What's it Like Being a Black Woman in Sweden? | Reflections on In Every Mirror She's Black
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- čas přidán 3. 01. 2022
- Today's video is a collection of my thoughts on the book In Every Mirror She's Black by Lola Akinmade Åkerström. I wanted to reflect on my experience as a black woman living in Sweden. I highly recommend reading!
Thanks for watching!
//About Me
Hi Friends! I’m Victoria and I am a creative Product Designer formerly in NYC but currently based in Europe. I live in Stockholm, SE where you can find me exploring the city with my big camera and tripod and working on stuff. You can also find me here:
// LINKS
Instagram: / vaahhyo
Twitter: / pickyyvickyy
This was an elucidating video of a perspective I regrettably hadn't even considered.
I'm a white male from the southern US who's moving to Sweden in just a few days now. Since agreeing to work and move to Sweden, I've only been considering the place through the short-sighted lens of my own experiences and expectations about what Sweden is like. Something like: "It's a socialist utopia! Everyone's happy and there's no crime or sadness, also cinnamon buns!" which is obviously ridiculous, but nevertheless still exists in my head. This book sounds like a compelling insight that challenges that perception of what it's like living in Sweden. I'm far-removed from the experiences shared in the book and by you yourself, but I thank you for sharing them and I hope I can contribute to this discussion.
You mentioned a complex part of relationships as a black woman is "marrying someone's family." I grew up in Atlanta in a very white suburb. I dated a black woman for just over a year before I went to university, and I quickly discovered how much of my extended family were outright racists, or at the very best had some serious racial bias. I didn't understand how difficult that must have been for my girlfriend when I was younger - Surely we would just avoid my family forever, they're super shitty anyway, right? But obviously it wasn't that simple, and it clearly affected our relationship. I can imagine that the added complexity in Sweden (or anywhere for that matter) of a different language, culture, history, etc. would make this already difficult aspect of life even more maddeningly absurd to navigate and experience.
I'm eager to relocate and experience a new place, but this was a helpful video to remind me that I have neglected educating myself what it's like in Sweden for other people.
Loved the book! Very engaging. Having lived in France myself. I totallu get the reaction to an American accent vs speaking french and that also served as a mental block when trying to learn the language.
Tusen tack! Thanks for your wonderful review and insights.
Thank YOU for writing such a lovely novel!
Thank you for this video! I always have a hard time reading, but I'll try to get the audiobook - it sounds like a really good read. And thank you for sharing your reflections and experiences with us.
Victoria I loved your review and discussion, will get this book! Good stuff🤗
Super interesting! My first "book" video I ever watched and definitely enjoyed it!
Your review has made me want to look for this book and read it. Great review👌🏾🥰
Glad you enjoyed it!
Swedes are quite known for staring (according to other expats on youtube), I think it's from curiosity, and not necessarily just because youré black. Your'e beautiful, so I would probably stare too. 🙂
Then also stare at beautiful white people too. How come it’s only the black people experiencing all the stares??? Makes no sense!
Victoria: this was, as I take it, essentially two topics in one video. 1: A book review 2: Your personal experiences. While there is a tie-in, I personally think that #2 got the short end of the stick. May I suggest that you re-edit it, and post one video with only the book review, and then another video with your personal experiences? The second one should be longer - one gets the impression that there is more interesting stuff to hear from you on that score, stuff that was not said here!
In stores its normal to ge ignored until you make contact. Its normal here, for everyone.
I'm not black but this is so interesting, I enjoyed listening to you a lot.
Hey, hey, you're back. Man, I try to check in on your uploads every so often to see how you're coming along. But of course with that OTHER Victoria in Sweden it can be hard to search for you. But I subscribed this time. And given the book review today, there's probably no way I can convince you to change the channel name to like, Sistah in Sweden. Complicated issues though being black, pretty much anywhere on Earth. I've been researching a full year trying to make some decisions.
But I watched this video and even went back to watch your Uppsala one since its one of the places I plan to visit. And probably Malmo too, since that show Broen/The Bridge was sorta set there. So keep on keepin on; as the quietest New Yorker I've ever heard you're a rarity! (I was there for about 10 years.) Although except for that short break, today's video was regular volume, haha...
Great review! I was having a hard time getting into this book but after hearing your intro I’m going to give it another pass.
I've always wondered why Americans use the word race. Scientifically we're all the same race.
seems that bigger problems is how you have been raised to stay with your own race than how Swedish society and dating culture works, Swedish dating culture sure is different from USA and that may part why you made such conclusions.
It is not about race it is about how you behave so those refugees has been denied entry to some places because they cause problems where immigrants/expats from USA does not cause problems, so it is not about skin color only.
Get out of your tiny box and stay open minded, there is no limits for you even you have been told so !
Yeah, I feel like there are way more misunderstandings that lead to conflicts between immigrants from less developed nations compared to immigrants from developed nations. Partially because of the cultural differences being much larger and there being more of a language barrier.