Integration with a dash of sunshine

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I know I have mentioned it before, but let me stress: do not take your sunshine for granted!!

When I left the house today around 1145, the sun was making a definite, if all too brief, visit to my part of the world. It's incredible, the affect that just a little bit of sunlight can have on my day. It cheers me up instantly, brightens my mood. I cannot imagine how deliriously happy I will be once late spring rolls around and the sun is out in full force! I smile to myself as I walk down the street, alternately squinting up at the sun and keeping track of my shadow. I feel just like a child.

When the semester began, I was a little disappointed because some classes that I had expected to be interesting and lively and full of good discussion were in fact a little bit dull. But not to fear, dear readers, for there is a light in the academic tunnel. Yes, in it, and not at the end (though surely there is one there, too). It's much easier to care about things when they are made real to me. For example, in my Human Trafficking class yesterday, we watched a documentary about the trafficking of Nigerian women into Copenhagen. Today, I walked past one of the sex stores shown in the film. Knowing that trafficked women work there, maybe even as I was passing by, made me sick. And, surprisingly, the reading that I find most interesting for my Cross-Cultural Encounters class is the driest: the Migrant Integration Policy Index. I find it fascinating. Denmark has a reputation for being a friendly, tolerant, accepting society. It sounds too good to be true, and in fact, it is. The Index evaluates 28 different, mostly European, countries on six criteria:

• labour market access
• family reunion
• long-term residence
• political participation
• access to nationality
• anti-discrimination

Despite its reputation, the Index had this to say about Denmark's migrant integration policy:
"Long-term residence is the clear area of strength in Denmark's integration policies...Policies for access to nationality are the third least favourable in the EU-15, family reunion is second, and anti-discrimination policies worst."
Sweden, just across the water, was ranked highest in every single category. It's easy to look at the statistics and criticize Denmark as a sham, but its history is not one of migration and immigration; until recently it has been, for the most part, an ethnically homogeneous nation-state. This is just the beginning of a new and diverse chapter in Danish history, and the country needs some wiggle room to figure things out. I do think, however, it could wiggle its way to integration just a little bit faster.

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