Everyone knows not to be in Lima in winter, because of the weather. I would add to this that if you are traveling (as opposed to renting your own apartment), not to be in Miraflores in the month of July because it is inundated with “backpackers” and other people you left Europe and the United [...]
Gonzalo Portocarrero (among others) says we should look at racism in daily life. The other day we went to a rather fancy lunch at RUSTICA and I noticed that many employees - many more than in most restaurants - were Afro-Peruvian. It had to be intentional.
Given the atmosphere the restaurant creates I decided this was [...]
“As democracy is perfected, the office of president represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their hearts’ desire at last and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron.”
H.L. Mencken wrote this and just to [...]
Soon after coming to live with me, the cat informed me that he was a Kitten and would remain one until at least age three. In my opinion he was already a Teenager, but after some thought I accepted his proposal. I did expect some adult behavior, such as being able chase away those cats [...]
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In the 20th century, what I disliked about the patriarchy was being told, simultaneously, that I would not do well enough to satisfy men, but also that I must not do well enough to scare them or any other authorities. In the 21st century what I dislike about authoritarian society, aside from corporatization and Wal*Martization, [...]
I keep referring to my Research Insight of 1981, which would have made me famous had I realized how great an Insight it was, changed my major to Economics, written an honors thesis on it, and then turned that into an article to get me into graduate school. Now a friend from those days has [...]
I am arguing endlessly with my youngest brother on the topic of race and I want to give up. I want to say:
Dear C., While I know you are a mixed Creole, and I know you want everyone to recognize you as such, I also know that where you are living, most people do not [...]
Clinton has, to be sure, faced a raw misogyny that has been more out in the open than the racial attacks on Obama have been. But while sexism may be more casually accepted, racism, which is often coded, is more insidious and trickier to confront. Clinton’s response to “Iron my shirt” was immediate and straightforward: [...]
Of course I like the name Shahrzad very much and am considering adopting it myself. In Arabic class my name was Ouidad but Ouidad is now a hair salon in New York and I am not. Here is Shahrzad:
“The record of the feminist movement worldwide shows that the struggle for liberation is multidimensional, with numerous [...]
The concept of citizenship is apparently difficult. Many people do not know what it is. They are nationalistic and they want immigrants, for instance, “to know our language and our culture, to understand our form of government and our laws.” Yet they tend not to believe in the rights of “man” and citizen. Daniel Brook’s [...]
