In The News

Iranian Exiles Struggle to Stay Involved

Neil MacFarquhar July 30, 2010
The reelection of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in June 2009 sparked some of the worst social unrest in Iran since the1979 Islamic Revolution. Using popular networking websites such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, protesters mobilized quickly on streets and university campuses. Swift government repression ensued causing some protesters to seek refuge abroad. Away from home, using internet...

Unwanted Immigrants: America’s Deportation Dilemma

Joseph Chamie July 27, 2010
Increased labor mobility has accompanied global population growth and ease of travel. The world has roughly 50 million illegal migrants, about one quarter of which live in the US. Nations widely oppose illegal immigration, but identifying, catching and then deporting violators present a huge challenge, explains Joseph Chamie, research director for the Center for Migration Studies. Attitudes about...

Headless Bodies and Other Immigration Tall Tales in Arizona

Dana Milbank July 16, 2010
Immigration has been a major driver of US economic growth, but at a time of economic distress, it has emerged as a contentious issue. Recent attempts by politicians to exploit concerns over immigration by falsehood or exaggeration could have unintended consequences. Defending a new law targeting illegal immigrants, Arizona politicians claim rising violence along the state’s border shared with...

Global Migration: A World Ever More on the Move

Jason DeParle June 29, 2010
People’s movement around the globe – for work, wanderlust or safety – has long reordered the world in ways comprehended only decades, even centuries later, notes Jason DeParle for the New York Times. New arrivals influence trade, work habits, schools, culture and politics at all levels. Mobility is at historically high levels, and the United Nations estimates the globe has more than 200 million...

Taming Globalization? Kebabs, Mini-Skirts and Meth – Part II

Ilaria Maria Sala May 20, 2010
Citizens around the globe understandably want to honor and protect their culture, expressed through language, food and art, from “foreign” influence – although such influences were often essential in creating traditions. The second article of this two-part series examines Italy’s battle against globalization, as politicians scramble to outdo one another with populist laws aimed at banning foreign...

Globalization Helps Spread 'Exotic' Diseases

Muiris Houston May 5, 2010
Globalization means increased travel and tourism for many people in the developed world. But when travelers return home, they can bring more than photographs and memories. Often unbeknownst to them, pathogens travel on their bodies and with belongings. In recent years, Europe has seen the outbreak of a handful of diseases traditionally associated with the tropical world. Northern Italy saw...

Listening to (and Saving) the World’s Languages

Sam Roberts May 4, 2010
Immigrants in New York City have made it a place of remarkable linguistic diversity. There are an estimated 800 languages spoken, meaning that globalization has allowed languages born in every corner of the world to gather in New York City. As globalization places a priority on a handful of major languages in the world for business purposes, other languages have become rare and are dying out. But...