To Örebro University

Racism against non-European refugees and migrants is rampant in Nordic countries, contradicting their purported image of tolerance as being free from the widespread prejudice and racism non-whites face in other countries (e.g., Masoud et al., 2023; Groglopo & Suárez-Krabbe, 2023; Palmberg, 2009). Combating racism is crucial for fostering inclusivity, but challenges persist. Some refugees and migrants do not confront when experiencing racism, fearing repercussions or ostracism (PROBA, 2023). Leaders may also fail to address the root causes of racism, resorting to nonperformativity (Ahmed, 2006), silence, or indifference (Abamosa, 2023; Spiller et al., 2021). Finally, there might be genuine unawareness of the intricate nature of racism among the leadership and other people who would have resisted racism. These are just a few examples. To further understand the racism refugees encounter, we pose two research questions: How can we better grasp systemic racism to propose viable solutions? How can refugees be empowered to resist embedded racist structures and practices? To this end, we employ collaborative autoethnography (Chang et al., 2013) to share counter-narratives of our lived experiences (Lueg & Lundholt, 2021). This is pertinent to Nordic societies and the idea of Nordic exceptionalism, where racism against refugees and other minorities is often denied (Abamosa, 2024). We will propose the “Ecology of Hate” to elucidate racism’s dynamics and complexities in further marginalization of refugees. Moreover, we recommend some ways of tackling racism in institutions.