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May 28, 2016
California is supposed to approve the revised History-Social Science Curriculum Framework in July. One of the purpose is to bring diversity in classrooms and show a start point for students to research and discuss.
However, "Comfort women" description in that curriculum for Grade-Ten is still in dispute.
Now, you'll find two different descriptions on "comfort women".
Which is valuable to California students ?
Calling for your votes !!
for PC
for mobile phones
description(A) Current draft
“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.
description(B) Alternative proposal
"Comfort Women", women who served Japanese soldiers before and during the war. It is said they were forcibly taken into institutionalized sexual slavery by the Japanese Army. This issue is still in controversy. Japan insists they were not sexual slavery but legal wage workers at brothels where the Army was involved in about such as medical-checkup. As well, Japan acknowledged there partly existed atrocity by lawless soldiers.
This issue also has the aspect of human-trafficking. At that time, some parents had to sell their children due to the poverty. Some of "comfort women" were thought to be those victims.
This controversy is not yet settled due to the absence of objective evidence that showed atrocity or human-trafficking by the national policy of Japan.
"Comfort women" can be taught as a valuable starting point for students to discuss 1. Diversity in determination-of-facts and understanding about history, 2. The present-day problem of human-trafficking.
---- Related info. ----
- The current draft of the Curriculum Framework (PDF) , CDE(California Department of Education)
- 'Comfort women' and a lesson in how history is shaped in California textbooks, Los Angeles Times
- 7 Demands by the Victims , Korean American Forum of California
- Japan officially stated 'The expression “sex-slaves” also contradicted the facts.' - http://goo.gl/DnRnWO
- Who takes accountability of accuracy on comfort women description in the next curriculum ? - https://goo.gl/I7OjoV
- Points in the dispute at a glance, "comfort women" - https://goo.gl/jw6O4h
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