Stockholm Suburb’s Residents Thrive on Racial Diversity--but Worry Over Future

Turkish music blares from an apartment building as street vendors hawk their wares in the market square of Rinkeby, Stockholm’s most exotic suburb, where immigrants outnumber native Swedes by 2 to 1.

Rinkeby’s 14,000 residents speak about 100 languages and seem to live together in harmony, but many fear that Swedes’ traditionally tolerant attitude to immigrants may be wearing thin.

In September, residents of the small southern town of Sjobo voted by an overwhelming majority not to accept immigrants in their community after an ugly campaign with clear racial overtones.

“What happened in Sjobo was a slap in the face . . . and there is a strong feeling of insecurity growing here now,” said Ian Murray, spokesman for Rinkeby’s social services organization.

He said many of Rinkeby’s immigrants, about 65% of the community’s residents, fear that Sweden will close its doors to their families abroad if anti-immigration sentiment is allowed to flourish.

The majority of immigrants to Scandinavia arrive as refugees seeking political asylum. In the last year, Sweden took in about 17,500, more per capita than any other European country. The biggest groups came from Iran, Chile, Vietnam, Lebanon and Poland.

Rinkeby was built as part of a program in the 1960s and 1970s to provide affordable housing for residents of Sweden’s fast-growing cities.

Barrack-like rows of drab, uniform apartment buildings surround a central square, which always seems to be crowded with people.

It may not be beautiful, but residents say they like it.

“We have something unique here and most people get along beautifully. Some people like to say we have problems, but I don’t think Rinkeby is different from any other working-class society in Sweden,” Murray said.

But few Swedish neighborhoods can boast a Pakistani cricket club or a basement mosque.

According to Murray, a British immigrant, the diversity in Rinkeby has led to a higher degree of tolerance and less isolation.

“You don’t even see traditional enemies like Greeks and Turks disagreeing here. Once in Rinkeby, everybody becomes an immigrant. Everyone becomes equal, regardless where he or she is from,” he said.

But there are problems.

“Swedish families with young children tend to move away from here, as their kids often fall into a minority group in school and don’t learn proper Swedish,” said social worker Lena Sundstrom.

Amanatiadis Ioanni, who is originally from Greece and runs the town’s Greek center, shared that opinion--but for a different reason.

“The other day my kid came home from school and started telling me words he had learned in Turkish and Arabic. It is difficult enough for the immigrant kids to learn one new language,” he said.

But some residents thrive on the multiracial situation, so different from the cold, reserved atmosphere that pervades most Swedish neighborhoods.

In one of many delicatessens, Yusaf and Fahruk Atas, brothers from Turkey, offer goods far more exotic than those available in traditional Swedish shops.

“I like it here. It’s much more Mediterranean than anywhere else in Sweden. And I have friends from all over,” Yusaf said.