Rituals, Riches And Roti
| This Week In Mash-Up America |
The week of November 4, 2023 was thanking the gods we are not teenagers in the days of group chats; Robert Pattinson is shockingly amazing in the new Miyazaki movie; and the 30th anniversary of our very first CD: Dookie.
Image from NPR
The Mash-Up Americans:
Jonathan Menjivar Rewrites His Story On Class
Does having money make you a classhole? And what does that even mean? Producer, reporter, and Classy podcast host Jonathan Menjivar joins Amy and Rebecca as they tackle the awkward topic of class, how it butts into the many facets of our lives and our identities, and how we can come to terms with our status — even when it changes how we perceive ourselves.
Care to be “classy,” too? Check out Jonathan’s guide.
Mash-Ups In The News:
Women Have Gained Ground In The Nation’s Highest-Paying Occupations, But Still Lag Behind Men
PEW RESEARCH CENTER
It’s progress, but the fight for equal pay continues. Women now make up approximately half of the people getting advanced degrees, but still remain in only 35% of the country’s highest-paying jobs.
Make Your Own Ancestral Altar At Home: A Cross-Cultural Guide
NPR
Altars are a meaningful way of honoring one’s ancestors for many folks in certain cultures and religions, but by no means is it an exclusionary practice. NPR has the breakdown for creating your own altar, no matter how you identify.
Working At Blockbuster Made Me A Protagonist
JOY SAUCE
“After immigrating to the United States at age 5, I saw mostly white people on television…Up until seeing Gong Li in Ju Dou, I did not fully realize my erasure from Hollywood’s imagination. The film showed me what it meant to look like a protagonist again.”
Surprising no one, a recent report found that 1 in 5 Asian Americans have intentionally avoided mentioning parts of their culture to non-Asians at some point in their lives. Should we celebrate that the numbers aren’t higher?
These Latines Are Normalizing Alcohol-Free Spaces Por La Cultura
LOS ANGELES TIMES
“For sober Latines across the diaspora, having alcohol-free spaces is a way to foster inclusion and well-being, while dismantling the outdated standards of alcohol consumption that were rooted in colonialism.”
The Tigray Crisis: My Family Fled Ethiopia Amid War — Here’s What It Was Like To Return
TEEN VOGUE
For many refugees, the place they call “home” can be a tender subject. What happens when your homeland is one you’ve barely spent time in? For this writer, it’s helped her see that home is a choice people can make for themselves.
These L.A. Flower Vendors Prep for Weeks So We Can Have Cempasúchils on Our Ofrendas
LOS ANGELES TIMES
There’s a lot of behind-the-scenes prep before the markets of LA are covered in the vibrant orange blooms, also known as marigolds. Take a look at how the local flower vendors gear up for cempasúchils season.
Exploring India: From Saag Paneer To Urad Dal To Rogan Josh
SAVEUR
It’s time for a crash course in cooking Indian food at home. Eat your way through this delicious roundup, which includes everything from samosas and naan to corn bhel. Corn flakes are involved!
Why I Finally Cut My Dreadlocks
TIME
Growing up in a strict Rastafari home — one of the few at that time in Jamaica — author Safiya Sinclair reveals how cutting her dreadlocks helped her come to terms with her father — and herself.
‘The Persian Version’ Director Has Always Lived In The In-Between
NEW YORK TIMES
The Sundance Award-winning dramedy by director Maryam Keshavarz is a reflection of her own experience dealing with the complexities of her Iranian upbringing and the life she’s created in the US.
What Will Laphonza Butler Do With Her Power?
THE 19TH
“Less than two weeks after being sworn in as the junior senator from California and successor to the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Laphonza Butler announced that she would not run to keep the seat. Could Butler now play a role as queenmaker and endorse the lone Black woman in the California race, Rep. Barbara Lee?”
Why I Find Antisemitism To Be Especially Heinous And The Whitewashing Of Dwayne Johnson Statue
KAREEM ABDUL-JABBAR’S NEWSLETTER
Did you know that everyone’s favorite basketball player and Airplane star also has a killer Substack? This week’s edition is full of gems, including his diatribe on the abject laziness of antisemites. KAJ forever.
First Gen: A Memoir
BY ALEJANDRA CAMPOVERDI
Part memoir, part manifesto, First Gen uses author Alejandra Campoverdi’s personal story as a framework to broadly examine the emotional toll of social mobility on first-generation young people.
