foriegners’ face in this county. My circumstances are similar to yours…but slightly different…I have been here for nearly 2 years..actaully I got married in Iceland in 2002….but that doesnt count…have worked for Straumur…untill got made redundant recently…but other ‘friends and family’ of bosses still work there…
In brief the point I am trying to make is that despite you effort to learn the language you will never be ‘ICELANDIC’ and you will be treated as such in this country.
I have worked in a number of counties around the world…and travelled exstenivelly…….BUT have NEVER come across such a blatent racial society as the Icelanders.
All I can say is god bless them as they are returning to the Iceage very quickly at their own stupidity.
Mladen Stephen Hosi
The country will rot very soon so in the mean time get out and find a better country than iceland look around the country is racist to foreigners especially the immigration service i am glad that the country is bankrupt and icelanders wiil have to go to china to get jobs because they think they are a superior race but they are just dreaming in the new world. iceland should become a colony of china use chinese passport and learn chinese
Sorry Jon Eguiluz Montes nothing new with your story. Get over it.
Just keep in mind, the nation of Iceland is very much an “insider club” that wants to test your will, to see if you really want to stay around.
You will always be an outsider even when you speak Icelandic. That’s why it’s better to own the shop rather than work for someone else. This thinking seems to work for a great number of self-employed Icelanders too.
Opinions? Sure. I might be a bit blunt, but you did ask.
0. For a start, while I recognize this website belongs to the editors, I was under the impression it was a news site. I hardly see how this letter constitutes news.
1. I think that this letter is almost 4 months old, and that it’s too late for Jon anyway.
2. I think that the introduction is incorrect: “angry at his former employers for not transferring him to a new branch” is not what happened. He worked from April to August. His employment ended, for undisclosed reasons, presumably because it was a summer job and classes were going to start again. He expected to be hired again this year and it didn’t happen. That’s not a transfer, that just a new hire.
3. Employers have no obligation to hire anyone. If they need help and if they can afford it and if they find the right person, it’ll happen. That’s not to say recruitment is solely in the hands of employers; it’s supposed to be a mutually beneficial deal (after all, it’s a contract). If an employer doesn’t want to hire Jon, tough luck, find another one. The employers didn’t even need to give a reason for refusing. Perhaps the excuse given was just to mask some other one that they didn’t want to admit (e.g. they can’t afford it anymore due to their financial situation, but would rather keep a lid on that). Perhaps last year they expected the author’s language skills would have improved beyond what they actually are today, and were disappointed to find they hadn’t. Perhaps it’s something else, or perhaps they said the truth. The point is, they don’t owe Jon anything. So they promised the job to him? News flash: there’s no such thing. Of course everyone would prefer it if things could be solved just by giving (and receiving) one’s word on something. Unfortunately it is not so, and it is naïve to act otherwise. That’s a mistake I’ve made too and I learnt my lesson; I hope Jon does the same. If they’d promised him the job last year, Jon should have asked for a contract back in August.
4. The whole part about his girlfriend being fired from another place, in the context of a letter sent to his would-be employers, is off-topic at best.
5. It seems the objective of the letter isn’t to try to convince the employers to hire him, but to blame them for being racist. Insulting people who refused you something is unproductive and childish.
6. In addition, he calls the employers racist (or says they encourage a racist attitude, which is exactly the same) when they apparently refused to give him the job because of his fluency (or lack thereof) in Icelandic. Racism is rejection of people for what they are. Speaking Icelandic is a skill, so Jon was rejected because of what he could, or couldn’t, DO. There’s a huge difference there, and I think the confusion isn’t to Jon’s credit.
7. This letter only gives Jon’s point of view. I submit that it’s obviously biased, which makes it difficult to provide a worthwhile opinion anyway.
The two words that sprung to mind as I read the letter sum up my thoughts nicely: grow up.
Yup, life is not always fair. Hold the front page! Extra, extra, read all about it…
WHATEVER HE CAME TO ICELAND FOR MONEY, FOR SPENDING A MONTH OR INTENDING TO BE HERE HIS WHOLE LIFE. ANY CITIZEN FROM THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AREA HAVE THE RIGHTS OF EQUAL TREATMENT. THAT IS WHY THOUSANDS OF ICELANDERS WORK IN UK, DENMARK, GERMANY, FRANCE, SPAIN, AUSTRIA, IRELAND, SWEDEN, FINLAND, ETC… AND THEY HAVE THE SAME RIGHTS AS THE NATIONAL OF THOSE ESTATES.
INDEPENDENTLY OF BEING A NATIONAL OF THE EEA / EU, DISCRIMINATION BASED ON NATIONALITY, DISSABILITY, RACE, RELIGION, SEXUAL ORIENTATION OR POLITICAL IDEAS, AMONG OTHER POSSIBLE CAUSES OF DISCRIMINATION, IS TOTALLY AGAINST THE FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHTS THAT EVERY AND EACH OF US IS ENTITLE WITH.
HUMAN RIGHTS ARE THE CORE OF HUMANITY ITSELF AND GIVE A SUPERIOR MEANING TO OUR EXISTENCE, A MEANING OF INALIENABLE RESPECT FOR THE DIGNITY OF EVERY ONE OF US.
HOWEVER, EACH CASE NEED TO BE STUDIED, DISCRIMINATION IS NOT ALWAYS VERY CLEAR. SOMETIMES IS NOT ABOUT US BUT JUST THAT SOMEONE ISN´T READY TO GET ALONG WITH US, WHOEVER WE ARE.
ANYWAYS, IF YOU SUSPECT OR CLEARLY NOTICE THAT YOU ARE BEING DISCRIMINATED FOR ANY REASON, INCLUDING NATIONALITY, SEX, GENDER, ETC… YOU SHOULD DEMAND THAT PERSON INMEDIATLY. SENDING A LETTER OF ISN´T ENOUGH, JUST BECAUSE WE HAVE TO MAKE THOSE PEOPLE SEE THAT DISCRIMINATION IS A SERIOUS THING AND THAT IS PROHIBITED BY LAW.