Finland is a multicultural country that still faces challenges in integrating multicultural young people into society.  

Although multiculturalism is a richness, it brings its own their challenges, especially for young people growing up in multicultural environments. In society, multicultural young people are marginalised by compartmentalisation and prejudice. It is important to understand how these phenomena affect young people's lives and how we can combat them.  

I remember how I used to try for a long time to hide my background as much as possible. I was ashamed of my roots, because Somalis were always used as examples when it came to people who were poorly integrated into society. Somalis were used as examples in unemployment statistics. Somalis were even stigmatised during a coronavirus pandemic in the context of infectious clusters. You can only imagine how it feels when people swerve to avoid you on the street or on public transport.  

Recently, the national media reflected on the challenges that S2 young people face in school. The reasons for the challenges were looked for in the young people's backgrounds, rather than, for example, a possible neurological disorder. When you hear nothing but the negative about your background, it inevitably starts to affect your ability to cope. This was reflected in my own ability to cope.  

Challenges affect young people's mental health and chances of success in life  

The examples I mentioned above are not only the challenges faced by Somali youth. Almost everyone from a multicultural background has faced negative treatment and prejudice in society.  

This can take the form of racist comments, discrimination at school or at work, indifference in health care, or the most invisible, i.e. as a prejudiced compartmentalisation that puts people in a different position based on their background. This negative climate can have a significant impact on young people's mental health, causing stress, anxiety, and depression. Young people may feel excluded and insecure about their place in society, which can undermine their self-esteem and motivation. The combined effect of these challenges increases the risk of young people becoming marginalised.  

When young people experience persistent discrimination and face barriers, for example to employment, they may lose faith in the future and society. This can lead to passivity, school drop-out and even crime. Excluded young people are more vulnerable to mental health problems and long-term unemployment, which can create a negative cycle in their lives.  

Solutions for cultural competence development and preventive work   

It is important to recognise and address the challenges faced by young people of different cultures in society. We need more cultural competence and training, both in the workplace and in schools. The better we understand the challenges faced by young people from different cultural backgrounds, the better we can help them. It is crucial to treat young people as individuals and not just as members of a particular group, but it is equally important to understand the social challenges faced by members of that group.  

We cannot talk about equality of opportunity if every young person does not have an equal chance to succeed in life. We need active measures to combat discrimination and racist treatment and to create equal opportunities. Every educational staff member and employer should be involved in these efforts.  

The mental health challenges of multicultural young people are not yet well enough identified. Society should be more active in providing support and resources for young people to support mental health and prevent exclusion. This includes, as an essential part of this, providing professionals with cultural developing skills to better understand the challenges. By taking a preventive approach, we can ensure not only that young people stay healthy and fit, but also that we do not lose young people unnecessarily from the labour market, for example through disability pensions.  

We need every young person to keep the wheels of society turning efficiently. Let's leave no one behind.