Asia

Elements of Singapore’s foreign policy qualify it as a “middle power,” as per de Swielande’s (2019) theory of regional powers in the Indo-Pacific. This paper addresses the predominance of studies on India, Australia, Indonesia, and South Korea in the literature, as the typical middle powers in the Indo-Pacific (de Swielande, 2019). Small states are frequently […]

The gender gap looms large in financial inclusion. Across developing economies, women are six percentage points less likely than men to own bank accounts — in countries like Bangladesh, Nigeria, and Turkey, the gender gap is more than twenty percentage points. Men are more likely to report that they have saved any money in the […]

The basis of [my documentary, BAD AXE] is my family—we’re Cambodian-Mexican-American. We live in this rural white community, and it’s us trying to keep our family restaurant alive and the American Dream alive during one of the most uncertain times in history amidst a pandemic, a racial reckoning, and everything else going on in our country in 2020. So it becomes a story that explores the question: how do you keep the American Dream alive today when it’s being challenged now more than ever?

If my previous identity query was grounded on, and perhaps confined by, this dualistic tension between Korea and America, the idea of diaspora liberated me from a geographic grounding of identity. It was a membership not only in the Korean or Korean American community but also in these larger sojourner communities around the world who share, no matter how remote or accurate, collective memories of the homeland, heritage and history. 

Throughout this spring of 2023, the world is witnessing a global surge in COVID cases, driven by variants of the virus such as the XBB.1.16 strain in India and the XBB.1.15 in the United States.1 The COVID crisis has glaringly underscored the need for nation states to prepare for the advent of global pandemics. Lockdowns […]

Asian American activists have been key to remembering the “comfort women” in the U.S. and globally. The act of remembering is often done through creating memorials, exhibits, films, conferences, and educational efforts. This paper examines Asian American activists’ remembrance work in building a memorial in the city of San Francisco.

In this article, the authors explore the barriers that women face on the ground when accessing abortion, even when the procedure has been legalized. They look at the cases of Argentina and Colombia, in Latin America, and India and Nepal, in Asia, to highlight examples of barriers and how grassroots organizations are playing a key role in supporting safe access to abortions.

Police play a pivotal role in maintaining and strengthening internal security in India. To be effective, police must win and hold the trust of the people. Traditionally, Indian police forces follow Criminal Procedure Code, the Indian Penal Code, and other federal and state laws. Under this model, police faithfully register and investigate offenses reported by […]

In this article, Simin Ibnat Dharitree presents the argument for the importance of hygienic toilet facilities in Bangladesh for women to overcome the obstacles in their mobility, well being and empowerment.

The 2022 “Woman, Life, Freedom” Movement in Iran highlighted how girls, women, ethnic, and religious minorities have emerged as leaders in the struggle, a phenomenon not uncommon as the marginalized frequently become catalysts for revolution.

Western media and analysts have scrambled to ask, “Who is Muqtada al-Sadr?” Harvard Divinity School student Ryan Zoellner offers an analysis of the Iraqi leader.

Archbishop Bashar Matti Warda sheds light on the reality of Christian lives in Iraq today.