Ervin Softic was born and raised in eastern Helsinki. He went through the Finnish school system, completed military service as a sergeant, built a family business with his parents and brother, and is now raising a child of his own.
Yet people still ask him where he’s "really from", or seem surprised at how well he speaks Finnish.
It’s a familiar experience for many second-generation Finns — people born in Finland to both parents born abroad. Their numbers exceeded 100,000 for the first time in 2025, reflecting how much more international Finland is becoming. Yet growing up in Finland does not always mean being seen as Finnish.
"Even if you’re born here, live by Finnish rules and speak the language perfectly, you're still the black sheep," Softic told Yle News. "Sometimes I wonder, what else do I need to do?"
Karelian pies for breakfast, goulash for dinner
Softic’s parents moved to Finland from Bosnia during the Yugoslav wars of the 1990s. Growing up, he was shaped by both cultures, which is reflected in the cafés he runs with his family.
"I mix both cultures, remembering which country I'm in, but also my heritage," he said.
Named after his mother, Meli Café & Bakery was born from an idea Softic came up with at age 16 for a business college assignment to create an imaginary company.
"I've always loved pastries and bread because it reminds me of Bosnia. Even though I was born and raised here, that part of Bosnia always stayed with me, and I wanted to bring it to life," said Softic.
Despite the comments that question his Finnishness, Softic said customers have largely embraced what Meli represents.
"When older Finnish people tell me, ‘You brought part of your culture here, but you're one of us,’ that feels amazing," he said.
For Softic, growing up with two cultures has only enriched his life. It's something he's now passing on to his own child.
"We eat Bosnian and Finnish food at home: Karjalanpiirakka (Karelian pies) for breakfast and goulash for dinner. We mix everything, and I don't have any fears about that."
"Should I be more Finnish?"
Growing up in Suvela, a multicultural neighbourhood in Espoo, Khadra Sugulle never felt different — until she started high school in Tapiola, a more homogeneous area.
"The bubble burst," recalls Sugulle, a public health nurse and soon-to-be master’s student in health sciences.
"That was the first time I experienced racism, and it came from a teacher. But I built a lot of confidence during my time in comprehensive school, so it only made me more unapologetically myself."
That moment marked the beginning of Sugulle’s Finnishness constantly being called into question, from patients saying ‘Thank you for coming here’ to requests not to be seen by ‘one of those immigrant nurses’.
"I started thinking: should I be more Finnish," said Sugulle, and echoing Softic's experiences, she also started to wonder, "What can I do?"
"It's hard when you're a woman and a Muslim wearing a hijab — you can't really hide your differences."
During nursing school internships, Sugulle felt the additional weight of representing her entire background.
"I thought I had to be the best, because if someone who looks like me makes a mistake, it gets attached to the whole group," she said.
As Finland becomes more diverse, Sugulle hopes people continue expanding their understanding of who can be Finnish.
"We're not taking anything away from Finnishness, but adding to it," she said. "Just to be seen as part of this country would be enough."
Finland at a crossroads
For Aicha Manai, CEO of Startup Refugees and Finnish-Tunisian herself, the experiences of Softic and Sugulle reflect a turning point Finland is now facing.
Gen Z and Alpha are coming of age in the most diverse Finland in history. Two decades ago, just 3 percent of Finland's population spoke a language other than Finnish, Swedish, or Sami as their mother tongue. Today, that figure is nearly 11 percent.
"Either we embrace this shift in what Finnishness looks like and find real ways to build a multicultural Finland, or we turn inward, increase polarisation and segregation, and end up with a deeply divided nation," she said.
Manai is quick to point out that demographic change is nothing new in Finland, but this particular moment is causing more panic. She puts it down to a mix of factors: change is happening faster and more visibly than before, layered on top of economic uncertainty, the threat of war, and environmental anxiety. In moments like this, she said, people naturally gravitate toward what feels familiar.
She points to a concept that captures it well: solastalgia, a term often associated with the climate crisis, describing the distress of watching a familiar home environment transform beyond recognition.
"From a human perspective, I understand that it can be frightening. But there's really nothing to be afraid of," said Manai.
Manai argues that this fear of change is holding Finland back from what it stands to gain.
"I think everyone would win in a more multicultural Finland. When people feel included, they want to contribute and leave their mark in a positive way — and that gives people who've been here for centuries new perspectives on what Finnishness is and what Finland can look like."
The next generation shaping Finland’s future
Sugulle's biggest wish is for her children to grow up seeing the different aspects of their identities as a strength, not a burden — much the same way Softic is raising his child to embrace both of their cultures.
"I want them to understand they are part of Finland's history. They are part of Finland," said Sugulle.
That sense of ease is already visible in the generation growing up now. Manai's sons, she says, have a more open view of Finnishness than many adults do.
"To them, everyone around them is Finnish, no matter their skin tone or religion," she said. "You’re still Finnish even if you don’t speak Finnish perfectly or if you speak it with an accent."
For Softic, Sugulle, and Manai, there is no single, fixed definition of what it means to be Finnish.
"To me, Finnishness is like water," said Manai. "It adapts and changes form."'
Yle News' All Points North podcast asked "What does it mean to be Finnish" in a recent episode. You can listen to the episode via this embedded player, on Yle Areena, via Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
