· August, 2011

Stories about Ethnicity & Race from August, 2011

India: Acid Survivor Denied Access To Mumbai College

  30 August 2011

Shirin Juwaley, an acid attack survivor, writes in her blog that she was recently denied entry to a Mumbai college. Dheera Sujan writes an open letter to the principal who didn’t want her students to see Shirin's face and get scared of marriages.

Azerbaijan: Ramadan

  30 August 2011

Aaron in Azerbaijan introduces its readers to Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting also known as Ramazan, and comments on a reflection on gender and faith during the period of observance of the by a local female blogger, Sensible and Sensitive, who visited a mosque for the first time in...

Spain: Racism and Intolerance Advance Relentlessly

  29 August 2011

In Europe, xenophobia advances at an immense rate. Author Ana Lucía Sá writes about the situation of immigrants in Spain, the invisibility of the issue of racism and hate crimes in public discourse, and offers comments and analysis from bloggers and organizations that work against racism.

Trinidad & Tobago: The “Granny Quilla” Video

  29 August 2011

Railing against the current state of emergency, a teen posts a video on YouTube; the government interprets it as racist and containing threats against the Prime Minister - Jumbie's Watch agrees, but B.C. Pires says: “The video is OBVISOULSY [sic] an attempt at comedy…doesn’t work very well…but that doesn’t mean...

Jamaica: Disrespecting Garvey

  26 August 2011

President Barack Obama may have lost at least one vote in his re-election bid based on “the White House[‘s] disrespect [for] Marcus Garvey, a national hero of Jamaica”. Geoffrey Philp explains, here and here.

Mauritania: 13 Activists against Child Trafficking Arrested

  24 August 2011

Four advocacy organizations against human trafficking note that a peaceful sit-in outside the Bureau of juvenile affairs was organized [fr] by l’Initiative pour la Résurgence du mouvement Abolitionniste (Ira) to denounce the insufficient measures taken against child trafficking in Mauritania.  13 members of the association were arrested following the protest....

Jamaica: Obama Rejects Plea for Garvey Pardon

  23 August 2011

Geoffrey Philp is surprised by the Obama administration's rejection of the request for a presidential pardon for Marcus Garvey on the grounds that “it would be ‘a waste of time and resources’ since Garvey had been ‘dead for ages‘”, saying: “Marcus Garvey has joined the ancestors. So this plea for…exoneration...

Cameroon: Strength in Diversity

  23 August 2011

Africavox published [fr] a dossier on the differences between  the 250 ethnic groups in Cameroon. It states that  “mixed marriages, cultural adaptation to their neighbors’ practices and a relative appeasement of the political climate have led to greater tolerance and understanding among Cameroonians.  While ethnic diversity is now widely seen...

Madagascar: Expectant Mothers, Beware

  22 August 2011

In an interesting post on “Fady” (cultural taboos)  in traditional Malagasy society, blogger Ariniaina lists a few “do not” tips for pregnant women [fr], for example:  “Do not carry fish in a basket on your head (and do not eat it) otherwise, your baby could grow scales on its skin”.  

Bermuda: BAD Call to Boycott

  18 August 2011

“Bermudians Against the Draft have launched a campaign to persuade young black men not to cast their ballot in the next general election [because] neither political party supports their position”: Respice Finem disagrees, on the grounds “that disengagement keeps the status quo in place and renders you voiceless.”

South Korea: Blood Type Personality Theory, How It Works

  16 August 2011

The blood type personality theory claims that people's blood type is predictive of their personality and compatibility with others. Nowhere is this belief more popular than in South Korea and Japan. Yoo Eun Lee delves deeper into the theory's history.

Armenia-Azerbaijan: Unlikely Pen Pals?

  16 August 2011

Tamada Tales comments on an exchange between the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, and an Armenian child living in the breakaway territory of Nagorno Karabakh. Tensions between the two ethnic groups remain high, but the exchange ended with an invitation from Aliyev to the 13-year-old girl to visit the oil-rich...

Armenia: An accident and Ramazan

  16 August 2011

One Hell of a Ride, a blog by an Armenian biker, continues its travelogue documenting a journey across Turkey. After an unfortunate accident, the blog notes the professionalism of the Turkish police before receiving the assistance of locals during Ramazan, the Islamic month of fasting.