Koreans in WWII are depicted as rapists in an American textbook., Have any of you seen this textbook? Options

[Cha]

http://kr.news.yahoo.com/service/news/shel...;newssetid=1270

"한국인이 日소녀 강간" 美학교 교재 파문 확산

[연합뉴스] 2007년 01월 17일(수) 오전 09:00

일제 전범의 딸, 한국인을 냉혹한 가해자로 묘사
한인 학생.학부모, 수업거부.교재 금지 운동 전개(보스턴.뉴욕=연합뉴스) 이기창 특파원 = 일제 말기 한국인들이 일본 아녀자들을 위협하고 강간을 일삼았다는 내용의 실화소설이 미 전역의 중학교 교재로 사용되고 있어 일부 한인 학생들이 수업을 거부하고 학부모들이 교재사용 금지 운동을 펼치는 등 파문이 확산되고 있다.

시베리아에서 6년간 복역한 일제 전범의 딸인 요코 가와시마씨가 쓴 이 책은 특히 대부분의 역사적 사실을 왜곡, 일제 당시 한국인들이 선량한 일본인들을 학대하고 성폭행을 일삼은 것처럼 묘사, 미국 청소년들의 한국 인식에 심각한 악영향을 미치고 있다.

이 책은 또 일본이 2천년전부터 한반도에 `관심(interest)'이 있었으며, 중국, 일본, 러시아 등 열강의 각축 대상이던 한국을 가쓰라-태프트 조약 등을 통해 정당하게 점령한 것처럼 기술하고 있다.

미국 내 상당수 중학교에서 영어 교재로 사용되고 있는 '요코 이야기(so far from the bamboo grove : 대나무 숲 저 멀리서)'는 일제 말기인 1945년 7월 함경북도 나남(청진시)에 살던 일제 고관의 딸인 요코씨가 어머니, 언니와 함께 한국을 빠져나가 일본에 정착하기까지의 과정을 그리고 있다.

당시 11세였던 요코씨는 모친, 언니와 함께 나남에서 기차를 타고 원산 이남까지 왔다가 폭격으로 기차가 부서진뒤 걸어서 서울에 도착했으며, 이어 부산을 거쳐 일본으로 갔는데 한국인들의 무자비한 추적을 극적으로 피했고, 사람들이 죽어가고 강간이 자행되는걸 목격했다고 기술하고 있다.

그러나 당시의 역사적 사실들에 따르면, 1945년 7-8월엔 미군이 북한지역을 폭격한 적이 없으며 일본군이 여전히 한반도 전역을 장악하고 있어서 공산군이 대낮에 일본인들을 추적했다거나 일본인 아녀자들을 강간했다는건 사실이 아닌 것으로 지적되고 있다.

요코씨는 이 책에서 만주에서 근무했던 아버지가 전쟁에 반대했다고 밝히고 있으나, 실제로는 시베리아에서 6년간이나 복역한 전쟁범죄자이며, 요코씨의 오빠는 자살공격으로 유명한 가미카제 훈련프로그램인 `요카렌(Yokaren:豫科練)'에 지원했다고 책에 명기돼 있다.

이 책을 읽은 뉴욕 R중학교의 허보은(11.미국명 알렉스 허) 양은 "한국인들이 일본인들을 괴롭혔다는 얘기를 읽고 눈물이 나올 뻔 했다"며 "이런 잘못된 얘기를 미국 친구들이 배우는걸 그대로 둘 수 없다"고 말했다. 허양은 이 책을 교과서로 쓰는데 반발해 등교를 거부, 학교측이 이 책을 쓰지 않기로 했다.

한 한인 학부모는 이 책을 배운 두 자녀가 "엄마, 왜 한국인들이 착한 일본 사람들을 괴롭혔느냐"고 물어와 난감했다며 "막내만은 이 책을 배우지 않도록 보호하고 싶다"고 호소했다.

이처럼 '요코이야기'의 폐해가 확대됨에 따라 뉴욕과 보스턴, 로스 앤젤레스 지역 등의 한인 학부모들은 이 책을 학교 교재에서 제외해달라는 조직적인 운동에 나섰으며, 주미 총영사회의에서도 이 문제가 논의돼 이 책의 교재사용을 중단시키기 위한 적극적인 노력이 펼쳐지고 있다.

지영선 보스턴 총영사는 역사를 왜곡한 이 책이 "미국 어린이들에게 `착한 일본인, 나쁜 한국인'이란 잘못된 인식을 심어주고 있으며, 이 책 때문에 한인 학생들이 학급에서 고립되고 곤란에 빠지는 상황까지 초래하고 있다"면서 "정부 차원의 시정활동을 적극 펼쳐나가겠다"고 다짐했다.

lkc@yna.co.kr
(끝)

An American literature textbook contains a "non-fictional" story about how Koreans abused the Japanese during WWII. The title of this story is called So Far from the Bamboo Grove. It was written by a war criminal's daughter. She claimed that from July to August 1945, the Americans bombed the northern part of Korea. In reality, the Americans never bombed Korea in WWII, and at that time, Japan had a firm control of Korea. Thus, the Koreans couldn't have harrassed the Japanese. She adds that the Japanese occupation of Korea was justifiable due to the Taft-Katsura Agreement. This textbook is being used in the middle schools of New York, Los Angeles, Boston, and probably other cities<-(so far, there are no boycotts in the other cities. It might be because there are not much Koreans in the other cities. Thus, the article doesn't mention other cities, but if large cities have this in their schools, then I'm sure the other cities have them).

Kudos to the Korean-American parents who are campaigning for the ban of this textbook. I'm glad that there are Korean students who are boycotting the class. If they let this textbook remain in school, it'll hurt us a lot more in the future.

I'm a Korean-American. So obviously I'm concerned about how my fellow Americans think about us.





This post has been edited by Cha: Jan 16 2007, 07:10 PM

[kunomchu]

anyone got a link to the book?

[SantaKlaws]

<美학교, 한국 왜곡 책 교재 사용여부 논란>

[연합뉴스 2007-01-01 03:41]

(워싱턴=연합뉴스) 이기창 특파원 = 미국 내 중학교에서 권장도서로 사용되고 있는 일본인 작가의 소설이 한국을 왜곡했다는 논란에 휩싸여 교재 사용여부에 대한 표결이 실시될 예정이라고 보스턴 글로브지가 31일 보도했다.

문제의 책은 일본인 요코 가와시마 왓킨스씨가 쓴 "대나무 숲 저 멀리"란 자전적 소설로 2차 대전 종전 당시 한국에 살고 있던 저자가 가족과 함께 일본으로 도망쳐나와 가난 속에서 비극적으로 살아가는 내용을 담고 있다.

당시 11세였던 왓킨스씨는 만주에서 관리로 있던 아버지 때문에 패전과 함께 한국인들에게 쫓겨 일본으로 도망쳤으며, 한국을 빠져나오는 과정에서 강간과 사람들이 죽어가는걸 목격했다고 적고 있다.

이 책은 전쟁의 참혹성을 그렸다는 점이 높이 평가돼 총 60권에 달하는 미국 내 5-8학년 학생들의 권장도서에 포함됐으나, 한국 관련 부분을 왜곡했다는 학부모들의 항의가 잇따라 교재로서의 적합성 여부가 도마 위에 올랐다고 신문은 지적했다.

매사추세츠주의 도버-셰르본 지역 교육위원회는 6학년 학생들의 교재로 사용되고 있는 이 책을 계속 사용할지 여부에 대한 표결을 오는 2일 실시할 예정이라고 신문은 전했다.

도버-셰르본 지역 교육위원회는 교사와 관리 등으로 구성된 한 패널로부터 이 책을 교재목록에서 제외해달라는 건의를 지난해 11월 받은 이후 이에 대한 논의를 계속해왔다.

교사들의 건의를 지지하는 페리 데이비스 교장은 이 책과 관련해 접수된 50여통의 항의 메일을 교육위원회에 제출할 것이라고 밝혔다.

상당수 학부모들은 이 책이 일본의 잔혹한 식민통치에 대해선 언급하지 않은채 한국인들을 나쁜 사람들로 묘사하고 있다고 비판하고 있는데, 30여년간의 일제 식민통치 기간에 수 많은 한국인들이 죽거나 다치고, 강제노동을 당했다고 신문은 지적했다.

그러나 일부 학부모와 학생들은 이 책이 전반적으로 전쟁의 참혹성을 잘 그린 좋은 교재라고 주장하고 있다고 신문은 덧붙였다.

lkc@yna.co.kr

http://news.naver.com/news/read.php?mode=L...amp;menu_id=104

First, the book is a book that's been recommended for elementary school students, not a textbook. The news report above says a panel of teachers will decide on whether or not to take this novel out from the list of recommnded books, but there were no follow up reports to tell us what happened.

And yeah, I think it's really regrettable that such a biased book would end up in a recommended reading list, but well, $hit like that happens in Korea too.

anyone got a link to the book?

Want diapers with that?

[Cha]

...First, the book is a book that's been recommended for elementary school students...

미국 내 중학교에서

That says middle school.

And yeah, I think it's really regrettable that such a biased book would end up in a recommended reading list, but well, $hit like that happens in Korea too.

I have never seen any false abuse stories in Korean schools. I attended Korean school from grade 4 to middle school.

Want diapers with that?

If you don't want to read about this, then we don't want to read your complaints about other nationalities. You haven't been to a school for a long time, and I guess you don't realize what this kind of thing does to the students.





This post has been edited by Cha: Jan 16 2007, 07:22 PM

[SantaKlaws]

I have never seen any false abuse stories in Korean schools. I attended Korean school from grade 4 to middle school.

No, I wasn't talking about false abuse stories. I was saying that biased books do end up in recommended lists in Korea as well.

If you don't want to hear about this, then we don't want to hear your complaints about other nationalities.

Those diapers are for kunomchu.

A review of the book:

Grade 6 Up A true account that is filled with violence and death, yet one that is ultimately a story of family love and life. Eleven-year-old Yoko Kawashima had led a peaceful and secure life as the daughter of a Japanese government official stationed in North Korea near the end of World War II. Abruptly, all is changed as she, her older sister Ko, and their mother flee the vengeance-seeking North Korean Communists and eventually make their way to an unwelcoming and war-ravaged Japan. Yoko's story is spellbinding. She often escapes death by mere chance; her brother, Hideyo, separated from the family, has an equally harrowing escape. The longed-for arrival in Japan proves to be an almost greater trial, as their mother, defeated by the discovery that all their Japanese relatives are dead, dies. Together, Yoko and Ko create a home in which to await the return of Hideyo. Watkins writes clearly and movingly, with a straightforward style through which the story unfolds quickly. She skillfully alternates her account of the girls' journey with that of their brother, maintaining readers' interest in both. Watkins is able to describe scenes of death, rape, and other atrocities with a simple directness which has no trace of sensationalism yet in no way diminishes their horror. Readers will be riveted by the events of the escape and struggle for survival, and enriched and inspired by the personalities of the family. Especially well drawn is Yoko's gradual emergence from a frightened, whining child to a strong and courageous young girl. Parallels can be drawn to Holocaust survival stories such as Aranka Siegal's Upon the Head of the Goat (Farrar, 1981) and Esther Hautzig's The Endless Steppe (Crowell, 1968). So Far from the Bamboo Grove should have a place among the finest of them. Louise L. Sherman, Anna C. Scott School, Leonia, N.J.

Man, this is just fu-king disgusting. So her father was a Japanese government official stationed in Korea, huh? I wander if the book makes any mention to any of the cruelties on his part.

You haven't been to a school for a long time, and I guess you don't realize what this kind of thing does to the students.

I by no means find this an acceptable act, if that's what you're thinking. I would find it seriously disturbing if that panel I mentioned didn't take the book out from the recommended reading list.

This post has been edited by SantaKlaws: Jan 16 2007, 07:26 PM

[kunomchu]

you can keep your diapers.

[Cha]

No, I wasn't talking about false abuse stories. I was saying that biased books do end up in recommended lists in Korea as well.

Maybe things have changed in Korea, but when I attended Korean schools, they didn't recommend any books that depicts other countries. They recommended books like Jonathan Livingston's Seagull, or Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Match Girl.

Those diapers are for kunomchu.

Hey man, if you're not taking his question seriously, then you're not taking this entire topic seriously.

[kunomchu]

who is the book publisher?

[Cha]

Btw-

말기 한국인들이 일본 아녀자들을 위협하고 강간을 일삼았다는 내용의 실화소설이 미 전역의 중학교 교재로 사용되고 있어 일부 한인 학생들이 수업을 거부하고 학부모들이 교재사용 금지 운동을 펼치는 등 파문이 확산되고 있다.

This one's from your own post:

미국 내 중학교에서 권장도서로 사용되고 있는 일본인 작가의 소설이 한국을 왜곡했다는 논란에 휩싸여 교재 사용여부에 대한 표결이 실시될 예정이라고 보스턴 글로브지가 31일 보도했다.

That means middle school.

Anyway, if this book was originally recommended for elementary students, then I find that to be freaky.

Man, this is just fu-king disgusting. So her father was a Japanese government official stationed in Korea, huh? I wander if the book makes any mention to any of the cruelties on his part.
I by no means find this an acceptable act, if that's what you're thinking. I would find it seriously disturbing if that panel I mentioned didn't take the book out from the recommended reading list.

The article even says that he was a war criminal who spent 6 years in Siberia.

[SantaKlaws]

Btw-

This one's from your own post:

That means middle school.

Anyway, if this book was originally recommended for elementary students, then I find that to be freaky.

Yeah, I've misread. I admit my mistake.

Maybe things have changed in Korea, but when I attended Korean schools, they didn't recommend any books that depicts other countries. They recommended books like Jonathan Livingston's Seagull, or Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Match Girl.

The biased books I've seen on recommended reading lists in Korea aren't as biased as that particular novel, but nevertheless, they do exist.

Hey man, if you're not taking his question seriously, then you're not taking this entire topic seriously.

I'm taking this topic seroiusly, but there is no seriousness in that guy's queries. "Please give me a link" , "Please tell me what the publisher is"... He might as well get himself a diaper and ask for the milk bottle.

[doggyji]

Oh you guys are already talking about it here.

[Cha]

Yeah, I've misread. I admit my mistake.

In Korea, the sixth grade is in elementary school, while in America, it's in middle school. We had a misunderstanding.

The biased books I've seen on recommended reading lists in Korea aren't as biased as that particular novel, but nevertheless, they do exist.

I attended middle school in 1992, and I based my experience on that year. Your pm has reminded me about what I saw in the news not long ago, thanks.

These books can be a drag more than it can help political motives.

This post has been edited by Cha: Jan 16 2007, 08:21 PM

[ryukyu magic]

That's news to me. I went to an elementary school in New York until I was in the 6th grade and I'm sure hundreds of millions of other students did as well.

[chairmanK]

...

This post has been edited by chairmanK: May 2 2007, 10:55 AM

[SantaKlaws]

Yeah, I can understand that Japanese had their own share of suffering. "Grave of the Fireflies" puts that in a good perspective. Nevertheless, recommending this book to students who don't necessarily know the historical context was a bad decision.

This post has been edited by SantaKlaws: Jan 17 2007, 12:05 AM

[northwestern_stu...]

living in post-war japan was pretty rough. not to mention japan after WWII still over one million troops stuck in asia, most of them laboring in the siberian concentration camps, like their german counterparts.

[IolaniHahkSeng]

Guys, please read my post.

I think US middle schools ought to read and implement Sook Nyul Choi's book into their curriculum.

US only cares about Japan because Japan is uncle sam's poodle dog.

Anyhow, read my post.

Years of the Impossible Goodbyes