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Analysis

Sunday March 23, 2014

When Vanilla Was Brown And How We Came To See It As White

Fun fact: The vines that vanilla beans grow on also produce orchids. Malcolm Manners via Flickr hide caption

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Malcolm Manners via Flickr

Code Switch

When Vanilla Was Brown And How We Came To See It As White

March 23, 2014 • Vanilla has become a cultural metaphor for blandness and whiteness. But the flavor's history is rife with conquest and slavery and theft.

Tuesday March 4, 2014

Nicki Minaj's commercial success over the last decade has stood as an exception to the unwritten rule that women rappers no longer have a place among elite artists. Mike Coppola/Getty Images hide caption

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Mike Coppola/Getty Images

Code Switch

Where Did All The Female Rappers Go?

March 4, 2014 • This, we're told, is the year female rappers will break their way back into the mainstream, ending the long period of silence for women in the industry.

Tuesday February 25, 2014

Are Americans Tired Of 'Arrogant British' TV Personalities?

Piers Morgan poses for a portrait backstage during a 2011 press tour. Chris Pizzello/AP hide caption

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Chris Pizzello/AP

Opinion

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Are Americans Tired Of 'Arrogant British' TV Personalities?

February 25, 2014 • Piers Morgan announced that CNN will be canceling his show, just weeks after Fox TV said it would be parting ways with British star and American Idol alum Simon Cowell.

Saturday February 22, 2014

Iconoclastic Musician Takes Measure Of His Life: 'I Became A Fighter'

Fred Ho practices his baritone saxophone in a dressing room before a performance. Joseph Yoon/Courtesy of Fred Ho hide caption

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Joseph Yoon/Courtesy of Fred Ho

Code Switch

Iconoclastic Musician Takes Measure Of His Life: 'I Became A Fighter'

February 22, 2014 • Fred Ho has combined improvisation with Asian themes to create his own form of political activism. Now, at age 56, Ho is dying of cancer.

Iconoclastic Musician Takes Measure Of His Life: 'I Became A Fighter'

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Friday February 14, 2014

What We Learned From Our Month-Long Exploration Of #XCultureLove

These photos make us think that maybe, it's time we start a Code Switch stock photo database. ... iStockphoto hide caption

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iStockphoto

Code Switch

What We Learned From Our Month-Long Exploration Of #XCultureLove

February 14, 2014 • We dive into four themes we saw during our month-long exploration of how race plays out in the dating world.

Thursday February 13, 2014

Instagram Posts, KKK Rallies And Other Racial Sensitivities

Clarence Thomas is seen in a high school year book photo, circa 1959. He said that people are more sensitive about race now than they were when he lived in segregated Georgia and was the first black student to attend his school. AP hide caption

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Code Switch

Instagram Posts, KKK Rallies And Other Racial Sensitivities

February 13, 2014 • Justice Clarence Thomas contended this week that Americans have become too sensitive to race. But might it be that we too often give different racial incidents equal weight?

Wednesday February 5, 2014

'Tiger Mother' Author Spells Out 3 Traits That Drive Success In The U.S.

Amy Chua and Jed Rubenfeld appear on NBC News' Today show. Peter Kramer/Getty Images hide caption

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Peter Kramer/Getty Images

Code Switch

'Tiger Mother' Author Spells Out 3 Traits That Drive Success In The U.S.

February 5, 2014 • Yale law professor Amy Chua sparked controversy with her first book, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, where she touted her strict style of parenting. Now she and her husband, Jed Rubenfeld, are out with a new book, The Triple Package. The couple talk about why they believe some cultural groups are better poised for success.

'Tiger Mother' Author Spells Out 3 Traits That Drive Success In The U.S.

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Tuesday February 4, 2014

We asked writer Noah Cho to take self-portraits for this story. Here's one of them. Courtesy of Noah Cho hide caption

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Courtesy of Noah Cho

Code Switch

How I Learned To Feel Undesirable

February 4, 2014 • When Noah Cho was young, he thought that couples would be like his parents — that Asian men would be paired with white women. But he writes that when he looks in the mirror and reflects on his own experiences, he feels "unattractive and undesirable."

Wednesday January 29, 2014

Obama Showed A Deft Hand With Speech. Why Not With Congress?

President Obama shakes hands after giving the State of the Union address before a joint session of Congress on Tuesday. Larry Downing/AP hide caption

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Larry Downing/AP

It's All Politics

Obama Showed A Deft Hand With Speech. Why Not With Congress?

January 29, 2014 • ANALYSIS: The president was brisk and confident during Tuesday night's State of the Union address. He also managed to avoid a remarkable array of issues that could have proved problematic. But he hasn't been nearly as adept at the less-dramatic business of dealing with Congress and the media.

Thursday January 23, 2014

A Different Kind Of Catholicism Grows In Latino Communities

Bronx native Johnny Torres says he was addicted to drugs before he found Jesus in the Charismatic Catholic movement. Marlon Bishop/Latino USA hide caption

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Marlon Bishop/Latino USA

Code Switch

A Different Kind Of Catholicism Grows In Latino Communities

January 23, 2014 • The "Charismatic" movement involves worshipping with exuberance, miraculous healings, prophesying and establishing a personal connection with God — and the number of converts is growing. According to a recent survey by NPR, about one-third of Latino Catholics in the U.S. identify as "Charismatic."

A Different Kind Of Catholicism Grows In Latino Communities

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Wednesday January 22, 2014

Code Switch

English Only? For Mainland Puerto Ricans, The Answer Is Often 'Yes'

January 22, 2014 • Puerto Ricans are less likely to speak Spanish at home, compared with other Latinos living in the U.S. According to an NPR poll, only 20 percent of Puerto Ricans speak Spanish at home — less than half the percentage for respondents overall.

English Only? For Mainland Puerto Ricans, The Answer Is Often 'Yes'

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Monday January 20, 2014

Obama Proposes NSA Changes, Signs Budget

January 20, 2014 • President Obama over the weekend signed the 1,600-page spending bill to keep the government operating. The signing ceremony came after his speech on Friday, in which he outlined changes for the way the National Security Agency collects intelligence.

Obama Proposes NSA Changes, Signs Budget

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Monday January 13, 2014

N.J. Lawmakers To Subpoena Christie Aides In Bridge Scandal

January 13, 2014 • The New Jersey state legislature on Monday is expected to issue subpoenas to former aides of Governor Chris Christie in the case surrounding the George Washington bridge road closures last fall. Will "Bridgegate" play a role in whether Christie runs for the Republican presidential nomination?

N.J. Lawmakers To Subpoena Christie Aides In Bridge Scandal

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Monday January 6, 2014

Latest Round Of Budget Battles To Begin On Capitol Hill

January 6, 2014 • Unemployment insurance is at the top of the list for President Obama as Congress returns to Washington, but the big budget battles still loom.

Latest Round Of Budget Battles To Begin On Capitol Hill

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Tuesday December 31, 2013

As 2013 Winds To An End, So Do The Tweets Of 1963

The limousine carrying mortally-wounded President John F. Kennedy races toward Parkland Hospital in Dallas just seconds after he was shot. Justin Newman/AP hide caption

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Justin Newman/AP

Code Switch

As 2013 Winds To An End, So Do The Tweets Of 1963

December 31, 2013 • Since June, we've been "live-tweeting" moments from 1963 as if they were happening today. That includes "replays" of the March on Washington, the Birmingham church bombing and President Kennedy's assassination.