Abstract:
Studies shows that racism is widespread in Norway, especially in the form of microaggressions based on cultural notions about the superiority of “Norwegianness”. In this article, we explore different forms of experienced racism and emphasize how the reactions to these can be understood as distinct types of resistance. Our study is based on 41 qualitative interviews with participants in the Black Lives Matter demonstrations in Norway, mainly young black people with minority backgrounds. Five forms of everyday racism stand out in the participants’ experience: slurs and derogatory statements, unequal treatment and discrimination, expectations of not being “Norwegian”, assumptions about low social status, and prejudiced inclusion. These were mainly microaggressions that took place during everyday social interactions. The five most common reactions through which they actively countered racism was by ignoring, confronting, sharing experiences about, reporting, and protesting it. This study shows how important everyday life is to understand ethnic minorities’ experiences with racism – and their resistance. We argue that what we call “everyday resistance” is more important than both political protest and formal reporting. This is because everyday life has a regularity and continuous presence that other forms of resistance lack. Minorities in Norway frequently experience harassment and discrimination, but they are not passive victims. This article shows how they actively negotiate, tackle, and fight racism.