Stories about Migration & Immigration from June, 2007
Bahrain: The Tale of a ‘Legal Slave’
No longer a tax haven, people in Bahrain are fuming at the introduction of a one per cent tax to benefit an Unemployment Fund. Bloggers caught on the bug and are ranting and fuming on their blogs in this report by Ayesha Saldanha. In other related matters, bloggers talk about a new law which bans workers from working between noon and 4pm in the summer heat, lavish weddings and the forgotten 'martyrs' of the civil unrest which rocked Bahrain in the 90s.
Ukraine: Erotic Symbolism in Folk Songs Lecture
A Ukrainian Diaspora ethnologist will give a lecture in Kyiv on Aug. 25 on the erotic symbolism in Ukrainian folk songs, Nash Holos reports.
Iran:Persepolis pulled from Bangkok Film Festival
Cityboy informs us that the Bangkok International Film Festival dropped Marjan Satrapi's prize-winning animated movie,Persepolis.The blogger says Iranian embassy in Thailand announced that Festival managers responded positively to a request from the Iranian Embassy in Bangkok.The movie follows Satrapi's life through the 1979 Islamic revolution,war and mass executions.
Jamaica: Personal Space
“From the beginning of slavery, there has been a war fought over black bodies and black space and because we have been victims in the past, we have conceded our space and our right to that space and it has had a debilitating effect on our self-esteem.” Jamaican Geoffrey Phlip...
Hong Kong: 10 years
Lu Qui Lu-wei from 1510 wrote about her experience in Hong Kong for the past 10 years as a professional new immigrant from China (zh).
Lebanon: Palestinians Want ‘Normal’ Life
Sietske in Beirut writes about how Palestinians now just want to live in peace and have normal lives in this post.
Kuwait: Battling Illegals
More than 24,000 illegal residents benefited from an amnesty granted by Kuwait, writes Fonzy.
Palestine: Evil Eye
Dino Chocoholic, a Palestinian blogger living in the UAE, thinks she has been cast with an evil eye. Click here to read more.
Morocco: English Speakers
In the confusion of speaking different languages, are English language speakers losing their edge? Felix from Morocco has more here.
Iraq: Where the Heart Belongs
Iraqi blogger Alaa may have moved to Canada.. but his heart is still in Iraq.
Iraq: Helping Refugees in Jordan
Iraqi blogger Faiza Al-Arji, who lives in Jordan, writes this touching post about efforts to help Iraqi refugees in Jordan.
Hong Kong: Migrant workers support pier preservation
Hoidick from inmediahk.net reported on a survey on migrant workers’ opinion towards public space at Central, especially near the city hall and Queen's pier: Given that Queen’s Pier (and also City Hall and Star Ferry) is so important to the Filipino/as’ community as an irreplaceable ‘home away from home’, it...
If Bloggers attended the Conference on the Caribbean…
This past week (June 18-21) leaders of CARICOM met with President George W. Bush and other top U.S. government officials in Washington as part of the Conference on the Caribbean. Official word from the U.S. Press Secretary is that: “The Conference on the Caribbean continues an important dialogue between the...
Lebanon: Lebanese with Funny Accents
Perpetual Refugee, from Lebanon, discusses the antics and politics of Lebanese living in diaspora here.
India: A Tamil Film in Malaysia and a Riot
The Culture and Politics of Tamil Cinema on the near riot caused by the release of a film starring Rajnikanth. “Rioting probably has become yet another ritual for the subaltern film fans in diasporic contexts to give vent to their other anxieties.”
Arabeyes: How the Palestinians Defeated Themselves!
What is happening in Palestine? Why have the Palestinians turned against each other? What is fueling the conflict? Who is the victor and who is really being defeated? And what next? Palestinian blogger Haitham Sabbah sums up his feelings of disgust and attempts to answer these questions in the following...
Lebanon: Almost Non-Political Questions
What are we eating? Why are our banks flourishing? Who are those clearing cluster bombs? How will Brazil help in recycling Lebanese wastes? Where are some of the children who were caught in the crossfire? What about some music? These are some of the questions answered in this week’s selections from the Lebanese blogosphere.
Nicaragua: State Involvement in Remittances
What would happen if the state made it cheaper for immigrants abroad to send money back to Nicaragua? Nica Living links to an interview by Managua mayor that ponders that very question.
Africa: do African leaders care about Afro-Futurism?
Charcoal Ink discusses Afro-Futurism and asks, “are African governments adopting an Afro-futurist model?”
Peru: Celebrating June 24 – San Juan and Inti Raymi
June 24 is a very special date in many parts of the world, because in addition to being the longest day of the year, it coincides with the summer solstice (which is why it is the longest day of the year). From the wikipedia entry on the solstice: A solstice...
Palestine: A Classic Case of Divide and Rule?
With so much happening on the ground, this week many of the blogs by Palestinians, and those focused on Palestinian issues, have kept their attention on the ongoing events in Gaza. Ayesha Saldanha reviews what Palestinian and other bloggers had to say about the civil war in Gaza, the World Refugee Day and conversations over picking thyme.