Resolution on Supporting Remembrance of “Comfort Women” and their Endangered History February 13, 2017 The Association for Asian American Studies(AAAS) is an organization dedicated to thepreservation and support of academic freedom and theright to education for students and scholars in the U.S.and globally. We call on AAAS to stand in solidaritywith former “Comfort Women” to confront theJapanese government’s denial and coercion ofhundreds of thousands of women and girls into thelargest known sexual slavery system of the 20thcentury. We stand together to resist historicaldenialism. This issue is especially relevant consideringthis year’s conference theme: “At the Crossroads ofCare and Giving.” Honoring the voices and historicalheritage of “Comfort Women” narratives are at thecenter of the “politics of care,” specifically for thesurvivors.This resolution is to support the remembrance of“Comfort Women” history and to protest Japan’sgrowing denialism of this historical fact condoned bythe governments of the United States and South Korea.In Japan, historical denialism is official policy and hasresulted in significant infringements on academicfreedom through systematic censorship andpersecution. In the U. S., it has resulted in interferes inU.S. history education, as well as mischaracterizationof “Comfort Women” memorialization efforts forremembrance as mere nationalistic vengeance, causingethnic tension in some Asian American communities.It is well within AAAS’s mission to represent the interests and welfare of Asian American Studies and AsianAmericans, in particular, to defend our right to academic freedom and education. To engage in research andpublic speaking about “Comfort Women” as colonial sexual violence, and women’s human rights withoutinterference or intimidation is within this right.Furthermore, care for survivors of rape, sexual assault, state-sanctioned enslavement, as well as colonial andsexual violence, confronts the profound trauma and injustice afflicting the diverse Asian American community.AAAS serves as a crucial vehicle through which these issues are made visible — not banished by denial — towardscollective healing, reconciliation and justice.By standing in solidarity with “Comfort Women,” AAAS would stand proudly on the legacy of Asian Americanpan-ethnic solidarity grounded in principles of justice, equity and liberation. We hope to achieve justice for the“Comfort Women,” and in the process, fiercely defend and uphold access to rigorous scholarship by denouncinghistorical denialism.Map of Rape Camps, So-called “Comfort Stations”Proposed 2017 Association for Asian American Studies Resolution:Supporting Remembrance of “Comfort Women” and their Endangered History2Cosponsors (listed in alphabetical order by last name)Organizational affiliation is listed for identification purposes only. Edith Chen, California State University, NorthridgePeggy Choy, University of Wisconsin-MadisonHarvey Dong, University of California, BerkeleyHaruki Eda, Rutgers UniversityKay Fischer, Chabot CollegeAnnie Fukushima, University of UtahKyung Hee Ha, Meiji UniversityJennifer Ho, University of North Carolina, Chapel HillEleana Kim, University of California, IrvineTomomi Kinukawa, San Francisco State UniversityMiho Kim Lee, University of OxfordMaxwell Leung, California College of the ArtsYi-Chun Tricia Lin, Southern Connecticut State UniversityYuki Obayashi, University of California, Santa CruzFranklin Odo, Amherst CollegeSeiwoong Oh, Rider UniversityGrace Shimizu, Community HistorianScott Tsuchitani, University of California, DavisWesley Ueunten, San Francisco State UniversityKathleen Yep, Pitzer College of the Claremont CollegesGrace Yoo, San Francisco State University Proposed 2017 Association for Asian American Studies Resolution:Supporting Remembrance of “Comfort Women” and their Endangered HistoryProposed AAAS Resolution:Supporting Remembrance of “Comfort Women” and their Endangered HistoryWhereas the Association for Asian American Studies is an organization dedicated to the protection and support ofacademic freedom and the right to education in the U.S. and globally;Whereas the Association for Asian American Studies seeks to foster scholarship that engages impacts andtraumas brought by colonialism, racism, and wars in Asia-Pacific as the historical backdrop and significantcontributing factor to the mass Asian immigration into the United States, leading to present formation of AsianAmerican communities whose interests and welfare are interconnected through generations to the stories of“Comfort Women”;Whereas historians and UN human rights experts have demonstrated that the Japanese Imperial Army isresponsible for the creation and management of the Japanese military sexual slavery (euphemistically called“Comfort Women”) system in as many as thirteen countries that Japan had invaded, and subjected the victims tohorrific brutality, exploitation, rape and murder until its defeat in 1945;Whereas the United Nations expert on freedom of opinion and expression has denounced Japan’s attempts toundermine the public’s right to know, and its interference and censorship in history education;Whereas the academic and educational communities and journalists in Japan and other countries in the AsiaPacific, as well as the Asian American community in the United States, have been subjected to persecution,retribution, censorship, and civil rights violations that have circumscribed their freedom of historical inquiry andscholarship and right to information, particularly in relation to the history of “Comfort Women”;Whereas the government of Japan has directly sought to interfere with how its WWII-era history is taught in U.S.schools, and obstructed memorialization of “Comfort Women” led by Asian Americans seeking to preserve theirendangered historical heritage and in many cases, that of their own families and communities;Whereas the Association for Asian American Studies exists to unequivocally defend the students’ right toeducation, and classrooms as critical sites of preservation of Asian American historical heritage withoutcensorship or political interference;Whereas, as Asian American Studies scholars, AAAS members recognize that the storytelling and pursuit of truthare ways in which our communities have continued to gain agency in shaping the history of humanity, a sacredendeavor in which AAAS scholarship plays an important role of stewardship;Whereas remembering the “Comfort Women” for Asian Americans is an important and symbolic act of care,solidarity, and appreciation for all survivors who courageously broke the silence to help the world declare sexualviolence during conflict as a crime against humanity, for this unspeakable injustice must never be repeated;Let it be resolved that we support the protected rights of Asian American Studies students and scholarsand their peers everywhere to engage in research, scholarship, public speaking, instruction and educationregarding historical truths of Japanese military sexual slavery without political interference, censorship orretribution;Let it further be resolved that the Association for Asian American Studies endorses and will honor the callsof “Comfort Women” survivors for full apology, redress and justice from the government of Japan.Proposed 2017 Association for Asian American Studies Resolution:Supporting Remembrance of “Comfort Women” and their Endangered History Confirmed List of Endorsers As of February 13, 2017 11:30pm, PSTOrganizational affiliation is listed for identification purposes only.Ahuja AnishaAlonso Maria SPACES Access Coordinator University of California, San DiegoAmin Krupal Graduate Student The Ohio State UniversityBaik Crystal Assistsant Professor UC RiversideBonus Rick Professor University of WashingtonBoo Kyung-Sook Professor Sogang UniversityBow Leslie Professor University of Wisconsin-MadisonCanlas Melissa Assistant Professor University of San FranciscoCaronan Faye Associate Professor University of Colorado DenverChai Christine Professor De Anza CollegeChan Andy Undergraduate student University of San FranciscoCheng John Associate Professor Binghamton UniversityCheung Erica Graduate student UC IrvineCrawford Danielle Graduate Student UC Santa CruzCurammeng Edward Graduate Student UCLADanico Mary Professor Cal poly pomonaDas Gupta Monisha Professor University of Hawaii at ManoaDaus-Magbual ArleneInterim Assistant Dean of AAPIStudent Services SFSUDesai Jigna Professor Univ. of MNDiaz Josen Assistant professor University of San DiegoEndorsersEng ChrisPostdoctoral ResearchAssociateUniversity of Illinois, UrbanaChampaignEspiritu Augusto Associate ProfessorUniversity of Illinois at UrbanaChampaignFeng Pin-chia Chair ProfessorNational Chiao Tung University,TaiwanFranciscoMenchavez Valerie Assistant Professor San Francisco State UniversityFujino Diane ProfessorUniversity of California, SantaBarbaraGomez Oscar Peter SPACES External Director University of California, San DiegoProposed 2017 Association for Asian American Studies Resolution:Supporting Remembrance of “Comfort Women” and their Endangered History5Gonzalez Vernadette Associate Professor University of Hawaii at ManoaGutierrez Nikko SPACES Access Coordinator University of California, San DiegoHanna Karen PhD CandidateUniversity of California, SantaBarbaraHattori Tomo Associate Professor California State University, NorthridgeHayashida Jennifer Distinguished Lecturer Hunter College, CUNYHisatake Kara Graduate Student University of California, Santa CruzHo Evelyn Professor University of San FranciscoHo Lisa Graduate Student UC San DiegoHodges Teresa Graduate Student University of Hawaiʻi at MānoaHom Laureen Graduate Student UC IrvineHsu Madeline Professor UT AustinIsaac Allan Associate Professor Rutgers-New BrunswickJeung Russell Professor San Francisco State UniversityJiang Sandra SPACES Internal Director University of California, San DiegoKamil FatimaSPACES RetentionCoordinator University of California, San DiegoKhuc Mimi Visiting Assistant ProfessorAsian American Studies, University ofMarylandkiang peter professor UMass BostonKim Anna Asst. Professor Georgia TechKim Phyllis Community organizer KAFCKim Na-Rae Assistant Professor Kennesaw State UniversityKim Barbara Professor CSU Long BeachKim Eunjae Graduate Student San Francisco State UniversityKim Daniel Associate Professor Brown UniversityKim David Associate Professor U of San FranciscoKim Claire Professor UC IrvineKo MichelleKobashigawa Ben Prof. AAS, Emeritus SF State UniversityKojima Dai Postdoctoral Fellow York UniversityKozen Cathleen UC San DiegoKwan Yvonne Postdoctoral fellow Dartmouth CollegeLandis Winona Graduate student Miami UniversityProposed 2017 Association for Asian American Studies Resolution:Supporting Remembrance of “Comfort Women” and their Endangered History6Le Espiritu Evyn Graduate Student UC BerkeleyLee Josephine Professor University of MinnesotaLee Jonathan Associate Professor San Francisco State UniversityLeong Karen Associate Professor Arizona State UniversityLien Pei-te ProfessorUniversity of California, SantaBarbaraLopez Maria Graduate Student University of New MexicoLowe Lisa Professor Tufts UniversityLumba Allan Postdoc University of MichiganMaeda Daryl Associate Professor University of Colorado BoulderMaglalang Dale Graduate student Boston CollegeMcKee Kimberly Assistant Professor Grand Valley State UniversityMcMaster James Graduate Student New York UniversityMin Susette Associate Professor UC DavisMizuno Takashi Community Educator Pajaro Valley Unified School DistrictNadurata Edward SPACES Finance Director University of California, San DiegoNash Phil Tajitsu LecturerUniversity of Maryland at CollegeParkNguyen Trung Graduate Student UCSC, History of Consciousnessnievera-lozano melissa lecturer sfsuNoh Eliza Associate Professor Cal State FullertonOka Desun Graduate student San Francisco State UniversityOkihiro Gary Professor Columbia UniversityOmatsu Glenn Professor California State University NorthridgeOmi Michael Associate Professor UC BerkeleyOno Kent Professor University of UtahPalumbo-Liu David Professor StanfordParikh Crystal Associate Professor New York UniversityPark Terry Lecturer Harvard UniversityPark Lisa ProfessorUniversity of California, SantaBarbaraPark Kevin Undergraduate Student Hunter CollegePark Nelson Kim Professor Minnesota State University MoorheadPido Eric Assistant Profesor San Francisco State UniversityProposed 2017 Association for Asian American Studies Resolution:Supporting Remembrance of “Comfort Women” and their Endangered History7Quan Katie Graduate Student SF State UniversityReyes Regine UCSD SPACES Advisor University of California, San DiegoRuanto-Ramirez JosephPhD Student, UCSD SPACESAdvisorClaremont Graduate University,University of California, San DiegoSaleh SusanSPACES RetentionCoordinator University of California, San DiegoSan Diego Ray Graduate student UC IrvineSanta Ana Jeffrey Associate ProfessorStony Brook University, StateUniversity of New YorkSaranillio Dean Assistant Professotr New York UniversityShibusawa NaokoAssociate Professor of History& American Studies Brown UniversityShih Elena Assistant Professor Brown UniversityShimakawa Karen Associate Professor NYUShinozuka Jeannie Acting Assistant Professor University of WashingtonShomura Chad Independent scholar NoneSmall Ivan Assistant Professor Central Connecticut State UniversitySoe Valerie Associate Professor San Francisco State UniversitySon Elizabeth Assistant Professor Northwestern UniversitySong Min Professor Boston CollegeSumida Stephen Professor Emeritus University of WashingtonSun Kristen PhD Candidate UC BerkeleySzeto Andrew Graduate student San Francisco State UniversityTan Nathaniel Graduate Student San Francisco State UniversityThangaraj StanleyAssistant Professor ofAnthropology City College of New York, CUNYUpadhyay Nishant Lecturer Northern Arizona UniversityVillegas Mark Instructor University of California, San DiegoVo Linda Professor University of California, IrvineWang Leslie Assistant Professor University of Massachusetts BostonWills Jenny Heijun Associate Professor University of WinnipegWoodcock Nicolyn Graduate Student Miami University (Ohio)Wright Laura Graduate Student University of ConnecticutWu Judy Tzu-Chun Professor University of California, IrvineYamashiro Jane Ph.D. Independent ScholarProposed 2017 Association for Asian American Studies Resolution:Supporting Remembrance of “Comfort Women” and their Endangered History8Yiu Wei Si Nicole Graduate student University of TorontoYoneyama Lisa Professor University of TorontoYoo David Professor University of California, Los AngelesYu Timothy Professor University of Wisconsin-Madiso
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