Stories about Migration & Immigration from May, 2009
USA: National Ethnic Media Awards Winners 2009
New America Media in the United States announces the winners of the 2009 Ethnic Media Awards. Pro-migrant blog The Sanctuary takes best ethnic blogger award.
Sri Lanka: Bloggers react to the death of the LTTE leader
The government of Sril Lanka announced via state media and SMS today (Monday, May 18, 2009) afternoon that the leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Vellupillai Prabhakaran, is dead. Obituaries of Prabhakaran note that he was a hero to some and a ruthless killer to others. Sri Lankan Bloggers lament on the legacy of this war lord and what his demise means for the future of the Tamil people and Sri Lanka.
Caribbean: Bloggers React to Walcott's Withdrawal
St. Lucian-born Derek Walcott is truly a West Indian man. He has been embraced by literature lovers of countless other regional territories who identify with his writing and see the nuances of the Caribbean come alive in his work. Which was why his Nobel Prize win for Literature in 1992 seemed like a regional victory - and why his withdrawal from the tight race for the coveted position of Oxford Professor of Poetry has left a bad taste in many bloggers' mouths.
Trindad & Tobago: Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word
Trinidadian bloggers This Beach Called Life and Jumbie's Watch take issue with the President's “apology” over the Integrity Commission debacle.
Aruba, U.S.A.: Hubble Engineer
Repeating Islands profiles Dr. Edward Cheung, an Aruban of Chinese descent who is the Principal Engineer of the Hubble Space Telescope Service Project.
Jamaica, Dominican Republic: Whale Watching
“Most well meaning individuals who seek out whale watching and other ecotourism activities are not aware of the potential danger that wildlife watching can cause”: Jamaican diaspora blogger Labrish expains.
Saudi Arabia: Thoughts from a London Trip
Saudi blogger Prometheus [Ar] is just back from the UK and shares his impressions from his visit and the people he saw there in this post. During his visit, he tells us about the books which are banned in our countries and are available in London, and the open heated debates between the media and politicians which are beamed on television screens. Read to the end to see his final conclusion.
Cuba: Blogging from Prison
Uncommon Sense reveals that “Cuban independent journalist Pablo Pacheco Ávila…has started a blog”, while Octavo Cerco fills in the details on how he's managing to get his voice heard from behind prison walls.
Cuba, Jamaica: Examining the Revolution
“What has the Cuban Revolution achieved for the people of the country, the Caribbean and the wider world after 50 years in power?” Jamaican diaspora blogger Mark Lee, writing at Abeng News Magazine, attempts to find out.
Trinidad & Tobago: Integrity Please
As the last remaining members of the Trinidad and Tobago Integrity Commission resign, This Beach Called Life cannot resist posting an imaginary conversation he had with the President, in which he is called upon to be the Commission's newest member.
Cuba: Swine Flu Reporting
Cuban diaspora blogger Uncommon Sense links to a story in which he learns that “the Cuban secret police was a wee bit hypersensitve last week when officers arrested Cuban photojournalist Sandra Guerra Pérez after she reported on swine flu outbreaks around the world and advised her neighbors on how they...
Armenia: Transgender video blogging
Unzipped comments on news that transgender blogger Hye Trent will be video blogging his physical transformations during surgery and other procedures. The blog says the move is unprecedented and brave.
Paraguay: Experiences of an Immigrant in Rosario, Argentina
Elizabeth Gonzalez writes about her experience as a Paraguayan immigrant in Rosario, Argentina at the blog Somos Paraguayos [es] (We Are Paraguayans). She adds that many refer to her not by name, but by the nickname “Paraguas” which is often used in a disparaging manner.
Japan: For the Price of a Plane Ticket…?
Recently, an initiative by the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare offering to cover the travel expenses for unemployed nikkei nationals who wish to return to their home countries has been causing a stir.
Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago: Poetry Picks
Jamaican litblogger Geoffrey Philp features the poems of Trinidadian author Jennifer Rahim.
Guyana: Press Freedom Ranking
As mainstream media sources (and a regional blog) report that Guyana's press freedom ranking has improved, Signifyin’ Guyana says: “Well, in a region with Mexico and some of the other Spanish-speaking countries where there's an outright war on the press (so to speak), it's easy to see why Guyana government's...
Jamaica: IMF
“Prime Minister Golding is putting his loving hand out to the International Monetary Fund for a loan to help Jamaica’s struggling economy,” writes Jamaica Salt, adding: “The last time Jamaica got help from the IMF was not a great thing.” Abeng News Magazine also weighs in, here and here.
Armenia: Shooting the messenger (reprise)
Security, in the Caucasus and beyond…. follows up its first commentary on the nationalist reaction to talk of a breakthrough in talks to normalize relations between Armenia and Turkey. In its second post, the blogs examines recommendations made by the International Crisis Group (ICG).
Burkinabe community in Cote d'Ivoire
Quophy Blogeur [Fr] writes about a man raising money from the Buriknabe community in Cote d'Ivoire for the next election, but questions his motives.
China: Uyghurs in Pakistan extradited
A blogger at The New Dominion notes that while nine Uyghurs in Pakistan have been extradited to China, the fate of others at Guantanamo remains uncertain.
Cuba: Internet Access
Diaspora blogger Uncommon Sense learns that the authorities have “cracked down on one of the few ways most Cubans can use to access the Internet.”
