You are here: Homepage Tag Northern America Articles Photo: Marcus Ingram/Getty Images Pop culture | Mexico The Peso Pluma phenomenon Peso Pluma fills stadiums with a mix of traditional Mexican sounds and international pop. His songs about drug violence and love trigger strong emotions among fans and critics alike By Dahlia de la Cerda 11/01/2024 A harvest worker picks avocados for export Photo: Axel Javier Sulzbacher Environment | Mexico Avocados: The green gold rush The global appetite for avocados is generating big bucks in Michoacán. Behind the scenes, criminal groups illegally clear forests and steal municipal water for cultivation. The risks are large but the benefits remain in the hands of a few By Heriberto Paredes Coronel 10/28/2024 Revered since Aztec times and a Mexican national icon today, Axolotls are struggling to survive in the wild Collage: Julia Neller, Photos: Getty Images Biodiversity | Mexico The incredible transformation of the axolotl The iconic axelotl has fascinated Aztecs, scientists and became a meme. But is that enough to bring it back from the brink of extinction? By Andrés Cota Hiriart 09/11/2024 Paulina Sotomayor performs as a solo musician under the name ‘Pahua’ Photo: El Rey de Aragón Pop culture | Mexico The sound of Mexico Paulina Sotomayor sang in a mariachi band for years, but today she mixes electro with Mexican folk music, cumbia, conga and afrobeats. This is her personal playlist to celebrate female empowerment By Paulina Sotomayor 09/07/2024 Photo: Mauricio Sierra Indigenous rights | Mexico “We need to be loud every day” Born into a rural Indigenous community, Eufrosina Mendoza Cruz was hardly destined to pursue a political career. Yet, she championed the rights of Mexican Indigenous women, becoming both an activist and a member of parliament. A conversation about self-determination and perseverance Interview with Eufrosina Cruz Mendoza 09/07/2024 Illustration: Victoria Villasana Women’s rights | Mexico Women’s rights on the agenda In Mexico, there’s often a gap between women’s rights on paper and in reality: Violence against women is rampant, many girls fall pregnant, unpaid care work is mostly on women’s shoulders. Five feminist activists take stock: what has improved, what still needs to be done? 09/07/2024 Illustration: Victoria Villasana Women’s rights | Mexico He said, she Brutal violence against women is not uncommon in Mexico. The writer Gabriela Jauregui has collected quotes from perpetrators in court, creating a harrowing poem By Gabriela Jauregui 09/07/2024 Market vendor Raúl Ramírez Florido (65) in Coyocán in Mexico City can really get into a rage when you talk to him about politics Photo: Miguel Tovar for KULTURAUSTAUSCH Vox pop | Mexico Mexico’s fourth transformation Mexico’s outgoing president launched extensive social reforms, and his successor Claudia Sheinbaum promises to continue his work. What has changed so far? A snapshot of the prevailing mood in Mexico City By Paula Mónaco Felipe 09/07/2024 Mexican author Gabriela Jauregui Photo: Gary Doak / Alamy Manifesto | Mexico My president For the first time in history Mexico voted for a female president. Following Claudia Sheinbaum’s landslide win, the writer Gabriela Jauregui lists her demands for the new Presidenta By Gabriela Jauregui 05/29/2024 Children play on the beach in Iqaluit, Nunavut on wrapped canoes from the Hudson's Bay Company, the oldest incorporated company in Canada, founded in 1670 Photo: Rosemary Gilliat Eaton / Library and Archives Canada Inuit | Canada Nunavik, my icy homeland In northern Canada, the indigenous population has always lived in balance with nature - but then Europeans found their way to the icy desert. The newcomers harvested its raw materials. A personal story about life on the periphery of North America By Sheila Watt-Cloutier 02/16/2024 A class at the Coqualeetza Residential School in British Columbia in 1932 Photo: United Church of Canada Archives Discrimination | Canada “Kill the ‘Indian’ in the kid” For decades, indigenous children in Canada were sent to Christian boarding schools for re-education, where many experienced abuse. Journalist Michel Jean has written about this trauma Interview with Michel Jean 11/05/2023 Judge Abby Abinanti is a member of the Yurok, an indigenous community in Northern California, and has worked for Californian state courts for many years Photo: private Indigenous justice | USA “These days, we have very few trials” Judge Abby Abinanti worked for decades in both U.S. state courts and the Yurok Tribal Court. She says many lessons can be learnt from her community’s close-knit approach to justice Interview with Abby Abinanti 09/20/2023 Sean Sherman is a chef and food activist. For many years, he has dedicated himself to rediscovering and reconstructing the cuisine of the Sioux and Lakota First Nations. In Minneapolis, he runs the restaurant “Owamni”, which serves indigenous cuisine only. Photo: Nate Ryan Indigenous culture | USA “My cuisine is decolonised” The restaurant Owamni in Minneapolis is one of the best in the USA. Its owner Sean Sherman is both a chef and an activist. On serving food with explosive political power Interview with Sean Sherman 01/09/2023 [Translate to English:] Photo: Luis Antonio Riojas Black and white thinking Feminist, lesbian, politician With liberal positions on abortion and diversity, I became a congresswoman in Mexico - and a target of hatred By Lucía Riojas Martínez 04/14/2022 [Translate to English:] Foto: Denys Meak Black and white thinking “Diversity is not an end in itself” Many voices are still not to be found in the mainstream media. Journalist Karen Attiah discusses how debates around cancel culture are accelerating our debates around diversity. A conversation By Karen Attiah 04/14/2022 BL Shirelle at a performance. The musician and current co-director of DJC Records served ten years in prison herself Photo: DJC Records Pop culture | USA “A new prison built every ten days” Songs that break down walls: Poet Fury Young and musician BL Shirelle run a record label for people behind bars. Interview with BL Shirelle, Fury Young 04/14/2022 A protester in the Senate chamber of the U.S. Capitol, which was stormed during a congressional confirmation hearing for the 2020 presidential election, in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 06, 2021 Photo: Getty Images / Win McNamee / Staff Social media | USA Where communication is chaotic How can social media guarantee that their digital spaces are democratic? A proposal By Nicole Curato 04/14/2022 Writer and lecturer Maaza Mengiste Photo: Annette Riedl / dpa / picture alliance Talking point | Fiction With respect How to write about things you haven’t experienced yourself. By Maaza Mengiste 04/14/2022 From the event Being Sensitive at the Stuttgart Literaturhaus, with Naika Foroutan (on the wall screen) and Svenja Flaßpöhler (right), moderated by Jenny Friedrich-Freksa (left) Photo: Literaturhaus Stuttgart Black and white thinking Changing our mindset Who has the right to speak and what can be said? The philosopher Svenja Flaßpöhler and the sociologist Naika Foroutan discuss inclusive language, and the fight for equality. A conversation. Interview with Svenja Flaßpöhler, Naika Foroutan 04/14/2022 Protests by the so-called “Freedom Convoy” against regulations and restrictions related to Covid-19 vaccines on February 5, 2022 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Photo: Dave Chan/Getty Images Black and white thinking I’m used to feeling unsafe What “Safe Spaces” mean for people who face discrimination - and how we can make them obsolete. By Bridget Liang 04/14/2022 Racism researcher Ibram X. Kendi Photo: Stephen Voss Black and white thinking “We are constantly misrepresented” Have we forgotten how to argue? Racism researcher Ibram x. Kendi on polarized debates, personal hostility and his own prejudices. A conversation Interview with Ibram X. Kendi 04/14/2022 The visible consequences of a survived earthquake Die sichtbaren Folgen eines überstandenen Erdbebens Photo: Getty Images Earth quake | USA Ground shaking The world around you starts to vibrate – that only happens elsewhere, you think. Until it happens to you. Reflections on an extraordinary day By Tope Folarin 01/07/2022 On this motorcycle "El Chapo" rode 1.5 km through the underground and escaped from the maximum security prison El Altiplano Photo: Edgard Garrido / Reuters Life underground | Mexico Escape through the drain The notorious Mexican drug lord “El Chapo” escaped through a tunnel from the high-security prison El Altiplano in 2015. How in the world was that possible? By Heriberto Paredes Coronel 01/07/2022 Image from photo series “Hell on Wheels: Photographs from the New York Underground 1977-1984” Foto: Willy Spiller Life underground | USA The New York Subway: A-Train to hell? From a symbol of prosperity to a lawless space: New York’s underground has changed with the city. A journey through its history By Stefan Höhne 01/07/2022 Patrick Gourneau, grandfather of the author and inspiration for the novel's character Thomas Photo: State Historical Society of North Dakota Books | USA Statutory eradication Louise Erdrich talks about resistance by indigenous peoples in 1950s America By Gundula Haage 10/01/2021 Years of apprenticeship Illustration from the discussed volume Graphic novel | Canada At the paper mill In his new graphic novel, Guy Delisle illustrates the summer job he once had in a Canadian paper and pulp factory. By Jennifer Dummer 07/01/2021 Illustration: Cristiana Couceiro International relations | USA Can the US reach out to Asia? Under Donald Trump, the US turned its back on its Asian allies and openly challenged Peking. Now it is up to Joe Biden to pick up the pieces By Shihoko Goto 04/01/2021
Photo: Marcus Ingram/Getty Images Pop culture | Mexico The Peso Pluma phenomenon Peso Pluma fills stadiums with a mix of traditional Mexican sounds and international pop. His songs about drug violence and love trigger strong emotions among fans and critics alike By Dahlia de la Cerda 11/01/2024
A harvest worker picks avocados for export Photo: Axel Javier Sulzbacher Environment | Mexico Avocados: The green gold rush The global appetite for avocados is generating big bucks in Michoacán. Behind the scenes, criminal groups illegally clear forests and steal municipal water for cultivation. The risks are large but the benefits remain in the hands of a few By Heriberto Paredes Coronel 10/28/2024
Revered since Aztec times and a Mexican national icon today, Axolotls are struggling to survive in the wild Collage: Julia Neller, Photos: Getty Images Biodiversity | Mexico The incredible transformation of the axolotl The iconic axelotl has fascinated Aztecs, scientists and became a meme. But is that enough to bring it back from the brink of extinction? By Andrés Cota Hiriart 09/11/2024
Paulina Sotomayor performs as a solo musician under the name ‘Pahua’ Photo: El Rey de Aragón Pop culture | Mexico The sound of Mexico Paulina Sotomayor sang in a mariachi band for years, but today she mixes electro with Mexican folk music, cumbia, conga and afrobeats. This is her personal playlist to celebrate female empowerment By Paulina Sotomayor 09/07/2024
Photo: Mauricio Sierra Indigenous rights | Mexico “We need to be loud every day” Born into a rural Indigenous community, Eufrosina Mendoza Cruz was hardly destined to pursue a political career. Yet, she championed the rights of Mexican Indigenous women, becoming both an activist and a member of parliament. A conversation about self-determination and perseverance Interview with Eufrosina Cruz Mendoza 09/07/2024
Illustration: Victoria Villasana Women’s rights | Mexico Women’s rights on the agenda In Mexico, there’s often a gap between women’s rights on paper and in reality: Violence against women is rampant, many girls fall pregnant, unpaid care work is mostly on women’s shoulders. Five feminist activists take stock: what has improved, what still needs to be done? 09/07/2024
Illustration: Victoria Villasana Women’s rights | Mexico He said, she Brutal violence against women is not uncommon in Mexico. The writer Gabriela Jauregui has collected quotes from perpetrators in court, creating a harrowing poem By Gabriela Jauregui 09/07/2024
Market vendor Raúl Ramírez Florido (65) in Coyocán in Mexico City can really get into a rage when you talk to him about politics Photo: Miguel Tovar for KULTURAUSTAUSCH Vox pop | Mexico Mexico’s fourth transformation Mexico’s outgoing president launched extensive social reforms, and his successor Claudia Sheinbaum promises to continue his work. What has changed so far? A snapshot of the prevailing mood in Mexico City By Paula Mónaco Felipe 09/07/2024
Mexican author Gabriela Jauregui Photo: Gary Doak / Alamy Manifesto | Mexico My president For the first time in history Mexico voted for a female president. Following Claudia Sheinbaum’s landslide win, the writer Gabriela Jauregui lists her demands for the new Presidenta By Gabriela Jauregui 05/29/2024
Children play on the beach in Iqaluit, Nunavut on wrapped canoes from the Hudson's Bay Company, the oldest incorporated company in Canada, founded in 1670 Photo: Rosemary Gilliat Eaton / Library and Archives Canada Inuit | Canada Nunavik, my icy homeland In northern Canada, the indigenous population has always lived in balance with nature - but then Europeans found their way to the icy desert. The newcomers harvested its raw materials. A personal story about life on the periphery of North America By Sheila Watt-Cloutier 02/16/2024
A class at the Coqualeetza Residential School in British Columbia in 1932 Photo: United Church of Canada Archives Discrimination | Canada “Kill the ‘Indian’ in the kid” For decades, indigenous children in Canada were sent to Christian boarding schools for re-education, where many experienced abuse. Journalist Michel Jean has written about this trauma Interview with Michel Jean 11/05/2023
Judge Abby Abinanti is a member of the Yurok, an indigenous community in Northern California, and has worked for Californian state courts for many years Photo: private Indigenous justice | USA “These days, we have very few trials” Judge Abby Abinanti worked for decades in both U.S. state courts and the Yurok Tribal Court. She says many lessons can be learnt from her community’s close-knit approach to justice Interview with Abby Abinanti 09/20/2023
Sean Sherman is a chef and food activist. For many years, he has dedicated himself to rediscovering and reconstructing the cuisine of the Sioux and Lakota First Nations. In Minneapolis, he runs the restaurant “Owamni”, which serves indigenous cuisine only. Photo: Nate Ryan Indigenous culture | USA “My cuisine is decolonised” The restaurant Owamni in Minneapolis is one of the best in the USA. Its owner Sean Sherman is both a chef and an activist. On serving food with explosive political power Interview with Sean Sherman 01/09/2023
[Translate to English:] Photo: Luis Antonio Riojas Black and white thinking Feminist, lesbian, politician With liberal positions on abortion and diversity, I became a congresswoman in Mexico - and a target of hatred By Lucía Riojas Martínez 04/14/2022
[Translate to English:] Foto: Denys Meak Black and white thinking “Diversity is not an end in itself” Many voices are still not to be found in the mainstream media. Journalist Karen Attiah discusses how debates around cancel culture are accelerating our debates around diversity. A conversation By Karen Attiah 04/14/2022
BL Shirelle at a performance. The musician and current co-director of DJC Records served ten years in prison herself Photo: DJC Records Pop culture | USA “A new prison built every ten days” Songs that break down walls: Poet Fury Young and musician BL Shirelle run a record label for people behind bars. Interview with BL Shirelle, Fury Young 04/14/2022
A protester in the Senate chamber of the U.S. Capitol, which was stormed during a congressional confirmation hearing for the 2020 presidential election, in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 06, 2021 Photo: Getty Images / Win McNamee / Staff Social media | USA Where communication is chaotic How can social media guarantee that their digital spaces are democratic? A proposal By Nicole Curato 04/14/2022
Writer and lecturer Maaza Mengiste Photo: Annette Riedl / dpa / picture alliance Talking point | Fiction With respect How to write about things you haven’t experienced yourself. By Maaza Mengiste 04/14/2022
From the event Being Sensitive at the Stuttgart Literaturhaus, with Naika Foroutan (on the wall screen) and Svenja Flaßpöhler (right), moderated by Jenny Friedrich-Freksa (left) Photo: Literaturhaus Stuttgart Black and white thinking Changing our mindset Who has the right to speak and what can be said? The philosopher Svenja Flaßpöhler and the sociologist Naika Foroutan discuss inclusive language, and the fight for equality. A conversation. Interview with Svenja Flaßpöhler, Naika Foroutan 04/14/2022
Protests by the so-called “Freedom Convoy” against regulations and restrictions related to Covid-19 vaccines on February 5, 2022 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Photo: Dave Chan/Getty Images Black and white thinking I’m used to feeling unsafe What “Safe Spaces” mean for people who face discrimination - and how we can make them obsolete. By Bridget Liang 04/14/2022
Racism researcher Ibram X. Kendi Photo: Stephen Voss Black and white thinking “We are constantly misrepresented” Have we forgotten how to argue? Racism researcher Ibram x. Kendi on polarized debates, personal hostility and his own prejudices. A conversation Interview with Ibram X. Kendi 04/14/2022
The visible consequences of a survived earthquake Die sichtbaren Folgen eines überstandenen Erdbebens Photo: Getty Images Earth quake | USA Ground shaking The world around you starts to vibrate – that only happens elsewhere, you think. Until it happens to you. Reflections on an extraordinary day By Tope Folarin 01/07/2022
On this motorcycle "El Chapo" rode 1.5 km through the underground and escaped from the maximum security prison El Altiplano Photo: Edgard Garrido / Reuters Life underground | Mexico Escape through the drain The notorious Mexican drug lord “El Chapo” escaped through a tunnel from the high-security prison El Altiplano in 2015. How in the world was that possible? By Heriberto Paredes Coronel 01/07/2022
Image from photo series “Hell on Wheels: Photographs from the New York Underground 1977-1984” Foto: Willy Spiller Life underground | USA The New York Subway: A-Train to hell? From a symbol of prosperity to a lawless space: New York’s underground has changed with the city. A journey through its history By Stefan Höhne 01/07/2022
Patrick Gourneau, grandfather of the author and inspiration for the novel's character Thomas Photo: State Historical Society of North Dakota Books | USA Statutory eradication Louise Erdrich talks about resistance by indigenous peoples in 1950s America By Gundula Haage 10/01/2021
Years of apprenticeship Illustration from the discussed volume Graphic novel | Canada At the paper mill In his new graphic novel, Guy Delisle illustrates the summer job he once had in a Canadian paper and pulp factory. By Jennifer Dummer 07/01/2021
Illustration: Cristiana Couceiro International relations | USA Can the US reach out to Asia? Under Donald Trump, the US turned its back on its Asian allies and openly challenged Peking. Now it is up to Joe Biden to pick up the pieces By Shihoko Goto 04/01/2021