Stories about Migration & Immigration from August, 2011
Haiti: Bishop Kébreau's Political Statement
Wadner Pierre examines whether “Bishop Louis Kébreau, President of the Haitian Episcopal Conference, call[ed] on Haitian President Martelly to be ruthless and dictatorial”, adding: “I am very disturbed by the declaration…but I am not surprised because powerful clerics like him have always fought against a democratic government in Haiti.”
Jamaica: Marcus Garvey's Birthday
Diaspora litblogger Geoffrey Philp posts a poem to honour the anniversary of Marcus Garvey's birthday.
Singapore: Foreign Maids are Happy?
Yawning Bread posts some questions to the survey conducted by Singapore's Ministry of Manpower about the situation of foreign maids and workers in the city. The survey showed that most maids are happy working in Singapore.
India, US: Stories Of Adoption From India
Lassi With Lavina shares some stories of parents who have adopted children from India. The post also contains some tips and a list of procedures on how to adopt a child from India.
Cuba: First “Gay” Marriage
This past weekend, a gay man and a trans-sexual woman, got married. In Cuba - on the same day that Fidel Castro turned 85. Bloggers weigh in on the landmark event, including Cuba's most well-known netizen, Yoani Sanchez, who acted as matron of honour.
Cuba: “Las Damas” – The Struggle Continues
Attacks allegedly continue against Cuba's Ladies in White.
Trinidad & Tobago: Fork in the Road for England
“Just as there are two exits in Clapham Junction station, there are two paths for England. One takes us down the road of xenophobic, society-crushing finger pointing and name-calling. The other path is to a society we all feel a part of”: Outlish posts an interesting youth perspective on the...
Haiti: Right, Wrong & the London Riots
“Of course the world is a racist, exclusionary, unfair place but there are enough people who know right from wrong…excusing violent behavior based on social class is just as bad as blaming violent behavior based on social class”: When it comes to the London riots, Haitian diaspora blogger CURRENTS BETWEEN...
Jamaica: The “Performance of Gender”
“Everyone is involved in this baseless discrimination. Effeminacy is apparently extremely off-putting. The effeminate man, whether he is gay or straight, catches a whole lot of hell”: Under the Saltire Flag suggests that “what is being policed is not sexuality, but gender.”
Guyana, Dominica: Rhys’ Romantic Heroine
Guyanese litblogger Charmaine Valere takes a look at Jean Rhys’ classic tale, Wide Sargasso Sea, as part of her blog series on female Caribbean writers.
Syria: World Cities Rally Against and For Bashar
Events in Syria are being echoed around the world. Syrians in the diaspora rallied in the majority of the cities in the world, either asking to overthrow Bashar Al Assad and his regime or chanting their love to their leader. Check out this video round up for footage from demonstrations worldwide.
Bermuda, Jamaica: London Burning
Jamaican diaspora blogger Grasshopper Eyes The Potomac and Bermuda's Respice Finem blog about the London riots.
Angola: “Angolanization” of the Workforce
Feliciano Cangue, on his blog Hukalilile, presents several definitions of “angolanization” [pt] and writes about national versus expatriate workforce in Angola.
Trinidad & Tobago: A Patriot Passes On
“Kenny always struck me as an unlikely environmentalist. His contribution to the environmental movement in Trinidad and Tobago is huge, and he inspired many people to work for conservation”: Ian Ramjohn bids farewell to Professor Julian Kenny, who passed away yesterday.
Cuba: Bloggers Comment on Attacks vs. Activists
More on the attacks against activists that took place this past weekend: a statement from The Coalition of Cuban-American Women, a video “of victims who got away with minor injuries”, and reports of two other incidents, here and here.
Trinidad & Tobago, St. Vincent: “Blogaversaries”
Two regional bloggers mark the anniversaries of their blogs – Abeni, from St. Vincent and the Grenadines, who says: “Back then I had no idea where I was heading but it [blogging] seemed a pretty cool thing to do”, and T&T diaspora blogger Afrobella, who writes: “Creating this blog taught...
Cuba: Attacks on Activists
Diaspora bloggers report on attacks against human rights activists in Cuba that allegedly happened this past weekend.
Mexico's ‘Train of Death’
Thousands of Central American migrants risk their lives to hop on top of moving freight trains going from southern Mexico to northern destinations along the US border. A new documentary tells the story of the 'train of death' known as 'The beast'.
Number of North Korean Defectors Surges In Thailand
ROK drop blog posted a story on a surge of North Korean refugees in northern Thailand. As authorities have failed to give a clear explanation on causes of the sudden increase, net users have raised various speculations on the site.
Haiti: Tackling the Housing Problem
Toussaint on Haiti maintains that “kicking people out of the IDP camps without providing them with an adequate alternative will not solve the [housing] problem”, adding: “The only solution is for the government to provide some form of public housing [and] engage in serious agrarian reforms that will provide real...
Cuba: Burden of the Embargo
Iván García says that “who suffers the consequences of the embargo most is the average Cuban, not their rulers.”