By Tram Nguyen, Executive Editor, ColorLines magazine. It's a terrible time to be a refugee. Nearly 30 years ago, refugee policy provided a political weapon in the war against communism, as it does now in the war against terrorism. The difference is that today's government assumes that refugees are themselves the terrorists.

But Can He Read? By Harold Berlak. Many Americans are rightly worried that their children are not learning the basics needed to thrive in the competitive global economy. President-elect Bush's solution is to raise standards by testing both Johnny and his teachers.