Before the 1973, Chilean emigration to Sweden was nominal. Compared to other Latin American countries, Chile had a democratic government and stability. At the beginning mostly where politicians, politically active and intellectuals who came to Sweden but during the last years many poor people have arrived in hope that they can have a better life and provide for their families. Now Chilean Swedes is the biggest and one of the most important Latin American groups in Sweden.
In this context began to form a thought about us, a stereotype for us. In some parts of Europe they call us thieves, using the generalization as a way to explain this: 58% of Latin Americans living in Spain consulted felt that ethnic discrimination is widespread in the country, compared to 54% of North Africans or 43% of the Romanians.
Racism and discrimination against foreigners in Europe is becoming more and yet migration increases. For the migrants are few opportunities and many demands, Europeans abroad are a usurper of their welfare, their jobs, etc..
Personally, I would love to travel to Europe, and I would hate people to see me as a thief or an uneducated person. I hope this erroneous thinking change over time and we treat it as a friendship in the future.
We will always have to live with those stereotypes, not only because we are Chileans; at the same time we are latins, phisically we are so different, our way of speaking is so distinctive and our manners are so... special.
ReplyDeleteYou can notice a Chilean anywhere.
It's a shame being recognized in another country as a thief and "uncultured" person, but it's the image we are creating because the education we are receiving is not the correct one.
By now we have to deal with it until we don't change our mind and we start trying to give another image about our culture.
Sometimes the spread is caused by the fault of a few people who simply decide to go for it "Faster" and steals the innocent. Personally I have family in Europe and I've heard from them that it's been been very difficult to overcome the stereotype that we have as "thieves". I think we might learn more from others in their culture while expanding ourselves our great historical WEALTH than just stay doing nothing.
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