Stories about Ethnicity & Race from May, 2008
Guyana, USA: Speaking With Soul
Signifyin’ Guyana is enjoying reading a book about Ebonics, but says: “If I ketch any one of my students writing that way, he or she gon get a straight up F.”
Ukraine: Moscow Mayor's Sevastopol Controversy
Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov got himself barred from Ukraine this week, after announcing during a trip to Sevastopol - "a Ukrainian naval base mutually used by the Ukrainian Navy and Russian Navy" - that the city did not belong to Ukraine. Below are a few opinions from the Russophone blogosphere.
Kazakhstan: Kazakh or ethnic Kazakh?
Özgecan shares her thoughts about Kazakh history from the point of view of a person, who is part of the Kazakh diaspora in the Western Europe.
Poland: The Liban Quarry, Schindler, and Sendler
Polandian visits the Liban Quarry and posts pictures: “In 1992 Steven Spielberg built a replica of the Nazi’s Płaszów Labor Camp for his movie Schindler’s List. The remains of this highly realistic set can still be seen today a short distance from the center of Krakow.” In the comments section,...
Hungary: Anti-Semitism and Foreign Media
Hungarian Spectrum and Pestiside.hu discuss foreign media coverage of anti-Semitism in Hungary.
Caucasus: US Immigration
Social Science in the Caucasus examines statistics released by the US Citizenship and Immigration Service on the number of immigrant and nonimmigrant visas issued to citizens from the three South Caucasus countries. According to that data, Armenia has the most number of visas issued with Georgia second and Azerbaijan third.
Azerbaijan: Cleveland Cultural Garden
Blogger Interrupted comments on the opening of an Azerbaijani cultural garden in Cleveland. The blogger wonders why with a 100-strong Azerbaijani community such an initiative was taken.
Morocco, Israel, and Palestine: A Unique History
Since the Nakba and Israel's claim of independence 60 years ago, Israel and Morocco have had an interesting relationship. Prior to the creation of an Israeli state, Morocco had a large, if not thriving, Jewish population. Here's what a few Moroccan bloggers have to say on this, the 60th anniversary of Israeli independence.
Palestine: Blogging for Palestine on May 15th
May 15, 2008 marks the sixtieth anniversary of the Nakba or commemoration of the displacement of Palestinians from what is now Israel. Of course, for Israelis the date signifies the 60th anniversary of their country's independence. And for bloggers, May 15 signifies Palestine Day.
Malaysia: Sabah Fest Cultural Show
Life of a Borneo Gurl posts pictures of the Sabah Fest Cultural Show
China: Nationalism vs. nationalism in Korea
It feels like trampling on an already well-trampled Chinese flag at this point as millions have begun their Olympic host celebrations on the mainland, but carrying on from an earlier post, here is how discussion over the actions of a few Chinese students who resorted to violence as the torch...
Jamaica, Guyana: The Life of Das
Jamaican Geoffrey Philp blogs about the life and work of Guyanese poet Mahadai Das, and features one of her poems.
Iraq: Stop the massacre in Sadr City…
… so says Al-Ghad. In the weeks following the high profile attack on Basra by the Iraqi army and its high profile failure something of a low-level war has been going on across Iraq much behind the scenes of the mainstream media. Yet now the situation seems to be coming to a head.
Russia: Anniversary of Karachay Return From Deportation
Window on Eurasia writes about an anniversary of the Karachay people's return from deportation.
Russia: A Dystopian Novel
Window on Eurasia writes about a newly-published dystopian novel about Russia: “In the space of ‘a few years,’ the novel continues, ‘the Ukrainian rulers cut the population of Moscow to two million,’ thus ending Russia’s existence as a state and that city as its most important expression and organizer.”
Korea: Chinese students fear for safety after torch relay violence
Last week someone left a comment on a GVO post, something to the effect of 'the whole world hates the Chinese people now' and for a lot of people in (and outside) China, it sure is looking difficult to even be Chinese these days.
Bahamas, Haiti: Seeing for the First Time
Nicolette Bethel links to a video series “on the statelessness of children of Haitian parentage growing up in The Bahamas” and says that “every Bahamian should watch them — especially those Bahamians who view their society through the lenses of ‘Us’ and ‘Them’.”
Turkmenistan: The pride of Turkmenistan
Maciula tells readers about Akhal Teke horses and their role in history of Turkmen nation.
Angola: Immigration or identity?
Having been back in Africa for a bit more than one year, Gi [pt] has many questions about identity: “As soon as I arrived here – and that time flies like an arrow! – This question fell upon me: Where I am from? From here, the place I was born?...
Georgia: Saakashvili Addresses Breakaway Regions
Steady State comments on a televised address given by Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili to inhabitants of the country's two breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. However, the blog says that apart from at times of clashes, there is little actual dialogue occurring between the sides and that Saakashvili fails...
Armenia: Kim Kardashian Plans Visit
Blogian finds a post by socialite Kim Kardashian in which she says she plans to make her first ever trip to Armenia. Kardashian, who is half-Armenian, says she has decided to visit the country after comments on her blog criticizing her for not posting about last week's 93rd Anniversary of...
