ONLINE RESOURCES
Ethnicity & microcultures
- Tiger Mom: Some cultural groups are superior
Controversial take on why some minority groups succeed in the US, and others don't - Trevor Noah Is A Quarter Jewish. Does That Make His Anti-Semitic Jokes OK?
This is the South African comedian replacing Jon Stewart - The Slants Frontman Fights Government To Register His Band's Name
What would you think of a band called "The Slants" or "The Chinks"? What if the members of the band are all Asian?
Conversations on race and prejudice
- Color of Fear - What it Means to be American
Excerpt from the documentary - White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack
Influential essay by Peggy McIntosh - White People: MTV Documentary
What does it mean to be white? MTV's 'White People' is a groundbreaking documentary on race that aims to answer that question from the viewpoint of young white people living in America today. - A Conversation With White People on Race
Short documentary featuring interviews with white people on the challenges of talking about race (NY Times) - Is It An 'Uprising' Or A 'Riot'? Depends On Who's Watching
Is it symbolic racism, or just objective reporting? The language used can be crucial. The reference is to the death of Freddie Gray in Baltimore in 2015 - Questioning The Black Male Experience In America
How would you like to be remembered, in a word or two? That question was posed by a black man and answered by other black men in a multimedia art project called "Question Bridge: Black Males." - Paul Bloom: Can prejudice ever be a good thing?
About categorization, ethnocentrism and the dynamics of in-groups and out-groups
TED description: "We often think of bias and prejudice as rooted in ignorance. But as psychologist Paul Bloom seeks to show, prejudice is often natural, rational ... even moral. The key, says Bloom, is to understand how our own biases work — so we can take control when they go wrong." - Clint Smith: My Hopes, Dreams, Fears For My Future Black Son
TED essay: "In a letter to the son he may someday have, poet Clint Smith reflects on the lessons he learned growing up, and shares his hopes for his future child." - Vernā Myers: How to overcome our biases? Walk boldly toward them
TED description: "Our biases can be dangerous, even deadly — as we've seen in the cases of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and Eric Garner, in Staten Island, New York. Diversity advocate Vernā Myers looks closely at some of the subconscious attitudes we hold toward out-groups. She makes a plea to all people: Acknowledge your biases. Then move toward, not away from, the groups that make you uncomfortable. In a funny, impassioned, important talk, she shows us how."
TED talks on identity: Knowing yourself before judging others
- Liza Donnelly: Drawing on humor for change
Interesting perspective on identity creation and appearance for women; humor as a powerful tool for self-actualization
TED description: "New Yorker cartoonist Liza Donnelly shares a portfolio of her wise and funny cartoons about modern life — and talks about how humor can empower women to change the rules." - Caroline Casey: Looking past limits
On the importance of "being true to yourself" and overcoming what seem like unsurmountable barriers
TED description: "Activist Caroline Casey tells the story of her extraordinary life, starting with a revelation (no spoilers). In a talk that challenges perceptions, Casey asks us all to move beyond the limits we may think we have." - Lizzie Velasquez: How do you define yourself?
TED description: "In a time when beauty is defined by supermodels, success is defined by wealth, and fame is deified by how many followers you have on social media, Lizzie Velasquez asks the question how do you define yourself? Once labeled, 'The Worlds Ugliest Woman,' Lizzie decided to turn things around and create her own definitions of what she defines as beauty and happiness." - Pico Iyer: Where is home?
On the multicultural identities today and how we all are a "work in progress"
TED description: "More and more people worldwide are living in countries not considered their own. Writer Pico Iyer — who himself has three or four 'origins' — meditates on the meaning of home, the joy of traveling and the serenity of standing still." - Ashley Graham: Plus-size? More Like My Size
TED description: "Internationally-known body activist, model and entrepreneur, Ashley Graham, describes her journey into fashion industry stardom. She doesn't leave out any gritty details, as she describes the challenging and rewarding progression toward becoming her own role model."
Humorous takes on serious issues of race and religion
- Louis CK: I enjoy being white
Different take on white privilege - W. Kamau Bell on racism
Starts out funny, but turns to serious issue of telling your children about racism - What Is A 'Good Muslim' Anyway? A Podcast Disrupts The Narrative
Zahra Noorbakhsh and Tanzila "Taz" Ahmed host the podcast #GoodMuslimBadMuslim - Uldus Bakhtiozina: Wry photos that turn stereotypes upside down
Artist Uldus Bakhtiozina uses photographs to poke fun at societal norms in her native Russia. - How to tell if you're American
From zompist.com; includes humorous profiles of other nationalities as well
Food and cultural identity
- Amy Choi: What Americans can learn from other food cultures
On different roles of food, including "food as identity" - Jennifer 8. Lee: The hunt for General Tso
TED description: "Reporter Jennifer 8. Lee talks about her hunt for the origins of familiar Chinese-American dishes — exploring the hidden spots where these two cultures have (so tastily) combined to form a new cuisine." - Who owns Chicken Tikka Masala?
Is it British or Indian? - Robin Cook's chicken tikka masala speech
Extracts from a speech by the foreign secretary to the Social Market Foundation in London: "Chicken Tikka Massala is now a true British national dish" - Regina Bernard-Carreno: The underlying racism of America's food system
TED description: "Dr. Bernard-Carreno has been actively researching and writing about the cultural performance of food, food access and food racism in low income neighborhoods in New York City and abroad. Along with researching and writing, Dr. Bernard-Carreno has been designing scholarly projects and community products based on food access in poor NYC areas."