Stories about Ethnicity & Race from July, 2007
“Welcome to Japan”? Kurdish refugee family leaves for Canada
Few people, including Japanese themselves, are aware of the dismal record of Japan's treatment of refugees, particularly its treatment of Kurdish refugees. After struggling for many years to make a home in Japan, Erdal Dogan and his family, who fled Turkey amid religious and ethnic persecution, have finally been forced to leave, luckily having been accepted as refugees in Canada. Japanese bloggers reflect on the departure with sadness and frustration.
Estonia: Smaller Minorities
Itching for Eestimaa writes about Estonia's “smaller, less vocal minorities [that] usually get lost in the shuffle.”
Bosnia & Herzegovina: EU Prospects
Bosnia Blog writes about the country's EU membership prospects.
Bahrain: Does A PlayStation 2 Gun Count As A Weapon?
Bahrain's bloggers have moved on this week to comment on a protest held outside the Iranian Embassy in protest against an editorial by Iranian editor Hossein Shariatmadari, which started that Bahrain should become a part of Iran. Others talk about Embassy interviews for Visas, the release of a Guantanamo detainee, why Bahrain is vying to build the highest skyscraper and preparing for the new release of Harry Potter.
Russia, Iraq: Assyrian Protest
Window on Eurasia writes about a recent demonstration by the Assyrians in front of the Iraqi embassy in Moscow, against the mistreatment of Assyrians and other Christians in Iraq.
Kurdistance: The Price of Oil
The oil control issue in the Northern Iraq/Southern Kurdistan city of Kirkuk is again at the forefront of Kurdish bloggers' fingertips. With large oil companies and the US pushing for the passing of a regulatory oil law in Iraq, fears reignite that a sinister "Plan B" might be launched in order to gain control of the oil reserves...involving a Turkish incursion into the region.
Africa: save the dirty little African children
A UNICEF Germany campaign that will definitely anger many Africans and friends of Africa: This is an actual ad-campaign by UNICEF Germany! This campaign is “blackfacing“ white children with mud...
South Africa: Happy Birthday, Nelson Mandela
Happy Birthday, Nelson Mandela, writes guest blogger Rethabile on Black Looks: “When Nelson Mandela was released, I was on a sofa in a small French village called Lamorlaye, staring at...
Bosnia & Herzegovina: 12 Years Since Srebrenica
Belatedly, a link to the commemorative post on the 12th anniversary of Srebrenica tragedy, at Srebrenica Genocide Blog.
India: Thank you, come again.
A stunt pulled by Seven Eleven stores in the US stirs controversy as it relies on the character of Apu (of The Simpsons fame), provoking Greatbong to comment on whether...
Lusophony Day: Learning Through Connectedness
We wanted to celebrate the Lusophony Day, as an opportunity to post about the recent launching of the Global Voices website in Portuguese. A quick googling around the keywords brought...
Japan: We Can't Trust The Testimony Of Black People
Debito reports on a court case about a Nigerian, UC Valentine, being denied of medical treatment after police abuse in 2003. Consequently, his leg injury became so medically traumatized that...
Japan: The psychology of right-wing nationalist intellectuals
Blogger Niphonese writes about the phenomenon of Japanese going to study in Europe, then returning to Japan and joining right-wing nationalist groups [Ja]: “After experiencing discrimination in Europe, these Japanese...
The Baltics: “Russian Literature With a Baltic Accent”
A Step At A Time links to a Tartu-based site featuring Russian-language writing from the Baltic region.
Albania: Immigrants in Greece
Our Man in Tirana links to an article on attitudes towards Albanian immigrants in Greece.
Bahamas: Literary Ethnicity?
“When I gave my reading…someone remarked that my poetry was not ‘street’. Well, I wondered, why should it be?” Nicolette Bethel examines the role ethnicity plays in literature.
Egypt: Bedouins of Sinai Crisis, 11-year-old Mother and Blogger Say the Unsayable
This week’s round-up from Egypt highlights bloggers’ involvement in domestic issues like the rape of an 11-year-old girl and the Egyptian Bedouins of Sinai’s dilemma in Egypt and covers bloggers’ news.
Expat Ethiopians reflect on the sounds and smells of home
The ties that bind expatriate Ethiopians to their home country dominated the Ethiopian blogosphere over the past few weeks. Ethiopians living in the US, Europe and Asia came up with a series of emotional posts, exploring childhood memories, local food, music and the broader subject of national identity.
Poland: Father Rydzyk and 330 Exorcists
The beatroot writes about Radio Maryja director, Father Tadeusz Rydzyk, who says that Poland's First Lady is a witch, and on a meeting of 330 exorcists from 29 countries taking...
Algeria: Mistrusting Muslims
The Moor Next Door, an Algerian American, comments on an article which appeared in the LA Times on mistrusting Muslims in the wake of the foiled UK bombings.
Ukraine: More on Krayina Mriy
Olechko and uaMuzik write more about the Krayina Mriy music festival.
