East Asian Lang & Literature 360 - SEM:TOPICS E ASIAN LANG & LIT

Topics course. Often assumed to be ethnically and culturally homogeneous, Japan is in fact home to several minority groups, including Ainu, burakumin, Korean Japanese, and Okinawans. This seminar will examine the works of different minority writers, and consider the cultural and political ramifications of their writing. We will discuss the portrayal of the "minority experience" in Japan as well as address the texts' impact on Japanese literature. We will also consider how award-winning "minority" writers, such as Nakagami Kenji, Y?Miri, and Levy Hideo, challenge notions of a modern Japanese identity. Students are encouraged, but not required, to take JPN 351, which will deal with related materials in the original Japanese. Enrollment limited to 12. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor.

Topic: Minority Literature in Japan. Instructor Permission. Not open to first-years, sophomores