Integration monitor is a daily Latvian press digest on ethnic minority and society integration issues. The Monitor reviews the biggest Latvian dailies: Diena, Latvijas Avize, Neatkariga (in Latvian language), Vesti Segodnya (in Russian language). In specific cases other information sources are used. Latvian Centre for Human Rights is not responsible for information published by the media.

• Sestdiena features an interview with a Brazilian Thiago who now lives in Latvia
• PhD dissertation “Ethnic stereotypes of ethnic Latvians in the end of XX century – beginning of XXI century”

 

Weekly magazine Sestdiena features an interview with a Brazilian Thiago who immigrated to Latvia from Brazil after he got married with a Latvian citizen.  For Thiago the biggest challenge after moving toLatvia was language and cultural differences. “I try to understand Latvians, what kind of people live here. I’m trying to learn and to understand how Latvians do things and how they feel – says Thiago – the fact that I learn to speak Latvian does not mean I become less Brazilian. ”Thiago is involved in the international project AMITIE funded by the EU and conducted in Latvia by the Latvian Centre for Human Rights and the Department of Education, Sports and Culture of the Riga City Council. The AMITIE informative campaign “This is my story… or our?” informs the society about positive aspects of migration stressing the contribution of immigrants in economic, social and cultural development of the state.

More about the AMITIE project on http://www.facebook.com/AMITIEproject?ref=hl and http://cilvektiesibas.org.lv/lv/media-materials/notiks-informativas-kampanas-sis-ir-mans-stasts-va-223/ (in Latvian)

 

According to a PhD dissertation “Ethnic stereotypes of ethnic Latvians in the end of XX century – beginning of XXI century”, ethnic Latvians call “Russians” all residents who speak Russian or arrived to Latviaafter the WWII including Ukrainians, Belorussians and Jews. According to author of the PhD dissertation ethnic scientist Ilze Boldane, ethnic Latvians consider that a real “ethnic Latvian” is a person one of whose parents is ethnic Latvian, was born in Latvia, studied in a Latvian language school. Vesti Segodnya