2011 memorial torchlight procession for Benjamin Hermansen

Racism in Norway often targets

immigrants Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not usual residents or where they do not possess nationality in order to settle as permanent residents. Commuters, tourists, and other short- ...

, especially those of non-white and non-Western origin, including but not limited to

Black people Black is a racial classification of people, usually a political and skin color-based category for specific populations with a mid- to dark brown complexion. Not all people considered "black" have dark skin and often additional phenotypical ...

Sámi people The Sámi ( ; also spelled Sami or Saami) are the traditionally Sámi languages, Sámi-speaking indigenous people inhabiting the region of Sápmi, which today encompasses large northern parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and of the Kola Peninsula ...

Kven people Kvens (; ; ; ; ) are a Balto-Finnic ethnic group indigenous to the northern regions of Norway, Sweden, Finland and parts of Russia. In 1996, Kvens were granted minority status in Norway, and in 2005 the Kven language was recognized as a mino ...

Romani people {{Infobox ethnic group , group = Romani people , image = , image_caption = , flag = Roma flag.svg , flag_caption = Romani flag created in 1933 and accepted at the 1971 World Romani Congress , po ...

, Muslim people, and

Asians "Asian people" (sometimes "Asiatic people")United States National Library of Medicine. Medical Subject Headings. 2004. November 17, 200Nlm.nih.gov: ''Asian Continental Ancestry Group'' is also used for categorical purposes. is an umbrella term ...

Jews in Norway The history of Jews in Norway dates back to the 1400s. Although there were very likely Jewish merchants, sailors and others who entered Norway during the Middle Ages, no efforts were made to establish a Jewish community. Through the early mod ...

occasionally experience

antisemitism Antisemitism or Jew-hatred is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who harbours it is called an antisemite. Whether antisemitism is considered a form of racism depends on the school of thought. Antisemi ...

. Historically, as citizens of

Denmark–Norway Denmark–Norway (Danish language, Danish and Norwegian language, Norwegian: ) is a term for the 16th-to-19th-century multi-national and multi-lingual real unionFeldbæk 1998:11 consisting of the Kingdom of Denmark, the Kingdom of Norway (includ ...

, both Norwegians and Danes have participated in the

Danish slave trade The Danish slave trade occurred separately in two different periods: the trade in European slaves during the Viking Age, from the 8th to the 10th century; and the Danish role in selling African slaves during the Atlantic slave trade, which comme ...

and overseas colonialism. Despite Norway's reputation for tolerance, Norwegian anti-racist activists believe that Norway has a "

collective amnesia Social amnesia is a collective forgetting by a group of people. The concept is often cited in relation to Russell Jacoby's scholarship from the 1970s. Social amnesia can be a result of "forcible repression" of memories, ignorance, changing circums ...

" regarding their country's history of racism and colonialism. Norwegianization policies were historically pursued by the Norwegian government to encourage the assimilation of ethnic minorities including the Sámi, Kvens, Forest Finns, and Norwegian Finns.

Anti-Romani racism

During the early 1900s, as late as the 1930s,

Romani people in Norway There are estimated to be around 4,000–10,000 Romani people in Norway. The Romani people were not recognized as one of Norway’s five national minorities until the year 1999. The small Romani minority in Norway suffered greatly during the Wor ...

were subjected to sterilization.

Anti-Sámi racism

The Indigenous

Sámi Acronyms * SAMI, ''Synchronized Accessible Media Interchange'', a closed-captioning format developed by Microsoft * Saudi Arabian Military Industries, a government-owned defence company * South African Malaria Initiative, a virtual expertise ...

people of

Northern Norway Northern Norway (, , ; ) is a geographical region of Norway, consisting of the three northernmost counties Nordland, Troms and Finnmark, in total about 35% of the Norwegian mainland. Some of the largest towns in Northern Norway (from south to no ...

have inhabited the region of

Sápmi is the cultural region traditionally inhabited by the Sámi people. Sápmi includes the northern parts of Fennoscandia, stretching over four countries: Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia. Most of Sápmi lies north of the Arctic Circle, boun ...

for many centuries. Beginning in the 15th and 16th centuries, Norwegian farmers began to colonize Sámi land. The Norwegian government would later encourage the colonization of Sámi land and the assimilation of Sámi people through policies known as "Norwegianization". For many years, Sámi skeletons were kept in the collections of the Anatomical Institute at the

University of Oslo The University of Oslo (; ) is a public university, public research university located in Oslo, Norway. It is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation#Europe, oldest university in Norway. Originally named the Royal Frederick Univ ...

, including the skeletons of

Mons Somby Mons Aslaksen Somby (14 February 1825 – 14 October 1854) was one of the leaders of the Sami rioters that attacked several Norwegian shops during the Kautokeino rebellion of 1852. During the uprising a merchant and the town sheriff were ki ...

and

Aslak Hætta Aslak Jacobsen Hætta (24 January 1824 – 14 October 1854) was one of the leaders of the Sami revolt in Guovdageaidnu, called the Kautokeino Rebellion, in November 1852. During the riots, the merchant Carl Johan Ruth and the local governm ...

. The skeletons were repatriated in 1997. The Sámi attempt to have their ancestors' remains repatriated is the subject of the 1999 documentary Give Us Our Skeletons.

Nazism and Neo-Nazism

During the

German occupation of Norway The occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany during the Second World War began on 9 April 1940 after Operation Weserübung. Conventional armed resistance to the German invasion ended on 10 June 1940, and Nazi Germany controlled Norway until th ...

, some Norwegians collaborated with the German Nazis, most notably the Norwegian military officer and Minister President

Vidkun Quisling Vidkun Abraham Lauritz Jonssøn Quisling (; ; 18 July 1887 – 24 October 1945) was a Norwegian military officer, politician and Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy, Nazi collaborator who Quisling regime, headed the government of N ...

. Several neo-Nazi, white supremacist, and far right organizations operate in Norway, including the Boot Boys and Vigrid.

Slavery and colonialism

Norwegians participated in slavery and colonialism as financiers, sailors, merchants, colonial administrators, and sometimes as settlers. Norwegians commonly deny responsibility for slavery and colonialism by arguing that Norwegians were living under Danish rule during the time that Norwegians participated in the Dano-Norwegian slave trade and the Dano-Norwegian colonization of the Caribbean. In 2013, a commission established by Caribbean countries announced its intent to sue Norway for slavery reparations due to Norwegian participation in slavery on the islands of St Thomas, St John and St Croix in the

Danish West Indies The Danish West Indies () or Danish Virgin Islands () or Danish Antilles were a Danish colony in the Caribbean, consisting of the islands of Saint Thomas with , Saint John () with , Saint Croix with , and Water Island. The islands of St ...

References

{{Europe topic, Racism in

Anti-Romani racism

Anti-Sámi racism

Nazism and Neo-Nazism

Slavery and colonialism

See also

References