Increasing diversity redefining America's Jewry
By Stephanie Siek, CNN
(CNN) - "But you don’t look Jewish," Jen Chau remembers being told often as a child.
But then again, what is a Jew supposed to look like? The usual implication in those words was that it was not supposed to look like Chau, who was raised Jewish by her European-American mother and Chinese father.
"I still think society's idea of a Jew is someone who looks like Jerry Seinfeld or Woody Allen," said Chau, 34. "They don’t look at someone like me and think, 'Oh, she could be Jewish.'"
But the face of Judaism in America is changing, as the community becomes more diverse through intermarriage, adoption, immigration and conversion.
Same-sex spouses lose big on taxes
By Blake Ellis, @CNNMoney
NEW YORK (CNNMoney) - Same-sex spouses are paying as much as $6,000 a year in extra taxes because the federal government doesn't recognize gay marriage, according to an analysis conducted for CNNMoney by tax specialists.
While marriage provides tax benefits for many heterosexual couples, same-sex families don't enjoy the same perks because they are not allowed to file their federal returns jointly.
The imbalance persists despite increasing acceptance of gay marriage as a legal right. More than 12 states now grant full or partial marriage rights to same-sex couples, and a recent Gallup poll showed - for the first time - that a majority of Americans favor gay marriage.
But not the federal government, which is constrained by the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act. Even as more same-sex couples are able to file jointly at the state level, they are still forced to file as single when submitting federal returns to the IRS.
Engage: African-American unemployment remains stubbornly high
Engage with news and opinions from around the web about under-reported stories from undercovered communities.
Poll: Distinct differences between blacks and whites struggling to find work - NPR
Activists cry foul on booming Ethiopian adoption business - The Atlantic
Opinion: Decisions by congress, courts hurt Native Americans in 2011 - Indian Country
Opinion: Occupy Wall Street movement is not devoid of diversity - Hyphen
Opinion: 'Chinglish' playwright: Overcome language barriers and laugh together
Editor's note: David Henry Hwang’s plays include "M. Butterfly" (1988 Tony Award, 1989 Pulitzer Prize Finalist), "Golden Child" (1998 Tony Award nomination, 1997 OBIE Award), "Yellow Face" (2008 OBIE Award, 2008 Pulitzer Prize Finalist), FOB (1981 OBIE Award), "The Dance and the Railroad" (1982 Drama Desk Award nomination), "Family Devotions" (1982 Drama Desk Award nomination) and "Bondage." "Chinglish" is a comedy about miscommunication.
By David Henry Hwang
As a kid, China was almost as mysterious to me as to my non-Asian friends. I’m a first-generation Chinese-American baby boomer born and raised in Los Angeles. My immigrant parents chose to raise their children as 100% American. We didn’t practice Chinese customs; I never even knew the date of Chinese New Year. Because they spoke different Chinese dialects, it was easier for my parents to communicate in English, so my sisters and I grew up as typical monolingual Americans.
I thought of my ethnicity as nothing more than an interesting detail - like having red hair. Still, if I knew a particular movie or TV program was going to feature Asian characters, I would go out of my way not to watch it. I somehow knew the portrayal would be demeaning, embarrassing, and leave me feeling “icky.”
I started writing plays in college with no intention of telling Chinese or Asian-American stories. As I learned to create more from my unconscious, however, they started appearing on my page. Clearly, some part of me was extremely interested in my ethnicity, but my conscious mind hadn’t figured that out yet. Even when I turned to writing Asian-American plays, however, my emphasis remained on being American. We were tired of being perpetual foreigners; one’s forbears might have arrived in this country two or three generations ago, but people would still say to us, “Oh, you speak such good English!” FULL POST
After years-long legal battle, transgender woman returns to work
By Emma Lacey-Bordeaux, CNN Radio
Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) - Four years on, Vandy Beth Glenn still gets choked up thinking about the day she was fired from her perfect job.
The petite brunette recalls exactly what her boss said that October day, how the reasons behind the termination sparked a lawsuit that could have far-reaching implications about how transgender people are treated at work.
Vandy Beth Glenn was born Glenn Morrison. At a young age, she says, she knew she wasn’t a man.
“It’s like a constant voice in the back of your head telling you ‘This is wrong. This isn’t the life you are supposed to be living,’” she said.
The voice grew louder as the years went on, but the Georgia native moved through life, earning a journalism degree from the University of Georgia and serving as an officer in the U.S. Navy. She’s fascinated by language, she says, loves to see how government works. In 2005, she landed her perfect job as a legislative editor at the Georgia General Assembly.
Around that time, Glenn’s life outside work began to change, too.
Engage: Kwanzaa celebrations dwindling says poll
Engage with news and opinions from around the web about under-reported stories from undercovered communities.
A poll shows Kwanzaa may be a holiday past its prime - The Root
Opinion: After a large turnout in 2008, the youth vote looms large in 2012 - Colorlines
With Aisha Khan found safe, people demand answers - CBS News
How other faiths celebrate on December 25th - CNN
Despite immigration reforms, many young immigrants still in limbo
(CNN) - It wasn't until his senior year of high school in North Carolina that Monji Dolon found out about his murky immigration status.
His family had emigrated from Bangladesh in 1991 when Dolon was 5 years old and since then Dolon, his mother and his brother have lived without legal residency in the United States.
Uncertain of what to check under "residency" on his college applications, Dolon learned at the age of 18 that he was in an ongoing battle to stay in the country he had grown up in.
"I remember having a huge sense of panic at the time," say Dolon, now 25.
The Department of Homeland Security announced reforms this year that would halt the deportations of young immigrants who pose no threat to security. It said it also would review almost 300,000 cases on an individual basis - something it had not been done before.
Individuals without a criminal record are considered low priority for forced or immediate deportation. But without permanent relief, many like Monji Dolon are still in immigration limbo.
'Undocumented' play reveals immigrants' hidden lives
Kat Chua wrote the play "Undocumented," about the experiences of undocumented immigrants living in the United States. It was inspired by a project she worked on as a student at New York University - and her own story. Chua was born in the Philippines, and brought to New York at age 8.
Although the play's characters think the DREAM Act could change their futures, the play isn't really about the legislation, Chua said.
"It's not about one solution fixing everything," she said. "It's about the fact that there is a population of the country, of this world, that isn't represented, that is trying to obtain rights."
Engage: How will Ron Paul's racially charged newsletters play in Iowa?
Engage with news and opinions from around the web about under-reported stories from undercovered communities.
Ron Paul's controversial newsletters could down Iowa surge - The Grio
Eight soldiers charged in Private Danny Chen’s death - Our Chinatown
Opinion: America's newsrooms are becoming whiter - The Root
Mexican immigrants wages are stagnating. Why? - Miller-McCune
Maya Angelou defuses feud with rapper Common over 'N' word
It was reported earlier this week that Dr. Maya Angelou was upset with the rapper Common over his use of the "N" word on his new album, but Angelou has since clarified that there isn't a dispute.
Common's just-released "The Dreamer/The Believer" features Angelou, 83, reciting a poem on the track "The Dreamer." The New York Post reported Sunday that Angelou was "horrified" that the rapper would have her appear on a song in which he uses the term.
The legendary poet was quoted as saying that she was "surprised and disappointed," adding, "I don't know why he chose to do that. I had never heard him use that [word] before. I had admired him so because he wasn't singing the line of least resistance."
On Monday, Angelou called in to BET's "106 & Park," where Common was talking about his new album, and, according to a statement, said "disappointed" was the wrong word.
About In America
What defines you? Maybe it’s the shade of your skin, the place you grew up, the accent in your words, the make up of your family, the gender you were born with, the intimate relationships you chose to have or your generation? As the American identity changes we will be there to report it. In America is a venue for creative and timely sharing of news that explores who we are. Reach us at inamerica@cnn.com.
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