Stories about Migration & Immigration from March, 2008
Barbados: Lenten Fare
Barbadian blogger Tastes Like Home serves up some mouth-watering Lenten recipes.
Haiti, Jamaica: Haitian Reggae
“Bigga Haitian hails from a ‘fiery land,’ often characterized with turmoil. The general decline of political ‘correctness’ in Haiti sometimes seems to be so tragic, that all good news associated with the country is refreshing”: YardFlex.com blogs about the latest Haitian musical sensation.
Armenia: Circumventing Censorship
Nazarian posts a list of pro-opposition blogs and web sites currently circumventing restrictions on the media in place since the state of emergency was declared in Armenia.
Jamaica: Homophobia
“What’s at the crux of such bigotry? Our homophobia can be so extreme that a man who has only one woman is suspect. And there in lies the subtext, that our Homophobia is not really homophobia at all but a crisis in manliness”: Marlon James dissects the issue of homophobia...
Israel, Soviet History: Pictures From the Exhibition on Refuseniks
Pictures from an exhibition on the Soviet refuseniks at the Museum of the Jewish Diaspora in Tel Aviv – by LJ user mozgovaya (Israeli journalist Natasha Mozgovaya). (Text in Russian.)
Romania, Hungary: Response to Bigotry
Andy H of Csíkszereda Musings describes part of his “life as a blogger”: “Every now and then for my pains I get a tirade of abuse from some rabid nationalist psycho.”
Japan: American enka singer makes waves
The first ever American-born enka singer, Jero, has become the talk of the Japanese blogosphere the past weeks as he made his debut with the single “Umiyuki (Ocean Snow)”. The single came in fourth on the Oricon music chart, setting a record in the enka as well as Top 10...
Poland: East German Real Estate
Polandian reports: “Poles trying to get onto the property ladder are flooding across the border into the former East Germany where prices are lower and the living is easy.”
Czech Republic: New Schengen Problems
The Czech Daily Word reports on the “thousands of Americans” who “are staying illegally in the Czech Republic” – “because of the new Schengen rules.”
Turkey: Raising Murderers
Following on from photographs of young children watching mock hangings of Armenians in the Turkish city of Erzurum, Blogian comments on concerns expressed by some Turkish columnists that the nation is “raising murders.”
Armenia: Reflections on Political Unrest
Blogian reflects on the recent political unrest in Armenia. The blog blames both the government and the opposition for clashes at the weekend which left at least eight people dead and criticizes the mindset which now exists that has turned Armenians against each other.
Turkey: Mock Armenian Hangings
Blogian posts some disturbing photographs of the celebration of the 90th Anniversary of the Turkish liberation of Erzurum. Claimed by both Armenians and Turks, the city featured re-enactments of the hanging of Armenian bandits which were viewed by children. The blogger notes that even nationalist Turkish newspapers were critical of...
Armenia: Samizdat & the Internet
After a 20-day state of emergency was declared in Armenia when clashes between security services and the opposition broke out on the streets of the capital, access to the media has been severely restricted. According to presidential decree, local media outlets can now only publish official news and political propaganda is banned. However, the situation has created an unprecedented opportunity for bloggers to move in to fill the gap.
Trinidad & Tobago, Colombia, Venezuela, USA: Taking Sides
“You would think that, as a general principle, if country A sends troops across the border into country B, that the world community should stand in sympathy with country B’s right to protect it’s territorial integrity, right?”: Trinidadian blogger Further Thoughts comments about the Columbia/Venezuela issue.
Cuba: Chavez & Colombia
Babalu Blog, El Cafe Cubano and La Primera Generacion all blog about Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's recent run-in with Colombia.
Jamaica: The Reggae Aesthetic
Jamaican Geoffrey Philp blogs about “art for art's sake and the reggae aesthetic” by examining West Indian writer Roger Mais’ book Brother Man.
Lova Rakotomalala: Putting Madagascar on the map
Coming from Madagascar, a country that doesn't make the world's headlines often and sometimes doesn't even make it to the African map, Lova Rakotomalala has played an extremely important role in making this unique island better known and heard through blogging and his reports for Global Voices Online.
Russia: Remembering Deportation Victims; “Dzhigit Day”
Ingush blogger kaloy writes about mourning the victims of the 1944 mass deportations by Stalin - and about celebrating manhood in Ingushetia.
Armenia: Turning Point?
American-Armenian Raffi N at Life in Armenia says that the local broadcast media is not informing the public well on today's riots in Yerevan, but welcomes events if only because the blogger believes that it marks a turning point for civil society in Armenia.
Cuba: Human Rights Treaty
Cuba has signed two United Nations treaties on human rights, but Child of the Revolution wonders whether the move will make any difference.
