In The News

Teochews Can Take Pride in Successes

Lee Hsien Loong November 24, 2003
Since at least the 1800s, Chinese immigrants speaking the Teochew dialect have moved to many regions of Southeast Asia in search of a better life. Many of them have become the most successful groups in their adopted countries, says Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Sometimes they seem "more than proportionately represented" in top-notch positions such as the Thai...

After the Crossing, Danger to Migrants Isn't Over

Charlie LeDuff November 11, 2003
A wave of violence has hit the Southwest US that is reminiscent of the drug wars of years past. But the victims now are illegal immigrants, caught in the crossfire of competing gangs, not members of rival drug cartels. Because of increased security after September 11, the price demanded for human smuggling across the US-Mexico border has increased drastically, rendering such operations almost...

The Future of Migration - Part Two

Lant Pritchett November 9, 2003
In Part II of a two-part series on the future of migration, economist Lant Pritchett argues that the forces building up to another wave of mass migration face opposition in the form of ideas. Simply put, he says, "the primary reason there is not more migration is that the citizens of the industrialized world don't want it." People in the industrialized world - the main...

The Reformers Must Always Go

Kristina Merkner November 7, 2003
At the general assembly of the Club of Madrid, a group of former heads of state and government officials, former Polish President Hanna Suchocka expressed optimism about Poland's accession to the European Union (EU) in 2004. While excited about Poland's new membership in the EU, Ms. Suchocka was aware of the potential problems that might arise once the country's 10-year old market...

Draft Law Would Expand Rights

Ko Shu-ling November 5, 2003
Taiwan's cabinet is considering a human rights bill that would enact sweeping changes in its official treatment of a variety of issues. The version of the bill now before the Cabinet would establish the right to vote through referendums on issues of public policy and constitutional reform. The right to hold a referendum has been contentious since Taiwan began its push to democratization,...

The Future of Migration - Part One

Lant Pritchett November 5, 2003
Immigration is an issue that elicits heated views from all sides of the political and economic spectrum. In the 21st century, how might we expect our lives and societies to be affected by changes in immigration? In Part One of a two-part series, economist Lant Pritchett argues that there are five irresistible forces setting the world up for a new wave of mass migration. Topping the list are...

Migration Affects National Cultures

Jürgen Kaube October 31, 2003
Germany has only just begun to understand the implications of the increasing presence of migrant workers, says this article in a Germany weekly. Whether Muslim women should be allowed to wear head scarves in class is only a small part of the bigger questions of national identity, assimilation, and economic need. "By repeatedly expressing our unease about the mixed implications of...