What do you think?
Rate this book
North Koreans In Japan: Language, Ideology, And Identity
This book considers the language, ideology, and identity of three generations of North Koreans in Japan organized around Chongryun. It explores how, over three generations, individuals and the community reconcile cope with changing attitudes and approaches toward Japanese society and Korean culture.
276 pages, Paperback
First published January 9, 1997
3 people are currently reading
62 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
April 17, 2019
Ryang's ethnography of Chongryun Koreans is very outdated nowadays, but it remains the principal English-language source for people interested in the education system. She is a Zainichi North Korean herself and she has put herself (or "gone native" quite literally) as the self-conscious and reflectivist anthropologist studying the subject. Nothing like this exists in the English language discourse and for that alone, it is worth reading this book.
But there is more: Her main thesis relies on how language is connected to identity (inspired by Wittgenstein and Austin) and ideology but not fully connected in the conventional sense. Students may remember aphorisms of Kim Il Sung, but they do not exactly understand what these quotations actually mean. Certain concepts are censored and while people may decry it as Orwellian, it also means the Korean language is less of a practical language and more of a language of ideology or at least of formalities. The most insightful sections are usually about how people code-switch between formal Korean and and informal Japanese and this is particularly relevant to children (now the third-generation Zainichi Koreans).
Her conclusion of a post-diasporic consciousness to describe the trend is also intriguing. The first-generation is extremely diasporic (or diasporic nationalist to use John Lie's wording), but the second-generation is a bit more confused. They may have sympathies with North Korea, but they are also entrenched into Japan. The third-generation and more may not give a damn about this ideology. This is related to how Chongryun schools are beginning to loosen their grip onto students as well as people realizing the realities of North Korea.
All in all, Ryang is a valuable writer for people interested in English-language discussions on Zainichi Koreans and her other books seem to be as interesting as this book.
But there is more: Her main thesis relies on how language is connected to identity (inspired by Wittgenstein and Austin) and ideology but not fully connected in the conventional sense. Students may remember aphorisms of Kim Il Sung, but they do not exactly understand what these quotations actually mean. Certain concepts are censored and while people may decry it as Orwellian, it also means the Korean language is less of a practical language and more of a language of ideology or at least of formalities. The most insightful sections are usually about how people code-switch between formal Korean and and informal Japanese and this is particularly relevant to children (now the third-generation Zainichi Koreans).
Her conclusion of a post-diasporic consciousness to describe the trend is also intriguing. The first-generation is extremely diasporic (or diasporic nationalist to use John Lie's wording), but the second-generation is a bit more confused. They may have sympathies with North Korea, but they are also entrenched into Japan. The third-generation and more may not give a damn about this ideology. This is related to how Chongryun schools are beginning to loosen their grip onto students as well as people realizing the realities of North Korea.
All in all, Ryang is a valuable writer for people interested in English-language discussions on Zainichi Koreans and her other books seem to be as interesting as this book.
Displaying 1 of 1 review