Category Archives: Chinese

Review of Peter Hessler’s River Town

Posted on March 27, 2013 by hnbjr

Peter Hessler was a Peace Corps volunteer in Sichuan in 1996-1998 and his book chronicling his life there, River Town, is an excellent Peace Corps memoir. Even though I can’t think of a place more different from Macedonia, where I served, … Continue reading →

Posted in america, Balkans, Chinese, education, international development, macedonia | Leave a comment

Duomo & Sarpi: stories behind images

Posted on May 10, 2011 by hnbjr

In an effort to provide a little context for Magdi’s provocative posters, some reading from the archives in order to illuminate exactly what happened: The praying at piazza Duomo was connected to protests against the Gaza War and happened on … Continue reading →

Posted in Bossi, Chinatown, Chinese, eu, freedom, human rights, il cav, immigration, italy, lega nord, maroni, roma, the italian right, the right in europe, Via Sarpi | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Magdi Allam’s Politics of Fear

Posted on May 9, 2011 by hnbjr

Some readers have criticized my use of the word “nutjob” to describe Magdi Allam. That is admittedly an imprecise description of a journalist-turned-demagogue whose views are nativist at best and racist at worst. Like Oriana Fallaci before him, Allam has … Continue reading →

Posted in Bossi, Chinese, gypsies, human rights, il cav, immigration, italy, lega nord, roma, the italian left, the italian right, the right in europe, Via Sarpi | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Life among the Lowly

Posted on May 8, 2011 by hnbjr

Journalist-cum-politican Magdi Cristiano Allam loves Italy, he tells us. The Egyptian-born Italian, who made a publicized conversion to Catholicism, seems quick to absorb Italian values — if rampant, no-holds-barred race baiting is an Italian value.  Going far beyond provocative and … Continue reading →

Posted in Bossi, Chinatown, Chinese, fini, gypsies, human rights, il cav, immigration, italy, lega nord, maroni, roma, the italian right, the right in europe, Via Sarpi | Tagged , , , | 7 Comments

Sarpi on Sunday

Posted on October 10, 2010 by hnbjr

This is just a first impression.  And first impressions tend to mislead.  But a Sunday stroll on via Sarpi finds an amazing bustle of activity.  Fashionable, well-dressed people shop for shoes and crowd into grocery stores, arms full of fresh … Continue reading →

Posted in Chinatown, Chinese, immigration, Via Sarpi | Leave a comment

Immigration is Not Zero-Sum

Posted on October 6, 2010 by hnbjr

Elisabetta Burba had a story in this week’s Panorama on Italy’s Chinese population.  It’s really not bad writing in that it lists many success stories and is generally favorable.  It includes details I didn’t know, such as a quote from one … Continue reading →

Posted in Chinatown, Chinese, immigration, italy | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Donadio on Prato today

Posted on September 13, 2010 by hnbjr

I don’t want this to become a blog just filled with links to outside sources. BUT, with that caveat in mind, check out Rachel Donadio’s excellent piece on the Chinese influence in Prato in today’s NYT. Analysis and thoughts to … Continue reading →

Posted in Chinatown, Chinese, eu, immigration, italy, lega nord | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

La Chinatown milanese

Posted on September 2, 2010 by hnbjr

The blog has been on hold recently due to my moving to the area around via Paolo Sarpi – Milan’s “Chinatown.”  This is a fascinating neighborhood that has exploded in the past decade or so with Chinese wholesalers.  It is … Continue reading →

Posted in Chinatown, Chinese, eu, immigration, italy, lega nord, maroni, Via Sarpi | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments