Hello readers! It has been quite a while, but I am excited to be back writing my ASTU blog! This past week in class we read the novel Obasan by Joy Kogawa. The book covers the sensitive subject of Japanese internment in Canada during World War 2, and I must say, it was difficult to read in parts. Kogawa did not shy away from portraying horrific actions committed against completely innocent people. The title character of the novel, Obasan (actually named Ayako but referred to as the Japanese word for “aunt”), is quiet and somber. Almost thirty years after she and her family were interned Obasan is clearly still experiencing trauma. This is a representation of how truly awful these circumstances were. The thing that is most disconcerting to me is that this event in Canada’s history has been mostly unrecognized and unacknowledged.

This all ties into another topic we’ve been talking about in ASTU; cultural memory. In her book Tangled Memories: the Vietnam War, the Aids Epidemic, and the Politics of Remembering Marita Sturken, an expert in memory, explains the idea of cultural memory and how it can be selectively used. When it comes to historical events, it seems that some cultures choose to remember certain aspects of one broad event and forget other aspects of the same event. So for example, when it comes to World War 2, many Canadians remember the War as a tough time for the nation, but ultimately a triumphant moment. However, a whole group of people were being treated as subhuman in our country and, while society is slowly coming around, it is still vastly forgotten.

Obasan was a tough read, but I think it is an essential novel to teach people of all ages about the injustices committed in their own country. Canada is a great nation, and we enjoy many freedoms, but it is important to remember the failures in the past so we don’t let it happen again.

Thanks for tuning in and feel free to comment below!