· February, 2013

Stories about Ethnicity & Race from February, 2013

Trinidad & Tobago: Tensions High After Fatal Car Crash Sparks Riots

  26 February 2013

Netizens from Trinidad and Tobago have been keeping an eye on the fallout over a car crash near the Central Market in Port of Spain on Sunday, which killed a mother and her two young children. The car was allegedly driven by an off-duty police officer. Residents of the area rioted following the incident; protests continued yesterday. Online discussion has also been heated.

Is Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit Spread Racist?

  22 February 2013

Mitch Blatt from China Hush takes a look at debate over the appropriateness of Sports Illustrated magazine's set of photos for its swimsuit edition that feature ethnic minorities in China. While some think that the photos disparage minority culture in China, the blogger argues that such comments stem from a desire...

Haiti: The Politics of Identity

  22 February 2013

Tande blogs about “the relationship between cultural identity and belonging” and recommends a Haitian musician whose work goes beyond the identity politics and “offers a compelling example of how some of these tensions play out.”

Singapore Looks to Bolster Population with Foreigners

  17 February 2013

The government of Singapore has introduced a new plan to increase the population, triggering debate over the value of welcoming more foreigners to solve the country's ageing demographics. Singaporeans are now taking a closer look at what constitutes Singaporean identity.

Tibetans Rap for Respect

  13 February 2013

High Peaks Pure Earth has translated a bold new rap song called “RESPECT” by young Tibetans who call themselves “Sheep Droppings”. The song is an angry rant against a TV drama produced by China Central Television called “Tibet’s Secret”. It is first uploaded onto Chinese video-hosting site Youku.com around February...

When Uncle Matt Went to Albania

  13 February 2013

Matthew Pointon of Uncle Travelling Matt shares this detailed, six-part account and photos of his travel in Albania in 1996 and 1999: […] The Land of the Eagle is little known even in Europe and that’s a shame since it has some incredible scenery, friendly people and fascinating history. […]

The Romanian-Hungarian “War of the Flags”

  8 February 2013

Hungarian Spectrum writes about the ongoing diplomatic confrontation between Romania and Hungary, sparked by the Romanian authorities’ ban on flying the flag of the Székely Land, an ethnic Hungarian enclave currently demanding territorial autonomy within Romania.

Europe's Frozen Conflicts

  7 February 2013

Black Sea News publishes Natalya Belitser's paper [en] – “Transnistrian Conflict: State of Affairs and Prospects of Settlement” – written for the international conference on “frozen conflicts” in Europe, which was held in September 2012 in Bled, Slovenia (via Andrei Klimenko).

U.S. President Barack Obama Supports Immigration Reform

  5 February 2013

U.S. President Barack Obama supported a bipartisan proposal developed by eight senators to overhaul immigration by strengthening border security, verifying the legal status of workers, and allowing university students to continue their university studies. Netizens react.

Anti-Japan Education in China

  5 February 2013

Cecilia Miao translated a netizen story about the encounter of a Japanese and Chinese children in her family and reflect upon how the nationalistic education has affected the Chinese children in everyday interaction.