Stories about Ethnicity & Race from October, 2013
“I'm Dominican, Just Like You”: Thousands of Dominicans of Haitian Descent Are Left Stateless
The decision by the Dominican Republic's Constitutional Court to strip descendants of "foreigners" of their citizenship ignores the human reality of thousands of Dominicans.
Russia's Demagogues Just Can't Get Along
Nationalist MP Vladimir Zhirinovsky ranted about natives of the North Caucasus on the popular debate show “The Duel” - Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov took offence.
An Overview of Volgograd Bombing Anglophone Blogging
Misinformation disseminated online about the Volgograd bus bombing (which left at least six people dead on October 21) has raised the suspicions of Russia bloggers both Russophone and Anglophone.
A Muslim Schoolgirl and the Volgograd Suicide Bombing
In the wake of the Volgograd bus bombing, a Muslim girl wrote a letter to the anonymous blogger hardingush. We chose to translate it in its entirety.
After Lampedusa Shipwreck, Italy Considers Decriminalizing Illegal Immigration
The tragedy, in which 350 or so African migrants were killed, has renewed debate about illegal immigration in Italy, which is a destination for many African migrants.
USA: Elevating Young Asian Voices in Immigration Reform Debate
The Youth Leadership Council of the Korean American Resource & Cultural Center created an inspiring video to help young Asian voices heard in the immigration reform debate. Blogger Angry Asian Man briefly comments on this video featuring local youth's thought-provoking spoken word performances.
In Wake of Suicide Bombing Russians Question Their Security
An explosion aboard a Volgograd (formerly Stalingrad) commuter bus caused a stir in Russia’s blogosphere on Monday.
Slovakia's Roma Communities Significantly Bypassed by Development
Despite Slovakia's economic growth and integration into the European Union, the majority of the country's Roma population continues to live in abject poverty, receiving little to no education.
Tajiks Note that “Moscow Has Changed”
As Russians try to make sense of ethnic riots rocking Moscow, these developments are also carefully watched in Tajikistan where more than half of the population depends on money that their relatives working in Russia send home. Halil Qayumzod who lived in Moscow in the 1990s suggests [tj] that over...
“Let Russians Sweep Their Own Streets”: Minorities Ponder Ethnic Violence
Non-ethnic Russians have been keen to express their views on the Biryulyovo riots online, using the language common to many of them - Russian.
Race Riots Remind Russians About Political Divide
This week’s reactions to a riot that took place outside Moscow are a reminder that the subject of ethnic nationalism deeply divides Russians.
Chile: Police Special Forces Evict Mapuche Community From Contested Lands
A self-denominated “autonomous” indigenous community, Temucuicui has occupied what they consider to be ancestral lands for over two years, resisting several eviction attempts.
Léonarda, 15, Arrested During a School Trip and Deported
Léonarda Dibrani, 15, was on field trip with her schoolmates when she was detained by the french police, near Levier, France. She was later deported with the rest of her family [fr] to Kosovo as illegal immigrants. The Dibrani family fled Kosovo about five years ago because they are Roma. Léonarda...
Russian Muslim Websites Defaced by Hackers During Eid
On Eid al-Adha (Kurban-Bairam in Russian), several websites of the Russian Muslim community were defaced with a photo of a severed pig's head holding the Koran in its mouth.
Can the Kremlin Control Moscow Ethnic Violence?
A poverty-stricken industrial Moscow neighborhood has erupted in ethnic violence last week, after a local man named Egor Sherbakov was stabbed to death by an alleged "migrant."
Marking The 30th Anniversary Of The Beurs’ March For Equality
30 years ago (October 15, 1983), a march for equality against racism [fr] began in Marseille with 32 people, mostly of Arab origin, to ask for the right to vote and a 10-year resident card. The Beurs’ March (Beur is a colloquial french term for people with roots in Northern Africa) arrived in Paris on December 3...
“What Comb Do You Use?”: Documentary Tackles Race and Hair In Brazil
“Rebellious”, “bad”, “like steel wool”: these are some of the pejorative terms are used to describe the hair of Brazil's Afro-descendants. Those who've been at the receiving end of racist comments like the above now have a chance to share their stories in a documentary called “Qual é o pente...
Hong Kong: 2010 Manila Hostage Incident and Banning Maid
Tom Grundy from Hong Wrong comments on the local community call for banning Filipino domestic workers’ working visa to pressure the Philippine President Aquino III to apologize to the 2010 Manila hostage Incident's victims and their families. The incident in 2010 was obviously awful and tragic and the authorities were...
A Call to Rekindle Immigration Reform Amidst United States Government Shutdown
The shutdown of government operations that began on the 1st of October has displaced discussion on immigration reform.
White American Claims to Be Kenya's First Female Maasai Warrior
In her book, Mindy Budgor details her journey to be the first female Maasai warrior, a status traditionally reserved for men. Her story has sparked intense debate online.
Landmark Ruling in Discrimination Case Puts the Caribbean First
The Caribbean Court of Justice's decision in a controversial discrimination case sends the signal that regional citizens have the right to freedom of movement across CARICOM states, without suffering harassment.
