latin american princesa {LAP}

• TRADE: Individual EPAs ”Do Not” Undermine Regional Integration [IPS]
  A little divide and conquer might get African nations to sign deals with the EU
• USCIS: Backlog in Naturalization Applications Will Take Nearly Three Years to Clear [MIS]
  Meanwhile bureaucracy gone mad is keeping immigrants from becoming Americans. Oh just let them try the “go back to your country” nonsense now.
• Who says Latinos and Asians hate blacks? [Racialicious]
  Throw three minority women together in a chat and what happens? An intelligent (and funny) discussion of demographics, voting and the usual mass media oversimplification and drama, that’s what!

• DEVELOPMENT: MDGs Yardstick Too Generic, Critics Say [IPS]
  This article highlights the importance of context and scale. The MDG’s were established on a global scale but when applied locally they don’t make sense and are hurting nations, African ones especially. One size does not fit all.
• Material Support to Terrorism — Consequences for Refugees and Asylum Seekers in the United States [Migration Information Source]
  Since 9-11 new counterterrorism laws and policies have made asylum and refugee resettlement to the U.S. more difficult. This is another example of one-size-fit-all policy damaging the world’s weakest and most vulnerable inhabitants.
• Meanwhile the French sentenced far-right Le Pen for hate speech but the Dutch delay prosecution of far-right member of parliament Geert Wilders (in Dutch sorry, can’t find an English story on this). Wilders heads a right-wing party, has called the Koran a fascist book and demands it be banned. He is about to release a documentary about the Koran and Islam. Wilders lives under guard having received numerous death threats.
• In Bronx School, Culture Shock, Then Revival [NYT]
  Here’s an example of what happens when you address the specific needs of a community (a school in this case) rather than applying a one-size-fits-all policy. Not to mention that it breaks down stereotypes and assumptions, which generic policies often rely on.
• Yesterday’s march in Washington [CIPCOL]
  An eye-witness account of the anti-FARC march in my hometown.

Well in my many years (if you really wanna know you can ask, but I try not to disclose too much personal info online), I’ve been asked countless times where I come from. People often make a guess or two and I’ve decided to compile an official list: just to prove that you can’t judge a book by its cover and show how ridiculous it is to make judgments based on how someone looks. Because, guess what? Unless you live in some isolated little town, you’ll probably be WRONG.

To start off with, the most obvious, I’ll list the different paises latinoamericanos and then I’ll move on to the rest of the globe.

1. Colombia (ok I do come from this one)
2. Puerto Rico
3. Venezuela
4. Mexico
5. Bolivia
6. Peru
7. Brazil
8. Spain
9. Italy
10. Sicily (not the same as Italy!)
11. Portugal
12. Greece
13. Turkey
14. Morocco
15. Egypt
16. Algeria
17. Lebanon
18. Philippines
19. Hawaii (I know it’s not a country but an ethnicity, as in ethnic Hawaiian)
20. Ethiopia (!!! I know. I’m flattered cause Ethiopians are gorgeous, but really? Me?)
21. India
22. Indian (as in First Nation)
23. Indonesia
24. South Asia (since when is that country?)
25. US of A (and again I DO come from this one. Imagine that, some people actually guess my nationality, go figure.)

I’m sure I’ve forgotten a few over the years. Sorry, I don’t mean to leave anybody out or anything. If you feel your country has been unfairly neglected from this list please let me know.

Thanks to MiSS CRiP CHiCK!

key phrases: “cannot support separate but equal” and “enlightenment, equality and justice”

…could not bring myself to tell an entire group of people in our community they were less important, less worthy, less deserving to the rights and responsibilities of marriage than anyone else, simply because of their sexual orientation

What has happened here? It’s amazing and wonderful. An entire group of people have been humanized. Imagine that! People, ALL people, are humans, deserving dignity, respect and rights like all the rest of us. It is such a simple concept and yet, sadly, still not grasped by so many. Relish this one victory and fight for more!

Ah! Welcome home to me, to the land of the free…to be arrested, Tasered or better yet have one’s leg broken by police. No thankfully it hasn’t happened to me personally, but a friend just shared a few interesting tidbits, which haven’t all made it to the front page.

• Andrew Meyer, UF student arrested and Tasered for asking John Kerry questions.
• Rev. Lennox Yearwood, Jr., President of the Hip Hop Caucus arrested and ankle broken when trying to get into a public hearing.
• She also told me about an incident on The Mall where cops were harassing a group of Ethiopians selling t-shirts for a demonstration and later apologized to her, the white girl, but continued intimidating the group of Ethiopians.

I like to try to think that most cops are nice people. They are humans too and sometimes mistakes are made. But Tasering someone for asking a question or breaking someone’s ankle for attending a public hearing are not mistakes. What is this mentally that drives some to such terror tactics? Isn’t it supposed to be a War on Terror, not a war on freedom of speech and democracy? Let’s start calling it for what it is a War of Terror on freedom, democracy and individual rights. Don’t let the lies continue.

• RIGHTS-MEXICO: 16,000 Victims of Child Sexual Exploitation (IPS)
• The Color of Health Care: Diagnosing Bias in Doctors (washington post)
• Cécilia Sarkozy ‘too sick’ for Bush picnic … but not for shopping (the guardian)
• CUBA: Black Women Rap Against Discrimination (IPS)

“Society shuts its ears and doesn’t want to listen, it shuts its eyes and doesn’t want to see”

• Elderly Organize to Meet Problems of Aging (ny times)
• A Rising Tide of Gentrification Rocks Dutch Houseboats (ny times)
• PAKISTAN: Looking to Women to Preserve the Peace (IPS)
• From New York, New Approaches to Fighting Poverty? (extra credit)
• U.S. Media Ignores Estimate of 1 million Iraqi Deaths (justforeignpolicy.org)
• ‘What we do is really tough’ interview with the world’s highest paid reporter, Christiana Amanpour (the guardian)

Via no snow here I found a fascinating article that helps me illustrate the importance of context to race, ethnicity and discrimination. It is also a good opportunity to introduce the black-white continuum* and the importance of recognizing (shades of) diversity on a greater scale.

In Arabs and the Racial Lessons of 9/11 Carol Chehade discusses the relationship between Arab Americans and African Americans in the U.S.

Profiled, feared, detained, assaulted, accused, interrogated, harassed, hated, and collectivized since 9-11, Arab Americans have suddenly known what it feels like to be temporarily Black.

This is no secret to Black people who already know that Arab Americans have the same type of superiority complex that European Americans do. This superiority complex is not only evident in the way we act toward Black people but in the way we choose to disassociate ourselves from their community.

Continue reading My black is not your black…

Earlier this week a Dutch friend told me his father needed an “American voice” to promote a product he’s trying to introduce into The Netherlands and asked if I could help out. “Sure, why not. Have him call me.” The product is an oven mitt with a magnet in it (ha ha, one more gimmick product). Friday, I spoke with the father and he explained that he wanted to make a video (huh? I thought they wanted a voice?). I would be standing in a kitchen wearing the glove. He was going to leave it up to the director (his nephew) to come up with the script and action.

Ok wait! Step back. I will be standing in a kitchen????? Huh? I feel a little queasy and tell him I have to think about it, check my schedule and will call him back. Ok, so how do I feel about making a video for some gimmick product that portrays such a blatant stereotype (only women cook)? That’s easy, disgusted.

Continue reading How to express racism, anti-Americanism and sexism all in one breath…