Power of Diversity: Undocumented - Writing a Korean-Japanese American Memoir

Power of Diversity Lecture Series: Undocumented: Writing a Korean-Japanese American Memoir Featuring Junko Takeda, PhD

Before Junko Takeda became a historian of early modern France and empire, and Professor of History at Syracuse University, she grew up as an undocumented immigrant facing multiple deportation hearings. In this talk, she discusses her journey through academia and shares how her interests in studying France’s engagement with Asian empires, and its interactions with foreigners, migrants and those on the fringes of legality drew on her childhood experiences. The lecture will address how contemporary politics and Takeda’s roles as teacher, mentor, mother and daughter led her on parallel paths from French history to civic engagement, immigrant advocacy and memoir writing. While sharing elements of her memoir, she will also comment on the challenges and importance of first-person Asian American and immigrant narrative writing in this current climate. And she highlights the kinds of themes (model minority myths, ethnic imposter syndrome, undocumented human rights, BIPOC solidarity work, anti-Asian racism and discrimination, filial piety, generational trauma, resilience) that she engages with in her writing.

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Co-hosted with: Department of History, Explore

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