The Hyphenated Life

I'll take Latino for 800, Alex

Tue, 18 Sep 2012 23:10:23 GMT

There have been 43 men elected to the office of President; 42 of them have been white, and one has not been. Given that, I'm confused by Romney's political calculus. Which is, in essence: This election thing would be a heck of a lot easier if I could get my ethnic on.

Racism Dead; Hub Woman Rejoices

Thu, 28 Jun 2012 15:49:58 GMT

We've been breathlessly forecasting the arrival of a post-racial society going on four years. Now, according to conservative columnist Jeff Jacoby, it's Jubilee time. "America's racist past is dead and gone," he proclaimed, and as I read on all I could think is, this is gonna be some funeral.

Out Of The (Immigration) Closet

Sat, 16 Jun 2012 01:58:51 GMT

In announcing a dramatic policy shift that would halt the deportation of undocumented immigrants brought here as children, President Obama underlined an issue at the heart of the debate over a generation of immigrants who have known no other home...

The Myth of Native American Blood

Fri, 01 Jun 2012 21:15:08 GMT

The vast majority of Americans are incapable of truly grasping Native American identity, scholars say. And as the melodrama surrounding Elizabeth Warren continues to unfold, her romanticized claims and the cries of fraud it has unleashed only serve as more proof that we still don't grasp it.

Jay-Z In the Range

Wed, 16 May 2012 00:25:56 GMT

I can remember the day I decided to stop being a homophobe. It was the same day I realized I was one. I was in the 10th grade; it was 1986. The day before, in my high school locker room,...

Denouncing Hate: It's Called Bruins

Sat, 28 Apr 2012 03:05:02 GMT

The most incredible performance, of course, came from Joel Ward. To all of the venomous rants, and to the media circus surrounding those rants, this son of a nurse and an auto mechanic responded in a way many would not have been capable of: with more excellence.

Girls In White

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 16:31:16 GMT

With Girls, Dunham has been catapulted from indie-film darling to Hollywood It-girl, heralded by culture critics as a fearless visionary capturing the zeitgeist of young cosmopolitan womanhood in a post-Carrie-Bradshaw age. But the problem I have with Dunham is that the vision of New York City she's offering us in 2012 -- like Sex and the City in 1998 and for that matter Friends in 1994 -- is almost entirely devoid of the people who make up the large majority of New Yorkers, and have for some time now: Latinos, Asians and blacks.

Take A Bite Out of Crime (Not the Life Out of a Boy)

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 04:59:34 GMT

Once the iconic face of neighborhood crime watch, McGruff the Crime Dog has seen his influence has wane dramatically in recent years. That's unfortunate, because right now we need his gravelly, common-sense public service announcements to remind us what an actual suspicious criminal scenario looks like, and what an appropriate crime-watch response looks like.

A More Perfect Union for Trayvon

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 20:36:54 GMT

As President Obama cautiously reacted to the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, his words were eerily reminiscent of the message candidate Obama delivered exactly four years ago this week, during his historic Philadelphia speech on race.

You Will Never Be A Fireman

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 03:21:18 GMT

When I read about the black child actors from "The Help" being told they would never amount to anything in order to prepare them for their 1960s-era roles, I was reminded of how many black children today are still getting the same message today -- with no director to say "Cut."

How Not To Cover Jeremy Lin

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 03:24:14 GMT

In a depressing statement on the state of affairs in our increasingly multicultural, multi-ethnic society, the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) had to step into the role of Archie Bunker's son-in-law, issuing an advisory to the American media yesterday with guidelines on how to cover -- and not cover -- New York Knicks point guard and sudden NBA phenom Jeremy Lin.

The Loving Story

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 16:28:54 GMT

On this day of overpriced bouquets and tacky heart-shaped jewelry, I am thinking of Richard and Mildred Loving, a couple who, with no wedding planner, came to have one of the most original and unique nuptials in US history: They were ultimately pronounced man and wife by the Supreme Court in Loving v. Virginia.

Let Us Now Praise Brief Remarks

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 12:42:42 GMT

Without uttering the words "Union," "Confederate," "slavery" or "Gettysburg," Lincoln spoke to the war's watershed significance: to state's rights and federal powers, to slavery and liberty, to the fragility of freedom and the story of an imperfect people willing freedom into being.

King's Legacy Touches Golden Globes

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 16:40:57 GMT

For actress Octavia Spencer, winning wasn't the only accomplishment when she made her way to the stage at last night's Golden Globe Awards, accepting the prize for her role as the outspoken Minnie Jackson in the blockbuster movie "The Help."

Ready. Set. Race.

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 23:37:10 GMT

After years trying to get Americans to wrestle with a subject that makes most of us cringe -- race -- anthropologist Michael Baran hit on a strategy trusted by parents everywhere to get kids to eat vegetables and brush their teeth: He turned race into a game. And the name of the game is Guess My Race.