The Highlander
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE
For the week of Tuesday, October 8, 2024
VOL. 73, ISSUE 2
est. 1954
One year later UPDATES ON ISRAEL’S ATTACKS ON GAZA, LEBANON AND YEMEN. SENNA OMAR Editor-in-Chief
365 days into what the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has labeled as genocide, the Israeli government has killed over 40,000 Palestinians in Gaza, 16,500 of whom are children. In the occupied West Bank, Israel’s army has killed over 700 Palestinians, over 160 of which were children. AP News reported that approximately 90% of Gazan residents have been displaced by Israel’s military brigade. These figures are current as of Oct. 6, 2024 according to data gathered by the Palestinian Ministry of Health. According to Al Jazeera, every hour, “15 people are killed … 35 people [are] injured … 42 bombs are dropped … [and] 12 buildings are destroyed.” On Sept. 27, 2024, Israel targeted Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, the only functioning medical facility in central Gaza that has been treating thousands of patients since Oct. 7, 2023. Israel has repeatedly attacked medical facilities in Gaza, which the ICJ has identified as a violation
of the Geneva Convention. The 1949 Geneva Convention is a set of rules that govern how civilians and soldiers should be treated during war, stating that “civilian hospitals organized to give care to the wounded and sick, the infirm and maternity cases, may in no circumstances be the object of attack, but shall at all times be respected and protected by the Parties to the conflict.” The Human Rights Watch reported, “The Israeli government should immediately end unlawful attacks on hospitals, ambulances, and other civilian objects, as well as its total blockade of the Gaza Strip, which amounts to the war crime of collective punishment” On Oct. 6, 2024, according to an Al Jazeera correspondent on the ground in Gaza, Israeli forces bombed a mosque in central Gaza, killing at least 21 Palestinians and wounding dozens more; the final death and injury toll from this attack has yet to be determined. After ICJ’s ruling that Israel must halt all military offensive operations, Israel’s military brigade has continued. - SEE UPDATES PAGE 4
R’Perspective: The underappreciation and rediscovery of Hispanic Heritage Month HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH, WHILE CREATED TO HONOR HISPANIC CONTRIBUTIONS, OFTEN FEELS UNDERAPPRECIATED AND SERVES AS A REMINDER OF THE DUALITY OF BEING HISPANIC AND AMERICAN. LILIANNA ANGEL Contributing Writer
Hispanic Heritage Month, established in 1968 by President Lyndon B. Johnson, was created to honor the contributions and civil rights struggles of Hispanic American movements like César Chávez’s marches and La Raza Unida party. While the month has a noble purpose, it has always felt underappreciated to me, along with my own feelings of being trapped between two worlds. One reason why it has always felt undervalued to me is its timing. Hispanic Heritage Month begins on Sept. 15 and runs through Oct. 15, which makes it less visible compared to other commemorative months. It wasn’t until high school that I even knew that Hispanic Heritage Month existed. Growing up in the San Fernando Valley, with a largely Hispanic population, it was disheartening to see how little celebration or recognition the celebratory month received. There were no school events or community festivities to honor our heritage, leaving me feeling like the hard-fought battles of past generations had been forgotten. My family had a similar experience with Hispanic Heritage Month. My mom and grandparents, including my grandfather who marched with César Chávez, didn’t know about Hispanic Heritage Month until I learned about it in school and told them. My mom was part of desegregation busing in the San
Fernando Valley and didn’t know its significance. Kids back then like her need to be acknowledged for their life experiences. César Chávez holds a very special place in my family’s heart for the work he did and the impact he has had. He was a Mexican-American labor leader who co-founded the United Farm Workers (UFW) with Dolores Huerta. He’s most famous for leading the 1965 Delano Grape Strike, which my grandpa proudly marched in, where he stood up for farmworkers to get better pay and conditions by organizing peaceful protests and boycotts. However, I felt sad to realize that even those who lived through key moments of Hispanic history weren’t aware this time is meant to celebrate our culture and contributions. This lack of acknowledgment made me feel like my heritage wasn’t important enough to be recognized. While I celebrated and knew other cultural holidays like Día de los Muertos, César Chávez Day and Cinco de Mayo, none of them felt like they fully represented me. In fact, Cinco de Mayo feels like a watered-down excuse for people to drink and party; it has become completely detached from the actual history behind it. Many people don’t realize that Cinco de Mayo isn’t even Mexico’s Independence Day, which is actually celebrated on Sept. 16. The celebration of Cinco de Mayo today highlights the lack of true understanding and respect for our culture.
- SEE HISPANIC HERITAGE PAGE 8
Anime Expo 2024: The ultimate gathering for anime lovers and industry icons ANIME EXPO 2024 BROKE ATTENDANCE RECORDS AND DEMONSTRATED A GLOBAL LOVE FOR JAPANESE MANGA AND ANIME. EDUARDO RAMOS, JOSEPH BENITEZ AND NICHOLAS KANG Contributing Writers
Anime, a once controversial topic of interest, is perhaps at its biggest peak of all time. The world’s largest anime convention, Anime Expo (AX), saw a record-breaking 392,000 attendees in July. For reference, this is more than San Diego Comic-Con and New York ComicCon combined, with roughly 135,000 and 200,000 attendees respectively. Held in the Los Angeles Convention Center, the first major attraction was its sprawling exhibit hall. This location was packed with plenty of photo opportunities and gargantuan statues. There were thousands of items to browse and purchase, allowing people to easily wander the hall for a whole day. The entertainment hall was jam-packed with different activities. Whether it was curated experiences made by companies such as Hulu or Hoyoverse, live manga painting on massive walls, or the rows and rows of various gaming consoles and board games, there was never a dull moment in this hall. One of the most charming and personal aspects of AX was the artist alley. Here, hundreds of artists gathered to sell their wares. From clothing to portraits to custom skateboards, this building housed a diverse range of products. Throughout all of this, one of the most noticeable aspects of the convention was the way people were dressed. From colored hair to elaborate dresses to full 10-foot tall costumes, many people showed up in interesting apparel. The embrace of animeinspired fashion is known as
cosplay. Many people showed up in elaborate cosplays to take photos and interact with other anime megafans. For more details about the costumes donned by event attendees, see the AX lookbook on page 19. Popular anime, “Oshi no Ko” held a panel on day three of the convention and opened with an special anniversary screening of the first 90-minute episode of season one. Hosted by HIDIVE, a streaming service with exclusive rights to air “Oshi no Ko,” the panel featured Yurie Igoma, voice actor for Ruby and producer Shimpei Yamashita. Both Yamashita and Igoma expressed their gratitude towards the fans who have long anticipated the series return for another season. The panel also included the world premiere of “Oshi no Ko” season two, episode two. The premiere gave attendees an exclusive preview into the upcoming 2.5D Stage Play Arc. “Jujutsu Kaisen,” one of the top streamed anime, held a panel on day four of the expo. Drawing a enormous crowd, the panel was hosted by the anime streaming giant, Crunchyroll, and featured panelists Junya Enoki, the voice actor for main character Yuji Itadori, Shota Goshozono, the director of season two and Keisuke Seshimo, the Maruyama Animation Produce Project Association (MAPPA) animation producer. Throughout the conversation, each member of the panel recounted their creative process, personal thoughts on “Jujutsu Kaisen” and their ideas for the future. - SEE ANIME EXPO PAGE 20
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