It’s conceivable that 40 years from now nobody will care about race at all. But if they do still care, it will still be the case that—by definition—whiteness is the racial definition of the sociocultural majority. If the only way for that to happen is to recruit large swathes of the Hispanic and fractionally Asian population into whiteness, then surely it will happen. Indeed, while the Census Bureau has always been very clear that some people are white, others black, and yet others Native American or Indian, the federal government has frequently changed its mind about the rest. The first time an additional option showed up was in Census 1870’s addition of a “Chinese” race. By 1890 you were also allowed to be “Japanese,” and ... Continue reading →
Los Angeles became the largest city in the nation Wednesday to adopt a ban on plastic bags at supermarket checkout lines, handing a major victory to clean-water advocates who sought to reduce the amount of trash clogging landfills, the region’s waterways and the ocean. Egged on by actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus and an array of environmental groups, the City Council voted 13 to 1 to phase out plastic bags over the next 12 months at an estimated 7,500 stores. Councilman Bernard Parks cast the lone no vote. "Let’s get the message to Sacramento that it’s time to go statewide," said Councilman Ed Reyes, who has focused on efforts to revitalize the Los Angeles River. Council members quietly backed away from a more controversial plan to also ... Continue reading →
Transit of Venus NASA June 5, 2012 | 5:30 pm Cullman Hall of the Universe Ticket Info Free with Museum admission Enter at 81st Street On Tuesday, June 5, Venus will pass directly between the Earth and Sun. Historically, this uncommon alignment allowed scientists to measure the distance from Earth to the Sun and the scale of the entire solar system. Join astronomer Steve Beyer for a live simulcast of this rare transit from the Mauna Kea Observatory in Hawaii. At 6:30 pm, watch a screening of Australian artist Lynette Wallworth's Coral: Rekindling Venus in the Hayden Planetarium Space Theater. Wallworth's installation brings coral ecosystems to life and uses the transit of Venus as a rallying point for global cooperation around this century's pressing issue: ... Continue reading →
