We had the pleasure this past week of welcoming students from Dr. Michele Mason’s class. On Thursday November 10, more than 30 students gathered in the 4th Floor Lobby for a presentation by Kana Jenkins, Curator of the Gordon W. Prange Collection, followed by a slide lecture by Professor Mason.
Below is the short description of the course titled JAPN 424: Japan From the Margins:
Japan from the Margins takes as its focus the history and representations of various others in Japanese society. They include ethnic Ainu, Okinawans, and Koreans, a historical outcaste group called the Burakumin, and people marginalized for their non-normative gender and sexual practices. Students learn about the historical specificities of each group as well as their common experiences of institutional discrimination as they grapple with larger questions regarding prejudice, nationalism, and social justice. Taught in English.
Following Prof. Mason’s fascinating lecture on materials produced by Korean communities and their censorship, students divided into two groups to circulate around tables laid out with original items from the Prange Collection. Equipped with a copy of the Press Code issued by General MacArthur’s General Headquarters (GHQ) of the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers (SCAP), they were invited to examine censorship actions and try to figure out the nature of the violations. Next door in the Prange offices, tables were laid out with photographs of Hiroshima in the aftermath of the atomic bomb. These materials drew vivid comments and questions as well.
A big thank you to Prof. Mason for bringing her wonderful students! We were thrilled by their enthusiasm and curiosity about the Prange material. Please come back again soon to discover more.
Gordon W. Prange Collection 
