Born to Angolan fathers and Ukrainian mothers on the tail end of the USSR’s collapse, these two young ladies epitomize the inadvertent consequences of Soviet Cold War foreign policy. Continue: http://www.kyivpost.com/blog/terrell-j-starr/from-soviet-red-two-black-ukrainians-were-born-305677.html
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Dash asks people on the street to identify Latinos based on physical appearance. Do stereotypes guide people’s perception of a certain “look” of Latino ethnicity? http://youtu.be/-ztOVRSKxqw
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http://youtu.be/2653J_aaE_I A jaw-dropping documentary (Part 1 of 3) by Aron Ranen, detailing how Koreans now dominate the black hair care market and have been covertly and strategically displacing black owned companies out of the market for decades even though black peoples are 90% of the consumer base. A truly puzzling, thought provoking as well as troubling piece. […]
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http://youtu.be/A9rXFskeFRM
Pop singer Jamelia goes in search of the truth behind the multi-million pound human hair extensions industry. Jamelia grew up experimenting with hair extensions and nowadays they have become an essential part of her stage persona. From celebs to schoolgirls, women will spend anything from £20 to £2,000 to clip, glue or sew another girl’s hair on to their heads. This film accompanies Jamelia as she follows a trail of hair back to its roots. The international road trip takes her from the exclusive London salons to a dingy Moscow apartment where men trade human ponytails for cash, and to the hair sacrificing temples of Southern India. The journey brings her face to face with some of her worst fears when she witnesses hair being shaved from toddlers’ heads and a 13 year old who’s flogging her hair in exchange for pocket money. But she’s also humbled by her experience when she connects with women who still choose to sacrifice it for financial or religious purposes.
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http://youtu.be/TGigLa23vuA
How does a deeply spiritual offering from Indias poor become a must-have accessory in the salons of Europe? As fashion and faith collide, religious sacrifice is fuelling a multi-billion dollar industry.
Every year millions of Hindus shave their heads in offering to the gods. Its called tonsuring, and its big business. On average we are getting in excess of five tonnes, says hair dealer Mayoor Balsara as he finalises his latest purchase from the temples. Its a classic globalisation story: the sacrificial hair is cheaply sourced in the developing world, and is lining the pockets of those in the west. David Gold is one of them. Each year his company turns over $150 million selling hair extensions sourced from Indias temples. He deflects questions of ethics, arguing that the temples pour profits back into local welfare projects. Its a dubious claim, and yet many Hindus seem happy for their hair to be spun into gold: We gave it to God, and its come back like this. Its beautiful.
