TIA CARR WRITES — On October 24, a humanitarian ceasefire was agreed to by Azerbaijan and Armenia, facilitated by the US State Department. Beginning at 8 AM the following day, Azeris and Armenians were legally obliged to lay down their weapons. Instead, a mere 45 minutes after the truce the…
Full Article ARMENIA AND AZERBAIJAN: A BORDER THAT BORDERS ON PERPETUAL WAR
LULU ALKHALIDI WRITES – In polls conducted by Pulse Asian between September 14 and September 20, the rating for Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte’s performance was 91%. The poll was of course conducted during the coronavirus pandemic, with 5% of the population giving a negative response while 4% were undecided. In…
Full Article PHILIPPINES: PRESIDENT DUTERTE SCORES HIGH MARKS FROM FILIPINO FANS DESPITE LOW REGARD FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
ELLA KELLEHER WRITES — Sacha Baron Cohen’s sequel, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2020), has sparked outrage and controversy among the Kazakh community online, which argues that the movie promotes an ugly portrayal of its native country.…
Full Article KAZAKHSTAN: RACISM DISGUISED AS SATIRIC HUMOR IS NO LAUGHING MATTER
ELLA KELLEHER WRITES — Lust, Caution (2007) made by the visionary director, Ang Lee, is an erotic espionage film1 that begins in 1938, during the Second Sino-Japanese War. The story of this film has been believed by many to be inspired by true events and the life of a Chinese…
Full Article LOOKING BACK: ‘LUST, CAUTION’ THE GREAT MOVIE
TOM PLATE WRITES — Change will come, it has to. But America’s hyper-confident commentariat has convinced itself that China-U.S. policy Democrat Joseph Biden, on track to become the 46th president of the United States, will be stuck in the cement of the New Coldness and would differ little from Trump’s.…
Full Article BIDEN AND CHINA: ‘SLEEPY’ … OR POSITIVELY RESTLESS?
Ella Kelleher is a current senior at Loyola Marymount University, where she majors in English and specializes in multi-ethnic literature. During her college experience, she studied abroad in Japan and contributed to the exchanging of cultures. She has also volunteered at the Honorary Consulate of Kazakhstan in Los Angeles, where…
Full Article JAPAN: HISTORICAL PERCEPTION OF CHINA AND THE WAR
CHARLES E. MORRISON WRITES — The U.S. election is underway. With 16 days before the November 3 election day, 25 million Americans have already voted, more than 15% of the anticipated vote. In the states allowing early voting, the turnout has been driven by new voters and groups that polling…
Full Article 2020 ELECTION: FINAL 16 DAYS
MATEO VALLES QUINTANA WRITES — No one can question her athletic achievements, but her actions off the court have brought her even more media attention. Naomi Osaka, the 22-year-old Black and Japanese athlete who quickly became one of the top tennis players in the world, has a remarkable WTA player…
Full Article JAPAN: NAOMI OSAKA, THE TENNIS SUPERSTAR WITH A HEART AS BIG AS HER SERVE
SOPHIA JARAMILLO WRITES — As the curtains closed on Paris Fashion Week 2020, so did the life of one of Paris’ own: 56-year-long fashion designer Kenzo Takada passed away on October 4th due to complications of coronavirus. Even at the age of 81, the Japanese-born Parisian expatriate Takada’s vividly bright…
Full Article JAPAN: KENZO TAKADA’S FASHIONS WILL LIVE ON AFTER HIS DEATH
NAWAF Al-SABAH WRITES — Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah, the Emir of Kuwait, died September 29. Why should the world, not just Kuwaitis, care? The Sheikh left behind him a force for peace and stability as well as improved relationships with allies across the globe. For example, he helped…
Full Article MIDDLE EAST: WHY WE NEED A SHEIKH SABAH
LILLY WEBBER WRITES — Virtual YouTubers, or VTubers, are on the rise throughout the international gaming and streaming industry. Originating in Japan, VTubers are typically Japanese entrepreneurs who primarily stream games online for an audience of viewers. However, unlike some streamers, all VTubers are represented by a 2D or 3D…
Full Article CHINESE CENSORSHIP: HAVE FUN, BUT DON’T EVER MENTION TAIWAN
ZANE KRPAN WRITES — On the 16th of June, 2020, Chinese and Indian soldiers engaged in a conflict over their disputed border for the first time since 1975. India reported twenty of its soldiers dead, but China did not release any information about casualties. The tension between China’s western border…
Full Article INDIA: WHY IT HAS BECOME SO IMPORTANT TO THE UNITED STATES
GABY RUSLI WRITES — Protests have erupted in cities across Indonesia ever since a new labor law was passed on October 5th, 2020. This new piece of legislation, known as the “omnibus law,” significantly affects Indonesian worker rights. The omnibus law was passed in an attempt to create more jobs…
Full Article INDONESIA: LABORING AGAINST THE NEW LABOR LAW
SARAH ALTUWAIJRI WRITES — This past Saturday, October 20, hundreds took to the streets in Santa Clarita, marching to bring awareness to the plight of Armenians and to raise funds for military purchases, infrastructure and humanitarian aid. One of the protesters, Anna Sarvkian, a 19-year-old student stated, “Armenia is on…
Full Article ARMENIA VERSUS AZERBAIJAN: WHY, SUDDENLY, THE SOUND OF SILENCE INSTEAD OF A TWEET FROM PRESIDENT TRUMP?
MATEO FERNANDEZ WRITES — Anime is deeply rooted in Japanese culture and has been around for quite some time now. That’s why characters often display traditional Japanese kimonos. Yes, there are Chinese and Korean anime-like shows, but typically anime is Japanese. Anime fans come from all corners of the globe,…
Full Article JAPAN: IS ANTI-ANIME SENTIMENT RACIST?