Is my 15 year old Finnish immigrant neighbor breaking the stereotypes? She has brown hair and eyes, her intelligence is on level or lower, hates heavy metal and gaming, and doesn't speak, understand, or know a word of English, yet she does for French?

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HappyTo BeHereTo Profile

Too often, stereotypes are way off - or worse - hurtful.

My grandmother was from Finland, and she had brown eyes and brown hair.  Just find what you can enjoy about your neighbor.  If the language barrier is too great, smile, wave and look elsewhere for a friend.

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Phoebe Mertens
Phoebe Mertens commented
@Happy, Did your grandma learn English in America?

Did she have a thick accent, or did she sound British?
HappyTo BeHereTo
HappyTo BeHereTo commented
She had a very light accent, and it was lovely.
Phoebe Mertens
Phoebe Mertens commented
I watched some youtube videos with finnish people and they all sound british when speaking english (quite well).
Didge Doo Profile
Didge Doo answered

You may have underestimated her. If she doesn't like heavy metal or gaming that may point to a higher level of intelligence, not lower. Or perhaps, since I don't like either, maybe I'm down in the doldrums, too.

In 1987 I competed in the World Veteran Games. It was summer in Australia, the sun was shining, and the weather was hot. Most of us dressed in our uniform t-shirts and shorts but the Finnish team kept their full track suits on. I was puzzled at first until I realised that, coming from an arctic winter, they'd have been very susceptible to sunburn.

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Phoebe Mertens
Phoebe Mertens commented
Don't tell me, the finnish team spoke really good english?
Didge Doo
Didge Doo commented
I don't know. I'm sure some of them were fluent. English is pretty well known across parts of Europe.
PJ Stein Profile
PJ Stein answered

What makes you think Finnish people like video games and heavy metal to the point it is a stereotype? Also at one point not all that long ago, French was taught as the international language. It was the one language that was taught everywhere if you planned to travel. And as for stereotypes, or any generalization, they are just a waste if time. People are people and no two are a like. People of any group are ging to have varying degrees of intelligence, manners, likes and dislikes.

How would you like to be judged by all those videos where they go out and ask people questions they should know the answers to and they come up with stupiod answers or don't know at all? I actually was talking to someone on a site like this, who had seen several of those videos, asking if all Americans were actually that clueless. I had to explain most of us aren't and we are just as amazed there are that many clueless people out there.

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Phoebe Mertens
Phoebe Mertens commented
... so you are saying, not all Finnish people speak English, even though it's kinda true?
PJ Stein
PJ Stein commented
That is what I am saying. Not all of any group does anything.
Phoebe Mertens
Phoebe Mertens commented
But I have witnessed a lot of them speak English. Not my neighbor, her family, and yes, her new friend who just immigrated.

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