Anthblr

John Frum Cargo Cults, Tanna Island

Our Lady of Guadalupe can be seen as a symbol, not just as a saint in Catholicism, but as a symbol of Mexican Catholicism in New York City. As a result of immigration, Mexican immigrants reshaped many of the Catholic spaces and churches themselves in NYC. Side note: different populations within the Catholic community have been known to favor certain saints based on what they symbolize to them. This can be seen be the numerous images of the Virgin of Guadalupe displayed in churches all over New York City. She is often called "the Mother of Mexico" and is said to be the patron of the poor, weak, and oppressed. It makes sense that she would become an important figure to the largely marginalized group of people. She embodies the idea that all people are equal in the eyes of the Mother of God and that people are watched over and loved by a divine motherly figure. She is often associated with Tepeyac, a Mexican Catholic immigrant organization that advocates for immigrant rights, services, and legalization.

By definition, a "bruja" is the Spanish word for "witch." Some people draw similarities between modern witchcraft and brujería, but to the practitioners of the latter, the two are very different. Brujería originates within the mixed populations in the Caribbean and Latin America, referring to different spiritual practices in their heritage. Many different separate religions across the diaspora are considered to be brujería such as Vodou and Santeria.

The rituals of brujería (which some would say are brujería itself) are generally passed down from the previous generation. The origins of brujería can be looked at through Afro-Latinx roots through the unification of African, indigenous and some European communities through the experience of being marginalized. Around the 16-th century, many women began to use brujería as a means of balance. When men would abuse their wives and have affairs, knowing that they would get no help from the judicial and religious systems, many brujas turned to brujería to help their situations. Still, due to colonization, brujería became stigmatized in society gaining the stereotype of the "evil enchantress." 

In contemporary society, many brujas try to change the public perception of brujería. This has resulted in the controversial popularizing of bruja culture, which some result modern witch culture being a mix of bruja practices. Many young people can be seen claiming brujería as an integral part of their culture, seen by icons like Beyoncé in her tribute to Oshun and a music video by the Afro-Latina rapper Princess Nokia, titiled "Bruja." Everyday brujas themselves say that brujeria isnt something that can be learned from a book, but is taught through oral tradition from family to family, further solidifying authenticity.

So not many know this but there been a lot of problems around the Chinese-Tibet boarder. Around the 1950s, the Chinese invaded Tibet and incorporated it into greater China under the guise of "peaceful liberation" (which is considered by most to be imperialist occupation).  By the end of the decade, the Dalai Lama fled Tibet to Dharamshala, India with 80,000 Tibetans to follow, effectively creating the Tibetan Diaspora. (and some of the most interesting resulting cultures, please read Tibetan Diary).

Within the original Tibetan lands itself, the Chinese government has been using the existence of Buddhist monasteries in Tibet in order to profit. They use these monasteries to promote Tibet as a tourist destination. Some monasteries have been forcibly changed in order make more space for more touristic activities like restaurants, hotels and shops (which I believe are discouraged by the religion). In addition, many ethnic Tibetans wish to return to their original homeland as a pilgrimage, which is not allowed under the laws of the Chinese government. In a way, the Chinese government has taken a culture hostage.

So I ended up posting some fan art of Jewish characters from the MCU on my snapchat, and a friend made a comment about how the artist even included jelly filled powered doughnuts.

I thought that was pretty interesting so I did some extra digging. The original tradition of eating sufganiyot (a food similar to a fried jelly doughnut) comes from the miracle of the associated with the Temple oil of Hanukah, hence eating the fried food. As the practice spread out of Israel, the custom changed. Originally from the Jewish communities in New York City, many people have taken to purchasing doughnuts due to the similarities between the foods. According to the New York Times, "… at West End Synagogue on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, families attending a Hanukkah party gathered around a menorah, dreidels and piles of Krispy Kreme doughnuts" (Moskin, 2005). In addition, some Dunkin Donuts in New York have started selling the traditional donuts in their stores, mostly within Jewish communities. This just goes to further show how movement really changes cultures.