Your November 2022 Recap
November has been hectic — to say the least. There’s been a worldwide increase in unrest as demands for justice go unheard, and marginalized voices persist in fighting to be heard. The climate crisis continues to worsen, and political undertones plague to start of the World Cup. Take a look back at the happenings of the month…
World News
Women are at the forefront of Iran’s human rights protests, after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in early September sparked outrage across Iran, inciting a series of nationwide protests that have left more than 300 protesters killed at the hands of the Iranian police. In Thailand, demonstrations against the Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Bangkok resulted in the arrest of 25 protestors, and the use of batons and rubber bullets against demonstrators.
The Taliban has begun to conduct public lashings in Eastern Afghanistan, a practice that was last used in the 1990s. Fourteen people, including three women, were publicly flogged for ‘adultery, robbery, and other forms of corruption,’ according to the Taliban's Supreme Court. The lashings occurred in the wake of the struggle to maintain peace in Afghanistan, as food insecurity and poverty rates rise.
On November 15, 2022, the world population officially surpassed eight billion, as world leaders met in Indonesia for the G20 summit. Many countries’ economies continue to grapple with the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the climate crisis continues to worsen. Floods rip through Pakistan and earthquakes take a deadly toll in Indonesia.
With the start of the FIFA World Cup in November, Qatar faces backlash for its history of human rights violations, alleged bribery of FIFA, and same-sex relationships being punishable by law, causing many fans to condemn conservative practices. Allegedly, nearly 6000 migrant workers have died in the process of constructing Qatar’s stadiums, with companies leaving families in the dark regarding their loved ones. Despite the controversy-ridden accusations, millions of football fans in Asia show their support for both Saudia Arabia and Japan, representing Asia’s strength in football.
As the rest of the world moves on from the pandemic, China pushes forward with a zero-COVID policy as protests erupt across universities and apartment complexes. Officials persist that the policy prevents further fatalities from the virus, despite strict, often inhumane quarantine practices which claim even more lives. In Hong Kong, Foxconn, an Apple product supplier, has attempted to quell protests at an iPhone factory for inhumane working conditions.
Weeks after the deadly Korean crowd surge on Halloween- which claimed the lives of over 150 people- families demand answers from officials. Investigations reveal a lack of preparation and efficient response from public officials resulted in a devastating, preventable tragedy. Outrage sparks across the country, echoing similar sentiments to the aftermath of the Sewol ferry sinking, taking former President Park Geun-hye out of office.
In the United States, Asian American voters favored Democratic candidates and showed the growing power behind the demographic. The community continues to be divided over affirmative action as the Supreme Court rules the policy at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill.
November’s Overachievers
Filipino American Hockey player Jason Robertson leads the goals scored in the National Hockey League.
Aruna Miller serves as the first South Asian state lieutenant governor in America.
Korean Pianist Lee Hyuk wins international Long-Thiubad piano competition.
Recommended Reading
The Loneliest Americans by Jay Caspian Kang
Rise: a Pop History of Asian America from the Nineties to Now by Jeff Yang, Phil Yu, and Phillip Wang
Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning by Cathy Park Hong
A Burning: a Novel by Megha Majumdar
Em: a Novel by Kim Thuy
If I Had Your Face: a Novel by Frances Cha
The Tiger Mom’s Tale by Lyn Liao Butler
Recommended Watching
Inside the Final Days of the Doctor China Tried to Silence (NYTimes)
Bad Axe: a Documentary (IFC Films)
Writing with Fire (Music Box Films)
SPY X Family (VIZ Media)
Photocopier (Netflix)
More than ever, the voices of underrepresented communities are struggling for visibility — for basic human rights, for creative freedom, for recognition in communities. The tide of change brought along in the past few years is only gaining momentum, amid the deteriorating state of natural environments. We hope you continue to uplift the voices of those around you and support the ones fighting oceans away to be heard.
