“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.
Significance of Teaching “Comfort Women” History and Issues
Teaching “comfort women” history is significant because the history of “comfort women” 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, the root causes of injustice that grossly violated the human rights and dignity of “comfort women” are connected to the injustice impacting women and girls in conflict and non-conflict around the globe today. This egregious crime has been repeated against countless women and girls in many countries, including Bangladesh, Bosnia, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Human trafficking and sexual slavery are currently disproportionately affecting female populations of ethnic groups such as the Yazidis and Rohingya and in places such as the Tigray region of Ethiopia and Afghanistan. The lessons learned from the often-overlooked history of state-sanctioned military sexual slavery serve as a valuable vehicle to address and counter sexual, gender, and race-based violence across history worldwide. The fundamental questions raised by the history of and issues surrounding “comfort women” also extend to critical issues of civil rights advocacy, such as the #MeToo movement and the Black Lives Matter movement. Various materials included in this resource guide will help educators enable students to develop a deeper, critical understanding of the Japanese military sexual slavery system while expanding their historical perspectives and further recognizing the importance of informed civic engagement.
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.
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
- 2017 California History-Social Science (H-SS) Framework Adopted Draft on July 14, 2016
- 2017 California History-Social Science (H-SS) Framework Published Passage, June 2017
Significance of Teaching “Comfort Women” History and Issues
Teaching “comfort women” history is significant because the history of “comfort women” 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, the root causes of injustice that grossly violated the human rights and dignity of “comfort women” are connected to the injustice impacting women and girls in conflict and non-conflict around the globe today. This egregious crime has been repeated against countless women and girls in many countries, including Bangladesh, Bosnia, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Human trafficking and sexual slavery are currently disproportionately affecting female populations of ethnic groups such as the Yazidis and Rohingya and in places such as the Tigray region of Ethiopia and Afghanistan. The lessons learned from the often-overlooked history of state-sanctioned military sexual slavery serve as a valuable vehicle to address and counter sexual, gender, and race-based violence across history worldwide. The fundamental questions raised by the history of and issues surrounding “comfort women” also extend to critical issues of civil rights advocacy, such as the #MeToo movement and the Black Lives Matter movement. Various materials included in this resource guide will help educators enable students to develop a deeper, critical understanding of the Japanese military sexual slavery system while expanding their historical perspectives and further recognizing the importance of informed civic engagement.
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.