Author / Katherine Surko
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![Illustration by Caroline Dierksheide]()
The Stubborn Nails of China
For over a year, Luo Baogen and his wife lived in a house in the middle of a major road in the Zhejiang province of eastern China. The government asked them to move to make room for a highway but, unwilling to give up their recently renovated home for inadequate compensation, they stayed put and…
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The “Oppressed” Muslim Woman
We have a new damsel in distress in the media: the Muslim woman. You know the image I’m talking about – a woman peering at you through black fabric, her eyes begging for help, her hijab representing the binding shackles of Islam. Maybe instead of just one woman there is a group, a wave of…
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Modi and the Politics of Yoga
Narendra Modi’s new policies as India’s prime minister revolve around economics, social change, and…yoga? Modi has been trying to reclaim yoga as an Indian art form and have it officially recognized as being rooted in Hindu tradition. While it is generally accepted that yoga originated in India, this movement, according to the new Minister…
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The Rise and Fall of Hong Kong Protest Art
As the media uproar surrounding the Hong Kong protests has died down, what’s actually happened in China? Some people interpret the quietness as a sign that Xi Jinping has won the fight to suppress the pro democratic movement in Hong Kong, as the 2017 elections are still set to only feature candidates pre-selected by Beijing. …
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After the Fall of the Wall, is Berlin United?
BY KATHERINE SURKO This November marked the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall. Today, decades later, is Berlin actually united? At first glance, it is hard to tell the distinctions between East and West Berlin. However, while the German government has spent vast sums reintegrating the two regions, distinct markers continue to…
