He blended into the crowd quite effortlessly. Not too tall, not too big. Not too loud, and not at all brash. It was easy to …
Read Full StoryWhen I Grow Up, I Want to be Cuban
As the child of Cuban exiles, the story of my roots was explained in the past tense, and illustrated in fading black and white family …
Read Full StoryCity of Stars: Homeless in Hollywood
Every day, the unforgiving sun glares down on this city of dreamers. It weighs, the brightness of the day. Heavy with opportunities that many feel …
Read Full StoryAt Majeed’s: Art, Truth, & War in Baghdad
The afternoon was overcast. The way most December afternoons are in Baghdad. A soft mud-yellow breeze blowing against a beige sky. The brown date palms …
Read Full StoryThe Woman With No Name: Leading a Double Life in Manila’s Drug Underworld
For her, a seemingly simple question was very difficult to answer. She paused the second I asked: “what should I call you?” She looked at …
Read Full StoryThe Man Who Followed His Heart: Bridging Chinese-Philippine Relations One Blow at a Time
The Other Side It was a rather unusual trajectory. Rhio Zablan went from working in the Philippine President’s press office to — “the other side”. …
Read Full StoryWhat A Feminist Looks Like: Standing Up to the Chinese Government
SAME OLD, SAME OLD Li Tingting didn’t look worse for wear. She was full of energy, and had a big smile on her face. One …
Read Full StoryThis is China Calling…
His kingdom was tucked away in a tall building on a small, side street off a busy Beijing avenue. Down a long, narrow corridor made …
Read Full StoryThe Comfort of Women
Dressed in her Sunday best, eighty-six-year-old Hilaria Bustamante stood by the roadside waiting with a warm, friendly smile on her face. The tiny woman was …
Read Full StoryEveryone Calls Me Mama
It’s hard to miss her even in a crowd. At about 4-feet high, 65-year-old Kong Zhenlan was barely taller than the children in her care, …
Read Full Story