My name spoof/goof on a popular Swedish blogger, Blondinbella, which I thought was rather clever and original, is clearly not clever at all and highly unoriginal. So, I am no longer Blattebella but from here on in, Boston Blatte. You all understand the Boston part, but many of you are probably unfamiliar with what blatte means. From Wiktionary
blatte
- An often derogatory term for a person who is not of Northern Europe descent.
Often considered derogatory, but it’s also sometimes used as a neutral word.
When I first got here the pejorative term du jour for immigrants was svartskalle, which means dark-haired person. With my hair color and non Swedish background I clearly qualified. The current term is blatte. The same description applies. I am just trying to keep up to date on my slag off terms.
Plus, my favorite letter is ‘B‘ and I like the alliteration.
Truthfully, I like to adopt disparaging names and try to remove the offense by espousing the supposed criticism and dispelling the negativity. I have been a bitch for a long time. It is time to take on blatte.
Some Swedes don’t think I cut it to be a true blatte since I am a “first class immigrant” i.e. I am from a wealthy, western country. I say screw that. I have roots in the lower classes anyway coming from a blue collar part of greater Boston. I didn’t start off life as a WatRat for nothing.
Boston Blatte, bloggin’ at ya.
Tags: blatte, blondinbella, boston blatte
I, as a Swede, am offended when someone chooses to call themselves a blatte. It’s creating an “us and them” situation. Suggesting you choose to alienate yourself from Swedish society will not be popular so good luck with that.
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Thanks for your comment Kaethar.
I, as a Swede, think that since I am now both “us” and “them” I have a responsibility to remove the stigma of words designed to segregate. It is not a move to alienate myself from Swedish society but to call the attention of the Swedish society who alienate people like me because I look different or speak as a non-native Swede.
I appreciate your your good luck wishes.
BB
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A “quasi” “Townie” (as opposed to Charles-)in Stockholm? How interesting that must be. As a fellow Bostonian, I actually understand your motivation, though I can see how it would be easily misinterpreted. (Note to self: do not use “Blatte”. Perpare to be offended if someone else does.)
As irony and sarcasm are our lifeblood (see above), how does that go over on the old day-to-day? I will be in Stockholm this summer; it’s obvious I have a lot to learn…
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Lori, the Bostonian sarcasm isn’t easily transplanted to Sweden. Partly because of the cultural differences and partly due to language (either the trouble for them to get what you’re hinting at if you’re in English or for it to work if you speak Swedish.)
Swedes don’t like conflict and they have a very serious belief in fairness and equality. That combo makes addressing the ugly side of racism very difficult. I am back and forth on whether I would take that discussion up in a blog. It’s just loaded.
Stay tuned and see (I will as well since I just have no idea if I dare).
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“I, as a Swede, think that since I am now both “us” and “them” ”
Contradiction, much? Listen to what you’re saying instead of arguing just for the sake of arguing.
“I have a responsibility to remove the stigma of words designed to segregate.”
Stigma? The world itself segregates. It’s a self-defining word. People call themselves blattar since they don’t want to be seen as Swedish. How precisely are you helping the “us” and “them” situation by calling yourself a blatte?
“It is not a move to alienate myself from Swedish society but to call the attention of the Swedish society who alienate people like me because I look different or speak as a non-native Swede.”
I see, because it’s always the fault of the native Swedes, isn’t it? Integration is a two-way street. People do deliberately isolate themselves from Swedish society since they don’t want to be Swedish. They have a stereotypical view of what Swedes are like and try to distance themselves as far from “Swedishness” as possible.
Instead of just reading wikipedia I suggest you check out some real sources to find out what blatte really means:
“My article examines the formation and manifestations of a new kind of collective consciousness of immigrants living in Sweden called blatte identity, defined by ethnic markers constructed by opposition to the nationalistic ideals of an ethnically pure Swedish identity. More specifically, my article examines the construction and affirmation of a special kind of blatte. identity, called a thought sultan (tankesultan). Briefly, a tankesuktan is a Swede of Arabic descent, proud of his Muslim background, and actively engaging in resisting the assimilative forces within Swedish society. ”
etc etc
http://www.atypon-link.com/INT/doi/abs/10.1386/jammr.1.1.79_1
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What we really need in Sweden is more people like Zlatan who proudly call themselves Swedish instead of self-segregating terms like blatte. People see him as Swedish because he calls himself Swedish.
Most often “blattar” are young kids who are in the middle of an identity crisis. Most people grow out of it.
Labinot Harbuzi is one of them. He sees himself as primarily kosovoalbanian but today he has also realised how Swedish he is. He says he won’t be using the term blatte anymore:
http://sydsvenskan.se/inpalivet/vardag-och-livsstil/article442770/Harbuzi-har-sin-egen-planhalva.html
Some people will identify with their ethnicity, some with their nationality, and some with both (Labinot). But most people will loose the blatte identity when they get older.
It’s therefore really sad that you use it.
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Som barn hemma i Rosengård kallade vi varandra blattar, jag och mina kompisar, men då sa vår lärare att vi skulle säga nysvenskar i stället. Egentligen är det mer nu när jag har blivit äldre som jag tänker att det finns en del inom mig som är svensk också. Nu skulle jag nog inte säga blatte, men det ligger egentligen inte så mycket negativt i det ordet.
- Labinot Harbuzi
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Thanks again Kaethar for commenting. I like the debate you bring to the topic.
““I, as a Swede, think that since I am now both “us” and “them” ”
Contradiction, much? Listen to what you’re saying instead of arguing just for the sake of arguing.”
It’s not for the sake of arguing. It’s about putting a different perspective on a rather important subject. People who come to Sweden from different cultures cannot erase those cultures from their daily lives. Nor do I think anyone needs to snub out a past existence to fit into a new society. We bring new things to our new home and our new society can also reap the benefits of those new elements. You can never take the American out of me, but you can add the Swede and open my mind to the ways to mix the two.
““I have a responsibility to remove the stigma of words designed to segregate.”
Stigma? The world itself segregates. It’s a self-defining word. People call themselves blattar since they don’t want to be seen as Swedish.”
Perhaps. It’s not that I don’t want to see myself as Swedish but truthfully, I don’t feel Swedish because the culture which formed me was/is not Swedish.
“How precisely are you helping the “us” and “them” situation by calling yourself a blatte?” I am opening a dialogue to examine the good, the bad and the ugly of immigration into a very homogeneous society which has little experience with integration, especially of people who look different too.
“I see, because it’s always the fault of the native Swedes, isn’t it? Integration is a two-way street.”
I’m sorry. I ought to have been more precise and added “those in the Swedish society who…” So no, it’s not the fault of the native Swedes and most certainly a two-way street. I’ve been zieg-heiled by skinheads in Gamla Stan because I have black hair and I’ve heard people speak with disgust about people who are “different” in Sweden, so those people do exist. And it’s not only about extremes but the subtle dislike by some for those who are not “Swedes”.
“People do deliberately isolate themselves from Swedish society since they don’t want to be Swedish. They have a stereotypical view of what Swedes are like and try to distance themselves as far from “Swedishness” as possible.”
I’m not isolating myself from the Swedish society. I am smack dab in the middle of it. However, I do things that aren’t always very “Swedish”. E.g. I invited the neighbors over for a cookout with 45 minutes notice. The teenage daughter exclaimed in frustration to her mother “What kind of people invite you over for dinner with only 45 minutes’ notice?”
The American kind. The Blatte kind.
We all had a grand time.
BB
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