• Half an enchilada

In an article about U.S. immigration reform, The Arizona Republic discussed several views and then quoted Carlos Vélez-Ibáñez, an anthropology professor and director of Arizona State University’s School of Transborder Studies. He said that most undocumented immigrants come to the U.S. for a better life for themselves, but especially for their children: “It’s all about sacrifice…They will swallow the poison in order for their children to have a milkshake.”

Luis Plascencia, an anthropology professor at ASU who focuses on migration policy, agreed, saying that if legal status short of citizenship is “…all you are going to get, then you’ll take it…Half an enchilada is better than no enchilada.”

• In London: Threat to curry restaurants and late night curry tradition

Cultural anthropologist Sean Carey published an article in The Guardian about a major threat to London’s Brick Lane curry restaurants from a new ruling seeking to ban post-midnight curry meals.  The rationale is that the late curry culture is associated with excessive rowdiness. For those who are not aware of this tradition in the UK: after the pubs close, many people move on to have a curry meal between midnight and 2am. [Blogger’s note: curry is the most popular dish in England; you can see more of Sean Carey’s writings here on anthropologyworks].

• Alzheimer’s disease and awareness about it

An article in The National (Abu Dhabi) discussed the need to raise awareness about the prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease in the Middle East. The article noted that while much statistical evidence exists to show that Alzheimer’s is a growing problem worldwide (see the 2013 World Alzheimer Report), the figures do not tell the whole story. It then quotes extensively from medical anthropologist Margaret Lock’s writings in her new book The Alzheimer Conundrum, Entanglements of Dementia and Aging:

“Over the past decade, professional and media publications about Alzheimer’s have increased exponentially, and some highlight an entrenched problem not evident in simple tallies about the burgeoning numbers of elderly…If the burden that increasing numbers of demented elderly place on society, families and individual caregivers is to be engaged with constructively, then the ignorance, fear, stigma, shame, discrimination, denial and indifference commonly associated with dementia must first be exposed and overcome.”

Lock argues for a different approach to Alzheimer’s, one that focuses more on those who do not develop the disease.

• Just in time for Valentine’s Day: A chat with Helen Fisher

USA Today provided an interview with biological anthropologist Helen Fisher, professor at Rutgers University and chief scientific advisor of Match.com. The conversation covers the state of relationships as revealed by the second annual Singles in America study, beginning with the question: What was one of the most surprising findings that you came across while doing this study? Continue reading “Anthro in the news 2/10/14” →