“He Loved Me First so I Need to Love My Neighbors” : Filipino Migrants’ Experiences of Resilience against Racism and Discrimination in Finland

Abstract

The Filipino migrants’ experiences of resilience against racism and discrimination in Finland is an under-investigated topic. The social exclusion of migrants and the need for a theological reflection opens up a different way of observing, interpreting, and understanding people’s experiences and their responses. In this theological inquiry, the researcher recruited five Filipino migrants who (1) currently live in Finland, (2) have lived in Finland for at least a year, and (3) have experienced racism and/or discrimination. Using systematic theological approach and hermeneutic phenomenology, the researcher conducted semi-structured interviews that explored the participants’ experiences of resilience against racism and discrimination in depth. The research findings produced rich descriptions about the participants’ experiences of resilience against their perceived racism and discrimination. Focusing on the research question, “How do religious, spiritual, or theological factors support Filipino migrants’ experiences of resilience against racism and discrimination in Finland?”, five identified categories or thematic clusters came out of the data. The study reveals that religion or, more carefully, specific Christian spiritual formation practices like reliance on prayer, use of Scriptures, seeing the self in others, the practice of forgiveness, and the imitation of Christ support the Filipino migrants’ experiences of resilience against racism and discrimination in Finland.