The Bed-Bug Whisperer of Brooklyn

The Bed-Bug Whisperer of Brooklyn
by Laura Entis | The Outline | #165 | #culture

Maybe even more than roaches and rats, bed bugs induce anxiety and revulsion. (Ever had them? Don’t worry. You don’t have to tell.) Bed bugs win the ick contest: invading our homes, sucking our blood, and multiplying rapidly. If you happen to live near Brooklyn, Billy Swan is the guy to call. He’ll assuage your fears, calm your frenzy, and take care of business. At the same time, Mr. Swan will emphasize that bugs remind us we’re all in this together. (14 min)

The Comforting Fictions of Caring for People with Dementia

The Comforting Fictions of Caring for People with Dementia
by Larissa MacFarquhar • The New Yorker • Issue #165 • #culture

Let’s say you’re taking care of a woman with dementia. She believes her late husband is still alive. Do you tell her the truth, over and over again, which causes pain and suffering? Or do you tell her he’s still at work or in a different room? The trend in memory care is to give patients “comforting fictions.” As usual, Larissa MacFarquhar (#107) is spectacular in this piece, which brings up many ethical issues. Like: Is it OK to lie to your patient? Is who we are what we remember? (54 min)

+ More on dementia: #9, #21, #40, #108, #120.

You Find a Note Inside Your Purse from a Chinese Prisoner. What Do You Do?

You Find a Note Inside Your Purse from a Chinese Prisoner. What Do You Do?
by Rossalyn A. Warren | Vox | #165 | #race

Over the past year or so, many American shoppers have found notes from Chinese prisoners left in their purses and stitched on their garments. The messages describe horrible conditions: 14-hour days, little food and rest, meager pay. Retailers like Walmart have cried foul, blaming activist groups like Labour Behind the Label for manufacturing outrage. Except the notes keep coming, and more seem authentic. The question is, Do we even care where our clothes come from? Maybe in theory we do, but ultimately, price comes first. (22 min)

Jim Crow Education

Jim Crow Education
by Annie Waldman and Erica Green | ProPublica | #165 | #race #education

The biggest problem in American education, according to our lead article two weeks ago (#163), is not the achievement gap. It’s the opportunity myth. We promise kids of color that if they work hard, they’ll be rewarded. This is a lie. Across the country, we’re comfortable offering a separate and unequal education to Black and Brown students, as long as white kids get the resources they need. This article focuses on Charlottesville, Virginia — a liberal, affluent college town not unlike Berkeley — where:

• white kids are 4x as likely as Black kids to be in the gifted program

• Black kids are 4x as likely as white kids to be held back a grade

• Black kids are 5x as likely as white kids to be suspended

• white kids are 3x as likely as Black kids to receive an advanced diploma, which increases access to more elite colleges

School officials in Charlottesville cite socioeconomic factors, even when poor white kids outperform their Black peers. “I’m not trying to make excuses,” the superintendent says, arguing that test scores are only one measure of success. (16 min)

+ What do you think? What needs to be done to counteract the opportunity myth? Hit reply to share your thoughts.

Safe House

Safe House: Secret Shelters for Abused Immigrant Women
by Lizzie Presser | The California Sunday Magazine | #164 | #race

Valentina (not her real name) opens her home to fellow Latina immigrant women whose partners have abused them. She’s done this for a long time, ever since her husband began to beat her. Many of the women she serves are undocumented, unsure whether to press charges, scared to leave their partners, worried about losing their children. Valentina listens, gives them shelter, and discusses their options. (17 min)

The Rise and Fall of Affirmative Action

The Rise and Fall of Affirmative Action
Hua Hsu | New Yorker | #164 | #race #education

Affirmative action is about to die. If Edward Blum and Students for Fair Admissions get their way, colleges across the country will no longer be able to factor in race in their admissions decisions. For Michael Wang and many other high-achieving Chinese American students, elite schools like Harvard unfairly discriminate, admitting applicants with lower GPAs and test scores. But as this outstanding article explores, what we say is “fair” is complicated. Hua Hsu explains the origin of affirmative action, the history of Asian American immigration, and our country’s different notions of “justice for all.” (40 min)