Alex Sayf Cummings's Blog, page 17
June 30, 2020
Dispatches from Fresno, 1918-19: Following the ‘Spanish’ Flu Pandemic in Real Time, Part XIV
As a new wave of flu tore through Fresno, the debate over reopening turned into all-out war - with business and church interests ultimately winning out, at a steep cost to public health.
June 26, 2020
The Coronavirus Pandemic and the Contagion of Racism
The amplification of dangerous and persistent anti-Asian racism is a central part of our failed response to COVID-19.
June 23, 2020
The Long, White History of “Law and Order” Rhetoric: From Nixon to the Original Klan
"Law and order" has often been a flimsy cover for advancing the ruthless interests of white Americans.
June 16, 2020
Let’s Talk About Movies, Let’s Get a Bite to Eat
In a time of great pain and great courage, we miss those who we lost too soon, and everyone else too.
June 12, 2020
Dispatches from Fresno, 1918-19: Following the ‘Spanish’ Flu Pandemic in Real Time, Part XIII
By mid-December 1918, it was clear that a second wave of the flu was indeed hitting Fresno. But many people did not want to shut down again.
Our Haunted Present: Daniel Guerin on Historical Analogies and How We Confront Our Past
We often trip over historical analogies when trying to interpret the present. But the French writer offered a different way of thinking about time.
June 6, 2020
Viewing Mental Health Advocacy in ‘The World Between Us’
The Taiwanese drama provides insight into how our legal and medical systems handle mental illness, says physician Emily Lu.
June 5, 2020
Dispatches from Fresno, 1918-19: Following the ‘Spanish’ Flu Pandemic in Real Time, Part XII
As students returned to school and theaters reopened, was a second wave of the deadly virus about to hit Fresno?
June 2, 2020
“We Charge Genocide”: A Historic Indictment of Anti-Black Violence in the U.S. Is as Relevant as Ever Today
Nearly 70 years ago, civil rights activists asked: why shouldn't the perpetual destruction of black lives in America be considered genocide?
May 27, 2020
The Quixotic Search for South Asian Media Representation
Mindy Kaling's new Netflix series raises a vexing question: even if we agree that representation matters, what counts as good representation?
