For those who know me in my real life know I am a tea fanatic. Black, green, red, herbal, hot or iced, with or without milk, I am obsessed. However, through all my brews of teas around the world, I never took time to recognize the culture of the tea I was enjoying, especially tea… Read more »
Tradition, Culture, & Change
An Introduction to Kurdish Tattoos by Taylor Nasim Stone
Modifying the body is not, by any means, a new phenomenon and tattoos are among some of the oldest forms of bodily adornment. The content, application, and ascribed meanings within the practice of tattooing can vary widely depending on the geography and culture. Within Kurdish culture, this centuries-old practice is known as deq or xal…. Read more »
The Undying Red Border: Finding Bengali New Year in Exile* by Niger Sultana
As I sit in my quiet study room in America, the hustle and bustle of life back home seem distant, yet still so vivid in my memory. The last time I celebrated Pohela Boishakh—the Bengali New Year—in Bangladesh was in 2020. That year, I was surrounded by my students and colleagues at the Department of… Read more »
Nooruz in Central Asia by Ardahbek Amantur
Is there a Central Asian Nooruz? If you had been a companion of Marco Polo in the 13th century or a Russian empire’s intelligence collector in the 19th century and happened to pass through the Iranian town of Yazdi, the storied city of Bukhara, or the vast Dashti Kipchak steppe around March 20, you would… Read more »
Blended Thanksgiving by Lubabah Hassan
I always get excited when November rolls around. Not just because of the autumn weather and the pumpkin spice, but because it’s time for one of my favorite holidays: Thanksgiving! My family has celebrated Thanksgiving for as long as I can remember, but our traditions have changed over the years. When I was younger, we… Read more »
Roots Run Deep: Celebrating a Rich Linguistic Heritage by Sofia Herrera
HISPANIC—from the root word Hispania, it refers to the regions of Iberia, and ultimately the language there, too. Is the Spanish language the main unifier for those with Hispanic heritage? Much of the food, music, and culture of Latin America originate from three different continents and centuries of cultural diffusion under colonization—and Spanish remains the… Read more »
Music and War: Thoughts from Syria by Cecilia Ball and Madison McEwen
Music is widely understood as a key to understanding any culture, but Arab music should be considered a zenith of musical history and progression for the world. Frequently possessing long, haunting melodies and traditional instruments unused in the Western world, Arab music can invoke different feelings in listeners who are unaccustomed to its sounds and… Read more »
“Nowruz is Upon Us” by Dr. Negar Partow
As the month of March looms on the horizon, many parts of the Middle East and Central Asia are uplifted by the promise of Nowruz—a celebration of hope, resilience, the promise of brighter days and a better year to come. To those who celebrate it, Nowruz isn’t just a date on the calendar. It is… Read more »
Love, Gratitude, and Empowerment: March 8th in Uzbekistan by Shohida Esanova
If you see the men sad, stressfully counting their last money in their pocket, if you see young boys getting sick and missing school, or if your boyfriend breaks up with you for insignificant reasons, you feel that 8th of March is coming. These are some of the jokes associated with one of the biggest,… Read more »
A space of solidarity: Muslim women’s contribution to creating a functional community by Niger Sultana
Women in major world religions like Islam, Hinduism, Christianity, and Buddhism do not hold official authority to lead religious practices in their places of worship. For this reason, the acknowledgement of their informal responsibilities and contributions to society has also been largely ignored. Even though women do not hold leadership positions in most faiths, their… Read more »