Ethnicity Archives - Susan Beth Miller

Neighbors

It is wonderful to see the western world opening arms and hearts to the vast numbers of Ukrainian refugees. That compassion and assistance is badly needed by displaced and traumatized people. Watching the river of refugees admitted into Ukraine's neighboring countries, as well as the huge financial outlays from the US and offers of resettlement, my thoughts turn to the streams of Central American refugees destined for capture and subsequently treated with contempt and a cynical attitude toward their applications for asylum. Why are these refugees considered unwelcome invaders and, once in custody, treated like prisoners? The majority of [...]

By Susan Beth Miller|2022-04-01T15:29:56+00:00April 1st, 2022|blogging, central american asylum seekers, Ethnicity, refugees, Ukraine|0 Comments

Recollections of Trauma

Mothers trail winter scarves and leashes and slow-walk exhausted children while mounting bus stairs not knowing where their journey will take them, carrying shock, grief, and most likely hatred in their hearts but profoundly relieved to be safe and their children protected from the bombing. The observer's heart breaks for them and spins in grief and shock over yet another tragedy we humans have wrought for ourselves. In some respects these emotions of the riveted bystander are simple. Sympathy is simple. Decrying evil and crying out for decency is simple. But society, recollection, and sentiment seldom are simple. As [...]

By Susan Beth Miller|2022-03-27T02:06:24+00:00March 26th, 2022|A Beautiful Land, antisemitism, Babi Yar, Babyn Yar, blogging, Ethnicity, Ukraine, Ukrainian antisemitism|0 Comments

Reading Groups

I had the pleasure last night of participating in a Chicago book group that was discussing my novel. The conversation was interesting and fun. I learned a few things about my book! I would be happy to participate in other reading group discussions. I'm pleased to see that my book is getting good reviews on Amazon and other sites. Published by Emily Hitchcock · March 21 at 2:53 PM · "Buy this book... And then, take the afternoon and evening off, turn off all your devices that ping and submerse yourself inside this compelling story. Beautiful and terrifying at once. Gorgeous lines, one after [...]

By Susan Beth Miller|2022-03-23T13:45:27+00:00March 23rd, 2022|A Beautiful Land, blogging, Book release, book reviews, Cultural appropriation, Ethnicity, Fiction|0 Comments

Disgust, Ethnicity, and Fiction

Post #5On December 27, the NYTimes (Molly Young) published an article--“How Disgust Explains Everything” https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/27/magazine/disgust-science.html. The article looks at Paul Rozin’s early work on disgust as an emotion that helps us know what is safe to eat. The author examines as well the evolution of scholarship to explore disgust's broader interpersonal and moral functioning.Not much was said by Young about disgust in intergroup relations so I want to comment a bit on that subject. Disgust frequently operates powerfully and lethally in intergroup relations. Characterizations of the ‘other’ as disgusting have through the centuries been associated with acts of extreme violence—including [...]

By Susan Beth Miller|2022-01-27T02:13:00+00:00January 11th, 2022|A Beautiful Land, Disgust, Essays, Ethnicity, Fiction|0 Comments