African and Asian immigrants first came to France by invitation of the government. But as their numbers grew, so did the polarization between them and the native Parisians. Socioeconomic and ethnic differences amplified the distance between these two populations, as did geography, since most immigrants settled in the northeastern suburbs rather than in the central city.

Almost every hour of the day, people can be seen in tanning salons. And every hour of the day, one American dies from melanoma.

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At Urban Roots in East Austin, working on an organic farm helps youth sustain a healthy environment and of their neighbors. In the process, they learn leadership and other life skills and get the satisfaction of benefiting their community.

Young people have a unique relationship with the environment: They are often the first affected when something goes wrong, yet the least represented when decisions are made.

George Yancey, an associate professor of sociology at the University of North Texas, studies interracial dating and marriage. He shared some of his findings with Y-Press.

Several Indianapolis teens – be they Indian, black, Latino or white – said they would consider marrying outside of their race, now that they have been part of the interracial dating scene. Raymond Jami, who is black, and Rocio Mendez, who is Latina, have been dating for more than three years.

Sisters Isabella and Olivia don't let their parents do all the cooking. They have their own Web site full of cool recipe ideas for kids and adults.

When he was a kid, Brad Williams got fed up with people who gawked at him because he was a dwarf. But his dad made sure he didn't gripe about it. "He told me, 'Listen: You have this condition,' " Williams recalled. " 'People are going to stare at you your whole life. You have two choices: A: You can cry about it, get sad about it and feel sorry for yourself; or B: You can use it to educate others

W hen a Wal-Mart cashier was little and facing a bleak Christmas, she was thrilled to receive presents from a "secret" Santa, and the memory still makes her happy. She told Ben Davis High School students that story as they purchased presents for low-income children in their community, helping them see firsthand how their generosity and goodwill lives on, even after the holidays. For the past nine

Before signing a record deal with Virgin Records, Hope Partlow was an typical farm girl growing up north of Memphis, Tenn. Partlow went to a public school, and did chores around her 100-acre farm. She started singing gospel and country songs with her father at the age of 5. And she received her first record deal when she was 14 years old. Now at 18, she has traveled the country performing music from “Who We Are,” her finely-written pop album.

There were hundreds of gawkers and exhibits from all over the world. But nothing made the Intel Science and Engineering Fair last month feel more like a zoo than the signs: "Please do not poke, tease, or feed the science nerds."