Writing Selves in Diaspora: Ethnography of Autobiographics of Korean Women in Japan and the United States

by Sonia Ryang

Overview

Linking autobiographic writings by Korean women in Japan and the United States and the author's ethnographic insights, Writing Selves in Diaspora presents an original, profound, and powerful intervention_both literary and anthropological_in our understanding of life in diaspora, being female, and forming selves. Each chapter offers unique and original discussion on the intersection between gender and diaspora on one hand and the process of the self's formation on the other. Chapters are mutually engaging, yet have independent themes to explore: language and self, romantic love, exile and totalitarianism, the ethic of care, and critique of medicalization of identity. Through the introduction of women's lives and introspection and interpretation accorded to them, this book delivers an unprecedented text of candor and courage. This book will have appeal for both academic and intellectually-informed lay readers interested in gender, self, and diaspora.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780739129029
Publisher:	Lexington Books
Publication date:	08/28/2008
Series:	New Asian Anthropology , #1
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	246
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Sonia Ryang is associate professor of anthropology and international studies at the University of Iowa.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Introduction
Chapter 2 1. Many Ways to Be Korean—and Something Else: An Inquiry into the Self
Chapter 3 2. Love and Diaspora: Romantic Autobiography of a Korean Woman in Japan
Chapter 4 3. A Letter from Afar: Totalitarianism, Neoliberalism, and Self-Reference
Chapter 5 4. Diaspora and the Ethic of Care: A Note on Disability, Aging, and the Vulnerability of the De-nationalized
Chapter 6 5. Terra Incognita: Family Maps of Diaspora

Editorial Reviews

Ryang takes us deep into diasporic vulnerability through a beautifully interlaced narrative that links historical and political circumstances with the personal experiences of Korean women. Her dazzling insights force us to acknowledge the astonishing complexity of human displacement and to radically restructure our understanding of human rights, citizenship, and homeland identity.--Laura Miller, Loyola University Chicago

From the Publisher

Ryang takes us deep into diasporic vulnerability through a beautifully interlaced narrative that links historical and political circumstances with the personal experiences of Korean women. Her dazzling insights force us to acknowledge the astonishing complexity of human displacement and to radically restructure our understanding of human rights, citizenship, and homeland identity.

Laura Miller