JAPN 220
Being Korean in Japan
Last Offered Spring 2021
Division I Difference, Power, and Equity
Cross-listed ASIA 220
This course is not offered in the current catalog

Class Details

Who are Zainichi Koreans (Koreans in Japan)? How are they different from Koreans in Korea or in the United States? Contemporary Korean TV dramas and films have depicted Koreans as attractive and successful people appealing to Hallyu (Korean Wave) fans around the world. However, Zainichi Koreans, who are the largest ethnic minority in Japan, have been frequently portrayed as abusive husbands/fathers, pitiful wives/mothers, or juvenile delinquents in both Japanese and Korean cinema and literature. Through close readings of films, novels, and short essays, we will explore little-known yet significant representations of Zainichi Koreans by focusing on Japanese and Korean historical contexts. By doing so, we will discover new aspects of transnational exchange not only between Japanese and Koreans, but also between South and North Koreans in Japan. All class materials will be available in English translation or with English subtitles.
The Class: Format: lecture
Limit: 16
Expected: 16
Class#: 5136
Grading: yes pass/fail option, yes fifth course option
Requirements/Evaluation: attendance/participation; short written responses; midterm essay; group presentation; final essay
Prerequisites: none
Enrollment Preferences: Open to all students, but if over-enrolled, priority will be given to Asian Studies and Japanese majors
Distributions: Division I Difference, Power, and Equity
Notes: This course is cross-listed and the prefixes carry the following divisional credit:
JAPN 220 Division I ASIA 220 Division I
DPE Notes: This course looks at the dynamics of unequal power in the social marginality of Korean immigrants in Japan. Exploring historical contexts, students will analyze how the ethnic particularity of the Korean minority has engaged with and against Japanese society. Students will also examine how we might associate the minority culture and history with extensive global issues, including the relationships between environmental problems and minorities, wars and women, and imperialism and migration.
Attributes: GBST Borders, Exiles + Diaspora Studies
GBST East Asian Studies

Class Grid

Updated 11:51 am

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