EDUCATION FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE FOUNDATION
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2017 California H-SS Framework

“Comfort Women” Passage  

Background
The 2017 California History-Social Science (H-SS) Framework emphasizes several areas: providing greater content knowledge; inquiry-based critical thinking skills in connection with multiple disciplines; stronger literacy skills; and citizenship that promotes human rights and democratic values in the history and social sciences curriculums. In terms of content knowledge, the framework encourages a more inclusive history curriculum, reflective of California’s rich diversity. According to the California History-Social Science Project, a lead author of the new H-SS Framework, 21.6 percent of the total school enrollment in California’s public schools (2012–2013) was classified as English learners. This signifies the necessity of providing students with more content-specific informational texts that are relevant to and reflective of diverse populations. The State Board of Education adopted the History-Social Science Framework in July 2016, and the California Department of Education published it in 2017.

The 2017 California H-SS Framework includes content on “comfort women.” The inclusion of this topic signifies the importance of examining the causes and consequences of this crime against humanity that occurred in Asia before and during WWII as part of world history in the U.S. education system. The “comfort women” draft the State Board of Education adopted for the H-SS Framework on July 14, 2016, included a link to the 2015 “comfort women” agreement from the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), which presented the agreement as “final and irreversible.” In 2017, the California Department of Education published the framework with the final passage edited to include links to the agreement from both the Japanese and South Korean MOFA sites. Although this agreement excluded the views of surviving victims who denounce it, because the agreement is presented as “final and irreversible,” it can mislead educators into believing that the matter has been settled unequivocally. On December 27, 2017, a few months after the framework was published, the Special Task Force of South Korea reported that the agreement was made in secret. 

“Comfort women” history is in the 10th grade 2017 H-SS Framework section 10.8—titled “Causes and Consequences of WWII”—after the question “How was the war mobilized on different fronts?” It offers an important opportunity to teach students about the devastating impact of WWII on women and girls in Asia. This topic provides: 1) more comprehensive historical understanding of WWII in different Asian countries, from where many California students’ families originate; 2) awareness of women’s rights and dignity in the context of institutionalized sexual slavery; and 3) opportunities to examine the impact of civic engagement against all forms of sexual violence and slavery. Locally and globally, sex-trafficking continues to be one of major problems. Applying the lessons learned from past dark history is one of the most effective ways to counter ongoing sexual and gender-based violence. The 2017 California H-SS Framework includes content on “comfort women.”[2]  This signifies the need to learn more from this crime against humanity in relation to World War II in Asia, as well as to consider its relevance to the past and present. The draft adopted on July 14, 2016 added a link to the 2015 “comfort women” agreement from the Japanese MOFA. Since the agreement is presented as “final and irreversible,” it can mislead educators into believing that the matter has been settled unequivocally, while in reality this agreement excluded the views of victims and was made in secret as the Special Task Force of South Korea reported on December 27, 2017. 
​
  • 2017 California History-Social Science (H-SS) Framework Draft Proposed Before July 14, 2016
“Comfort Women,” a euphemism for sexual slaves, were taken by the Japanese Army in occupied territories before and during the war. “Comfort Women” can be taught as an example of institutionalized sexual slavery, and one of the largest cases of human trafficking in the twentieth century; estimates on the total number of comfort women vary, but most argue that hundreds of thousands of women were forced into these situations during Japanese occupation.

  • 2017 California History-Social Science (H-SS) Framework Adopted Draft on July 14, 2016
“Comfort Women,” a euphemism for sexual slaves, were taken by the Japanese Army in occupied territories before and during the war. “Comfort Women” can be taught as an example of institutionalized sexual slavery; estimates on the total number of comfort women vary, but most argue that hundreds of thousands of women were forced into these situations during Japanese occupation. On December 28, 2015, the government of Japan and the Republic of Korea entered into an agreement regarding the issue of comfort women. This document can be found at http://www.mofa.go.jp/a_o/na/kr/page4e_000364.html   
​
  • 2017 California History-Social Science (H-SS) Framework Published Passage, June 2017
“Comfort Women” is a euphemism that describes women who were forced into sexual service by the Japanese Army in occupied territories before and during the war. Comfort Women can be taught as an example of institutionalized sexual slavery; estimates on the total number of Comfort Women vary, but most argue that hundreds of thousands of women were forced into these situations during Japanese occupation. On December 28, 2015, the governments of Japan and the Republic of Korea entered into an agreement regarding the issues of Comfort Women. Two translations of this document can be found at http://www.mofa.go. jp/a_o/na/kr/page4e_000364.html (accessed June 29, 2017) and http://www.mofa. go.kr/ENG/press/ministrynews/20151228/1_71575.jsp?menu=m_10_10 (accessed June 29, 2017). P. 353

Significance of Teaching “Comfort Women” History and Issues
​Teaching “comfort women” history is significant because this dark period of state-sanctioned military sexual slavery is a deeply relevant topic rooted in imperialism, human rights violations, violence, discrimination, as well as distortion and denial of history—fundamental problems that echo into today. It was a human tragedy that encompassed widespread human rights violations against women and girls, yet justice has been denied to the survivors. Though the Japanese military sexual slavery system operated before and during WWII, its effects ripple outward to other tragedies of sexual and gender-based violence in conflict and non-conflict around the globe. 

The basic questions surrounding the Japanese Military Sexual Slavery System and the section Central Themes and Research Topics[3] list themes, topics, and questions relevant to the causes and consequences of the Japanese military sexual slavery system along with other various forms of oppresion at the intersection of imperialism, human rights violations, violence, discrimination, and ongoing injustice rooted in distortion and denial of history. Educators can use the Central Themes and Research Topics section as additional materials to plan their lessons, units, or courses. 

[1] California Department of Education History-Social Science Framework for California Public Schools : Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve, (Sacramento, 2017), 1–15.
[2] California Department of Education History-Social Science Framework for California Public Schools : Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve, (Sacramento, 2017), 353.
[3] ESJF, “Comfort Women” History and Issues, 39–50.
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  • Home
    • About Us >
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          • Chiba Korean Elementary Middle School >
            • Our First Advocacy
            • ESJF Student Art Competition
            • ESJF Statement: “After ‘Lack of Freedom of Expression?’” Shut Down to Suppress Freedom of Expression
            • Letter to Aichi Prefectural Triennale Promotion Office
          • Days for Girls International
        • Civil Society
    • Blog
    • Interviews and articles
  • Educator Resources
    • Sexual and Gender-based Violence >
      • Japanese military sexual slavery system >
        • Brief Historical Background
        • Lesson Plans and Worksheets >
          • ​In Their Own Words
          • Resistance & Collective activism
          • Denial of legal and historical responsibility
          • ​Remembering and honoring "comfort women"
          • Global plague
          • Contemporary movements towards justice
          • Worksheets
          • Puzzles
        • 2017 CA H-SS Framework >
          • Basic questions surrounding the Japanese Military Sexual Slavery System
        • Map of "Comfort Women" Memorials in the United States
        • Survivors' Testimonies & Legacies >
          • Korea
          • China
          • Philippines
          • Indonesia
          • Japan
          • Netherlands
        • Primary Source Documents: "Comfort Women" History and Issues >
          • Concerning the Recruitment of Women for Military Comfort Stations
          • Psychological Warfare Interrogation Report No. 49
          • Psychological Warfare Interrogation Bulletin No. 2
          • SEATIC Psychological Warfare Bulletin No. 182
          • G-3 Daily Dairy
          • C.B.I. Roundup
          • Allied Translator and Interpreter Section (ATIS) No. 470
          • Research Report No. 120: Amenities in the Japanese Armed Forces
          • San Francisco Local History >
            • Resolutions >
              • Resolution 158-25A1
            • Chronology: Teaching "Comfort Women" History from the 1990s to Present
          • Images
        • Secondary Source Documents and ESJF Statements >
          • Secondary Resource References
          • ESJF Statement on the South Korea Court’s ruling, April 21, 2021
          • ESJF Statement on the South Korea Court’s ruling, January 8, 2021
          • International Joint Statement, August 14, 2019
          • International Joint Statement, March 1, 2019
          • International Joint Statement, October 6, 2018
          • International Joint Statement, January 7, 2018
        • Reflections on Collective Activism in SF >
          • Reflection and Chronology: Eric Mar
          • Reflection: Steven Whyte & Ellen Wilson
          • Reflection: Sung Sohn
        • International "Comfort Women" Day >
          • 30th Anniversary of Kim Hak-Soon Halmoni's public testimony >
            • Kim Hak-Soon Halmoni
        • 2000 Women’s International War Crimes Tribunal on Japan’s Military Sexual Slavery
        • 2015 "Comfort Women" Agreement
        • 2017 Special Task Force Report on 2015 "Comfort Women" Agreement between S. Korea and Japan
        • UNESCO and the "Voices of the 'Comfort Women'" >
          • Timeline
          • 2021 Youth Artwork Competition
          • 2021 Young Adult Online Campaign
        • Historic Lawsuits related to Japanese military sexual slavery before and during WWII >
          • Sung Sohn's Essay with commentaries and statement
        • YouTube >
          • First Video Footage of Korean "Comfort Women": July, 2017
          • First Video Footage of Mass Murdered "Comfort Women": Feb. 2018
          • Life as a "Comfort Woman": Story of Kim Bok-Dong
          • Meet Estelita Dy: A Filipino "Comfort Woman" Survivor
          • 2015 "Comfort Women" Agreement and Victims' Reaction
          • 2018 International "Comfort Women" Day
        • Wednesday Demonstration
        • Peace Statue
      • Sexual and medical violence against Black Americans >
        • Lesson Plans >
          • Medical Experimentation on Enslaved Women
          • Nurse Rivers
      • Conflict-related SGBV in Tigray and Afghanistan
      • Reports and Papers on SGBV & Gender Justice
    • History of and Issues Surrounding Asian Diaspora in the United States >
      • ESJF >
        • 19th Century >
          • Lesson Plans
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          • Lesson Plans
        • Today >
          • Lesson Plans
      • TACT >
        • K-5
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      • Facing History and Ourselves
      • Fred T. Korematsu Institute
      • San Francisco Asian Art Museum
      • Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center
    • Medical Atrocities and Use of Banned Weapons >
      • United States >
        • Lesson Plans
      • Asia >
        • Lesson Plans
        • Video Footage for Classroom
        • Primary Source Documents: Medical Atrocities and Ethics
        • Secondary Source Documents: Medical Atrocities and Ethics
      • Europe >
        • Lesson Plans
    • Resistance and Collective Activism >
      • U.S. Slavery
      • Conflict-Related Sexual Violence
  • ESJF Publications
    • "Comfort Women" History and Issues >
      • Teacher Resource Guide >
        • How to Order
      • Student Resource Guide >
        • How to Order
    • Medical Atrocities and Use of Banned Weapons
  • ESJF Professional Development opportunities
  • Get Involved
    • Join Our Email List
    • Donate
    • Contact Us >
      • Workshop and Lecture Request