Stories about Ethnicity & Race from July, 2008
Myanmar: Naming System
“I realized that the Burmese custom of naming is fairly unique. It symbolizes the combination of the particular virtue for a person and astrological calculation of the day of the week that the person was born based on Burmese lunar calendar year.”, Bakaung blogs and explains more in detail.
Japan: Is it all over for Mainichi?
Nobuo Ikeda writes in English and in Japanese about the latest step in the drawn-out WaiWai controversy: after a string of earlier statements, Mainichi has issued a 3-page-long official apology, in which it pledges “to rehabilitate [Mainichi Daily News] into a site that can dispatch information to the world that...
Arabeyes: Moroccan woman refused French citizenship for burqa
Last week a French resident was refused citizenship on the grounds that she was “insufficiently assimilated.” The woman, referred to in the Press as “Faiza M.,” is a Moroccan citizen but has lived in France since 2000 with her husband, a French citizen, and three children, all born in France. The incident has set a precedent and has stirred up the feelings of bloggers around the world, reports Jillian York.
Brazil: Tears and Cheers for Middle East Prisoner Swap
Brazilian of Arab descent or bloggers interested in all things Middle Eastern talk about the Israel-Lebanon Prisoner Exchange. Considering that Brazil is the country that arguably holds the largest Arab population outside the Middle East, there are very passionate points of views both for and against the deal, and as much tears as cheers.
Czech Republic, Slovakia: Czechoslovakia
The Foreigner's Guide to Living in Slovakia lists “a few basic facts” about the region that used to be known as Czechoslovakia.
Slovakia: “Folk Culture and Communism”
The Foreigner's Guide to Living in Slovakia writes about the communists’ role in preserving Slovak folk culture.
Tanzania: On language and unity
Kenyan blogger Jerry Okungo, writing at Siasa Duni, comments on “the realisation that Tanzanians may not be as good masters of Kiswahili as the rest of East Africa may think” and on last week's decision by the Tanzanian Parliament “that the country had abandoned Ujamaism—the country’s version of socialism”. And...
Jamaica: Patois Parlance
Transition Sunshine says that “all Jamaicans are multilingual, and while some may not speak patois, they all understand it”. Posted with video to prove her point.
Jamaica, Guyana: “Small Boys”
Jamaican litblogger Geoffrey Philp features a poem by Guyanese writer Marc Matthews.
Armenia: Cigarettes & National Identity
Stuff Armos Like, a new irreverent look at what makes Armenians tick, says that unlike many parts of the world where the anti-smoking lobby has made significant progress, cigarettes are a defining part of the Armenian reality. The blog jokingly says that even if smoking was banned in every other...
Japan: Chinese Novelist wins Akutagawa Award
On Tuesday, the Akutagawa Award for Fiction, considered the most prestigious literary prize in Japan, was awarded to Chinese novelist Yang Yi for her work, “Tokiga nijimu asa”. Yang, who was born in Harbin and whose native language is Chinese, learned Japanese after she came to Japan in 1987. In this post, reactions to the award in Japanese and Chinese media, blogs and forums.
The Balkans: Srebrenica
Sarah Franco of Cafe Turco writes about her visit to Srebrenica this year and muses on “moral monsters, bystanders and civic minded people.”
Tanzania: A lecture in East-African history
Louder than Swahili offers an in-depth description of the town of Bagamoyo, which is one of the oldest towns in Tanzania on the coast at the Indian Ocean. She starts by saying: “Bagamoyo is not just a town of different cultures. It is a microcosm of East African history: Arabs...
Trinidad & Tobago: Now Hair This!
“I’m a twenty-something overachieving chick with dreadlocks and a predilection for wearing Converse to work”: Trinidadian blogger The Liming House says her hair “is about defying stereotypes.”
France: Restrictions on marriages with foreigners
Racisme et Histoire writes it's getting harder and harder for French to marry foreigners [Fr].
Macedonia: Parliamentary Elections, Round 2
Douglas Muir of A Fistful of Euros is “watching with interest” how the situation with the Macedonian parliamentary elections will develop.
Bosnia & Herzegovina: Anniversaries of Massacres
Every year, bloggers and journalists remind their readers of the tragic events that took place in Bratunac in 1992 and in Srebrenica in 1995. The truth is painful, but nobody should be silent about war crimes. Here is a roundup of several opinions and experiences related to the massacres in eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina during the 90's.
Turkey is Typing…Terrorists and Other Threats to the Nation
The past two weeks have been tough for the Republic of Turkey as they have been dealing with enemies from within. On July 9th, a terrorist attack on the US Consulate in Istanbul has the authorities stumped as to who is responsible and why. And on Monday the 14th, Istanbul’s chief prosecutor filed a long-awaited indictment on the controversial Ergenekon case against 86 defendants charged with forming a terror group with the aim of a government coup.
Russia: Romen Theater
A blog/Wikipedia entry on Romen Theater – “the oldest and the most famous of Romani theatres in the world” – at TOL's Romantic.
Armenia: Relations With Turkey
The Armenian Observer comments on new moves to promote dialogue with Turkey. The two countries have no diplomatic relations and the border remains closed. However, the blog notes that the response inside Armenia to moves to promote reconciliation between the two neighbors is disappointing.
Armenia: Meet The Kardashians
Blogian posts the text of an email that laments the fact that many Americans are beginning to associate ethnic Armenians in the U.S. with socialite and sex tape celebrity Kim Kardashian.
