In my thesis, I present an analysis of how my informants manage the threat of racial stigma in their daily lives. East Asians’ introduction in Peru as plantation laborers established their race as stigmatized. As the interview data suggest, the stigma’s persistence is felt among my informants through institutions such as the Chinese restaurant chifa … Read more
At the turn of the 20th century, Taiwan and Puerto Rico were typical case studies in underdevelopment. Centuries of colonial rule under the Chinese and Spanish Empires left them as dirt-poor agrarian societies with illiterate and malnourished populations (Cabán 2002; Cheng 2001). Yet during the mid 20th century both islands successfully transitioned from agrarian to industrial … Read more
Ultimately, I want all Black, migrant, and refugee women in Holland to believe in themselves. With training and open dialogue, we come together and organize the Zami award, rewarding each other’s power and organizing that power. […] When [politicians] talk about Black, migrant, and refugee women they always [talk about] them as a problem, women … Read more
Poetry is unquestionably linked with speechwriting. The most memorable and effective addresses use literary devices to make policies palatable to the public. Yet many speeches rely on ornamental poetry alone. Though a clever turn of phrase or the use of words that strike emotional chords might move audiences briefly, poeticism is most potent when paired … Read more
Haruki Murakami: the Japanese author who has become the darling of disaffected college students in the English-speaking world. His surrealist writings spanning over two decades deal with lonely protagonists, mysteriously silent women who dress in navy blue, as well as a smattering of autobiographical themes and objects. Most all of the novels take place in … Read more
This Side of Glory: The Autobiography of David Hilliard and the Story of the Black Panther Party David Hilliard and Lewis Cole 438pp. Little, Brown and Company. $20. The Occupy movement that has consumed the attention of America’s news media, city governments, and populace for the past few months is not the first to attempt—or … Read more
I, Rigoberta Menchú: An Indian Woman in Guatemala Edited and Introduced by Elisabeth Burgos-Debray Translated by Ann Wright 290 pp. Verso Books. $22.95. Journalists and international officials have markedly ignored the modern history of Guatemala. The nation’s past includes a long list of wrongs against the indigenous peoples of the country, including exploitation by wealthy, … Read more