Black workers weren't the only ones exploited on sugar plantations

+ finding comfort, healing and joy in 2022 US Edition - Today's top story: Making sugar, making 'coolies': Chinese laborers toiled alongside Black workers on 19th-century Louisiana plantations [View in browser]( US Edition | 15 January 2022 [The Conversation]( Sugar is traded in nearly every country worldwide, and it has played a central role in the growth of colonial empires and wealth since the 16th century. But for the workers who toiled in this global industry (and still do in many places), it’s a bitter history, interwoven with slavery and racial exploitation. As part of our special series on sugar, University of Washington historian Moon-Ho Jung recounts how Louisiana planters recruited thousands of [Chinese laborers to replace enslaved labor]( on their plantations in the decades following the Civil War. The planters hoped that these migrant workers would be cheaper and more obedient than Black workers – a vision that was as flawed as the slavery system it aspired to replace. This week we also liked articles about the [Supreme Court’s ruling on vaccine mandates](, the [#BettyWhiteChallenge]( and how [doctors can communicate better with their patients](. Jennifer Weeks Senior Environment + Energy Editor Harvesting on a Louisiana sugar plantation, 1875. Alfred R. Waud/Library of Congress [Making sugar, making ‘coolies’: Chinese laborers toiled alongside Black workers on 19th-century Louisiana plantations]( Moon-Ho Jung, University of Washington Sugar has deep links with slavery in the US, but Black workers weren’t the only ones affected. In post-Civil War Louisiana, Chinese workers also toiled cutting and processing cane. New York City’s vaccine mandates are unaffected by the court ruling. AP Photo/Mary Altaffer [What Supreme Court’s block of vaccine mandate for large businesses will mean for public health: 4 questions answered]( Debbie Kaminer, Baruch College, CUNY A legal scholar explains what the ruling means for other vaccine mandates and the government’s ability to protect public health. Betty White had three dogs in 1954, including ‘Stormy,’ a Saint Bernard. Bettmann/Getty Images [The #BettyWhiteChallenge highlights the growth of animal philanthropy and the role of rescues]( Melissa L. Caldwell, University of California, Santa Cruz Fans of the late actress are calling on Americans to donate $5 or more to animal charities on Jan. 17, 2022, which would have been Betty White’s 100th birthday. - [Tackling 2022 with hope: 5 essential reads]( Molly Jackson, The Conversation Five articles on the meanings of hope and how to think about resilience, healing and even joy in the midst of this winter’s bleakness. - [Civil war in the US is unlikely because grievance doesn’t necessarily translate directly into violence]( Ore Koren, Indiana University Despite growing public discussion of the risk of civil war in the US, a political violence scholar says widespread civil strife is unlikely to happen – but other political violence is more likely. - [Inflation inequality: Poorest Americans are hit hardest by soaring prices on necessities]( Jacob Orchard, University of California San Diego The rising cost of groceries and gas is fueling the fastest increase in consumer prices in 40 years and widening the inflation gap between the rich and poor. - [Confused by what your doctor tells you? A new study discovers how communication gaps between doctors and patients can be cured]( - [Watch for these conflicts over education in 2022]( - [When meeting someone new, try skirting the small talk and digging a little deeper]( - [Colleges accused of conspiring to make low-income students pay more]( - [Sugar detox? Cutting carbs? A doctor explains why you should keep fruit on the menu]( Like this newsletter? You might be interested in our weekly emails: [Politics Weekly]( • [Science Editors' Picks]( • [This Week in Religion]( • [Weekly Highlights]( [The Conversation]( You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation]( 303 Wyman Street, Suite 300 Waltham, MA 02451 [Forward to a friend]( • [Unsubscribe](