In The News

Kuala Lumpur Chinese Parties Okay Use of English in Schools

October 31, 2002
Mother-tongue education has long been a priority for people of Chinese descent in Malaysia. A minority in the country, Chinese Malays are also a major player in the ruling coalition government. After several months of wrangling, Chinese political leaders have agreed to allow maths and science to be taught in English at Chinese-language primary schools, but only part-time. Once students move to...

Muslim-as-Apple-Pie Videos Are Greeted With Skepticism

Jane Perlez October 30, 2002
Four new videos showing American Muslims feeling happy and at home in the US are being pre-screened in Indonesia. The videos, paid for by the US State Department, feature a baker, a teacher, an emergency medic, and the head of the US National Institutes for Health, all offering glowing testimonials to American tolerance and acceptance of Muslims. The spots are intended to be shown in Muslim...

Asian Fast-Food Outlets Find Brisk Market

October 18, 2002
While some anti-globalization activists deplore the spread of American culture via such food outlets as McDonald’s and KFC, there is evidence that the exchange of food culture is not simply uni-directional. Filipino, Japanese, and Hong Kong fast food chains are spreading into US markets, bringing ‘comfort food’ tastes to immigrants and exposing American palates to Asian quick-stop foods. –...

Step Aside, L.A. and Bombay, for Nollywood

Norimitsu Onishi September 16, 2002
In the Surulere district of Lagos, Nigeria the lure of the silver screen beckons aspiring actors and actresses. Quickly assuming the role of the African counterpart to Bombay’s Bollywood and L.A.’s Hollywood, “Nollywood” represents a trend towards the globalization of the entertainment industry. Once Nigeria began exporting its blockbuster films throughout Africa, the market soared, producing...

Anger at U.S. Said to be at New High

Jane Perlez September 11, 2002
In contrast to the perceptions of many Americans after the September 11 terrorist attacks, Arabs have generally felt a close affinity to America, according to journalist and analyst for the International Crisis Group, Rami G. Khouri. However, with plans to attack Iraq traveling rapidly across the international newswires, this affinity for America has transformed into a highly politicized critique...

For More Japanese, Love is a Multiethnic Thing

Howard W. French August 31, 2002
Japan has traditionally been a closed, ethnically uniform society, where foreigners are rare and conformity rules. In a sign of increasing openness, however, the number of international marriages has jumped in the past decade. Despite long-held prejudices and a language barrier, many Japanese are marrying Chinese spouses. Social factors in Japan have contributed to the increase; the Japanese...

Asian Tigers May Slay Hollywood Dragon

Tom Plate August 26, 2002
In recent years, film industries in India, China, and several other nations have begun to challenge Hollywood’s hegemonic rule of the global movie market. While the claim has often been that American films, like many other products of globalization, lead to cultural erosion in the rest of the world, the rise in popularity of foreign productions in the United States could symbolize globalization...