Stories about Ethnicity & Race from August, 2008
Russia, Georgia: Gia Jandieri's Notes at Andrei Illarionov's Blog
LJ user aillarionov – Andrei Illarionov, former economic policy adviser to Vladimir Putin – has posted a detailed “Timeline of Events in the Russians Invasion & Occupation of Georgia” (Aug. 1 – 16, 2008), sent to him by Gia Jandieri, vice president of the New Economic School – Georgia. Illarionov...
Guyana: Poems of a Fat Black Woman
Signifyin’ Guyana posts excerpts from Guyanese poet Grace Nichols’ “sexy little collection”, which “tell of a fat black woman's trials and tribulations, as well as her moments of triumph in a foreign land.”
Sri Lanka: A Georgia case?
Lanka Page opines that the recent incident in Georgia can be a lesson for Sri Lanka: “like in 1987, there is every likelihood that India will intervene if we too try a “Georgia.”
China: Minority Terrorist
Michael from Two opposite end of China puts together news concerning bombings in Xinjiang and the Chinese official attitude towards minority.
Angola, Brazil: A culture shock divide
Angola and Brazil's special relationship means that business between the two former Portuguese colonies is booming - as well as migration both ways across the Atlantic. But, how are these two sibling peoples getting on? This post offers the perspectives of both an Angolan and a Brazilian blogger living in Luanda.
Georgia, Russia: The War's Virtual Dimension
Like most other contemporary conflicts, the ongoing one in Georgia and South Ossetia has had a virtual dimension from its very start. Below are two bloggers' reflections on the wars raging outside the actual conflict zones.
Czech Republic: A German put in jail for Nazi salute
Petr Bokuvka of The Czech Daily World reports that a German motorbike fan was arrested in the Czech town of Brno for doing the Nazi salute in public. According to Czech laws, he might end up in jail for three years.
Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago: Stating the Facts
A freelance writer pens an Emancipation Day article for The Jamaica Observer that suggests “slavery was good for the black man”, prompting The Modest Goddess to point out “the staggering amount of evidence that contradicts (his) writing.”
Jamaica: Racism in Sport
Following the controversy about an ad in which the Spanish Olympic basketball team is shown forcibly slanting their eyes, Can a Jamaican take Cali? is convinced that Spain “has made a sport of racism!”, while Babalu wonders whether it is simply a case of “the Spanish have their own brand...
China and Spain: Slanty-eyed Photo
The Taiwan Chronicles urged people not to over-read the Spanish team's “Slanty-eyed photo” as racism.
Estonia: The Russian Menace
In the shadow of the Russo-Georgian war, Babel Tallinn discusses the potential Russian threat to Estonia, the European Union, and the 2007 Russian-Estonian Bronze Soldier crisis.
Fiji bloggers debate role of police and churches
Fiji bloggers highlight the role of police forces and churches as the country starts discussing the government-initiated plan to revise the Constitution.
Georgia War: World Record in Genocide?
LJ user tulskiy reflects (RUS) on the 2,000 Ossetians that Russia claims Georgia killed as an act of genocide during recent conflict, puts the figure in proportion to the entire South Ossetian population, making it so unreasonably large that – if Russian claims are correct – it would constitute the...
Serbia: Solidarity for South Ossetia
Eric Gordy of East Ethnia has translated a “special message of brotherhood” for Serbia from the President of South Ossetia, published in the Serbian newspaper Glas gadosti. Byzantine Blog reports that on Tuesday protesters against Radovan Karadžić's arrest went in front of the Russian Embassy in Serbia to congratulate the...
Jordan: Queen Rania's Video Campaign Ends
From Jordan, Nasimjo writes about the end of a video campaign led by Queen Rania of Jordan, aimed at dispelling stereotypes of Arabs.
Japan: Gaijin Stereotype Debate
Eric from Japan Probe opened a debate with another blogger Debito over the issue of Gaijin stereotype.
China: Opening ceremony deceptions continue to disappoint
This is starting to get a bit brutal; news today that the children seen in the harmonious 56 ethnic minorities—China's version of a multicultural policy—portion of the Olympics opening ceremony were actually all Han. Writes Twitter user @FrankYu: “China's Opn Cer. is facing a loss of credibility on the scale...
Video of Colombian refugees attacking a family in Chile raises concerns
A cell phone video where a group of people are seen attacking a family with sticks and stones, and leaving most of them unconscious, has been determined to show 10 Colombian refugees attacking a family of Peruvian residents getting home from a party in the town of Iquique in Chile on August 3rd 2008. This video evidence was used by the District Attorney in processing and imprisoning at least two of the Colombian refugees who were later released.
Georgia, Russia: “What's Next?”
Russian president Dmitry Medvedev announced the end of the so-called "peace enforcement" operation yesterday. LJ user varfolomeev66 asked this question on his blog: "What's next?"
Uganda: On Looking Whiter
Tumwijuke of Ugandan Insomniac discusses skin tone issues in Africa after seeing a cosmetic commercial in which Beyonce's skin looks digitally whitened, wondering “Why are our supermarkets filled with cosmetics from Johnson and Johnson that promise to brighten your color and return you to the fairness of your youth?” And...
Japan: Ainu recognized as indigenous people
On June 6, a couple of months prior to the International Day of the World's Indigenous People, the Japanese Diet passed a resolution to officially recognize the Ainu as an indigenous people. Immediately following the passage of the resolution, a government panel held its first meeting to start working on...
