A book by Polish sociologist Ewa Sapieżynska entitled “I am not your Polack” has caused a stir among Norwegians, who find it hard to believe that the biggest minority feels discriminated against in a country that leads in all rankings of openness and tolerance.
Sapieżyńska, who lives in Norway, was interviewed by Wirtualna Polska news outlet, where she discussed the experiences of Poles living in Norway who find that their nationality is a barrier to finding a place to rent, getting a job, or even finding a partner on dating sites.
The Polish sociologist also describes her own experience of often being asked “Where are you from” and finding that when she admits she is from Poland, her interlocutor often conveys a sense of disappointment, often leading to the conversation stopping.
“Most often there is disappointment. Sometimes it is expressed verbally, and sometimes it is betrayed by body language. It looks as if all the air suddenly deflated from the person, and an awkward silence ensues. If this happens at a party, nervous glances begin in search of other company. It’s very painful,” she said.
“Of course, not everyone reacts this way. Some don’t believe it and say, ‘But you’re pretty,’ while others continue the conversation, generally addressing two topics that are loud in Norwegian media: LGBT-free zones and the tightening of abortion laws in Poland. I’m happy to talk about this, but couldn’t we discuss so many other topics?” asks Sapieżyńska.
According to her, despite the fact that there are 100,000 Poles living in Norway, which features a population of 5.5 million, stereotypes about Poles prevail. The first, encouraged by post-EU Polish accession coverage, was about Poles’ propensity for committing crimes. The media coverage then moved to Poles in the labor market, highlighting that they were an initial source of cheap labor and later of services such as plumbing and construction.
In the last few years, the stereotype was that Poles are governed by “reactionaries,” and then, during the pandemic, they were accused of spreading the Covid virus. The media fed the “monster of paranoia,” with stories of 100 localities infected by the virus from Poland and people with fake test certificates spreading the virus.
The word “Polack” is now used in a pejorative way to describe all incomers from Central and Eastern Europe and has acquired connotations of meaning people “who steal our jobs” and are regarded as unwanted, alien and inferior. The word has also become a common term of abuse in schools, says Sapieżyńska.
When it comes to renting property, Sapieżyńska recounts how, when she started living in an affluent district of Oslo, she was told by her neighbors to remove her surname from the letterbox, “as people reacted badly to it and felt it would reduce the value of property in the area.” Sapieżyńska calls such behavior “racism in kid gloves.”
Asked about how Norwegians reacted to her book, Sapieżynska says that they were shocked that someone would accuse them of discrimination and some said it was an “eye-opener.” Some apologized, others were in denial that such things could happen in their country.
She describes the book as a bitter-sweet love letter to Norwegians, citing James Baldwin’s saying that “If I love you, I have to tell you things you cannot see.” She’s pleased that the book has been noticed and become a part of public debate.
Her book has been bought by the National Board of Culture and distributed to all libraries in Norway. It has also been included in the education platform for high schools.
