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35 Years Later: A Retrospective on the 1989 Tiananmen Protests
China File's retrospective on the 1989 student protests and ensuing massacre. Silence and heavy security in China and Hong Kong marked the anniversary. There are 47 activists and protesters who have been accused by the Chinese government of trying to "overthrow" the government in Hong Kong 3 years ago. In Hong Kong, US and EU consulates marked the anniversary with candles. Taiwan's President William Lai Ching-te has promised that the anniversary would not be forgotten. Previously.
Gaza & University Protest
There has been 1 arrest since counterprotesters violently attacked the UCLA pro-Palestinian encampment on April 30. Archive.is. UCLA Chancellor Gene Block testified before the House committee on the protests, where he admitted that he thought he should have removed the encampment sooner to prevent violence. Other universities also participated in the hearing, where the focus was mostly on how/whether the protests were antisemitic and should have been shut down earlier. Over 1000 people walked out of the Harvard commencement to protest Harvard denying 13 student protesters from participating. Encampments and student protests have spread to Australia, England, Germany, Italy, and more.
How to Identify Cinematic Themes & Visuals of Ancient China
Part 1: From the S Dynasty to the Chin Dynasty. Part 2: From the Chu-Han contention, through the first Chinese golden age of the Han dynasty, to the Warring States, and the Northern and Southern dynasties. To clarify, this YouTube series is NOT about the actual history, but how Chinese history is interpreted through Chinese cinema. This is a continuing series from Accented Cinema. Previously from AccentedCinema. For those interested in the actual history, he recommends Cool History Bros.
Protesting for Gaza on US universities
Pro-Palestinian orgs at universities across the world protest in support of "Columbia Gaza Solidarity Encampment" Columbia Spectator, the newspaper run by undergrad Columbia University students, published an editorial asking if Columbia University is in crisis, stating: Columbia’s crisis is not as the committee has attempted to define it—a characterization stemming from the belief that the University has become a hotbed of antisemitic thought and behavior. Rather, the crisis is rooted in a lack of genuine community engagement on the part of the administration, as well as a failure to fulfill its duty of care to all affiliates.
‘He killed my sister. Now I see his remorse’
The extraordinary stories of survivors of the Rwandan genocide who forgave their attackers (SL Guardian)
How do people overcome such trauma, especially in poor nations with minimal mental healthcare? In 2005, Dutch sociotherapist Cora Dekker developed an affordable, effective method in collaboration with the diocese of Byumba of the Anglican church. This approach, originally used by qualified staff in western clinics to treat military personnel and asylum seekers, was transformed into volunteer work involving trained therapists from local African communities. In Rwanda it is known as Mvura Nkuvure: “I heal you, you heal me.” More than 64,000 Rwandans have completed the therapy.
I am a sleeper, a spook, a man of two faces.
Viet Thanh Nguyen's Pulitzer-prize winning debut novel The Sympathizer is now an HBO Max mini-series helmed by legendary director Park Chan Wook and executive-produced by Robert Downey, Jr., which will premiere April 14.
Time travel movies ranked by scientific logic and entertainment value
The Ars guide to time travel in the movies: a non-comprehensive list and ranking of 20 time travel movies, exploring the plausibility of their time travel mechanics, and also, how entertaining they are.
"You can't get rid of me that easily"
Zeteo is a new media venture from news personality Mehdi Hasan, who was previously host of the long-running MSNBC/Peacock show The Mehdi Hasan Show. Zeteo is currently a Substack newsletter, YouTube channel, and on TikTok as well. Hasan plans to evenually offer a weekly news program and a podcast. He promises: content anchored by Mehdi Hasan and his sharp-edged journalism, the kind that takes the power of the media as a public service seriously. You’ll also see original content from an array of high-profile contributors: award-winning journalists, New York Times best-selling authors, Hollywood celebrities, and others. He began the debut with Debunked! The Top 7 Lies About Gaza.
Palestinians & Palestinian-Americans in the USA
Palestinians and Palestinian-Americans continue to face censorship, backlash, and dehumanization by parties in all sectors of American life.
Palestine Is in Asia: An Asian American Argument for Solidarity
An expansion of solidarity: Viet Thanh Nguyen, author of acclaimed works like The Sympathizer, explores what it really means to be Asian American now, and how the question of Palestine is relevant for Asian Americans.
Emily of New Moon Turns 100: An Appreciation
Middle Eats
Middle Eats teaches you about various Middle Eastern cuisines with educational explorations of Egyptian breakfast dishes, Syrian comfort food, Libyan mbakbaka, Palestinian chicken and rice, and more. Want more?
Education and Censorship in the US
Children's author Maggie Tokuda-Hall lost a deal with Scholastic to license her book about love and the incarceration of Japanese-Americans during World War II because Scholastic (the world's largest book publisher and distributor of children's literature) requested that she remove the mention of racism in her author's note. Scholastic, after the public outcry, has apologized and offered to restart the conversation with her. Meanwhile, book challenges and bans of "woke" material continue to proceed at an alarming rate in the US.
The Battle for the Soul of Buy Nothing
What happened with the Buy Nothing app A story of how the originators tried to break away from Facebook, and how BuyNothing grew away from them.
The Right to Read Film
The Right to Read film shares the stories of people fighting to provide the ability to read for their kids. The entire film is available to watch for free until March 9. The documentary is by Jenny Mackenzie, and executive produced by LeVar Burton.
America's After-School Afterthought
The hours between school dismissal and the end of the workday are a mess. They don’t have to be. (SLVox)
Monterey Park & Half Moon Bay: One week
LATimes has many news articles about what happened at Monterey Park: honoring the victims' lives, how the shooter's motives remain a mystery, whether domestic violence played a part, the deafening silence of Californian Republican politicians, and how to continue to dance and rebuild after a tragedy.
In Half Moon Bay, the shooter admits to his rage being sparked over a $100 repair bill, long hours, and being bullied at his place of employment. LATimes remembers the victims of Half Moon Bay.
Anne of Green Gables Manuscript: L.M. Montgomery & the Creation of Anne
2023 Book Recommendations
Forthcoming: 2023 Arabic Literature in Translation. 62 Books by Women of Color to Read in 2023. Most anticipated LBGQT+ Books of Spring 2023. Winter 2023 YA Books. 31 Books We Can't Wait to Read in 2023. 60 Anticipated Graphic Novels for Winter 2023. Best Kids Books 2023.
Good-bye P-22 - LA's mountain lion compassionately euthanized
P-22 was a mountain lion who unknowingly changed the world. A eulogy for P-22, who was discovered to have a number of health ailments, the most serious being that he appears to have been hit by a car. He was an integral part of the LA landscape, and brought attention to environmental factors that are hostile to wildlife and animal life in an expanding urban landscape. P-22 was the inspiration behind the funding drive for the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing, the first bridge "in the California highway system designed specifically for fostering wildlife connectivity".
How to buy a good cashmere sweater
It is not feasible to buy a good quality cashmere sweater for $50. (SL Twitter thread from Derek Guy, menswear writer.) (Previously)
Mastodon is having its moment in the sun
Mastodon's popularity is soaring, and it's all due to the chaotic actions of one man. As people explore what else is on offer for social media, Mastodon has emerged as a viable open-source alternative, with no ads. Reuters has an explainer, as does CNN, New York Times, and the Guardian.
Same Sex Couples From China Get Married Over Zoom in Utah County
As sexual minorities in China face suppression at home, Utah County is allowing them to officially marry and celebrate their love — all for around $100. The state of Utah in the United States has no citizenship requirements for marriage licenses, and Utah County is the only place there that allows international couples to register their marriages online. Since the county rolled out virtual weddings during the Covid-19 pandemic, it became a wedding haven for same-sex couples who are not able to officially marry in their own countries.
In Lebanon, People Are Holding Up Banks to Access Their Own Money
Is it really a crime if it’s your own money? In Lebanon, the lira has lost 90% of its value even as the price of everything soars with global inflation. As a result, banks have frozen their customers assets, only allowing them to withdraw a small amount each month in US dollars or local currency. Fed up, ordinary citizens are holding up banks in order to withdraw money to support their families or pay for loved ones’ medical care.
Long Enough to Become the Villain
BookRiot delves a little deeper into the most recent Barnes & Noble changes. According to YA award-winning author Kelly Yang, Barnes & Noble has a new, unwritten policy of no longer stocking new hardcovers unless they are top 1-2 for their publishers. BookRiot notes that the unofficial stocking policy has been confirmed by other authors and publishers.
Welcome to the exciting new world of "necrobotics"
Why do spiders curl up when they die? Apparently it's because of internal hydraulics. Graduate student Faye Yap and her colleagues "transformed a dead wolf spider into a gripping tool with just a single assembly step" and invented a new research field they are calling "necrobotics".
The Future of Abortions in America
The Cut and New York have removed their paywall for articles about finding abortion care. Find abortion services near you. How to have a medication abortion. How to protect yourself when seeking an abortion. Don't trust DIY abortion advice on Tiktok. How to get help for your abortion via mutual aid networks. The crisis pregnancy center trap and how not to fall for it.
Swag as Praxis
Can Labor Unionists Be Style Icons? John Elward has been documenting the stylishness of union workers on his Twitter account DrippedOutTradeUnionists and argues that "Drip can be very much an organizing tactic".
Reading the Stone
An experiment in a public reading endeavor of Chinese classic 紅樓夢 "Dream of the Red Chamber" where scholars, readers, and translators participate using the hashtag #ReadingtheStone, from Duke professor Eileen Chengyin Chow inspired by a previous public reading experiment on reading War & Peace online during the early days of the pandemic with author YiYun Li with the hashtag #TolstoyTogether.
The Linda Lindas - "Growing Up"
Students Walk Out Over COVID-19 Safety Issues
Students are demanding to be protected from COVID-19 at schools. As schools return from winter break, the omicron COVID-19 variant continues to cause outbreaks among students, teachers, and staff at school. The staffing shortages have become so severe that some districts are asking parents to come in as substitutes and to fill in various roles at schools. In various cities, teachers unions and districts are fighting with over remote schooling and COVID safety. Amid the tumult, students are also fighting to be heard, and to guarantee their own safety in schools.
Stories to Read in 2022
61 Books By Women of Color to Read in 2022. Rare Toni Morrison short story to be published this month. 24 Must Read 2022 Books in Translation. 25 Cookbooks to Look Forward to in 2022. 49 Books We Can't Wait to Read in 2022. 55 Books We Can't Wait to Read in 2022.
A new, low-cost COVID vaccine gets approval for use in India
A COVID-19 vaccine created at the Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development in Houston has received emergency use authorization in India. The "Corbevax vaccine is cheap, has no patents and uses traditional protein-based vaccine technology", which will make it easier for lower/middle-income countries to produce and distribute, according to Dr. Peter Hotez, co-director of the Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development and dean at Baylor's National School of Tropical Medicine.
What Lois Lowry Remembers
#WhereIsPengShuai
Tennis star Peng Shuai has not made a public appearance since she accused Zhang Gaoli, a former Chinese vice premier, of sexual assault, sparking off discussions of #MeToo allegations. While the post was removed within minutes, the attention surrounding her has only grown as her silence has gained international attention. A statement and a few photos posted to social media supposedly by Peng Shuai by an employee of Chinese state media was unconvincing to an international audience. High-profile tennis players such as Serena Williams, Naomi Osaka, and Novak Djokovic are calling for proof of her uncoerced safety. In an unprecedented statement, the WTA CEO Steve Simon has publicly declared that he is willing to lose hundreds of millions of dollars worth of business in China if Peng is not fully accounted for and her allegations are not properly investigated.
From #striketober to #strikesgiving
Strikes across the country continue. Workers rediscover the power of unions as during #strikesgiving. Civil Eats urges solidarity with food workers and farmers. The Intercept discusses the current labor movement with labor reporter Jonah Furman and Nausicaa Renner and its implications in a podcast.
Mundane Halloween
A History Buried - the Chinese Massacre of 1871
The Chinese Massacre in Los Angeles was one of the worst atrocities to happen in the city. In the end, as a result of an accidental shooting, five hundred local white men killed 19 Chinese men and boys. Only a plaque currently memorializes the terrible event that occurred. Although some men stood trial, their charges were overturned and they were never retried.
#striketober international
#striketober isn't just for the US. Half a million workers in South Korea are prepared to stage a one-day general strike.
#striketober
Hashtag started by the AFL-CIO. The strike wave in the US has only just begun. From workers at HelloFresh to steelworkers to John Deere to crew workers in the film industry, all are fed up with the status quo.
Anita Mui
The biopic trailer of the Cantopop legend, a pet project of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragons producer and friend, Bill Kong.
The Bangladesh Safety Accord has been renewed.
Originally postponed for renewal by the pandemic, garment brands and global unions have come to an agreement on workplace safety. The original accord grew out of a response to several factory fires in Bangladesh in 2010 where workers were killed due to unsafe working conditions. The deal has only been renewed for two years, and many major US brands, such as Walmart, the Gap, JC Penney, have refused to sign it. It has received scant attention in US mainstream media.
H&M and Zara are among the major brands that have signed on to renew; however, campaigners are calling upon everyone to do more, to also protect workers wages.
"The man who can speak with his eyes"
How Tony Leung acts with his eyes, among other things. Tony Leung Chiu-Wai has played almost every type of role there is, from the comedic to dramatic, to tragic and romantic.
Zaila Avant-garde wins Scripps National Spelling Bee
Zaila Avant-garde is the first African American winner of the Scripps Spelling Bee. She won it after correctly spelling the word "murraya" correctly. She is also the first champion from Louisiana.
Happy 4th Anniversary of Tom Holland on Lip Sync Battle
It's the 4th anniversary of Tom Holland doing Rihanna's Umbrella. By now, of course, there is an oral history of how it happened. (Previously.)
Buy Nothing to grow up and out of Facebook
Buy Nothing groups are part of the Internet gift economy, currently only on Facebook. The idea is "give where you live" and to "buy nothing". Now they are building a sharing app, currently in beta.
#stopAAPIHate
There were 3800 anti-Asian racist incidents, mostly against women, in the past year. On Tuesday, 8 people were shot dead by a murderer who targeted Asian spa businesses and Asian women in Atlanta.
On Wednesday, two elderly Asian people were attacked unprovoked in San Francisco; one of them went viral for turning the tables on her assailant.
A Short History of Recent Anti-Asian Violence in the US
Anti-Asian violence in the US did not just start with the covid-19 pandemic, but it has escalated recently. In recent weeks, the Bay Area has gotten attention for many horrific, violent attacks on Asian elders in the community. It can be hard to separate the violence of anti-Asian racism from the violence of everyday poverty and neglect from the state.
The Limits of the Lunchbox Moment
“Belonging” doesn’t mean one thing. Jaya Saxena writes about realizing how she actually never had that "lunchbox moment", so often described in immigration/integration stories, where other kids made fun of her parents' food, and making space for other narratives about immigrant upbringings and belonging.
The Primal Scream
The pandemic exposed “balance” for the lie that it is. Now, a generation is teetering on the edge. A NYT package on motherhood, parenting during the pandemic, and everything it exposed.
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