Why Trump’s Casual Racism Should Be Taken to Task On March 16 2020, a tweet by Donald Trump exploded in every one of my international group chats on Twitter. By substituting “COVID19” with the phrase “Chinese Virus,” the attitude of the U.S. President was painfully clear. One of the most influential figures in international politics […]
What We Want Now Is NOT an Apology but an End to the Phrase: “Chinese Virus”
For six months, I have lived happily in America as a Chinese student, and then the COVID19 virus hit. Suddenly, my safe space shifted to one of prejudice when one of my classmates tweeted a political cartoon attacking Chinese people. The image was of a person shaking hands with another, asking him: ‘Where are you from?’ […]
Thriving Through Chains
Zhiyu Liu Five days out of a week, I wear red ties on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, blue ones on Tuesday and Thursday. 6:45 is the time I get up; 7:20 is the time I sprint to breakfast; from 8:05 to 2:20, I run through my daily classes; and back to my bed again at […]
A Lost Generation
The War That Left A Hole Behind Commemorations have sprouted all over the country to honour the fallen as the nation gears itself to remember history’s most disastrous conflict. In the weeks leading up to Remembrance Day, we have seen the sepia tones of November slashed with blood-soaked poppies. They have popped up on the […]
A War on the Outside and a War Within
An American Soldier’s Story of Vietnam 9,087,000 American soldiers fought in the Vietnam War (1955-1975), with a striking 25% of these total forces “in country” being draftees. In other words, men who did not ask to fight. 58,000 of those American soldiers died during this war compared to what we believe to be 2 million […]
Keep Mum, She’s Not So Dumb
Fireworks
I was on a vast, overcrowded field on New Year’s Eve surrounded by people cheering, enjoying and making the most out of that moment as the fireworks flew into the sky simultaneously like a bullet. I sniffed the moist agricultural smell just before midnight and before the fireworks started to capture each individual’s attention. The […]
A Child of Diaspora*
What is home? A word I can’t define. We appreciate your struggles. Everything you’ve done for us, your sacrifices don’t go unnoticed. Leaving home, because it ‘would be good in the grand scheme of things’ Leaving home, because we’d definitely have a ‘better life’ Leaving home, so that we could get the best education. Right? […]
A Letter to Al-Aqsa Mosque*
My eyes fill when I think of you; you are a closet in my mind, in my heart. When people ask about you, I really don’t know how to summarise your bounty. How can I possibly explain the depths of your detailed intricate design, and years of history and battle? How can I possibly describe […]
Excerpts from a Book*
A friend mentioned ‘Can you believe Ramadan is in 3 months?’ Your heart sinks to the bottom of the sea remembering what you’ve been doing for the past 3 months. You are a woman of God, undeniably, the way you care for others. But you remember the guilt from last Ramadan when you were standing […]
Haringey Unchained 