Her Culture: August/September 2015

HERCULTURE Issue 12 / August 2015

Safe & Sound, finally.

Nigeria bans FGM

Simple, sweet summer snacks

Good morning, sunshine!

Wake-up habits from cultures around the world 1

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Dear Culture Girl,

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letter from THE FOUNDER Dear Culture Girl, What a beautiful August here at Her Culture HQ! I’m very excited to share this next issue with you to help guide you into your next school year. Enjoy the last few months before classes - and if you’re not in school come September, then take some time to learn about your own culture! Explore new places, eat awesome foods, do tourist-y things you may not always appreciate. This is the time to explore what makes you, you.

As always and with much love,

Kate Avino

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Culture Features

LIFE 66

Facing Dual-Discrimination

Women of color face struggle in their personal & professional lives

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Women, They Say

A poem about the stigmas against women

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Outside Your Comfort

Why you should consider doing something great

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Stories From My Mother

Tales and tribulations from a daughter about her mother

AUGUST

COVER 12

Safe & Sound

Nigeria bans Female Genital Mutilation

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Good morning, Sunshine!

Learn about different wake-up routines from across the globe

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Simple Summer Snacks

Easy and healthy treats to fuel your sunny days

NEWS 16

Overcoming Transexclusive Feminism

Why we need to include transgender in the discussion

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Filipino vs. American

Part 2 of a four-part series

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Australia Says ‘No’

Why this country is saying no to same-sex marriage

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Feminist Clubbing

Does this phenomenon exist?

ISSUE NO. 12

/SEPTEMBER

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Her Culture Magazine Sta

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executives KATE AVINO

ALEXIS NEUVILLE

MATT MAGGIO

Founder & CEO

Chief of Staff

Chief Financial Officer

LAUREN HUDSON

NINA MORRISON

Chief Content Officer

Director of Communications

MADELEINE PARSLEY Time Sensitive Editor

editors and writers DANIELA FRENDO

GINA DIPAOLA

SHAYE DIPASQUALE

NOORHAN AMANI

KARA PRICE CLAIRE TRAIN

ALICIA LALICON

NIKKI CAMERA

SHUBHAVI ARYA

MIA CANTU

RANDHIKA ATURALIYA

HALEY SAMSEL

JESSICA ZHOU

SHERTY HUANG

ANJALI PATEL

MARAM ELNAGHEEB

MARAM ELNAGHEEB

RICHA LAGU

NAVPREETY KHABRA

ANNIE TRESSLER

MORGAN PAK

DAKSHA SHANKAR 9

SHERAH NDJONGO

ALLA DELI

afghanistian

albania

algeria

angola

argentina

australia

austria

the bahamas

bangladesh

news cambodia

cameroon

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chad

chile

china

colombia

dr of the congo

costa rica

croatia

cuba

barbados

belarus

belgium

belize

bolivia

botswana brazil

bulgaria

burma

burundi canada

culture curacao

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cyprus

czech republic

denmark

dominican republic

ecuador

egypt

el salvador

SAFE & SOUND

By Shaye DiPasquale

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I

n 2012, the United Nations adopted a

resolution to ban the traditional practice of female genital mutilation or cutting, which involves the partial or total removal of the external female genitalia for non-medical reasons. This long-established practice is most often performed to force young girls to keep their virginity until marriage, when they are assumed to be ready to bear children and start a family. The traditional belief is that if sexual intercourse is unpleasurable for a female, she will not be tempted to give up her chastity and will remain pure until she becomes a wife. Such a belief reflects the deep-rooted inequality and sexism women continue to face in many countries around the world to this day.

Female genital mutilation blatantly violates a woman’s right to health, safety and freedom from oppression and discrimination. The cruel procedure is most often carried out on females ranging from ages 10 to 15 years old. It can

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cause complications such as severe bleeding, infections, infertility and risk of death during childbirth. While FGM procedures are most often carried out by medical professionals, the casualty rates for women who undergo the process are extremely high.

When the United Nations was drafting the resolution, the international body made note of the concentration of FGM victims in Africa and the Middle East, and examined the possibility of abandoning the practice of FGM in one generation. UNFPA leads the largest global initiative to put an end to FGM, with projects and campaigns in over 17 dierent African nations. While the passage of the UN Resolution was a much needed step in moving towards the global abandonment of FGM, it did not necessarily ensure that every nation would strictly enforce the ban on FGM procedures.

For the past three years, only a select few Nigerian states had officially outlawed the practice and the country as a whole had taken no effective steps to outlaw the practice.

UNICEF reports that Nigeria has the highest amount of FGM cases and over a quarter of the circumcised females in the world are from Nigeria. Followers of Nigeria’s two dominant religions, Christianity and Islam, have historically carried out FGM procedures. Practitioners often considered the procedure to be a rite of passage for young girls transitioning into adolescence.

Thankfully, the outgoing Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan decided to end his presidency with The Violence Against Persons Act of 2015, which specifically bans further FGM procedures against women, amongst other anti-violence policies. While some women advocates have rejoiced at the passage of this monumental law, many are still afraid that political change will not be enough to eliminate such an ingrained religious and familial custom from Nigerian culture. Until the ban has had time to be implemented and enforced in Nigeria, it will be impossible to judge its effectiveness.

If nothing else, the mere passage of the law breaks the taboo that once surrounded the topic of FGM and has already encouraged more people to speak out about the issue.

Survivors of FGM procedures have already begun to step up as advocates for this new anti-violence against women movement in Nigeria and to share their stories with the rest of the world. It is crucial that these strong efforts to change the traditional cultural views towards women are made in Nigeria.

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Laws are only beneficial if they are valued and enforced within a society. In order for the ban on FGM to be truly effective, Nigeria will have to witness a big cultural shift in the way society depicts women. Nigeria is a cultural and political powerhouse in Africa and the nation wields a lot of power and influence over the continent. With Nigeria having set this new precedent for the human rights of women, it is hopeful that other countries will soon follow Nigeria’s lead and also push for bans against FGM.

Overcoming Transexclusive Feminism

By Randhika Aturaliya

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F

eminism preaches equality— equality for

everyone. Don’t they? All women: AfricanAmerican, Asian, Hispanic, tomboys and more.

But it is not equality if a whole group is excluded. Yes, that’s right. Let me introduce you to something called Trans-exclusive feminism.

Trans-exclusive feminism is subgroup of feminism that consists of people (known as TERFs) who believe real women are born with XX chromosomes.

Within the feminist community TERFs are attempting to deny transwomen basic access to health care and other benefits feminists advocate for to help women.

They believe that transwomen pose a threat and often characterize women by the genitalia that they are born with, instead of accepting the fact that gender is but a mere social construct.

doxed in which one’s personal information is revealed to the entirety of the web. One instance of this is when the group Gender Identity Watch was working with an anti-gay group to prevent a teen from Colorado from using the women’s restroom. Their leader, Cathy Brennan “outed” the teen on social media and, on top of this, the teen was already dealing with bullying.

The TERFs bring a negative voice to the feminist community, a place that should be filled with respect and equality. Transgender people already face a great deal of oppression from mainstream society, may it be their parents, school, teachers or friends. It is unfair to put on top of this, the danger and negativity TERFs bring in a space dedicated to fighting for respect and equality for everyone.

“If your feminism doesn't include transpeople, you aren’t quite doing it right.”

TERFs demonstrate the belief that transwomen are just a “self-loathing gay man,” minimizing them to men dressing in drag as opposed to recognizing they identify as female. And even in regard to transmen, TERFs claim that they are trying to ‘hide’ behind their gender. I wish the only impact the TERFs could make stopped with the cruel words they offer to the feminist community; however, they pose more of a threat than just contributing to rude background noise.

Those who try to speak out against the TERF movement may become targets to be ‘outed’, which I suppose is similar to when people are

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So I beg of you to consider that if your feminism doesn’t include transpeople you aren’t quite doing it right. Feminism is a movement that preaches equality for all people.

Transgender people are human too, their gender does not define who they are. You may be born with your genitalia but that doesn’t mean you have to live your in life in accordance with what you are born with it.

Let’s advocate for transwomen and men rights because the issues they face are just as important as the issues that lie on the feminist agenda. Let’s make the feminist community a welcoming and warm place for everyone. No matter what the gender.

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IT’S TIME TO START A #CULTUREREVOLUTION Her Culture is the first magazine to explore culture through a woman’s eyes. Join us as we celebrate what makes us all unique.

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FILIPINO VS AMERICAN Part 2 Kapwa (fellow being)

by Alicia Lalicon

This is a series of four articles about my experiences as a Filipino American.

Each article will focus on a certain core value believed to characterize Filipinos. The inspiration for this series comes from Filipino American Psychology by Kevin L. Nadal, an influential professor, psychologist, activist and author who has brought attention to the lack of representation and academic research on the Filipino community.

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O

n a daily basis, I struggle with balancing my

pride and identity as a Filipino (or Asian, in general) with my individuality and sense of independence as an American. I was born in America. My parents emigrated from the Philippines in their late 20s. They had a daughter, then I was born thirteen months later and finally my younger brother six years later.

Now at 20 years old, I’m able to see how my siblings, fellow Filipino American peers, and I have succeeded (or failed) to come to terms with our dual identities.

Kapwa (fellow being): “feeling intrinsically connected to each other interpersonally, spiritually, and emotionally.”

The proclaimed father of Filipino psychology, Virgilio G. Enriquez, delves into the mechanism of kapwa: The ako (ego) and the iba-sa-akin (others) are one in the same in kapwa psychology: Hindo ako iba sa aking (I am no different from others). Once ako starts thinking of himself as separate from kapwa, the Filipino “self” gets to be individuated in the Western sense and, in effect denies the status of kapwa to the other.” (Enriquez, 1978) Enriquez describes kapwa as a mutual status between the self and others. When one does not identify with the value of kapwa, he or she simultaneously denies others the sense of kapwa to that individual. Enriquez refers to this misidentification as similar to a Western way of living. For Filipinos, they may preserve strong connections to their family and peers in order to maintain a valued Filipino way of living. But for Filipino Americans, the result can be a constant conflict between tugging away and grasping at the threads of such connections.

Upon first learning about kapwa, I was reminded of two phrases my mom tends to say to me when she perceives me to be defiant or “acting out of place”:

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“Sino ka ba sa tingin mo?” and “As if you are somebody”. The first translates to “Who do you think you are?”, and the second can be clarified as “As if you are somebody who has the right to act this way (defiantly or “out of place”).”

I should clarify that I get a good telling-off when I confront my mom about her treating me unfairly, insulting me, or trying to control my lifestyle. As a 20-year-old one year away from graduating college, I do perceive myself to be an adult in the sense that I deserve respectful treatment from other human beings, even my mother. So I do, respectfully, call her out on her behavior when I feel I’ve been denied decency. I feel discomforted doing so, because I have a sense of obligation to her as a parent that has given me a life of safety and opportunity. I work towards a successful life in order to represent my parents in an honorable way as a Filipino. But as an American, I do want to “individuate myself in the Western sense” because I am Western. I am of American nationality.

So I ask my mom, “Please listen to me. Please don’t walk away when I’m trying to talk to you.” I tell her, “I get very hurt when you make negative comments about my body.” I disagree with her, “I think I’m mature enough to dictate my actions within my own relationship.” And she responds with a scowl, “Sino ka ba sa tingin mo?” or “As if you are somebody.”

“Who do you think you are?” means How dare you challenge the conformity? We are a part of a collective that does not talk back to elders as a rule.

You are not an individual, you are part of us. Who am I to talk back? Why would I get special treatment? Why do I demand respect, and from my parents? “Sino ka ba sa tingin mo?” is not a question so much as a scoff: As if you matter above others, as if you have the right to demand we treat you a certain way, as if you are somebody.

AND I AM. I do not mean to disrespect my parents, but I deserve respect. I deserve to be treated like somebody. I am somebody. So I go against the conformity of kapwa, subservience, and feeling inferior to elders for the sake of collectivism. I refuse to watch someone walk away from a discussion, allow them to look down on me, or submit to misplaced authority.

I am Filipino and I understand kapwa. I love my family for what they’ve done to deserve my love. But I am also American and I am absolutely and unapologetically somebody.

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AUSTRALIA SAYS ‘NO’ Bordering on trouble when it comes to same-sex marriage bills

by Dakshayani Shankar Sthipam

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H

ow different are people of the LGBT

community to us? Why do we love to hate the chance of them gaining equality through law?

For some, same-sex couples are considered different because they don’t abide by their religious laws. But, for many of us, they are individuals, just like us.

In the recent American Supreme Court decision to legalize gay marriage, an uproar of threats to move to Canada echoed across Twitter over such a monumental moment for the LGBT community. For Australia, chaos ensued as the Prime Minister indicated he wouldn’t follow Obama or the Supreme Court’s footsteps due to his values. Whilst it was disheartening to read these tweets, they all shared the same root cause: marriage should only be a union between a man and women. No other type of sexual orientation.

Many Christians believe homosexuality is not a natural cause and disintegrates the family unit because it doesn’t produce biological infants.

“Marriage brings forth a family unit in society.

Any honest person who has grown up with neither parent or one parent will admit this adversely affected their upbringing,” said Sunita Pala, an Australian who currently doesn’t support the Australian Labor Party’s bill legalizing gay marriage. “As more and more children grow up in broken families, mental health issues and crime will increase”.

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For Christians, it is hard to comprehend how two fathers and two mothers will work out because it goes against the Bible’s definition of a marriage. Some feel that legalizing same sex marriages allows same-sex partners to deprive their adopted children of their rights to seek out their biological parents. Basically, conservative Christians argue that same-sex marriages will deconstruct a family unit.

Those who support same-sex marriage feel that equality for same-sex marriages transcends religious beliefs. “I think it’s more about a legal partnership where they’re offered the same legal rights as a heterosexual couple,” said Tarryn Coward, an Australian student currently pursuing environmental science at Murdoch University. “There’s been a lot of propaganda and anti-gay beliefs indoctrinated into our society that can be changed with time. It’s a matter of changing these embedded ideologies.”

Tarryn’s idea of same-sex couples experiencing legal issues is true. Although Australian state and federal laws, like Victoria’s Statute Law Amendment Act, allow same-sex couples to have the same property, parental and estate rights like their heterosexual counterparts, they don’t allow same-sex couples to get married or adopt children according to FindLaw Australia.

This causes inequality for same-sex couples because they seek to create the same family unit as heterosexual couples; a family unit with kids. This can’t be done without Australia following in America’s footsteps and legalizing same-sex marriage law.

“I think everyone deserves the right to marry whom they love as long as both of them are on the same page and have consented to it,” said Bella Fitzpatrick, an Australian student currently pursuing Bachelor of Laws, who believes the Labor Party’s bill will be passed through Australian Parliament next month.

Australia’s leading political party, The Liberal Party, also seems to disagree with same-sex marriage. Recently, senior Liberal government minister, Eric Abetz indicated that legalizing same-sex marriage would open up a “Pandora Box” of other types of marriages, including polyamorous unions, according to The Guardian. This would indirectly cause the definition of marriage to fall apart and lead to severe consequences.

However, other members in this party are choosing to heed Abetz’s comment and are supporting same-sex marriage laws instead.

The polls have indicated that 70% of Australians are ready to legalize same-sex marriage.

Furthermore, independents, whom typically control the legislative power in the Australian Senate have said that if other countries with political systems similar to Australia, such as New Zealand can legalize same-sex marriage, Australia can to. Therefore, the Liberal Party faces a possibility of losing the next election if they don’t listen to their voters’ voices on this important issue.

Australia is a secular nation, with Section 116 of its Constitution highlighting no religious test or force shall be “required as a qualification for any office or public trust under the Commonwealth”.

While it doesn’t cover the topic of same-sex marriage, it becomes pretty clear that Australia, as a secular nation, must separate its political parties and peoples’ religious beliefs from the state in order to fully uphold itself as a secular nation. Other nations have and Australia, hopefully, will too, next month when the bill for

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same-sex marriage is contested in Australian Parliament.

Sana Dadani, an American student currently pursuing journalism and anthropology at New York University believes that same-sex marriage should be legalized to foster tolerance, acceptance and transcendental love in communities. “Some religions might not support homosexuality but they all teach us love, tolerance, respect and acceptance. We are all God’s children,” she said. “If it comes down to marrying someone you truly love, no matter the gender, you should be given the opportunity to do so.”

Sana’s completely right. In spite of being a secular nation, Australia struggles to set aside its religious beliefs for its legal decisions; decisions that affect the tomorrow for many Australians. Both sides of the argument are justified: one side believes same-sex marriage legalization can lead to the deconstruction of a family and the other side believes everyone should be afforded equal marriage/love opportunity.

It is important to remember to respect other’s religions and not be judgmental. However, we should also remember that we are as human as one another. We have the same power to love as one another. It is this that leads me to believe, it is time for Australia to rethink their stance, without embracement of new unions and love towards one another.

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FEMINIST CLUBBING Does it exist?

by Kara Price

On any given night the New York City clubs are filled with young, beautiful woman. The streets of the meat packing district wear down the soles of hundreds of high heels. Girls arrive at the velvet ropes whether by themselves, with a friend or with a whole group, looking for the person who will get them in past the rest of the line. Promoters work for the club by finding and inviting girls to come out. They get girls in for free, get them a table with free drinks all night and get paid by the club for making it look popular and cool.

I was first introduced to this scene when I moved to New York City for college. Too broke to go out on my own dime and yet still dying to have a piece of the city experience I quickly learned about this system. Friends who had already figured it out told me how it all worked, insisting that I just had to show up looking good and the rest would be taken care of. It only took going out a couple times however before I

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realized how competitive the business I was entering into was. Waiting online for the promoter who invited me I would get approached by another trying to convince me how he was better. All of these promoters, I might add were men, charming and often attractive themselves. Some of them pitched me the angle that they had the most power, some used their looks and flirting, some of them stood behind a company name, and some of them simply tried to promised that they were the most fun. It was clear they were all desperate for more girls so they could make more money. The transparency made it easy for me to stay in control. Ultimately the girl was the most important piece of the equation and every girl counts when the club is counting heads.

While me and my friends realized that we were essentially being commodified, we also got a sense of empowerment. We were working the system to get what we wanted.

On any given night the New York City clubs are filled with young, beautiful woman. The streets of the meat packing district wear down the soles of hundreds of high heels. Girls arrive at the velvet ropes whether by themselves, with a friend or with a whole group, looking for the person who will get them in past the rest of the line. Promoters work for the club by finding and inviting girls to come out. They get girls in for free, get them a table with free drinks all night and get paid by the club for making it look popular and cool.

I was first introduced to this scene when I moved to New York City for college. Too broke to go out on my own dime and yet still dying to have a piece of the city experience I quickly learned about this system. Friends who had already figured it out told me how it all worked, insisting that I just had to show up looking good and the rest would be taken care of. It only took going out a couple times however before I realized how competitive the business I was entering into was. Waiting online for the promoter who invited me I would get approached by another trying to convince me how he was better. All of these promoters, I might add were men, charming and often attractive themselves. Some of them pitched me the angle that they had the most power, some used their looks and flirting, some of them stood behind a company name, and some of them simply tried to promised that they were the most fun. It was clear they were all desperate for more girls so they could make more money. The transparency made it easy for me to stay in control. Ultimately the girl was the most important piece of the equation and every girl counts when the club is counting heads.

While me and my friends realized that we were essentially being commodified, we also got a sense of empowerment. We were working the system to get what we wanted.

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estonia

ethiopia

fiji

finland

france

georgia

germany

ghana

greece

grenada

guatemala

OUR iran

iraq

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ireland

israel

italy

jamaica

japan

jordan

kazakhstan

kenya

kiribati

north korea

guatemala

guinea

guyana

haiti

honduras

hong kong

hungary

iceland

india

indonesia

culture south korea

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kosovo

kuwait

kyrgyzstan

laos

latvia

lebanon

lesotho

liberia

libya

lithuania

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YOU’RE MY

hero We have many female inspirations. Learn about them in this issue’s ‘Our Culture’ - a collection of stories and responses from Her Culture staff members!

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Carly Heitlinger of The College Prepster is my biggest inspiration! Her blog is fantastic and I really admire her entrepreneurial spirit, her fashion sense, and how she trie to have an authentic presence for her readers.

Brooke Saerman Connecticut, USA

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My woman trailblazer is Sheryl Sandberg.

Originally, I started getting into women empowerment after reading her novel Lean In. It really set something o in me, and now I can't imagine my goal in life being any dierent because of her. I look up to her because she's one of the first women to use her voice and stand up for women's rights in the workplace. She proves that it's possible to be a business woman and mother at the same time.

Alexis Neuville New York & Wisconsin, USA

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My biggest inspiration is Malala Yousafzai.

With her incredible determination and bravery, she took a stand for girls' education. She showed the world that books are more powerful than bullets and that kindess always triumphs over hate.

Every girl deserves the right to an education that can help her conquer her doubts and overcome societal barriers. At a young age, Malala has become a global champion for women's rights and for education, and for that, I greatly respect her.

Shaye DiPasquale New Jersey, USA

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cover

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culture

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MORNING ROUTINES

from around the world

by Claire Tran 42

For many young adults waking up is the hardest part of the day. Ideally, we would wake up naturally when the sun rises and filters through our curtains, but most of us probably set the standard 10 alarms, all 5 minutes apart, and hit snooze button for every single one. Some CEOs may start their morning with a light jog or yoga, but we like to exercise our thumbs first: by scrolling and double-tapping through our social media of choice. Then starts the bathroom shuffle, halfheartedly brushing our teeth while slumped over the counter or sitting on the floor composing ourselves before we’re flung out into the world.

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In the average lifespan, one will wake up over 30,000 times. Why not get it right?

IKEA conducted an in-depth study on weekday morning habits of families around the world: Berlin, London, Moscow, Mumbai, New York, and Shanghai (Paris and Stockholm were also included, but were left out of of this specific article for length reasons). With well over 1,000 respondents in each city, ages 18-60, the research reveals an interesting perspective, peering into different social, cultural, and geographical norms. Take a look at morning routines from around the world, get inspired, and optimized your personal

Berlin Berlin

Berliners like to ease into the day slowly -- 25% snooze more than once, and they spend the longest in the shower or bath, an average of 14 minutes, when compared to the other surveyed cities. Few Berliners leave time for selfreflection in the morning: only 11% think about what they’re grateful for.

While sipping on Pharisäe, a popular breakfast drink that mixes coffee, rum, and whipped cream, and eating breakfast, Berliners

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enjoy talking to those with whom they live. More than half of Berliners discuss last night’s dreams at the breakfast table; none of the other cities surveyed mentioned dreams at all. After that, Berliners keep it positive: most commonly discuss the day’s plans and goals, and only 1 out of 3 Berliners discuss the day’s worries.

Next on the morning routine is packing lunch, after all, only 6% of respondents pack lunch the night before.

London

Londoners love to sleep in: 27% of them snooze more than once.

But after waking up, it’s a rush to head out the door. Only 60% eat breakfast at home, the lowest among all surveyed cities. Out of those who do eat, 25% spend less than 5 minutes doing so. Despite the fast breakfast, Londoners find time for self-reflection in the morning: 14% of them pray at least once a week in the mornings.

Other serene morning activities include stretching or taking a morning stroll, not surprisingly since London is one of the most religiously diverse cities in the

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world according to the London Councils.

Out of all the 18-29 year old Londoners surveyed, 20% noted that they felt stressed or anxious about their appearance when getting ready in the morning, the highest percentage out of all surveyed cities. Though they may not embrace the #IWokeUpLikeThis movement, they always find time to spread the love around to others. In fact, 80% of Londoners show physical aection towards someone they live with in the morning.

Moscow

We feel you Moscow. 7 out of 10 respondents reported that they do not see themselves as “morning people”. They probably compensate for that morning grogginess with some caffeine, in fact, 80% of citizens drink tea or coffee upon rising. Their morning routine is complete after a bit of makeup (71% of women reported that makeup is a must) and breakfast with their loved ones (during which 72% of respondents talk about their goals for the day).

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The typical morning routine is quite minimalistic in Moscow. Despite the city being embedded in religion, only 1 in 10 respondents noted that they pray in the morning. Moscow citizens do a lot of preparing the night before: 21% pack lunch and 39% set out tomorrow’s outfit.

Mumbai

While the other cities surveyed had around 50% of people shower in the morning, Mumbai raised the bar to 73% of people, most likely due to the much hotter weather.

Mumbai also sticks out from bunch when it comes to grooming: more men in Mumbai shave and do their hair than the men in other surveyed cities. It was also analyzed that those in Mumbai wake up the happiest.

Mumbai is heavily religious city, and the research shows: 53% of

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respondents pray each morning.

The lengthy morning routine continues, where 8 out of 10 citizens have conversations while eating breakfast. After that, 24% of people complete some unfinished assignments before heading o to work, the most of any other surveyed city. The citizens of Mumbai have an average morning routine of 2 hours and 24 minutes, the longest of all the cities.

Mumbai is truly unique, from its weather, religion, and even morning routine.

NewYork York New

Only 6 out of 10 New Yorkers eat breakfast at home, and even then,33% spend less than 5 minutes on breakfast and 45% use electronics at the table. That’s no surprise with New York’s heavy togo culture and obsession with convenience food. Despite the minimal food intake, New Yorkers sure like to take their time in the bathroom. They spend 16 minutes grooming, with 1 in 5 women shaving every single morning. This is a huge

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jump compared to other cities, such as in Shanghai, where every 1 in 20 women shave daily.

Shanghai Shanghai

The citizens in Shanghai are all about speed: only 15% snooze more than once, and their bathroom habits are much more minimal than other cities. They spend 9 minutes grooming, compared to the global average of 14 minutes. Half as many women in Shanghai do their makeup when compared to women in Moscow, and only 5% of citizens use deodorant versus the global average of 61%. To speed up the morning, only 8% of respondents said that they take a shower or bath in the morning (don’t worry, it’s traditional to save that for the evening time). This minimal grooming pays off in the end: only 7% of citizens ages 18-29 claimed they were anxious about their looks; compared this to the

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London statistics of 20%, mentioned previously.

Instead of in the bathroom, people in Shanghai spend their morning walking, stretching, and meditating outdoors. 80% of respondents eat breakfast in the home, more than all other surveyed cities, and the typical breakfast table conversation revolves around the day ahead, food, or the news. Instead of morning coffee, they prefer soy milk along with a “youtiao”, otherwise known as the Chinese doughnut. The face-to-face time continues, since only 34% of people use technology at all in the morning, well below the global urban average. Shanghai had the shortest morning routine of all the cities: only 56 minutes total.

luxembourg

macedonia

madagascar

malawi

malaysia

maldives

mali

malta

mexico

monaco

FOOD north korea

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south korea

norway

pakistan

palau

panama

paraguay

peru

philippines

poland

mongolia

montenegro

morocco

nauru

nepal

netherlands

new zealand

nicaragua

niger

nigeria

culture peru

poland

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portugal

qatar

romania

russia

rwanda

saint lucia

samoa

san marino

what’s theDISH?

SAMOSAS

by Noorhan Amani Samosas are fried, triangular-shaped pastries filled with ground meat or vegetables such as peas, potatoes, and carrots. They can be found in cuisines all the way from Africa to Southeast Asia. However, samosas are most popular in South Asian cuisine, where they are commonly enjoyed with chutney, a type of flavorful dip.

Cooks and traders from Central Asia introduced samosas to South Asia some time during the Delhi Sultanate (1206-1526). In 1300, Amir Khusro, who was a poet and scholar in the royal courts during the Delhi Sultanate, wrote that nobles and princes snacked on "samosas made from meat, ghee, onion, and other ingredients."

Contrary to popular belief, samosas did not actually come from the Indian Subcontinent but originated in Central Asia, where it was known as sanbusak, derived from the Persian word, sanbosag. It is believed that Central Asians ate samosas while traveling as they were convenient to prepare and store.

Today, samosas come in many varieties, according to regional tastes. However, they are quite easy to prepare and make for a delicious snack any time of the day!

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MAKE YOUR OWN! Ingredients 9 medium-sized flour tortillas

1/2 tsp fennel seeds

2 tbsp flour

5 potatoes

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

Water Oil

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp garam masala

1/2 tsp coriander powder

1/2 cup thawed frozen peas

1/2 tsp ground ginger

3/4 tsp salt

Directions Dice potatoes and then boil. After the potatoes finished boiling, mash them. Heat up oil in a pan and add fennel seeds, cumin seeds, coriander powder, and chili powder. Mix these spices together for about a minute. Then add the mashed potatoes and frozen peas. Mix the potatoes and the peas with the spices for about five minutes, and then add garam masala, salt, and ground ginger. Mix for another 2 minutes. Then, set the potatoes and peas aside. This will be the filling of the samosa.

Mix the flour and water in a bowl to make a white, sticky paste. Cut the tortillas in half. Put some pea and potato filling in the center of the half-tortillas, and fold them into a triangular shape. Seal the edges together with the sticky flour paste. Deep fry samosas in medium heat until they turn golden brown and crispy. Make sure to flip occasionally to ensure both sides are properly fried. You can now enjoy the samosas with chutney or ketchup!

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M SU

R E M

E L P M I S S K C A SN

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o g n o j d N h a r

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e h S by

During the summer, there is so much to do yet so little time. With a constant parade of house guests, pool parties, last minute outdoor adventures, and exciting vacation plans, a routine meal plan consisting of time-consuming and home-cooked meals might not be considered the most feasible option for you. As a result, you may want to opt for lighter alternative foods to help you get through your fast-paced days. The following sweet, savory, and just plain easy snacks can be made in a short amount of time and are filling enough to accommodate your busy summer schedules.

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FROZEN YOGURT

bites

These fruity frozen yogurt bites couldn’t be any easier to make. Only two ingredients are needed for this cool treat- perfect for an extremely hot day!

Ingredients 6 oz yogurt (any flavor)

6 miniature wooden craft sticks

2 tablespoons of finely chopped fresh fruit

Directions Put the yogurt and fruit in a medium-sized bowl and stir the mixture until it is well blended. Find a silicone ice cube tray, and divide the mixture among the tray’s 6 compartments. Insert sticks into the middle of each compartment.

Freeze this for approximately 4 hours or until the mixture is entirely frozen.

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AVOCADO

toast

The classic avocado toast is delicious, healthy, and as effortless to prepare as one, two, three. It’s the quintessential summer breakfast or lunch for when you are on the go.

Ingredients 2 slices of multigrain bread

1 perfectly ripe avocado 1 tsp fresh lemon juice

Pinch of kosher salt

1/8 tsp red pepper flakes

6 pc. homemade

paneer

1/4 cup cubed, cooked eggplant

Directions Top the bread with the avocado by slathering it onto each piece of bread lightly using a fork. Then, cook off the paneer until it is golden on all sides. Coat the avocado toast with fried paneer and cooked eggplant, and drizzle the oil and lemon juice on top. Lastly, sprinkle the toast with the ½ teaspoon of salt and the red pepper.

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COCONUT-MANGO

parfait

These creamy parfaits layered with coconut, yogurt, mango, and granola bar pieces will oer you a taste of the tropics and a muchneeded dose of calcium for a big boost of energy.

Ingredients 2 cups plain yogurt 2 tbsp pure maple syrup

4 granola bars broken into pieces 2 tbsp unsweetened coconut flakes

1 cup of cut-up fresh mango cut into 1/2 inch cubes

Directions In a small bowl, combine the yogurt and set aside the maple syrup. Divide one container of yogurt between 2 parfait glasses or dessert dishes. Cover each container with 1/4 cup of the mango and 1 broken granola bar. Repeat this process with the remaining yogurt, mango, and granola bars. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of coconut over each parfait for garnishment, and remember that this dish must be served immediately.

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APPLE SNACK

stacks

And that’s how to whip up your new favorite summer treat! If you’re looking for an innovative twist to the traditional way of making apple slices, you can combine them with peanut butter or cheese.

Ingredients 2 medium-sized apples 4 tbsp peanut butter, processed cheese dip/sauce, or cream cheese

Directions First, wash the apples then remove the cores in order to leave the apples whole. Fill in the center of each apple with an estimated 2 tablespoons of peanut butter by packing it in carefully. Wrap each tightly in plastic wraps and refrigerate them for 30 minutes, give or take a few, until the filling is set. Cut each apple into a cross-like pattern in thick slices that measure ½ inches each.

Divide the slices into 4 portions, wrap each portion tightly in the plastic wrap once again, and refrigerate the apple slices until you are ready to eat them.

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BISCUIT DOUGH

pizza

The ultimate recipe for summer entertainment is never complete without friends, traveling, and, of course, pizza. However, when your summer to-do list leaves you with little room to wait around for your pizza to be delivered, remember that homemade pizza is always a possibility as long as you have refrigerated biscuits, pizza sauce, and cheese.

Ingredients 2 canisters refrigerated biscuit dough 1 bag pepperoni slices

3/4 cup pizza sauce 4 oz (1 cup) shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, and then spray the circular baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray. Separate the dough into 10 biscuits, separate each biscuit into 4 layers, and place them onto the greased sheets. Spread each biscuit layer with 1 teaspoon of pizza sauce. Top each with 2 pepperoni slices and approximately 2 teaspoons of cheese. Bake at 400째F, and later return the pizzas to the oven to bake them for 7 to 9 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the biscuits are golden brown.

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PB & BANANA wraps

Peanut butter and banana wraps are an excellent lunch recipe that can be assembled in no time. These sweet desserts are characterized with various rich textures and flavors and are convenient because you probably already have most of the necessary ingredients on hand.

Ingredients 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter 4 whole wheat or flour tortillas

1/4 cup honey

2 small bananas, sliced

1/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Directions Spread the 2 tablespoons of the peanut butter evenly over each tortilla. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of the honey over each tortilla. Decorate them with banana slices and chocolate chips. Finally, roll up the tortillas and, if you want to, secure them with toothpicks.

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saudi arabia

senegal

serbia

sierra leone

singapore

slovakia

slovenia

somalia

south africa

LIVE togo

tonga

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tunisia

turkey

tuvalu

uganda

ukraine

united arab emirates

united kingdom

south sudan

spain

sri lanka

swaziland

sweden

switzerland

syria

taiwan

tanzania

thailand

culture uruguay uzbekistan south sudan spain sri lanka venezuela swaziland

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vanuatu switzerland vietnam yemen sweden syria

zambia taiwan

zimbabwel thailand tanzania

Facing DualDiscrimination: Women of color experience challenges in their personal and professional lives

by Gina DiPaola

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The shooting of Michael Brown has, once again, revealed the depth of racism within the U.S. Among the varying witness accounts and skewed perspectives of the media, a handful of facts remain solid. One: The police force of Ferguson, MO is overwhelmingly white. Two: Officer Darren Wilson stopped Brown for jaywalking. Three: Wilson shot at Brown six times, killing him on the street. Four: Brown was unarmed.

I consider myself a rational thinker. As a rational thinker, I grasp that shooting an unarmed teenager six times surpasses the limitations of self-defense. I also grasp that leaving a teenager’s dead body in the middle of the street for more than four hours degrades human worth. Truly, Michael Brown experienced the epitome of racial discrimination; the culmination of suburban poverty, insufficient education, and eventual police brutality robbed him of life.

After hearing of this tragedy, I contemplated the following question: If a human lost his life at the hands of one form of discrimination, what does it mean for a human who endures dualdiscrimination? Unfortunately, this disturbing thought is the reality for women of color. In addition to racial discrimination, black women are subject to gender inequality; this form of mistreatment entails traditional gender roles, unequal pay in the workplace, sexual abuse, and, in several circumstances, objectification.

The crossroads between racial discrimination and gender inequality, formally known as intersectionality, leaves black women vulnerable against two deficiencies of our society. Logically speaking, black women, who are targets of both racism and sexism, are more likely to encounter discrimination than any other population in the U.S. Black women, as human beings, may suffer from one, or both of these societal deficiencies.

In the case of Michael Brown, he suffered from racism. Below are cases of police brutality

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toward black women, in which they suffer from racism and sexism: An Oklahoma officer raped and sexually assaulted seven black women. He abused three of the women in his own police car.

A California Highway Patrol officer severely beat a black woman in the face because she appeared drunk and/or high. The victim believed the officer was attempting to kill her.

Atlanta officers, without a search warrant, entered the home of an elderly black woman and shot her six times, killing her.

These instances of police brutality toward black women are severe and, thus, gained relative public attention. However, I fear more what is not reported than what is. How many black women have been verbally abused, senselessly beaten, or sexually exploited by officers and have chosen to remain silent? The events ensuing in Ferguson prove that officers can and will commit inconceivable acts of discrimination.

I worry dual-discrimination toward black women makes them of the most frequent targets of brutality. Likewise, I worry the following mistaken belief will perpetuate brutality toward black women, or all women for that matter: females provoke any sexual abuse committed against them.

Mass incarceration of a particular population is synonymous with institutional discrimination.

Regarding the mass incarceration of black women, the statistics appear as follows: The number of black women incarcerated has risen by 800 percent over the past three decades.

1 in 19 black women will be imprisoned in their lifetime, compared to 1 in 23 white men and 1 in 118 white women.

Men are more likely than women to be incarcerated, except in the case of black women compared to white men.

When officers perform arrests fueled by discrimination, they have committed a disgusting crime: wrongfully stripping the freedom of another human being. To what extent can mass incarceration of black women be attributed to racism or sexism within officers? To what extent can disproportionate incarceration of black women compared to other populations be attributed to officers overlooking crimes committed by a different race or gender? As a rational thinker, I recognize that officers enforce what they believe is justice. As a rational thinker, I also believe that black women cannot escape some form of bias under the law with the burden of dual-discrimination.

Michael Brown received little justice prior to and at the hour of his death.

Will a black woman receive even less justice?

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WOMEN, Women cook, they say, while she ineffectively scrapes burnt egg off the bottom of the pan. "Where are the eggs?" her husband says. "I burnt the eggs," she whispers. There is a silence, foretelling all doom. The husband screeches with the rage of a thousand suns.

Three days later, he is found dead of malnourishment, slumped against the stove with a carton of eggs in his hand. Unopened. His wife is nowhere to be found. ...

Women clean, they say, while she wonders whether vacuuming the bugs that have accumulated in her room is inhumane. She decides that it is. The world, after all, is an ecosystem, and must nurture even the most repulsive of creatures. …

Women are stupid, they say, while she watches a teenage boy in class pick up an electric drill and begin to drill holes through the - school purchased - table. They all back away slowly, hoping to avoid being given amateur lobotomies. Maybe he will not see them. The electric drill is also school purchased. The teacher seems less concerned with the money and more concerned with the wielder of the tool, but he, too, backs away. …

Women love children, they say, as she holds the excreting, bawling, potato-esque infant an arms length from her body. "Yes, he's very cute," she says to the demon's mother, "Yes, I would love to hold him more, but I just have to go now." She runs for the doors, the ominous, high-pitched shrieks fading behind her.

by Sherty Huang 70

THEY SAY… ...

Women have good handwriting, they say, as her teachers go blind from squinting at the chicken scratch that decorates her paper. They give her A's out of desperation. She crows triumphantly, breaks all her pencils in two, and goes out to buy a word processor. ...

Women are weak, they say. The woman slams down on the instep of his foot with her four-inch stiletto. The woman lifts her bloodied heel in supplication to the gods, her eyes shining in glory. The woman collects penance once a year from her former husbands in the form of tubes of blood. They shine in an array of crimson. ...

Women who follow women's stereotypes are living in the past, they say. The stay at home mother is adhering to society’s expectations. She abandons her children during an impromptu trip to Walmart. They are found prowling the streets after midnight with nothing but the clothes on their backs and bread crusts in their hands. When asked for their names, they whisper “Hansel and Gretel” and throw crumbs into the sky like confetti. …

Women are crazy, they say. Women are mad. Women are the hellhounds that hunt men to their doom. The woman smiles. The woman laughs. The woman cooks a five-course dinner and divorces her husband in one fell stroke. The woman cannot dispute any of the above.

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Live, Learn, Lien Reimagined for October

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Reasons to Travel Outside Your Comfort Zone

by Anjali Patel

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Traveling outside of your comfort zone can be a little terrifying. You never know what situations you will find yourself in and how the people around you will react to you.

Although taking the extra step to travel out of your comfort zone may not be the easiest decision, it is definitely a decision that is worth it. Here are reasons as to why you should leave your comfort zone and travel more adventurously.

You will make new friends Last summer, I traveled to Costa Rica with a group of teenagers from school through World Challenge, a student travel abroad leadership program. I did not really know the others on the trip and felt a little awkward talking to them at first.

However, traveling with people you barely know allows you to not only get to know them better, but it also adds to the diversity of the people you meet and work with. Making new friends with individuals you would not normally encounter can be a rewarding aspect of being out of your comfort zone. A simple “hello” and a basic conversation starter can lead to unexpected, close knit friendships.

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It will boost your confidence

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Doing something you wouldn’t normally do such as trekking through the forest or starting a conversation with a local will boost your confidence and overall self-esteem. Since you will begin to realize how much you are capable of, it will ultimately motivate you to set higher goals. When you set out to accomplish a goal that is different from perhaps the goals you set for yourself back at home, it will motivate you to work harder.

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You will see/do things that the average person has not Stepping out of your comfort zone requires a tremendous amount of courage and bravery. Although everyone does have the potential to attain these qualities, many individuals never do.

Therefore, if you are one of the few who do attain these qualities, using the courage to venture out into new places will eventually allow you to see and experience various things that the everyday person has not. For example, if you go into another country and try an exotic dish that you would not normally eat, it will open up opportunities to try more types of food at different restaurants. If you did not take the first step to try whatever it was that you were afraid to eat, you would not have had the same exposure to many of the restaurants, foods, etc.

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You will appreciate different lifestyles

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When you travel out of your comfort zone, try interacting with some of the locals. Although it is important to remain safe, basic common sense and your intuition can guide you when talking to someone new. Either way, when you go out of your way to immerse yourself into the culture beyond the major landmarks, you will get the chance to experience a different way of living. This will, in time, teach you to not base everything off of yourself. Putting yourself in the mindset of other people in assorted communities throughout the world will make you more considerate when forming an opinion on global issues.

You will simply get more out of life

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This one is no secret. If you are paying for your trip and putting in a decent amount of effort, you might as well go and get the most out of it. Life does not necessarily have to be about what you attain but rather how you live. Experiences and long lasting memories are always more valuable than physical entities.

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Stories from my mother

by Morgan Pak

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Who we are and where we are from are two parts of ourselves that meld together to create our identity. Our past and our present are connected, just as the sun to the sky-- they change and follow each other. A Kikongo proverb says “One can only steal a sleeping baby: once awake, she will look for her parents.” The past month, I have awaken, and am now following that instinctive pull back to my heritage and my past, to find who I am.

My mother, who would once dance the polka across the hallways with me, now tells of the push and pull dance between her Korean roots and American life. She says it’s important to remember who we are, in order to anchor who we can become.

She came when she was 10, on a plane she remembers herself holding tight onto the edge of her seat-- holding tight onto hope as she set flight.

Her dreams and hopes were as big as the skies and oceans she was crossing. Her head was filled with pictures drawn by her aunt, who told of such an abundance that oranges would litter and adorn the sidewalks, left untouched. That aunt was also her family’s road to the land of milk and honey.

She had met her husband, a G.I., during the Korean War and came to America after the War Brides Act. My mother and her family were second wave immigrants, coming after The Immigration and Nationality Act opened the gates to immigrants with family already in the U.S. But the American Dream is more than having a vision-- it takes drive, sweat, and sleepless nights in order for those dreams to become reality. She entered a entirely different world, but it was filled with the same. The same eyes that would look at her with a strange, questioning glance. The same mouths that would tell her to go back home. The same feet that would walk that confident stride of comfortable belonging. Life in America was far from a Hollywood movie. She couldn’t speak a single word of English, going from a top student to being held back four years . There were cruel kids, who didn’t know any better than to follow their instinct of rejecting anything different. But there

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were also summers filled with buckets of 7/11 slurpees from her parents' shop and opportunity.

She was able to break free of the mold women were expected to follow in Korea-- give first, receive last. She was able to unapologetically chase after who she wanted to be. True to the the American Dream, hard work brought success and she eventually graduated as valedictorian and a scholarship to UCLA. Like most immigrant families, her parents were constantly away at work, leaving her to become a makeshift mom for her three siblings. Her childhood was watching from a distance the only television show allowed in the house (Sesame Street, so that they could learn English) that played for her siblings, as she put together tomorrow’s lunches. She always jokes about how raising her siblings was practice for me and my sister later down the road. Just as she did with her brother and sisters, my mother made sure we grew up on books and imagination.

Like the hand me down clothes she wore from consignment stores, she handed me an open mind to possibility. She gave me the space to dream big and cultured my imagination. She showed me the power of reading and finding a world bigger than anything I could think of. With each breath she used to tell these stories, she breathed the wind under my wings and life into my voice. She not only taught me how to speak up, but also the subtle power hidden within quietness.

She showed me how to hold my fist tight onto my dreams and never let go. She taught me to stop and smell the roses, but to still always have my feet move forward and my eyes look up.

I love hearing these stories of her childhood, stories of where she was from-- stories of her dreams. Her words are laced with struggle and sacrifice-- but always hope. Where she has come from is reflected is where she is today, and who I've become. She has taught me to look up, set my sights to fly higher and higher. I'm the daughter of a visionary, a believer, a dreamer. I am a visionary, a believer, a dreamer.

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