In The News

Arab Press Review

Salamander Davoidi August 1, 2003
Anti-American sentiment pervaded Arab newspapers this week. The intensity varies from writer to writer, as does the focus; however, this weekly survey of Arab newspapers shows Middle Eastern media united in their denouncement of American power. One heated Syrian journalist described the US government as violent and stupid, and denounced the US for imposing sanctions on Syria until it has...

Chinese are Taking to the Card

Goh Sui Noi July 31, 2003
The rise of a young, urban middle class and the increasing numbers of credit card shoppers is taking China's financial world by storm. China's fast-emerging middle class is generally composed of young, educated, city dwellers with good jobs and fast paced lifestyles. Ten years ago, when the market economy was still new, paying on credit was unheard of. Today, however, more and more...

Spirit of the Tiger (and Wild West)

Jane Perlez July 22, 2003
A traditional Javanese dance drama has begun to incorporate elements from American movies. Javanese men perform the traditional dance - a depiction of the historic indigenous resistance against Dutch colonialists - at important village events. This traditional art form has survived in spite of modernization and the increased integration of the Javanese region into the global economy. However,...

A Generation on the Move in Europe

Keith B. Richburg July 22, 2003
In the late twentieth and early twenty-first century, a new Generation E (Europe) has emerged, bringing into question long-revered notions of national identity and culture among Europeans. World War II solidified national identity because it was fought along national lines. But the younger Generation E, comprised of elite and middle class university educated Europeans, is well acquainted with...

Closing the Culture Gap

John Boudreau July 18, 2003
California's San Francisco Bay area attracts a diverse group of people from around the world who come to the US for work, pleasure, or study. When the love bug strikes, though, do cultural differences just fade into the background? Certainly not, says this article in San Jose's Mercury Times. Nonetheless, honest communication and an open mind can help bridge those inevitable cross-...

The Sweetest Revenge

Stefan Theil July 14, 2003
The 2,000 year old Jewish community in Uzbekistan in Central Asia is all but a relic of the past. Due to the economic crisis in Uzbekistan, the majority of its Jewish population is choosing to immigrate to Germany, more even than to Israel. As a result, only 60 years after the Holocaust decimated Germany's Jewish population, the influx of Central Asian Jews is revitalizing the Jewish-...

Immigrants May Be Forced to Learn German

Aaron Kirchfeld July 11, 2003
Under a proposed bill, all new immigrants and foreigners residing in Germany who receive welfare and unemployment benefits would be required to enroll in a German language course. Reduced welfare and unemployment benefits, apart from difficulty in becoming a permanent resident, would be the penalties for not taking the course. Proponents of the bill believe that language will reduce barriers to...