Links – 2009-01-27
Compiled by Latoya Peterson and Fatemeh Fakhraie
On Amreeka, a Sundance film that examines the lives of Arab Americans.
What distinguishes the film from others is its sense of humor. Laughter, not tragedy is the watershed of Munah’s life. “I wanted to tell a story that’s lighthearted,” Dabis said. “There’s a side to the experience that’s funny, that’s all about family. The film is really about the larger struggle for belonging that applies to everyone. It’s about a woman who is trying to start a new life and a kid who desperately wants to fit in and distance himself from his family.”
The International Herald Tribune describes Kabul’s growing interest in skateboarding:
Among those who look forward to his visits is Maro, an elfin 9-year-old girl who was terrified of skateboarding at first.
“It gives me courage, and once I start skating, I completely forget about my fears,” she said.
Maro’s glittery Mickey Mouse shirt indicated middle-class status. She stood out from the street children in muddied clothes who shared the skate space. Because the sport is so new and unusual here, Percovich said, it may help mend the country’s deep social and ethnic divisions.
But for Hadisa, a 10-year-old girl from a conservative family, skateboarding has not been accepted. She said two older brothers beat her with wires for skating with poorer children in September. Several friends said they had seen blood flowing from her leg.
“I’m not upset with my brothers for beating me,” Hadisa whispered on a recent day when she did not skate because her oldest brother was nearby. “They have the right.”
Nashwa Al Ruwaini, Kuwaiti TV personality, aims to tackle Arab stereotypes in the Western media:
Through her company, Pyramedia, Nashwa aims to tackle negative Arab stereotypes through the media and establish more authentic representations of Arabs and Muslims while establishing an internal dialogue between the Islamic World and the West.
‘If we can highlight to the world that our part of the world has more to offer its people than oppression and terrorist sentiments then people in the West will start to view the Arab World in a different light.’
Culture in the Blender has an interesting take on Barack Obama’s inauguration:
It’s not just the wow factor of a TCK getting elected in a fantastically nationalistic country – his attitude and approach feel so intimately familiar. He is averse to burning bridges and acts as if he himself can be one at any time. He understands that any of his words may be picked up by news media and broadcast anywhere in the world, and addresses a global audience accordingly. He thinks about whom he’s talking to and makes changes to make them comfortable – by, say, wearing a silly American flag pin.
Also at Sundance, Chris Rock takes a second to get serious and talks about his new movie Good Hair.
And take a minute to check Afrobella’s take.
Parents are angered that Latino and African American students are targeted for pep talks.
The NY Times explores the growing hip-hop movement in China:
Mr. Wong, who became interested in hip-hop when he heard Public Enemy in the mid-’90s, said rapping helps him deal with bitterness that comes with realizing he is one of the millions left out of China’s economic boom.
The Washington Post covers the mixed reception for Slumdog Millionaire in India:
Some of Mumbai’s poor also are taking offense. On Thursday, a small band of slum residents, organized by a social activist, held up banners reading “Poverty for Sale” and “I am not a dog” outside the home of Anil Kapoor, one of the film’s stars.
But many more slum residents — the people who keep this teeming metropolis running by working as drivers, tea wallahs (or vendors), cobblers, laundry men and tailors — say it’s about time they received some attention in a country that tries to present itself as a success story, better known for its booming economy and its growing roster of millionaires than for the mayhem of its slums, among the world’s largest. They say slumdogs are underdogs who deserve a film about their lives.
The Root uncovers a secret about those ubiquitous Obama cardboard cut outs:
The only problem? Everyone’s favorite cardboard president is not our president at all. Look closely from the neck down. Look at the hands poking out from the sleeves. They are white. Yes. That’s right. Look. The ubiquitous Obama cutout seems to have a white body—one that’s about 30 pounds heavier, with clearly white, wedding band-less hands, holding glasses that Obama doesn’t wear—beneath the head of the real 44.
Just when we thought the nation was finally in black hands!
Jezebel asks: How Do You Solve a Problem Like Michelle Obama?
She’s fashion’s latest muse, and yet…not. Says New York, “There lurks an unspoken, uneasy relationship between the industry and its newest icon.” To put it bluntly, Michelle Obama makes fashion feel bad about itself.
The Southern Poverty Law Center (via Alternet) provides more proof that we aren’t post-racial:
Now, these groups have begun to turn their attention to Obama – distributing racist propaganda, filling Internet message boards with threats and messages of hate, and, in some cases, taking more direct action against minorities. Here is a sampling of racial incidents reported in the wake of the election:
* Police in Riverside County, California, said five attacks on minorities were likely related to the election and were believed to have been carried out by a local white supremacist gang.
* In Shreveport, La., a black man wearing an Obama T-shirt was brutally beaten by a group of white men screaming “f–k Obama” and “n—–r president.” The attack left the man with a broken nose, broken eye socket and broken tear duct, requiring multiple surgeries.
* In Springfield, Mass., a black church was burned hours after the election was called for Obama. Authorities later arrested three white men.
* In Staten Island, N.Y., a black teen was bloodied and bruised by two white teens who shouted “Obama” while pummeling him with a bat and pipe.
* In Rexburg, Idaho, second- and third-graders on a school bus chanted “assassinate Obama.”
* In Torrance, Calif., swastikas and racial slurs were spray-painted on homes and cars of people who displayed Obama signs or bumper stickers.
* In Milwaukee, a poster of Obama with a bullet going through his head was discovered in a police staion.
* In Maine, a sign at a convenience store invited customers to join a betting pool on when Obama would be assassinated. The sign said, “Let’s hope we have a winner.”
Gay Persons of Color discusses “Gaza, Israel, Homosexuality, and Complexity and Contradictions on the Left:”
Recently, two call outs, organized as a Pink Block, were made for a protest to denounce what was called the “Israeli apartheid” in Gaza. I declined both invitations feeling like I couldn’t participate in a movement that vilified the only country in the middle east in which gay people have legal rights. As I discussed in another post, gay Palestinians have a difficult time living in Gaza or the West Bank and are in a position to either be quiet about who they love or risk homophobic violence from an Islamic government that would rather see them put away or dead.
(Thanks to Elton, William, and Lydia for contributing.)
Carmen Van Kerckhove is co-founder and president of
Ugly Deaf Muslim Punk Gurl! wrote:
Yuck, I hate Jezebel. I stopped reading that shitty website months ago after I got tired with that website’s hypocrisy about women in power and fashion. STOP TALKING ABOUT MICHELLE OBAMA AS A “FASHION ICON”!!!! She graduated from Harvard and Princeton, a well-respected lawyer, and all people can do is reduce her to fashion?
What a huge fucking insult.
Posted 27 Jan 2009 at 1:20 pm ¶
KunarKing wrote:
You never ever post on Afghanistan but when you do decide to for the first time… it’s about skateboarding?! Out of all the enormous issues that Afghans (and Americans too mind you) have to deal with! Racialicious has really gone downhill…
Posted 27 Jan 2009 at 2:11 pm ¶
Paz wrote:
–LOl, actually the Jez article talks about how Michelle Obama is being revered as a fashion icon, yet unlike other icons, her life isn’t fashion. Which is a problem for the industry because it goes against everything they try to promote. And it also deals with them actually embracing a Black woman, and if it means anything , or if it’s just a pat on the back for them, and then another five years until we see a black woman on the cover of Vogue.
. It’s more about the fashion industry than it is about Michelle Obama.
–PSYCHED for “Good Hair.” A bit odd that it’s coming from a male, but I am definitely going to check it out.l
Posted 27 Jan 2009 at 2:50 pm ¶
Cara wrote:
Wow, why haven’t were heard more about the reports the SPLC published?!!!
And speaking of Sundance, has anyone heard the reviews for “Push: Based on the novel by Sapphire”? I’ve heard great things about it and it did well at Sundance.
check out a synopsis here: http://www.africameleon.wordpress.com
You can also visit the Sundance Film Festival website and Youtube.
Posted 27 Jan 2009 at 3:20 pm ¶
Cynthia wrote:
UDMPG, what’s wrong with being a fashion icon? In today’s environment of trashy dressers (even among women Mrs. Obama’s age), I think her look is a breath of fresh air. I shop at similar stores as Mrs. Obama (J.Crew, Banana Republic, H&M, etc) and she is making it ok for me to continue to shop there for the next fifteen years.
Posted 27 Jan 2009 at 3:37 pm ¶
gatamala wrote:
I’m looking forward to Amreeka. Hopefully the actors will be able to parlay their talents into other films.
Upon reflecting on recent posts, I’m not optimistic.
Posted 27 Jan 2009 at 3:42 pm ¶
Daniel wrote:
Wow, this is a lot of different issues.
Can’t really say much for some but I could comment a bit about the others.
It’s pretty obvious that the whole post-racial slogam is just a cliche. While having the first black president is definantly an historic miilestone for many reasons, people shouldn’t ignore the root causes of racial problems in this country…I’m sure there a lot of other reasons but the main ones the stick up in my mind is that people in the US are way too judgemental,comfortable and superficial…to a point that they don’t bother learning and moving on. Plus the fact of the history of racial violence in this country and those type of sentiments have been carried on through several generations. Hence, it will take generations to handle it.
I’m sure there are examples around the world and people like to use the arguement about a few bad apples dont’ represent them all. This is all true but it only takes one idiot to ruin everyone.
I could go on, but you all can figure it out eventually.
The other topic is the issue behind slumdog millionaire and the Hip Hop in China. Most individuals understand that with that many people, there’s going to be a lot of visible disparity between rich and poor. Capitalism (without something else to balance it) in general, is a dog eat dog type of mentality where there has to be haves and have nots. So much of it is common sense, and it doesn’t take a movie or musical art form to tell that but it helps.
The Arab/Muslim stereotypes in the media does need to be tackle but I don’t know how any meaningful dialogue or movement can be produce since the media culture is very intertwined with entertainment, government, public rhetoric and heavily influenced by the policies and opinions of it’s jounrnalists and business. Sometimes, if you want to find out the bigger picture of news stories, you need to read 20 different articles (even if some contradict one another) to truly understand, because medica culture isn’t uniform.
Also, while there’s a lot of people who can distinguish reality and fantasy, there’s a lot who could not or will not. You can show the truth as it is rather than what it appears to be or present information with many perspectives and critique but some people will still see whatever they want to see. Like for example, you can show a Muslim family doing things that any healthy family does together and there would be idiots out there who will twist it into something its not, if you all get my point.
Posted 27 Jan 2009 at 4:49 pm ¶
MelMel wrote:
@UDMPunkGirl: Exactly, girl. Good call.
Posted 27 Jan 2009 at 5:03 pm ¶
LaurynX wrote:
I dislike Jezebel for the simple fact that they have a sound bite for woc every blue moon–other than that it’s all white programming all the time.
Posted 27 Jan 2009 at 6:09 pm ¶
Fatemeh wrote:
Crap! I was gonna put up this one, too, but didn’t make it in time:
http://uppitybrownwoman.wordpress.com/2009/01/20/being-colour-blind-is-not-a-solution/
About how “color blind” is stupid.
Posted 27 Jan 2009 at 6:11 pm ¶
Paz wrote:
I’ve only recently started to look at Jezebel, but I’ve seen quite a bit coverage about WOC. (They’ve had a couple of posts citing Racialicious.) Plus many many of the people who comment are WOC, so they offer their perspective. Just sharing my observations of the past week, mind you.
Posted 27 Jan 2009 at 6:38 pm ¶
Rchoudh wrote:
Wow so many interesting articles! Here’s my take on them:
Amreeka- should be worth checking out. There’s lots of other 2nd Gen American stories out there so this should be something similar except with the added influence of post 9/11 world.
Skates in Kabul- cute and sweet. I hope the project works out
Tackling Arab stereotypes- good move but I’m interested in how they will try to counter it all. Will they try to replace older negative stereotypes with more positive ones? Positive stereotypes can be almost as bad as negative ones so I hope they don’t go that route.
Chris Rock and Good Hair- I heard about this earlier. Hope it’s insightful enough. Rock could inject some good humor to it which would be nice.
Hip hop movement in China- I’ve been reading about Hip hop’s influence in Europe particularly with the disaffected Muslim youth there. It’s interesting to see how Hip Hop and rap can be used to bring awareness to social issues affecting marginalized communities.
Slumdog reception- I’ve been reading alot of other articles about India’s reception of it. The IMDB boards on this movie are explosive and polarizing. I can understand both sides of the issue so I don’t know where I stand. The movie itself seems nice though (if you ignore the sociopolitical and cultural connotations).
Michelle Obama and fashion- yeah I think it confuses the fashion industry how to cater to a highly accomplished woman who cares about fashion but not to the point where it consumes her entire life. But I don’t their confusion will last long unfortunately; they don’t strike me as the introspective type generally. It’s easier to cater to women whose lives are geared towards finding the latest trends and accessories.
Alternet report- very disturbing. It is unfortunately true that during hard times people usually try to find a scapegoat to blame all their problems on, especially if they’re not self critical. Hopefully it’s all just a bunch of hot air being blown about by a bunch of xenophobic racist loonies.
Posted 28 Jan 2009 at 1:03 pm ¶
Matt wrote:
It’s apparent from the comments there that a key word in the post from Gay Persons of Color is “villified.” I certainly don’t think that Israel should be immune to criticism because it’s more gay-friendly than most nations on earth (let alone, ‘the neighborhood’). But it is a nation with strengths and failings and a complicated history, that I think can be viewed in 3-D. I really appreciate this line:
Posted 29 Jan 2009 at 12:11 pm ¶
Joseph wrote:
“the neighborhood’?
…is a creepy, snide Orientalist and Islamophobic slur. It’s inappropriate language for an anti-racist site.
Posted 29 Jan 2009 at 1:18 pm ¶