If Americans were polled while watching televised commemorations of the late president Ronald Reagan during the summer of 2004, many would have agreed that the 1980 election marked a turn for the better in politics and government. If asked why, … Continue reading “Why Democracy Will Be Hard to Do”
Issue: Issue 086
Alma Mater: College, Kinship, and The Pursuit of Diversity
catherine prendergastIn June of 2003 the Supreme Court handed down its decision in the much-discussed affirmative action case Grutter v. Bollinger. The majority opinion, written by swing vote Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, validated the consideration of race in university admissions in … Continue reading “Alma Mater: College, Kinship, and The Pursuit of Diversity”
Where Is West Asia in Asian America?: "Asia" and The Politics of Space in Asian America
sridevi menonIn the weeks after 9/11, the white supremacist Mark Stroman shot and killed a store clerk from Pakistan, blinded a clerk from Bangladesh, and then, saying “God Bless America,” murdered Vasudev Patel, an Indian immigrant.1 These were not random acts … Continue reading “Where Is West Asia in Asian America?: "Asia" and The Politics of Space in Asian America”
Globalizing Untouchability: Grief and The Politics of Depressing Speech
sarah pintoIn the middle of winter, on a veranda looking into expansive fields from the edge of a north Indian village, a woman I know as Rambal’s Wife talks about the death of her son.1 A sister-in-law begins the story; Rambal’s … Continue reading “Globalizing Untouchability: Grief and The Politics of Depressing Speech”
Literature or Revolution: Writing Robust in a Postcolonial Metropolis
rudolf mrazekWhen I think of the insides of the homes in Jakarta, and when I think of literature as part of the houses, I recall significance of leaf litter rather than of bookshelves — of printed pages, paperbacks, hardcovers, some ancient … Continue reading “Literature or Revolution: Writing Robust in a Postcolonial Metropolis”
Life Struggles: War, Discipline, and Biopolitics in The Thought of Michel Foucault
julian reidFor Michel Foucault war is the problem of political modernity par excellence. He broached the problem of war while gradually extending his analysis of power from disciplinary to biopolitical regimes and the phenomenon of governmentality. Discipline and Punish, published in … Continue reading “Life Struggles: War, Discipline, and Biopolitics in The Thought of Michel Foucault”