Resolution on Supporting Remembrance of “Comfort Women” and their Endangered History

The Association for Asian American Studies
(AAAS) is an organization dedicated to the
preservation and support of academic freedom and the
right to education for students and scholars in the U.S.
and globally. We call on AAAS to stand in solidarity
with former “Comfort Women” to confront the
Japanese government’s denial and coercion of
hundreds of thousands of women and girls into the
largest known sexual slavery system of the 20th
century. We stand together to resist historical
denialism. This issue is especially relevant considering
this year’s conference theme: “At the Crossroads of
Care and Giving.” Honoring the voices and historical
heritage of “Comfort Women” narratives are at the
center of the “politics of care,” specifically for the
survivors.
This resolution is to support the remembrance of
“Comfort Women” history and to protest Japan’s
growing denialism of this historical fact condoned by
the governments of the United States and South Korea.
In Japan, historical denialism is official policy and has
resulted in significant infringements on academic
freedom through systematic censorship and
persecution. In the U. S., it has resulted in interferes in
U.S. history education, as well as mischaracterization
of “Comfort Women” memorialization efforts for
remembrance as mere nationalistic vengeance, causing
ethnic tension in some Asian American communities.
It is well within AAAS’s mission to represent the interests and welfare of Asian American Studies and Asian
Americans, in particular, to defend our right to academic freedom and education. To engage in research and
public speaking about “Comfort Women” as colonial sexual violence, and women’s human rights without
interference or intimidation is within this right.
Furthermore, care for survivors of rape, sexual assault, state-sanctioned enslavement, as well as colonial and
sexual 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 — towards
collective healing, reconciliation and justice.
By standing in solidarity with “Comfort Women,” AAAS would stand proudly on the legacy of Asian American
pan-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 denouncing
historical 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 History
2
Cosponsors (listed in alphabetical order by last name)
Organizational affiliation is listed for identification purposes only.

1. Edith Chen, California State University, Northridge
2. Peggy Choy, University of Wisconsin-Madison
3. Harvey Dong, University of California, Berkeley
4. Haruki Eda, Rutgers University
5. Kay Fischer, Chabot College
6. Annie Fukushima, University of Utah
7. Kyung Hee Ha, Meiji University
8. Jennifer Ho, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
9. Eleana Kim, University of California, Irvine
10. Tomomi Kinukawa, San Francisco State University
11. Miho Kim Lee, University of Oxford
12. Maxwell Leung, California College of the Arts
13. Yi-Chun Tricia Lin, Southern Connecticut State University
14. Yuki Obayashi, University of California, Santa Cruz
15. Franklin Odo, Amherst College
16. Seiwoong Oh, Rider University
17. Grace Shimizu, Community Historian
18. Scott Tsuchitani, University of California, Davis
19. Wesley Ueunten, San Francisco State University
20. Kathleen Yep, Pitzer College of the Claremont Colleges
21. Grace Yoo, San Francisco State University

Proposed 2017 Association for Asian American Studies Resolution:
Supporting Remembrance of “Comfort Women” and their Endangered History

Proposed AAAS Resolution:
Supporting Remembrance of “Comfort Women” and their Endangered History
Whereas the Association for Asian American Studies is an organization dedicated to the protection and support of
academic 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 and
traumas brought by colonialism, racism, and wars in Asia-Pacific as the historical backdrop and significant
contributing factor to the mass Asian immigration into the United States, leading to present formation of Asian
American 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 is
responsible 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 to
horrific 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 to
undermine 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 and
scholarship 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 their
endangered 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 to
education, and classrooms as critical sites of preservation of Asian American historical heritage without
censorship or political interference;
Whereas, as Asian American Studies scholars, AAAS members recognize that the storytelling and pursuit of truth
are ways in which our communities have continued to gain agency in shaping the history of humanity, a sacred
endeavor 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 sexual
violence 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 scholars
and their peers everywhere to engage in research, scholarship, public speaking, instruction and education
regarding historical truths of Japanese military sexual slavery without political interference, censorship or
retribution;
Let it further be resolved that the Association for Asian American Studies endorses and will honor the calls
of “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, PST
Organizational affiliation is listed for identification purposes only.
Ahuja Anisha
Alonso Maria SPACES Access Coordinator University of California, San Diego
Amin Krupal Graduate Student The Ohio State University
Baik Crystal Assistsant Professor UC Riverside
Bonus Rick Professor University of Washington
Boo Kyung-Sook Professor Sogang University
Bow Leslie Professor University of Wisconsin-Madison
Canlas Melissa Assistant Professor University of San Francisco
Caronan Faye Associate Professor University of Colorado Denver
Chai Christine Professor De Anza College
Chan Andy Undergraduate student University of San Francisco
Cheng John Associate Professor Binghamton University
Cheung Erica Graduate student UC Irvine
Crawford Danielle Graduate Student UC Santa Cruz
Curammeng Edward Graduate Student UCLA
Danico Mary Professor Cal poly pomona
Das Gupta Monisha Professor University of Hawaii at Manoa
Daus-Magbual Arlene
Interim Assistant Dean of AAPI
Student Services SFSU
Desai Jigna Professor Univ. of MN
Diaz Josen Assistant professor University of San Diego
Endorsers
Eng Chris
Postdoctoral Research
Associate
University of Illinois, UrbanaChampaign
Espiritu Augusto Associate Professor
University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign
Feng Pin-chia Chair Professor
National Chiao Tung University,
Taiwan
FranciscoMenchavez Valerie Assistant Professor San Francisco State University
Fujino Diane Professor
University of California, Santa
Barbara
Gomez Oscar Peter SPACES External Director University of California, San Diego
Proposed 2017 Association for Asian American Studies Resolution:
Supporting Remembrance of “Comfort Women” and their Endangered History
5
Gonzalez Vernadette Associate Professor University of Hawaii at Manoa
Gutierrez Nikko SPACES Access Coordinator University of California, San Diego
Hanna Karen PhD Candidate
University of California, Santa
Barbara
Hattori Tomo Associate Professor California State University, Northridge
Hayashida Jennifer Distinguished Lecturer Hunter College, CUNY
Hisatake Kara Graduate Student University of California, Santa Cruz
Ho Evelyn Professor University of San Francisco
Ho Lisa Graduate Student UC San Diego
Hodges Teresa Graduate Student University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Hom Laureen Graduate Student UC Irvine
Hsu Madeline Professor UT Austin
Isaac Allan Associate Professor Rutgers-New Brunswick
Jeung Russell Professor San Francisco State University
Jiang Sandra SPACES Internal Director University of California, San Diego
Kamil Fatima
SPACES Retention
Coordinator University of California, San Diego
Khuc Mimi Visiting Assistant Professor
Asian American Studies, University of
Maryland
kiang peter professor UMass Boston
Kim Anna Asst. Professor Georgia Tech
Kim Phyllis Community organizer KAFC
Kim Na-Rae Assistant Professor Kennesaw State University
Kim Barbara Professor CSU Long Beach
Kim Eunjae Graduate Student San Francisco State University
Kim Daniel Associate Professor Brown University
Kim David Associate Professor U of San Francisco
Kim Claire Professor UC Irvine
Ko Michelle
Kobashigawa Ben Prof. AAS, Emeritus SF State University
Kojima Dai Postdoctoral Fellow York University
Kozen Cathleen UC San Diego
Kwan Yvonne Postdoctoral fellow Dartmouth College
Landis Winona Graduate student Miami University
Proposed 2017 Association for Asian American Studies Resolution:
Supporting Remembrance of “Comfort Women” and their Endangered History
6
Le Espiritu Evyn Graduate Student UC Berkeley
Lee Josephine Professor University of Minnesota
Lee Jonathan Associate Professor San Francisco State University
Leong Karen Associate Professor Arizona State University
Lien Pei-te Professor
University of California, Santa
Barbara
Lopez Maria Graduate Student University of New Mexico
Lowe Lisa Professor Tufts University
Lumba Allan Postdoc University of Michigan
Maeda Daryl Associate Professor University of Colorado Boulder
Maglalang Dale Graduate student Boston College
McKee Kimberly Assistant Professor Grand Valley State University
McMaster James Graduate Student New York University
Min Susette Associate Professor UC Davis
Mizuno Takashi Community Educator Pajaro Valley Unified School District
Nadurata Edward SPACES Finance Director University of California, San Diego
Nash Phil Tajitsu Lecturer
University of Maryland at College
Park
Nguyen Trung Graduate Student UCSC, History of Consciousness
nievera-lozano melissa lecturer sfsu
Noh Eliza Associate Professor Cal State Fullerton
Oka Desun Graduate student San Francisco State University
Okihiro Gary Professor Columbia University
Omatsu Glenn Professor California State University Northridge
Omi Michael Associate Professor UC Berkeley
Ono Kent Professor University of Utah
Palumbo-Liu David Professor Stanford
Parikh Crystal Associate Professor New York University
Park Terry Lecturer Harvard University
Park Lisa Professor
University of California, Santa
Barbara
Park Kevin Undergraduate Student Hunter College
Park Nelson Kim Professor Minnesota State University Moorhead
Pido Eric Assistant Profesor San Francisco State University
Proposed 2017 Association for Asian American Studies Resolution:
Supporting Remembrance of “Comfort Women” and their Endangered History
7
Quan Katie Graduate Student SF State University
Reyes Regine UCSD SPACES Advisor University of California, San Diego
Ruanto-Ramirez Joseph
PhD Student, UCSD SPACES
Advisor
Claremont Graduate University,
University of California, San Diego
Saleh Susan
SPACES Retention
Coordinator University of California, San Diego
San Diego Ray Graduate student UC Irvine
Santa Ana Jeffrey Associate Professor
Stony Brook University, State
University of New York
Saranillio Dean Assistant Professotr New York University
Shibusawa Naoko
Associate Professor of History
& American Studies Brown University
Shih Elena Assistant Professor Brown University
Shimakawa Karen Associate Professor NYU
Shinozuka Jeannie Acting Assistant Professor University of Washington
Shomura Chad Independent scholar None
Small Ivan Assistant Professor Central Connecticut State University
Soe Valerie Associate Professor San Francisco State University
Son Elizabeth Assistant Professor Northwestern University
Song Min Professor Boston College
Sumida Stephen Professor Emeritus University of Washington
Sun Kristen PhD Candidate UC Berkeley
Szeto Andrew Graduate student San Francisco State University
Tan Nathaniel Graduate Student San Francisco State University
Thangaraj Stanley
Assistant Professor of
Anthropology City College of New York, CUNY
Upadhyay Nishant Lecturer Northern Arizona University
Villegas Mark Instructor University of California, San Diego
Vo Linda Professor University of California, Irvine
Wang Leslie Assistant Professor University of Massachusetts Boston
Wills Jenny Heijun Associate Professor University of Winnipeg
Woodcock Nicolyn Graduate Student Miami University (Ohio)
Wright Laura Graduate Student University of Connecticut
Wu Judy Tzu-Chun Professor University of California, Irvine
Yamashiro Jane Ph.D. Independent Scholar
Proposed 2017 Association for Asian American Studies Resolution:
Supporting Remembrance of “Comfort Women” and their Endangered History
8
Yiu Wei Si Nicole Graduate student University of Toronto
Yoneyama Lisa Professor University of Toronto
Yoo David Professor University of California, Los Angeles
Yu Timothy Professor University of Wisconsin-Madiso