Stories about Migration & Immigration from November, 2009
Cuba: Call to Respect Human Rights
As four Cuban dissidents are reportedly arrested in Havana, Uncommon Sense profiles political prisoner Oscar Biscet's call for his compatriots “to join an international campaign set for next month to demand that the Castro dictatorship respect human rights.”
India: On Liberation Of Women
“For me the strongest drag force working against my desire to return home is my experience of life as a woman in India,” confesses Heartcrossings while discussing about the lack of freedom, independence and safety of Indian women.
Jamaica, Bahamas, U.S.A.: Copyright Options
In response to Jamaican blogger Geoffrey Philp‘s “cautionary tale on the dangers of unregistered creative property”, the Bahamas’ Scavella's Blogsphere says: “This is all very well and good, but I’m not American. I don’t live in the USA. What substitute is there for me?”
Guyana: Dreaming of the Caribbean
Signifying Guyana blogs about the Caribbean from her perspective as a member of the diaspora.
Western Sahara: Aminatou Haidar Deported
Aminatou Haidar is a leading activist for independence of the Western Sahara (from Morocco). On Friday, November 13 when, upon returning to Laayoune (a city in the Western Sahara region), she was arrested and subsequently deported. Jillian C. York rounds up the reactions of bloggers.
Guyana: Autobiographical
“I've always thought of autobiography as an attempt to leave behind–forever in memoriam–something more or less truthful about one's existence”: Signifyin’ Guyana wonders what the first lines of your autobiography would be.
Hungary: More on Imre Kertész's Interview
More on the Hungarian reactions to Imre Kertész's Die Welt interview – at Hungarian Spectrum. (Marietta Le's GV post about it is here.)
U.S., Europe: Immigrant Writing; Diaspora Mentality
Maud Newton writes about a newly-published anthology of immigrant writing, “Becoming Americans.” Sublime Oblivion examines the views of “Russian political analyst & nationalist Konstantin Krylov” on “international diasporas” and “the diaspora mentality.”
Haiti: Pierre-Louis Ousted
“Haiti's Senate dismissed Prime Minister Michele Pierre-Louis on Friday, Oct. 30, 2009″: HaitiAnalysis.com reports that some senators believe “the vote was ‘illegal’ and plagued by procedural irregularities.”
Sri Lanka: Support The IDPs
V.V. at Sepia Mutiny writes about an initiative of a Sri Lankan diaspora group in the USA who are organizing a fund raising event. The fund will support two charities which are working in the Sri Lankan IDP camps, where approximately 200,000 people are detained.
Cuba: Facebook Support for Yoani
Along the Malecon reports that supporters of Cuban blogger Yoani Sanchez are “hoping to start a trend” by “using the blogger's photo as their profile picture on Facebook in a show of solidarity.”
Taiwan: Issues of identity
Catherine at shu flies responds to an e-mail questioning how she identifies herself. Michella at Alive and Kicking! who was also a subject of the e-mail describes her own multi-cultural background. Catherine also follows up with a post on why she calls herself a Taiwanese-American.
Cuba: Yoani Sanchez & Other Bloggers Seized
Yoaní Sánchez, Cuba's most famous blogger, who has received countless international awards for her activism, was detained briefly and beaten by Cuban authorities on November 6, along with fellow bloggers, Claudia Cadelo (a Global Voices contributor) and Orlando Luís Pardo Lazo. Bloggers make their feelings known about the incident.
Caribbean: French Literary Prizes
This week, two of the most prestigious French literary prizes were awarded to two French-speaking authors of African descent: The French-speaking Caribbean blogosphere has been buzzing over this double satisfaction, in this post from Haiti, this one from Guadeloupe and this one from Martinique [Fr].
Trinidad & Tobago: Flag It!
Trinidadian bloggers continue to weigh in on the exorbitant cost to taxpayers for a massive national flag: “The point is not only the credibility of the cost of the monster-flag and associated concrete but the reason we need a monster-flag during a recession and a white collar crime wave.”
Guyana: Internet Copyright
“Copyright violation is still a troubling one on the internet”: Signifyin’ Guyana explores the issue.
Ukraine: New Documentary on Holodomor
Nash Holos writes about Yury Luhovy's new documentary on the Ukrainian famine of 1932-33.
Cuba: Gays Arrested
As six Cuban homosexuals are reportedly arrested, Uncommon Sense says: “their real ‘crime’ — like that committed by all Cubans, gay or straight, labeled as ‘pre-criminal social dangers’ — is that with their lifestyle, [they] have chosen to not conform with the ‘revolutionary ideal.'”
South Korea: Gender and visa statistics
matt from Gusts of popular feeling reads from the visa statistics and points out that multiculturalism in Korea is gendered to serve the need of patriarchal society.
Trinidad & Tobago: Determining Racism
“The important thing, I think, is that if you don't want to be a racist, you need to focus on how you treat people, not on how you react to people”: Trinidadian Ian Ramjohn suggests that “in the end, it all boils down to what you're used to.”
Japan: Halloween night
James from Japan Probe reports on two Halloween parties one with anti-foreigner protest and one with full community support.
