Essays
The Tangled Origins of Hosay
The Shiite Islamic ritual of Muharram came to Trinidad with Indian indentured workers in the 19th century, attracting the participation of the island’s African population and becoming truly creolized, transforming into Hosay. Its story of suppression and survival is a vital record of Trinidadian culture.
The Changing Language of Refuge
The approach of the U.S. to those who seek asylum within its borders has changed over time, its definitions and rules reshaped by ideologies from racial hierarchy to Cold War anticommunism — with major legal consequences for those affected as well as significant influence on how Americans perceive and welcome them.
How a Scandalous Glass of Orange Juice Helped To Reshape Tunisian Politics
In 1962, Tunisian President Habib Bourguiba drank a glass of orange juice live on television during daytime in Ramadan. His call to break the fast to pull the nation out of “poverty and backwardness” backfired, opening the door to a new kind of political opposition.
How Hui Muslims Waged Holy War for China in World War II
The anti-Japanese resistance is perhaps the most formative episode in Chinese national memory. Hui Muslim participation in it was grounded in philosophies of coexistence, survival and social harmony that went back centuries and helped solidify the enduring Hui presence in China.
How an 18th-Century Shipwreck Changed France’s Conversation About Race
The story of the enslaved Malagasy abandoned by French sailors following the wreck of L’Utile reveals the deep-seated racism prevalent in 18th-century French society. The subsequent outcry, both from the public and from prominent intellectuals, marked a turning point in views of slavery in France.
How Two 19th-Century Books Paved the Way for Modernism
The common concerns of two 1855 works, Whitman’s “Leaves of Grass” and Shidyaq’s “Leg Over Leg” — in particular, language, equality, freedom, paradox and multiplicity — illustrate the international nature of how the 19th century wrestled with modernity.
The Little-Known Story of Afghanistan’s Last Jew
Despite her frailty, 83-year-old Tova Moradi was a prized target because she was Jewish and had misled the Taliban during its previous rule in the 1990s by sheltering a rabbi in her house. She needed to escape, and Israelis were helping her flee.