Stories about Ethnicity & Race from March, 2009
Ukraine: Women
Alina Rudya's Kyiv Post piece on Ukrainian women has generated 133 comments so far – as well as a discussion at Natalia Antonova's blog.
Haiti, U.S.A.: Temporary Protected Status
As U.S. President Obama grants Temporary Protected Status to Liberians, jmc strategies asks: “What about the Haitians?”
Afghanistan: Buzkashi National Game
Nasim Fekrat tells about Buzkashi (“goat grabbing”), the national sport of Afghanistan.
Lao idioms
Bryan, A Laotian American writer, identifies some of the popular Lao idioms.
Taiwan: Diplomatic Officer's Blogposts Ignite Ethnic Controversy
Bloggers and netizens in Taiwan found that Kuo Kuan-ying, an information officer in the Taiwan diplomatic service in Toronto, who blogs under his pen name Fan Lan-chin, publishes insulting posts which has provoked more controversy and debate of Taiwan's long unsolved ethnic hatred.
Russia: Xenophobia Updates
Moscow Through Brown Eyes, Window on Eurasia, and Eternal Remont write about xenophobic attitudes in Russia.
Morocco: Cutting Ties With Iran
Early last week, it was reported that Rabat had chosen to sever its ties with Tehran, after a diplomatic spat between Bahrain and Iran over a statement by an Iranian official questioning Bahrain's sovereignty. Additionally, Morocco expressed resentment at Iran's alleged attempts to influence Moroccans in Europe toward Shi'a Islam.
Hong Kong: Ng-hao big-naug or you are dead!
On Tuesday, March 18, a local police shot at a Nepali homeless man twice at close range and one of the bullets end up in the head, leading to the...
Argentina: Xenophobia in the Football Stands
Rivalries in Argentine football can become quite heated. The battles on the field often spill over into the stands, as club supporters clash with one another. It is not always physical violence that marks the conflict between supporter groups. Chants, songs, and signs can be directed at the opposing team and supporter groups. In some cases, these messages contain racist or xenophobic overtones, which is what happened when the fans from the team Independiente mocked their rival Boca Juniors for the large number of Bolivian and Paraguayan immigrants in their fan base.
Central & Eastern Europe: Ruthenians
Edward Lucas writes about the plight of Ruthenians.
Malawi: Female Candidates and the Politics of Regionalism
With two months to go before Malawians vote in presidential and parliamentary elections on May 19th, 2009, the soup du jour has evolved around two developments, the first one being the recent arrest and release on bail of former president Dr. Bakili Muluzi. The second development is the unusual visit to the country by former presidents of Ghana and Mozambique who are attempting, unjustifiably, according to the blog Chingwe's Hole, to prevent what they fear might be a potential violent conflict in the run up to the elections and possibly in the aftermath.
Protests Galore in Nepal
The Himalayan nation is not getting a break, it seems. Nepal's list of woes is getting longer by the day. After dispute regarding Pashupatinath Temple, Nepal Army's recruitment drive and...
Lebanon: Demonstrating for Migrant Workers rights
“I worked for three years and never received my salary” and “The Mister Beats Madame Everyday” are some of the slogans raised during a demonstration to support migrant workers in...
Guyana: Thoughts on Immigration
“People is people no matter what they do or where they go”: Guyana-Gyal explains.
Dominica: Carib Village
Repeating Islands’ Blog pays a visit to Touna, a living Carib village in Dominica.
Russia: “Diary of an Uzbek Gastarbeiter”
At Sean's Russia Blog, a discussion of “Diary of an Uzbek Gastarbeiter” – “a harrowing story of an Uzbek migrant named Shukhrat Berdyev, 48, experience as a migrant laborer in...
Kenya: The Big Language Dilemma For Kenyan Poet Bloggers
Kenyan poets, unlike artists, find it easier to write and perform in English as opposed to any other language. This would be closely attributed to what language enables them express themselves better, and most definitely their command of that language. After a few interactions with a cross section of poets and by visiting their blogs, I realized that virtually none write in their mother tongue as much and very few have written in Kiswahili or Sheng.
Azerbaijan: Controversial Book Banned
Unzipped: Gay Armenia reports that the controversial book, Artush and Zaur, which details a love story between two men — one Armenian and one Azerbaijani — has been banned in...
Afghanistan: Plight of an Afghan Christian
Sanjar writes that many people in Afghanistan have turned to the faith of Jesus Christ in recent years. A few of them have done so openly, though most have kept...
Barbados: Race Relations
Living in Barbados discusses the issue of race.
Minority Rights In South Asia – Full Of Denials
The New Horizon comments on the state of minority rights in South Asia: “Each country says minorities are treated in the best possible ways they should have. However, as the...
