Mixed Race Growing Higher in the U.S. Census

This is an interesting read especially given my last post.

Mixed Race Americans Picture A 'Blended Nation'

The 2000 U.S. census was the first to give Americans the option to check more than one box for race. Nearly 7 million people declared themselves to be multiracial that year, a number that's expected to shoot up in the 2010 count. As more of the nation's population identifies itself as being of mixed race, the authors of a new book say Americans' traditional ideas of racial identity are in for a challenge.

In the book Blended Nation, photographer Mike Tauber and producer Pamela Singh combine portraits of mixed-race Americans with stories of living beyond the sometimes rigid notions of race. The husband-and-wife team tell host Liane Hansen they wanted to highlight the personal experiences of life between categories.



Read more here!

Mixed Girl Does NOT Equal White Girl

I have been called white by a couple of my friends in the past few months. Even though I specificly told them that I have mixed blood. This hurts me deeply. I accept my "white" side (although I do not regard Italians and Jews as whites because of the descrimination they STILL face today). However, the people that have stuck by me are mixed or 100% Indian. The only family that wants to meet is on the Indian side.

Its hurts when friends call me white because its like they think I have never dealt with descrimination. Its hurts when they call me white because I feel like then a huge part of the family that I have always known and that has always stuck by me has now disappeared from my life due to being termed "white."

I am proud of all my ethnicities. When people ask what am I, I tell them that I am multi-ethnic or mixed. Multi-ethnic people are the people that are discrimated by everyone even by their own blood. Throughout history laws have been created to prevent our very conception and birth. Goverments have put us into camps to try to breed the "brown" or "black" out of us. I am proud of where I am from. I just wish the people that I love would understand that.

So for the record, please do not put me into your little box for I do not belong there.

Death in Detroit

Detroit, Michigan is known for its crime. However, the death of Imam Luqman Ameen Abdulluh was not done by the hands of a deliquent but by the gun of the FBI. The FBI claims that Imam Luqman was trying to wage "jihad" in the United States and start an Islamic caliphate here. However, the people who are closest to him disagree with this.

I do not know much of this man. I recently found out through a friend of his death. However, if representatives such as the executive director of CAIR (Council of American Islamic Relations) in Michigan speaks against this shooting then it makes me stop to think...were these actions really necessary? Did this man really have to die in the name of security?

The Daily Show is Awesome!!!

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Exclusive - Anna Baltzer & Mustafa Barghouti Extended Interview Pt. 1
http://www.thedailyshow.com/
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Health Care Crisis

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Exclusive - Anna Baltzer & Mustafa Barghouti Extended Interview Pt. 2
http://www.thedailyshow.com/
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Health Care Crisis

I have never seen anything like this on U.S. media and I applaud The Dailey Show with John Stewart which did it!!! By the way, the show did this with extreme pressure to cancel. Please thank the show in any way you can so that this is not a one time thing. Americans need to be educated and informed about what is actually going on in the world.

Latinas Finding Islam

So a couple of my friends on facebook posted this link which is to a short video about Latinas finding Islam. It interested and excited me so much that I had to go find the article that was mentioned in the video.


In the Name of Allah
Written by Margaret Ramirez PHOTOS Stacey Freudenberg and Eve Rivera 10 August 2009

Inside the Parkway Ballroom on Chicago’s South Side, a small crowd of young Latino Muslims is grooving to hip-hop beats, bonded by background and religious beliefs.

Soon hip-hop singer Liza Garza takes the stage, a striking blend of Muslim and Latina. Her head is wrapped in a violet kerchief, a denim jacket covers a lime green peasant dress and purple leg warmers slouch around her green Nikes.

Then Liza sings in Spanish, crying out a heartbreaking ballad of unity, love and pain. For some, these are the emotions of Latino Muslims: “Lágrimas de sangre lloro y, por eso, canto de amor,” she sings. “Para mi gente, [el] color no importa, porque todos [los] hermanos duelen de algo (sic), y por ellos (sic) que siempre encuentran pena, pero nunca lloran una lágrima.” (I cry blood tears and that’s why I sing about love. For my people, color does not matter because all brothers hurt, they always find pain although they never shed a tear.)

In the crowd, Naadhera Rodriguez, 31, feels the connection. She’s a Mexican-American who left behind her clubbing days for a Muslim lifestyle where she found a new sisterhood.

Hazel Gomez feels it, too. A 24-year-old graduate student raised by her Puerto Rican grandparents, Hazel converted to Islam in high school, leaving her Catholic abuelo in tears. “In high school, I remember seeing Muslim girls fasting during Ramadan and I couldn’t believe how happy they were. I wanted to have that happiness in my life,” she said. “I felt my heart being drawn to it.”

Enjoy the rest here!

Who is Mouna Oueslati?

Mouna Oueslati is currently trying to get elected to legisatative body in Tunis. She is 28 years old and is one of the youngest seeking election. Her program focuses on the youth and issues that face youth today such as the high unemployment rate. She seems very interesting to me.

Here are the points of her program if she is to get on the final list and run for election.

"- Respect for public and individual freedoms as well as the freedom of belief, respect for human rights and protecting them against violations;

- Complete gender equality, and preventing all gender and belief-based discrimination among all society members;

- Establishing a democratic republic on the basis of full citizenship;

- Upholding direct public balloting as the only legitimate source of ruling;

- Respect for civil society, being a space for citizenship, freedom and counter-authority;

- Ensuring the government's lack of bias towards citizens, regardless of their belief or political affiliation;

- And the circulation of power, separation of authorities, the independence of the judiciary from the executive authority, and the legislative authority monitoring the executive authority.

Since the list is basically made up of young people, we will seek to address the role of the youth in managing the public state of affairs, the problem of unemployment and recruitment of holders of university degrees, activating women's role in the political life and enhancing the principle of gender equality."

This is my favorite quote from the article I was reading:

Oueslati: None of the existing parties offer programmes that are aligned with my convictions, especially in terms of regarding youth as an essential component in decision-making, and the adamant defence of democracy – through true actions and practices – and of the values of rationality and progress.

Notably, I was an activist within the national initiative for democracy and progress, in the committee of women and equality. I sensed a certain lack of seriousness in the administration of the Ettajdid Movement and their desire to monopolise decision-making and their dealing with youth as a mere figure with no role to play in their political manoeuvring.

You can read her whole interview on Magharebia Online here.

I can't seem to find much other information about her in English. If you know anything more please comment or e-mail me at Sharshura @ hotmail.com.

Drink of Champions

With the coming months bringing the Chicago cold and for some reason a type of monsoon season in October, hot chocolate makes everything better. I swear you can reduce your heat bill if you drink at the very least one cup a day. So folks, enjoy that nice cup of chocolately goodness.

Foto credit: lenaskitchen.wordpress.com