The “What Are You” Game: Rules and Regulations

By Guest Contributor CVT, originally published at Choptensils
I’m mixed. Chinese mother, white father. I don’t particularly look like either of them (nor do I look definitively “Chinese” or “white”). Ethnically-ambiguous mixed kid. In a country (U.S.) that likes to think of “race” as an either/or thing (and usually just “black” and [...]

Latina Artist/Muralist Draws Fire For Her Depiction of Women of Color

by Latoya Peterson
Erica Kennedy and Marisol LeBron called our attention to controversy over a new mural in New York.

According to My Fox New York, opponents of the work claim that the mural (prominently placed on 42nd street) draws on negative images of black and Latina women:
The mural was recently put up on 42nd Street. It [...]

Speed Trap: George Lopez To Play Speedy Gonzales

By Special Correspondent Arturo R. García
Nothing good can come of a new Speedy Gonzales film. No matter what the intentions, or the updates George Lopez’s wife, Ann, is promising:
“We wanted to make sure that it was not the Speedy of the 1950s – the racist Speedy. Speedy’s going to be a misunderstood boy who comes [...]

Confusion in the Come-on: Racial Assumptions in Random Places

by Special Correspondent Wendi Muse
From the annoying “hey shorty” and vulgar comments about my pouty lips to the more polite “Good morning, beautiful,” catcalls are a nuisance. Much like stereotypes, even the so-called “positive” ones can be frustrating and equally as demeaning as they reduce one’s existence solely to the physical. In addition, they remind [...]

The Game “Supports” Korean Pop Group

by Angry Asian Man, originally published at Angry Asian Man

This is the situation, as I understand it. For the past couple of days, fans of the Korean pop group 2PM were tweeting “#RT기 다릴게 박재범 기다릴게 2PM” (never mind what it means) to show love the group’s ousted Korean American leader Jaebum, who had [...]

Selling The Fear: The ‘All-American Basketball Alliance’

by Special Correspondent Arturo R. García
Sweet River Bainesklong | MySpace Video
Just before MLK Day, a jabrone by the name of Don “Moose” Lewis announced his intention to organize the All-American Basketball Alliance: a new hoops league open only to U.S.-born white people – you know, American natives, but not Native Americans.
As a rule, any “announcement” [...]

The New York Times on Korean Americans and Suicide

By Deputy Editor Thea Lim

Reader Carleandria sent us this strange New York Times article about heightened suicide rates in Korean American New York communities:
The number of suicides reported to the local Korean Consulate General has more than doubled this year, to 15 from 6 last year, and there were 5 in 2007. All of the [...]

Sex In The Diamond District: Race, Love, And Relationships In Washington

by Latoya Peterson, originally published at Jezebel
Note: As I mentioned before, I’m not really interested in writing on racial issues for the Jezebel audience.  However, my analysis always incorporates race, gender, and class, and I was interested enough to comment lightly on this story.  I am in the process of writing a longer piece about [...]

SBF Seeks Social Validation: Why Are So Many Black Women Single?!?!?

by Special Correspondent Wendi Muse
I am 26 years old, have a college degree, and middle class. I am typically well-dressed and well-groomed. I have never been called ugly, quite the opposite, and I speak several languages. I am nice, courteous, and well-spoken. My big “flaw”? I’m black, female, and single.
At least according to the world [...]

“Successful, Black and Lonely”

By Special Correspondent Nadra Kareem
Who am I praying finds love? In recent weeks, a white woman, a black woman, a Korean-American woman and a Chicana have all made the cut. You wouldn’t know that from reading “Successful, black and lonely,” though. This Washington Post article profiles Helena Andrews and her new book about single black [...]

Dear SNL, It’s Time to Retire Virginiaca

by Special Correspondent Wendi Muse
“There’s mama drama at the mall!”
Do you ever just want to throw a very heavy object toward your television? I don’t even own a functioning television at present, using my laptop instead to get caught up on all the shows I miss (thanks Netflix, ABC, NBC, MTV, etc etc), but I [...]

‘Jersey Shore’: Believe The Hype

By Special Correspondent Arturo R. García

Three weeks in, Jersey Shore has played out exactly as you expected: the gang of eight Italian-Americans gathers at the hot tub to sip some wine and reflect upon their heritage and culture, including a unanimous vote to use their newfound platform to protest the depiction of the Italian justice [...]

Crack and Hip Hop Politically Underdeveloped Young People

by Guest Contributor M.Dot, originally published at Model Minority

On a fluke a few of weeks ago, I picked up a dvd about the Black Panthers and the student and employee strike at SF State that created the first Black Studies department in the country.
It was in watching this video that realized that both crack and [...]

Running With the Wolves – A Racialicious Reading of the Twilight Saga

by Latoya Peterson
***SPOILERS***

I would have missed the Twilight phenomenon completely had it not been for my boyfriend’s younger sisters. As the tale of Bella and Edward swept bookstores, ravaged Hot Topic, and launched a thousand live journal wars, I was blissfully unaware. It wasn’t until the book Eclipse popped up on two adolescent [...]

New Moon: Old Story?

by Special Correspondent Wendi Muse
Most people talk about the fans. They are typically teenage girls screaming, crying, fainting at the sight of the pallid Robert Pattinson (who plays the Byronic hero Edward Cullen, a vampire who strives to avoid his bloodthirsty desires for the sake of preserving humanity). Now with the post-pubescent buffing up of [...]