Stories about Ethnicity & Race from April, 2010
USA: Rallying Cries for Immigration Reform
In the United States, immigration reform activists have taken to the streets - and the internet - in order to create momentum for comprehensive changes in immigration law.
Azerbaijan: Dozens reported detained at anniversary commemoration
Twitter and Facebook users, as well as local news agencies, report that dozens of youth activists were today detained in Azerbaijan as they attempted to mark the first anniversary of shootings in Baku's Oil Academy which left 12 dead. Although not related to their online activity, among those detained were...
Haiti: Getting it Wrong
Haitianalysis.com points out all the ways in which a British newspaper columnist gets it wrong about Haiti.
Brazil: Arrest of Indigenous leader increases tension in Bahia
On March 10th, unidentified armed police invaded Serra do Padeiro, a Tupinambá indigenous village, and arrested their leader and later his brother. They are still in prison and their detentions have increased the tension in the region.
France: Reactions over Niqab and Polygamy Controversy
Lies Hebbadj is currently making the headline news because his wife was fined for driving while wearing a niqab and because he said himself that he has three more households. His statement led him to be suspected of polygamy and therefore possiblyof French gaming welfare laws. Although many bloggers, including Rokhaya...
Afghanistan: Taliban reintegration plans
Nick Fielding reflects on the plans to reintegrate Taliban fighters back into society of Aghanistan, reviewing a new report by the Afghan Analysts Network.
Bulgaria: Appeals for Help in Arevik Shmavonyan's Deportation Case
Svetla Encheva (BUL), Maya Markova of Maya's Corner and Legal Clinic for Refugees and Immigrants, a Bulgarian NGO, appeal for help in the case of Arevik Shmavonyan, a pregnant Armenian citizen who is awaiting deportation from Bulgaria at the Special Centre for Temporary Accommodation of Foreigners in Busmantsi (described by...
Sri Lanka: The Idea Of Citizenship
Sanjana Hattotuwa comments on the idea of citizenship in Sri Lankan context: “Citizenship is (thus) anchored not to a secular, liberal ideal larger than the sum of its constituent peoples and communities, but to reductionist fault-lines and groupings, based on and fuelled by communal hagiography and the chauvinism of majoritarian...
Azerbaijan: Nationalist propaganda
Flying Carpets and Broken Pipelines recounts being verbally abused by a fellow countryman after co-presenting with Global Voices Online's Caucasus regional editor at a recent conference. The blogger notes that the reason for being cornered and harassed was her belief in tolerance and democracy in Azerbaijan as well as peace...
Paraguay: Spreading the Guaraní Language Through Blogging
In Paraguay, where 88% of the population speaks the indigenous language of Guaraní, there were no blogs in this native tongue, until blogger and journalist Mirta Martínez decided to begin writing in Guaraní as a way to promote the use of the language.
Lebanon: 24/7 Campaign for Migrants’ Rights
The 24/7: Campaign is a new online campaign working to alter the servant stereotype established between an Asian/African person and a Lebanese person. It is raising awareness to the fact that migrant workers are business persons from sophisticated cultures. The campaign aims at improving work conditions which, despite the recently...
Colombia: Recovering traditions and culture of the Senu people
Through short videos, the indigenous people of the Senu tribes in Colombia have been interviewing members of their community and capturing stories on food: the traditions, the recipes and the meaning behind what and how they eat.
Afghanistan: Forgotten Hindus and Sikhs
Afghanistan is home to many ethnicities and religions, including small communities of Hindus and Sikhs, Nick Fielding says and tells some facts about the history and culture of these groups.
Barbados: Black, from an Island
Barbados’ Gallimaufry and Repeating Islands refer to a piece by Maxine Williams, which deals with the “black island identity”.
Cuba: Groundbreaker
For Havana Times, Yusimi Rodriguez interviews “the first black model in Cuba.”
Uruguay: New Holiday Commemorates Charrúa Massacre
For the first time on April 11, 2010, Uruguayans commemorated a day remembering the 1831 massacre against the Charrúa indigenous people. Supporters of the Charrúa and the law allowing this holiday see this as a small but significant step toward embracing the indigenous heritage of the country.
Ecuador: Dispelling Misconceptions About the Saraguro Indigenous Community
The Saraguro indigenous community in Ecuador is facing challenges - young people lose many typical customs, as well as the ability to speak Kichwa. However, one blogger Angel Gualán is helping to preserve some of these traditions, as well as dispel some of the many misconceptions that some have of the Saraguro.
South Africa: On the murder of the leader of Afrikaner Resistance Movement
On the night of the 3rd of April 2010, the leader of the Afrikaans Weerstandsbeweging (AWB), an Afrikaner resistance movement, Eugene Terre'Blanche, was murdered. What do South Africa's digital citizens have to say about his death and the future of race relations in South Africa?
Russia: Subway Bombings Rap
LJ user abstract2001 posts audio and lyrics (RUS) of Dino MC 47's new rap song about the March 29 Moscow subway attacks. A YouTube video is here (via LJ user oleg-kozyrev).
Spain: Conguitos Racist Logos in Question
On Maneno, a blogging platform dedicated to meet the needs of sub Saharan Africa bloggers, schauzeri wonders why Conguitos, a renown sweets company in Spain, retained their current logos despite the offensive undertones for Africans [article also available in spanish]. According to schauzeri, The offensive logos, which have been in circulation...
Malaysia: New Economic Model
Dubbed as the New Economic Model, Malaysia's Prime Minister has finally unveiled the first part of the plan detailing the country's future economic direction. The effort is much lauded especially by policy makers in mainstream press, but the citizen media abounds with skepticism.
